Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Nigerians, Ivoriens and Koreans finish last on Valentine’s Day Calls
Nigerians, Ivoriens and Koreans finished in the bottom three when it came to increase in call volume during Valentine's Day. In fact, among each of these three countries, the average daily call volume actually decreased by 41 percent on Valentine's Day.
* Valentine's Day 5th on List of Most Popular Calling Holidays: Valentine's Day ranks 5th on the list of holidays for callers from across the world, with an average daily increase of 9 percent in call volume on that day compared to normal days. Christmas is the most popular calling holiday with an average daily call volume increase of 55 percent, followed by New Year's (37 percent), Mother's Day (33 percent) and Father's Day (14 percent).
* That's Amore!: The study finds that, when it comes to making phone calls on Valentine's Day, Italians are the most committed, with a 144 percent increase in call volume on that day compared to a normal day, more than any other country in the world.
* Europeans Love Valentine's Day : It's not just Italians that "love" Valentine's Day, but Europeans, in general. According to the report, the top expat communities that call home the most on Valentine's Day after Italians are France with a 127 percent increase in call volume on that day and Spain with a 116 percent increase in call volume.
* Korea, Ivory Coast and Nigeria "Heartbreakers" on Valentine's Day Calling List: The study finds that Korea, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria finished in the bottom three when it came to increase in call volume during Valentine's Day. In fact, among each of these three countries, the average daily call volume actually decreased by 41 percent on Valentine's Day.
* Mama's Boys and Girls: While two African countries ranked in the bottom three when it comes to calling home during Valentine's Day, African countries dominated the list of those who called home most frequently during Mother's Day. Expats from Ghana, South Africa and Cameroon finished in the top three communities to call home during Mother's Day, with an average 86.3 percent increase in call volume on that holiday.
Click here to see VIP Communications 2011 Expat Valentine's Day Holiday Calling Report.
Nigerian Teacher wins the 2010 International Student/Teacher Essay Contest
Anthony Itodo Samuel
Nigerian Teacher wins the 2010 International Student/Teacher Essay Contest
Nigerian mathematics teacher Anthony Itodo Samuel has won the first prize for teachers in 2010 International Student/Teacher Essay Competition, "Making a Difference."
The essay question was:
How would you improve your school so that it prepares future leaders to protect the planet?
Mr. Samuel is teaching at MaryMount College II, in Agbor, Nigeria for a year as part of the National Youth Service Corps.
His hobbies include reading detective novels, watching detective movies, and writing (poetry, essays and short stories). As a member of Junior Chamber International (JCI), he strongly believes that "service to humanity is the best work of life."
The following is the complete list of the winners.
HIGH SCHOOL
First Prize, Jacqueline Dufalla, the Ellis School, PA, USA
To read her essay, click here
POST SECONDARY SCHOOL
First Prize: Phaedra Jaggernauth, University of Trinidad and Tobago
To read her essay, click here
Second Prize: Lisa Blake, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
To read her essay, click here
TEACHERS
First Prize: Anthony Itodo Samuel, Marymount College, Agbor, Nigeria
To read his essay, click here
Second Prize: Teacher and student team - Jacob Park, associate professor of business strategy and sustainability, and Ashley Staron, class of 2011, Green Mountain College, Vermont, USA
To read their essay, click here
The winners will receive Amazon gift certificates and a copy of Ethics & International Affairs: A Reader.
We would like to thank everyone who submitted an essay. Our Carnegie Council judges found them all very inspiring! The majority of entries came from the United States, but in total we received 56 entries from 17 countries (plus some foreign nationals living in the U.S.). The youngest contestant was 14 years old.
Here is the country list in alphabetical order:
Bulgaria, Canada, Cote d'Ivoire, India, Jordan, Kenya, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Pakistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Ukraine, U.S.A., Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.
This contest was part of the Council's second annual SEPTEMBER SUSTAINABILITY MONTH, which kicked off a year of events and resources on sustainability. Generous funding of the Carnegie Council's 2010-2011 sustainability programming has been provided by Hewlett-Packard and by Booz & Company.
Why we collect brown envelopes- Nigerian Journalist
Why we collect brown envelopes- Nigerian Journalist
We met one afternoon in the first week of February in a small restaurant on the third floor of the E- Centre in Yaba, a suburb of Lagos. He seemed like a happy go lucky young man as he sat over his plate of jollof rice and chicken whilst I regarded him amusingly. He was sitting beside a popular celebrity blogger and award winning style entrepreneur whom I have known since she was 17 when I was the Editor of an offbeat news magazine in the late 1990s.
“I will not collect anything less than N25, 000, to report and get a story published in our magazine, “he said matter-of-factly in-between mouthfuls of his food.
“I am against journalists collecting brown envelopes,” I said emphatically.
He shrugged at my uncompromising attitude whilst I smirked at his unethical decision.
“We collect brown envelopes, because we are not well paid,” he explained.
“Not all journalists in Nigeria collect brown envelopes,” I said.
He looked up at me and laughed.
