Nigerians Report Online

Friday, November 11, 2011

Essay on Literacy in Nigeria Wins Scholarship for Chicago Student

Judy Wu

An essay on the challenges of literacy in Nigerian education has won a $5, 000 scholarship for Judy Wu, a third-year student at the Northwestern University in Chicago. She also won a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the 11th Annual Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards at the Kennedy Center in 2012.. Wu was selected by U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer for her 2,500 word essay that focused on international access to education and a proposal for literacy and educational development in Nigeria.

School children in Anambra State in Eastern Nigeria

The following is the full report.

10 Nov 2011 22:00 Africa/Lagos

Two Chicago Students Awarded $10,000 in Nation-Wide Scholarship Contest
Womenetics, Discover Financial Services and Georgia-Pacific Announce First Place Winners of the Advancing Aspirations Global Scholarship

PR Newswire

ATLANTA, Nov. 10, 2011

ATLANTA, Nov. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Out of nearly 400 essay submissions from over 300 colleges and universities across the country, two undergraduates from Chicago-area schools were selected to win a total of $10,000 for their essays focused on challenges and solutions surrounding global women's issues. Third-year Northwestern University student Judy Wu and second-year University of Chicago student Thuy-Khue Tran are the first place award winners of the Advancing Aspirations Global Scholarship created in conjunction with the Womenetics Global Women's Initiative: The Ripple Effect conferences. Each winner will receive $5,000 as well as a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the 11th Annual Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards at the Kennedy Center in 2012. Wu was selected by U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer for her 2,500 word essay that focused on international access to education and a proposal for literacy and educational development in Nigeria. Tran was similarly selected for her essay on women's economic empowerment and how gender equality can impact the global economy. Ambassador Verveer congratulated these young women for their efforts and endorsed their views on the importance of women and girls in the global economy.

Thuy-Khue Tran

In an effort to encourage undergraduate students to research and ignite awareness about international issues, Womenetics joined forces with Georgia-Pacific and Discover Financial Services to award a total of $22,000 through the Womenetics Advancing Aspirations Global Scholarship competition. Each company will award a first place winner and four runner-ups a total of $11,000.

"Womenetics recognizes the power of young people and we're dedicated to connecting students interested in the advancement of women with those in vital, impactful roles," says Elisabeth Marchant, president and CEO of Womenetics. "Womenetics seeks to inspire future leaders of global advancement by providing information and education on measures being taken to empower women."

US Ambassador Verveer remarked, "I applaud Womenetics for creating this dynamic network that inspires and connects women everywhere. The students who entered this contest are already leaders; the solutions they proposed showed so much thoughtfulness and care for the world they are going to lead. I am confident that our world will be in good hands with them."

About Womenetics

Womenetics is a business media platform providing substantive information for and about women. Womenetics celebrates women in the workplace and focuses on them as leaders, exploring how women's abilities can be effectively employed to impact today's critical challenges. Womenetics inspires women to become engaged, control their destinies and take their place in business and the public realm. Through compelling content online, at events and within a web-based community, Womenetics cultivates relationships between its audience and foremost thought leaders around global issues, leadership development and business insights.

Contact: Ellen Adair Wyche
The Wyche Group
(404) 233-4480
eawyche@thewychegroup.com

SOURCE Womenetics

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

Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
11 Nov 2011
05:28	ECOWAS observation mission for the run-off presidential elections in Liberia November 8, 2011 / Preliminary declaration
05:24	Mission d'observation de la CEDEAO du second tour de l'élection présidentielle du 8 novembre 2011 au Liberia / Déclaration préliminaire
10 Nov 2011
23:09	PT Announces Third Quarter 2011 Financial Results
22:00	Two Chicago Students Awarded $10,000 in Nation-Wide Scholarship Contest

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Shell must pay US$1 billion in first step to clean up Niger Delta

10 Nov 2011 10:54 Africa/Lagos

Shell must pay US$1 billion in first step to clean up Niger Delta

LONDON, November 10, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Shell must commit to pay an initial US$1 billion to begin the clean-up of pollution caused by oil spills in the Niger Delta, Amnesty International and the Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD) said today.