“Look, even those who were not collecting brown envelopes before now do so,” he said.
He mentioned that one of the brown envelope rookies was a journalist from the new daily newspaper published by a seasoned Nigerian journalist who became famous after winning the highly coveted Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in America.
“Their reporters were acting holier than others before, but one of them later succumbed and collected a brown envelope through a proxy,” he revealed giving details how money exchanged hands. He said the reporter was financially constrained and had to collect the money to make ends meet.
To find a Nigerian journalist who has never collected a brown envelope would be like searching for a matchstick in a haystack. Collecting brown envelopes to report news stories is now an informal income to augment their salaries, from the green horns to the seasoned professionals in the newsroom.
Well known members of staff of the most popular private TV and fm radio stations are actively engaged in corrupt practices of asking artistes and other personalities lump sums of money before they interview or feature them on air.
The DJs and VJs in Nigeria extort and exploit Nigerian artistes and others to give them financial inducements to “promote” them. But they do not make returns of their so called “promotional fees” to the management of their employers.
One celebrated DJ at a Pidgin English fm radio station on Victoria Island demanded about N250000 from a Nigerian born hip-hop artiste from the US, but he was queried when his employer found out through a whistle blower in the entertainment industry. He was so scared that he called the artiste and begged for negotiation. His female colleague quickly played the song of the artiste without asking for any brown envelope. But others still collected over N125, 000. One of them boasted that a popular record label paid as much as N2 million for the constant rotation of their hip-hop artistes on radio and TV. And that is the secret of their success and not the noisy songs of their artistes who cannot even get a record deal in the US or the UK where the music recording companies have not collapsed.
These DJs and VJs do not care about the quality of the songs and will hype and play the songs constantly as long as the artistes give them fat brown envelopes. But once you fail to pamper them with cash and gifts they will drop your songs in the drawers until further notice. These corrupt Nigerians simply play whatever you give to them once you have bribed them generously.
In the US and most other places, radio stations do not pay performers for airplay, but they do not extort them in a mutual rapport. Presently, the administration of President Barack Obama is already supporting legislation to make radio stations pay royalties to performers when they play their music just like satellite radio, Internet radio and cable TV music channels pay fees to performers and songwriters.
Cash-for-news coverage is very common all over the world, but permitting the corrupt practice has compromised standards of professional journalism, because a reporter or news channel can be bribed to report even falsehood as I have noted in one of the largest circulating dailies in Nigeria where one of the entertainment editors is fond of cash-for-news coverage to report exaggerated stories or falsehood to promote artistes and their works.
There was a particular case of "cash-for-news coverage" that really shocked me.
Some news reporters asked for brown envelopes to report the 2010 World Malaria Day hosted by the Media Forum of the African Media & Malaria Research Network, AMMREN, in Lagos, Nigeria. An important event for the benefit of the public to save millions of lives was exploited by unscrupulous Nigerian journalists to extort money from the non-profit NGO. The coordinator gave each reporter more than N5,000. But they even failed to give a good report of the event.
"But everybody missed it because it's badly cobbled together. For example, names are badly mixed-up, etc. That's worse than no report, " the coordinator complained to me.
“Cash-for-news coverage is more common in regional and local media than in national media, particularly among district and local media correspondents in small towns. It goes by various street names depending on location, including: red envelope, brown envelope, soli, marmalade, tips, and sitting allowance, among others. Bribery acceptance is linked here to low pay for journalists. It is exemplified as a means of government control of media, undermining democratization. Media control includes the use of false accusation of taking bribes to suppress independent journalists,” said Bill Ristow in Cash for Coverage: Bribery of Journalists Around the World published on September 28, 2010.
You should also read "The Shame of Brown Envelope Journalism" by Peter G. Mwesige
published on Friday, 17 September 2010, by the African Centre for Media Excellence.
The following recommendations have been made to stop the corrupt practices of cash-for-news coverage by the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) - National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
1. "International journalism organizations should:
o Take the initiative to support a summit on the topic of cash for news coverage, to include representatives of the public-relations industry and experts on how corporations deal with bribery.
o Issue regular reports documenting... this 'dark side' of the profession.
o Take the lead in documenting - and publicizing - the pay levels of journalists around the world...
2. Media-development organizations should:
o Sharpen their focus on ethics training...
o Support the creation and nurture of media accountability systems such as ombudsmen and other mechanisms to heighten transparency in how journalists do their work.
3. News media owners, managers, and editors should:
o Adopt, publicize, and then stick to a firm policy of zero tolerance...
o Review pay policies...
o Take the initiative in creating accountability systems on their own, such as appointing an ombudsman...
4. Public relations professionals and their organizations should:
o Not wait for the journalists to suggest a summit. They can suggest it themselves...
o Encourage their members to practice zero tolerance...
5. NGOs [non-governmental organizations] and corporations should:
o Just say no.... adopt a firm rule against paying, put it in writing and make it public, and stick to it in all cases."
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy Valentine's Day and an e-mail from Prof. Wole Soyinka
Orikinla is at work.