A new report by the two groups released today, The true tragedy: delays and failures in tackling oil spills in the Niger Delta looks at the ongoing devastation caused by two major oil spills which took place at Bodo, Ogoniland, in 2008, and which have never been cleaned up.

The UN Environment Programme recently found that oil pollution over many years had resulted in such devastation that it would take more than 25 years for Ogoniland to recover. The UN recommended setting up an Environmental Restoration Fund with an initial amount of US$1 billion, with further funding to follow.

“Shell's failure to promptly stop and clean up oil spills in Bodo has devastated the lives of tens of thousands of people. Bodo is a disaster that should not have happened, yet it is one that due to Shell's inaction continues to this day. It is time this multi-billion dollar company owns up, cleans up and pays up,” said Aster van Kregten Amnesty International's researcher for Nigeria.

In 2008, two consecutive spills, caused by faults in a pipeline, resulted in thousands of barrels of oil polluting the land and creek surrounding Bodo, a town of some 69,000 people. Both spills continued for weeks before they were stopped. No proper clean up has ever taken place.

“The situation in Bodo is symptomatic of the wider situation in the Niger Delta oil industry. The authorities simply do not control the oil companies. Shell and other oil companies have the freedom to act – or fail to act - without fear of sanction. An independent, robust and well-resourced regulator is long overdue, otherwise even more people will continue to suffer at the hands of the oil companies,” said Patrick Naagbanton, CEHRD's Coordiantor.

Shell, which recently reported profits of US$ 7.2 billion for July-September, initially offered the Bodo community just 50 bags of rice, beans, sugar and tomatoes as relief for the disaster.

Ongoing damage to fisheries and farmland has resulted in food shortages and higher prices in Bodo. Residents told Amnesty International and CEHRD how they struggle to make a living and have serious health concerns. Alternative jobs are not easy to find. Many young people have been forced to look for work in Port Harcourt, the state capital, 50km away.

One fisherman from Bodo, said: ‘Before the spill, life was easy. The people could live from the catch of fish…After the spill, everything was destroyed.'

When Amnesty International asked Shell to comment on the failures at Bodo, the company stated that, as the Bodo spill spills were subject to legal proceedings in the UK, it was unable to respond as directly. Shell said that efforts to address the issues at Bodo are hampered by ongoing sabotage in the area, something strongly challenged by Amnesty International and CEHRD.

“Shell frequently says that most oil spills are caused by sabotage,” said Aster van Kregten, “This claim has been strongly disputed by the communities and NGOs who point out that the process of collecting data on oil spills is flawed. Even at Bodo, where it is accepted the spills are Shell's fault, the company appears to be using sabotage as an excuse for its failures to comply with Nigerian law and regulations – which require the company to promptly clean up and pay compensation. This is a completely untenable position.”

“The facts here are simple,” adds Patrick Naagbanton. “Two spills, both of them the company's fault, both left to flow for weeks before being stopped, neither cleaned up although three years have passed. There can be no excuses. By any standard, this is a corporate failure.”

Nigeria's government agencies are also strongly criticized in the report for their failure to enforce regulations. The Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources - which is responsible for ensuring the oil industry complies with regulation - is also charged with promoting the oil industry and ensuring maximum revenues.

The Nigerian government agency responsible for oils spills - the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) - is under-resourced and ineffective. The agency has no independent capacity to identify oil spills and is dependent on being notified by the oil company responsible or by the affected community.

The recent UN Environment Programme report noted that in responding to oil spills, “government agencies are at the mercy of oil companies when it comes to conducting site inspections.”

NOSDRA repeatedly failed to enforce standards in the case of the Bodo spills.

Background

On 28 August 2008, a fault in the Trans-Niger pipeline caused a major oil spill in Bodo. The oil poured into the swamp for at least four weeks – probably for as long as ten. Shell has recorded that 1,640 barrels of oil were spilt; however, an independent estimate suggests that as much as 4,000 barrels a day were leaking from the pipe. The spill was eventually stopped on 7 November 2008.

On 7 December 2008, a second spill occurred in Bodo, also due to equipment failure. This spill was reported to Shell on 9 December. It was ten weeks later before the spill was stopped.

After trying for years to secure clean up and proper compensation from Shell, the Bodo community took their fight for justice to the UK courts earlier this year. The court action is ongoing, but has brought a measure of hope that the situation at Bodo may be resolved.

According to the UN Development Program (UNDP), more than 60 per cent of the people in the region depend on the natural environment for their livelihood.

According to UNDP, more than 6,800 spills were recorded between 1976 and 2001, with a loss of approximately 3 million barrels of oil. Many experts believe that due to under-reporting the true figures may be far higher.

Notes to editors

When asked to comment on the issues raised by the report, NOSDRA also responded with limited information. Nigeria's Department of Petroleum Resources did not respond at all.

A news access tape and images are available upon request. For more information, to request an advanced copy of the report, or to arrange an interview please call +44 20 7413 5566 or press@amnesty.org The Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD) is a rural-based and rural-focused non-profit organization founded by conservationists, environmentalists, activists, and health workers in the Niger Delta. CEHRD was formed to respond to the environmental, human rights, rural health, and underdevelopment problems plaguing the Niger Delta.

Amnesty International is campaigning on corporate accountability under the Demand Dignity campaign, which aims to end the human rights violations that drive and deepen global poverty. The campaign mobilizes people all over the world to demand that governments, corporations and others who have power to listen to the voices of those living in poverty and recognize and protect their rights. For more information visit: http://www.amnesty.org/en/demand-dignity

Source: Amnesty International

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Direct Talk With Boko Haram Is worth the Trial in Nigeria

A Commentary

Direct Talk and Psychological Accessibility to the Boko Haram Group Is worth the Trial in Nigeria

It is now obvious that the nation is now fully plagued by terrorism which is so widespread and monumental that it is hard to unravel.

At a time when the Nigerian air is filled with the festivities of Eid al-Adha, the feast of sacrifice, which in a supposed way should involve the slaughter sheep and cattle, and not the near-sacrifice of a son, as in Abraham’s case, but the reverse is the case.Human slaughter is in our face on a daily basis in Nigeria due to the Boko Haram wrath.

Violence in Nigeria, a country of more than 150 million with an almost equal split between the Christian south and the Muslim north is affecting public safety and national security.

Nothing appears to be stopping the inflammable and untamed-able torment, fear and worry across the country. There appears to be a legitimate state of distress nationally, and the cause of the state of distress is growing day-by-day. All efforts by the security works and forces have had very little effect on the havoc and trauma caused by the Nigeria's Terror forces. As a nation there is a great psychological expression of denial that all is almost well but this state of denial is notoriously and loudly laughable.

The current terror group appeared to be a bunch of violent players engaged in do or die shocking acts. They are prepared to go to any length to drive in fear across the nation through targeted violence against public and private entities. In 2009 hundreds of people were killed when Maiduguri police stations were stormed in December 2010 and the city of Jos was bombed , killing 80; in May 2011, bombing of many states occurred after the President's inauguration; in June of 2011 the Police Headquarter got bombed in Abuja followed by the August 2011 bombing of the UN Headquarter in Abuja.

In the last few days churches, mosques, banks and police state headquarter, Military base among others, continue be targeted in the country.

The emotional burdens of living in fear due to the Boko Haram group dangers continue. In terms of causation of the group’s acts, economic insufficiency could not be the central problem as the nation for the first time in the country's history, is generally addressing its economic and social infrastructure inadequacies, and the economy is becoming more open to new investors and the government making efforts to enhance dire infrastructure such as power, transportation and energy.

Nonetheless, the issue of unemployment and wages remain a severe problem. On a positive side, food supply has remained strong, and the government is working hard on creating new jobs. The very recent Damaturu bloodbath in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria informs a reasonable mind that the national and shocking assault certainly does not appear as a problem that's about to go away. The Boko Haram forces appear to be evolving and gaining strength minute by minute in spite of every security tactics used to this day, including all help and aids from ‘Oyibo’ or American security and intelligence forces and other Euro-oriented technical assistance.

The Boko Haram group who are apparently, non-Euro-Americans or non-Whites but African brothers of dark-skinned, youthful and Nigerian background seem to be ridiculing and essentially laugh quietly at the Nigerian security forces as evidenced by the Sect’s almost flawless and tough stand so far.

We can call them what we like—gang of roaming youths, or gang of young men but one thing is clear they are certainly young adults mostly males of aggressive impulses.

The African spirit and style of communalism, instructiveness, cooperativeness, non-individualism, cultural unity, multi-ethnic mix, as well as extreme sensitivity remain part of their collective and personal Beings. But they are using these characteristics negatively. If the current running battles between them and the Nigerian security forces is to make sense, understanding these stated cultural psychologies become very vital. It is time to move beyond the surface thinking that the Boko Haram sect are determined to disrupt peace and stability in the country because they want to implement Shariah law and they have dislike for Westen(White/Euro-American) Education(philosophical values and styles).

These gang of youths are not leadership-minded and positioned for such influences even if they appear to harbor features of marked disregard for Euro-American legal, educational, social, dressing, and ethical styles. These youths no doubt could be playing into the hands of those who could be in the circle of what could be called the Angry Politician including those of Northern Nigerian background who are quick to rationalize their defeat on being duped or hoodwinked by another political competitor.

With the common knowledge that we have of the African world view it is imperative that the Nigerian President and his security advice-givers not exclude approaches like the humanistic – spiritualistic – communal relations related talk.

African human traditions in the sense of safeguarding national security ought to include direct talk, open communication, and other forms of communal , heart-to-heart and conversational exchange. Certainly the current waves of terrorist attacks in the nation which is causing senseless deaths and hundreds of injured requires swift physical and aggressive reactions from the government. Still, we should bring in the psychology of interdependence and communalism as a way to help find out why these irritated youths and troubled adults of the Boko Haram mind-set lack respect for human life and dignity.

Certainly, they should be brought to justice for their barbaric and heinous acts, but there are those among them or preparing to be conditioned into the sect that could gain from necessary psychological and cultural education. Since the Government of Nigeria is in part a reflection of African humanistic – spiritualistic –cultural backgrounds, some of its security measures must include psychological, traditional and ethnic strategies in an attempt to deal with national security issues like the Boko Haram trouble, agony and mayhem.

~ By John Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D

John Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D, is the Secretary-General of the Nigeria Psychological Association (NPA) , and a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Psychology, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nasarawa. Jos5930458@aol.com

New Video Introduces 'Asia' - How Environmentalists Betray The Developing World

'Disarming The Greens' introduces 'Asia,' a green activist and campaigner for the poor

ROME, Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today Libertiamo's 'Disarming The Greens' campaign released 'Asia,' a short animation video about an environmental activist who after years of radicalization has finally realized that in order for the developing world to prosper, they require the liberty to utilize and market their own natural resources.

"The world is still poor, and where there is poverty there is pollution..."

"... numerous children suffer from malnutrition and other diseases..."

'Asia' personifies an environmental activist who understands that through preventing economic development, radical greens only end up prolonging the suffering of the people they claim to help in the continent. Rather than fighting against economic development, 'Asia' notes that Asian nations can overcome both extreme poverty and environmental degradation through responsibly utilizing their forest resources. The following are extracts from the video, highlighting the arrogant mindset in the West when it comes to aiding the developing world:

"The world is not the West. The world is still poor and where there is poverty there is pollution and the environment is not protected. The fight against poverty is the real challenge for the environment..."

"Us Westerners should treat the developing world with respect, encouraging solidarity and a fair global economic development. We have no right to dictate to the rest of the world…"

"I'm in Asia now. There are about 600 million poor here, numerous children suffer from malnutrition and other diseases. They have large forests. A major portion of forests are permanently protected. Biodiversity is protected and the rest of the trees provide jobs, hope and well-being for millions of people. I know that environmentalists like me would deny it but I do not agree with them."

"'Asia' is a timely reminder to those of us who hold the belief that only trade and economic development can help alleviate poverty and propel nations on the path towards prosperity. Despite some good intentions, activists and elected officials fall too easily into the trap of supporting ill-advised conservation efforts and aid programs that do nothing but perpetuate the evils of poverty and hopelessness. Why should millions of people in Asia be any different to people in Italy? They don't want more handouts. They want to experience the dignity of working for a better future for their country and their family," said Benedetto Della Vedova, Italian member of Parliament for the Future and Freedom Party and honorary chairman of Libertiamo.

"I compel my fellow elected members to watch 'Asia' and keep in mind that the tired old rhetoric behind most aid programs will only hurt the very people we are looking to help. Without action, we will only isolate the very people we are looking to help, a move that betrays our principles and ultimate objectives."

'Disarming The Greens' is a project of Libertiamo, a cultural-political organization promoting classical liberal ideas in Italy and in Europe, publishing policy analyses and law proposals. Through Libertiamo.it – a web-magazine read by more than 4,000 different users per day – the organization publishes articles and opinions related to free market, individual and civil freedoms, international relations. The association organizes public meetings and seminars in order to promote its ideas and proposals. Libertiamo receives private funds by individuals, special interests organizations and businesses.

SOURCE Libertiamo
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RELATED LINKS
http://www.libertiamo.it

Mobile Operators Missing Opportunity to Double Cash Returns for Investors

10 Nov 2011 09:00 Africa/Lagos

Mobile Operators Missing Opportunity to Double Cash Returns for Investors

Smart network strategies can increase typical cash yield by up to 129%

PR Newswire

HIGH WYCOMBE, United Kingdom, Nov. 10, 2011

HIGH WYCOMBE, United Kingdom, Nov. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile operators are missing a clear opportunity to double cash returns by following current network strategies. This finding comes from a new report entitled "The value of 'smart' pipes to mobile network operators," commissioned by Tellabs and undertaken by STL Partners.

Cash returns on invested capital for mobile operators today are typically 5.8%, in line with utility company stocks. The report concludes that mobile operators can more than double cash returns to 13.3% by delivering smart services. Smart services can improve operators' share value and performance, turning today's value stocks into tomorrow's growth stocks.

The research during Q2 and Q3 2011 is based on a deep analysis of strategies and cost modelling of major mobile operators from North America, Western Europe and Asia Pacific.

"In the face of stagnant share prices, investors now demand higher dividend yields, limiting mobile operators' ability to fund growth," said Dr. Vikram Saksena, Tellabs CTO. "It is vital that operators increase return on invested capital to boost their stock performance. The Tellabs-STL report demonstrates the real value that mobile operators could return with a strategy that focuses on leveraging smart networks to deliver smart services."

Mobile operator stocks in need of a boost

While mobile network operator stocks demonstrated incredible growth over the last 10 to 20 years, now that growth has slowed or stopped. Operator stocks have become "utility" stocks, causing investors to demand higher dividend returns, in turn reducing stock value and limiting funds available for new investment.

In order to boost performance, operators need to move from current practices – such as relatively dumb networks and one-sided business models – to full service offerings with smart services enabled by smart networks. This transformation requires infrastructure changes to increase the awareness and intelligence of networks, as well as leveraging these new capabilities to develop smart services.

The report finds that smart networks can increase mobile network operator cash returns on investment by 1.6%, from 5.8% to 7.4%. Delivering smart services over these upgraded networks requires the implementation of new business models, and smart services have the ability to increase returns by a further 5.9%, from 7.4% to 13.3%.

Smart networks come first on the road to smart services

To achieve the 1.6% increase in cash returns enabled by moving to a smart network, the following elements are essential:

* Efficient network configuration
* Network security
* Device management
* Network sharing
* WiFi offload
* Traffic shaping
* Multicast and content delivery networks (CDNs).

To increase cash returns by a further 5.9%, the following smart services must be introduced:

* Delivering personalised and differentiated user services that leverage assets such as customer data
* Making additional operator assets, such as location, presence, payments, identity and authentication, available to users and other service providers
* Implementing differentiated pricing and charging for users and upstream service providers based on customer segmentation and tiered service levels.

"Make no mistake, these are not easy moves for mobile operators to make," said Chris Barraclough, Managing Director of STL Partners and author of the report. "There is a great deal of work that needs to be done to move towards smart services, including many business models, technological and cultural shifts. If operators can successfully implement a 'Telco 2.0' smart services strategy, they can really boost financial performance. But the analysis in the report reveals that many in the industry feel such a full-service offering is beyond most operators," concludes Barraclough.

In February 2011, a Tellabs study demonstrated that mobile operators around the world face the "end of profit" as the costs of supporting the mobile data boom are on a trajectory to exceed associated revenues -- unless mobile operators change their business strategies. The new Tellabs-STL research adds further pressure to the argument that mobile operators face a stark choice: either a profitable smart mobile internet or profitless dumb mobile internet.

The full report is available on request at http://info.tellabs.com/smartpipes

Cash Returns – "CROIC"

Cash Returns on Invested Capital (CROIC) is the rate at which cash is generated for investors relative to the total capital (debt and equity) invested in a company. It is a particularly useful metric for investors because it removes measures that can be open to interpretation or manipulation such as earnings, depreciation or amortisation.

Editor's Note: If you have questions about Tellabs and STL Research's "The value of 'smart' pipes to mobile network operators," join us for a live Q&A session on Twitter on Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Central Time. Follow our Twitter account at http://www.twitter.com/tellabsinc and submit questions with the hashtag #smartnetwork.

About STL Partners

STL Partners is a research, brainstorm events and consulting company that specializes in business model innovation at the intersection of the Telecoms-Media-Technology sectors. As creators of the Telco 2.0 initiative, we work with visionary leaders who are looking to make breakthroughs with their businesses at a time of unparalleled disruption and change. www.stlpartners.com

About Tellabs — Tellabs innovations advance the mobile Internet and help our customers succeed. That's why 43 of the top 50 global communications service providers choose our mobile, optical, business and services solutions. We help them get ahead by adding revenue, reducing expenses and optimizing networks.

Tellabs (Nasdaq: TLAB) is part of the NASDAQ Global Select Market, Ocean Tomo 300® Patent Index, the S&P 500 and several corporate responsibility indexes including the Maplecroft Climate Innovation Index, FTSE4Good and eight FTSE KLD indexes. http://www.tellabs.com

Tellabs® and Tellabs logo are trademarks of Tellabs or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. Any other company or product names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.

SOURCE Tellabs

CONTACT: Europe, Middle East and Africa, Sonny Waheed, +44.871.574.7035, sonny.waheed@tellabs.com, or North and Latin America, Marta Kwiatek, +1-630-798-2524, marta.kwiatek@tellabs.com, or Asia Pacific, Yvonne Cheong, +65.6215.6334, yvonne.cheong@tellabs.com, or Investors, Tom Scottino, +1-630-798-3602, tom.scottino@tellabs.com

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

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Call for Entries for the 2012 Africa Movie Academy Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

8 November 2011

The Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) is calling for feature, short and documentary entries for its 2012 edition, to be held in April in Nigeria, home to the world’s third largest film industry. The deadline for submissions is 30 December 2011.

Since its inception in 2005, AMAA has established itself as the most prestigious and glamorous awards celebrating filmmaking on the continent. The gala event, which is televised live around the world, attracts Hollywood celebrities alongside their African counterparts, as well as African politicians and media.

“Our theme this year is Africa Rising,” says founder Peace Anyiam-Osigwe. “With the success of last year’s AMAA winner, Viva Riva!, all of a sudden there’s this great awareness of the possibilities in Africa. It challenged the ideology of what African cinema is all about.”

After winning six awards at AMAA 2011, Djo Tundawa Munga’s gritty Congolese crime drama Viva Riva was released in America, Canada, Europe, Australasia, and an unprecedented 18 African countries to rave reviews, demonstrating the untapped audience potential of the roughly one billion Africans on the continent.

“This has been an exciting year for African cinema,” says Peace. “We’ve also seen the UK release of six Nollywood films, with Lonzo Nzekwe’s Anchor Baby and Obi Emelonye’s Mirror Boy having extended runs at The Odeon Cinema in England.”

Only films produced and released between December 2010 and December 2011 are eligible. Features may not exceed 120 minutes and shorts may not be longer than 40 minutes.

Submission forms can be downloaded from the AMAA website, http://www.ama-awards.com/.

Nominations will be announced in February 2012.

Peace is available for interviews to discuss the awards and the potential of African cinema.

For more information, contact:

Kevin Kriedemann

+27 83 556 2346

kevin@kevinlikes.com
http://kevinlikes.com

Iara Lee's Cultures of Resistance Attracts Nigerian Press

Cultures of Resistance: The Official Trailer from Cultures of Resistance on Vimeo.

Top Nigerian journalists from both the print and electronic news media were at the first press conference and screening of Iara Lee’s Cultures of Resistance Wednesday evening November 9, 2011, at the Goethe Institut in the City Hall on the Lagos Island.

Iara Lee

In attendance were Michael Nwandibie and his crew from the Silverbird TV, Collins Talker and Gboyega Obarafo from Galaxy TV, Shaibu Husseini of The Guardian, Nkiru Ifeajuna of the News Agency of Nigeria, Flora Onwudiwe of the Daily Champion, Wale Idowu-Shadrach, the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Movietainment magazine and other members of the news media.

Mr. Hope Obioma Opara, President of Eko International Film Festival and Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, Founder of Eko International Film Festival and Publisher/Editor of Nigerians Report commended Marc-André Schmachtel, Director of the Goethe Institut for supporting the press conference and screening of Iara Lee’s multiple awards winning socio-political documentary film Cultures of Resistance.

Hope Obioma Opara

Mr. Opara announced that Eko International Film Festival will henceforth be held every November and condemned the counterfeiting and trademark piracy of the film festival by Mr. Paul Obazele of Royal Pictures and his faction of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP).

Among the guests were the famous Nigerian filmmaker Dr. Ola Balogun who featured in the documentary, David Adejo, Aderinsola Ajao, Yacoub Adeleke, Meg Masha the hostess of the Ember Creek’s weekly Salsa Dance Night, fast rising actor and hip-hop rap artiste Aloysius Onyejegbu, aka 2MS, John Sessau and others.

Dr. Ola Balogun spoke on the bravery of Iara Lee in daring to go to the dangerous locations of political conflicts in the Middle East, Amazon Jungle, Niger Delta, Liberia, Rwanda and other battlegrounds of war and socio-political resistance to record her thrilling documentary which she is has been using as an instrument of justice and peace in her global human rights activities.

One of the tensed scenes of Cultures of Resistance

Ola Balogun

He said Cultures of Resistance is the genre of transformational documentaries that Nigerian TV stations should broadcast to the millions of people in the most populous country in Africa, because of the outstanding positive impact it would make on the cultural and political enlightenment of the people in view of the recurrent ethno religious and political violence in the northern regions of Nigeria. Then he dismissed the mediocrity of the popular Nigerian hip hop artistes and the abuse of the best practices of the film industry by the unprofessional opportunists in Nollywood.

Another Christian NYSC Member Killed by Terrorists in Northern Nigeria

Eucharia Remmy

Beautiful Eucharia Remmy, a young member of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) serving in Yobe was among the over 150 people murdered by the Boko Haram terrorist sect last Friday in Damaturu, Yobe State.

The Enugu-State born Eucharia was a 2010 graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and a happy member of Christ Embassy Church in Damaturu, for which she was sharing Rhapsodies of Reality booklet along the New Jerusalem Rd when she was hit and killed by one of the marauders of Boko Haram.

Eucharia was the sister of Mary Remmy, a promising Nollywood actress who played a prominent role in the popular hit movie Black Berry Babes, starring Oge Okoye, Tonto Dikeh, Annie Macaulay and others.

Here is her Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/people/Remmy-Eucharia/1587120828

It is another sad loss of a NYSC member serving in the volatile northern regions of Nigeria where it is no longer safe for non-Muslims and non-Hausa Fulanis who have become the targets of Islamic terrorists attacking Christians, churches and government bodies.

Any NYSC member from southern regions of Nigeria should be wise enough to avoid serving in the dangerous northern regions, because the government agencies have failed to protect the lives and properties of the citizens who are being attacked by the lunatic fringe of Muslims on rampage in their rebellion against the federal government.

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