No time to even join a sweetheart at Ozone in Yaba, Lagos.
The new Igbo girl next office who said I behave more like a Yoruba man received what she asked for to make her happier. Making someone smile is enough for Valentine's Day. But I am ignoring another one who has been calling obviously to argue and quarrel over the fact that she cannot eat her cake and have it back.
I should really have time this weekend for anyone I would love to be with.
Lest I forget, today is our landlady's birthday and she sent a plate of Jollof rice with chicken, two bottles of Coca Cola and chocolate sweets.
Being born on St. Valentine's Day is something worth celebrating and I wish her Happy Valentine's Day and many more happy returns of today with longer life and more riches for the common good.
I just stepped out to give her my best wishes shaking her hand whole heartedly.
She still looks appealing in her 60s. Beautiful African mother of a black and beautiful daughter who is studying law in the UK.
The icing on the cake for me today is the e-mail from Prof. Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate on one of my new books.
One thing about life is you can never please everybody and my love is double-edged sword.
Chinese, Nigerian Leaders Exchange Congratulatory Messages on the 40th Anniversary of Diplomatic Ties
14 Feb 2011 05:13 Africa/Lagos
Chinese, Nigerian Leaders Exchange Congratulatory Messages on the 40th Anniversary of Diplomatic Ties
BEIJING, February 11, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- On February 10, 2011, Chinese President Hu Jintao exchanged congratulatory messages with his Nigerian counterpart Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
In his message, Hu said over the past 40 years, bilateral relations had witnessed smooth and healthy development. China-Nigeria relations have ushered in a new phase of fast development and yielded rich fruits since 2005, when the two countries established a strategic partnership based on mutual political trust, economic reciprocity and mutual support in international affairs, he said. As both countries are the world's major developing countries at their vital stages of progress, China is willing to work with Nigeria to keep enriching the content of China-Nigeria strategic partnership through closer high-level contacts, expanded pragmatic cooperation and more people-to-people exchanges, Hu said. He also called on the two countries to enhance their coordination both within multi-lateral frameworks such as the China-Africa Cooperation Forum and in other international affairs, with an aim to better benefit both sides and their peoples.
Jonathan said in his message that over the past 40 years the two countries have enjoyed mutual political trust; trade and economic cooperation has grown substantially; and bilateral relations have been clearly marked by increased personnel contacts which have continued to reinforce socio-economic development. With the joint efforts of leaders of the two countries and both peoples, Nigeria-China relations have evolved to a strategic level, despite the daunting challenges, he said. Jonathan expressed his hope that the strategic partnership would further enrich the content of bilateral friendship, and enhance cooperation in infrastructure construction, agriculture and other areas.
On the same day, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi also exchanged congratulatory messages with his Nigerian counterpart Odein Ajumogobia.
Source: China - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Bye, Bye Mubarak
The Egyptian zealots of Tahrir Square have won!
I salute the brave zealots of Tahrir Square in Cairo who stood their ground against the draconian laws of President Hosni Mubarak.
The will of the people of Egypt has prevailed over the evil reign of President Hosni Mubarak as he surrendered and handed over power to military. This is the end of the kleptomaniac government of one of the most corrupt rulers in Africa.
The wind of change began blowing from Tunisia three weeks ago and sent President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali packing. Now the second autocratic government to fall is that of Hosni Mubarak. Who is next?
The wind of change blowing in North Africa will spread to the rest of Africa and will be welcomed in Zimbabwe where the life president Robert Mugabe will either resign in peace or be disgraced out of office.
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
Egypt will never be the same, says Barack Obama
February 11, 2011
Obama: Egypt has spoken
U.S. President Barack Obama offers his support for Egypt following the end of Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.
© 2011 Reuters
11 Feb 2011 15:40 Africa/Lagos
Statement of President Barack Obama on Egypt
WASHINGTON, February 11, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Egyptian people have been told that there was a transition of authority, but it is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient. Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world. The Egyptian government must put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy, and they have not yet seized that opportunity.
As we have said from the beginning of this unrest, the future of Egypt will be determined by the Egyptian people. But the United States has also been clear that we stand for a set of core principles. We believe that the universal rights of the Egyptian people must be respected, and their aspirations must be met. We believe that this transition must immediately demonstrate irreversible political change, and a negotiated path to democracy. To that end, we believe that the emergency law should be lifted. We believe that meaningful negotiations with the broad opposition and Egyptian civil society should address the key questions confronting Egypt's future: protecting the fundamental rights of all citizens; revising the Constitution and other laws to demonstrate irreversible change; and jointly developing a clear roadmap to elections that are free and fair.
We therefore urge the Egyptian government to move swiftly to explain the changes that have been made, and to spell out in clear and unambiguous language the step by step process that will lead to democracy and the representative government that the Egyptian people seek. Going forward, it will be essential that the universal rights of the Egyptian people be respected. There must be restraint by all parties. Violence must be forsaken. It is imperative that the government not respond to the aspirations of their people with repression or brutality. The voices of the Egyptian people must be heard.
The Egyptian people have made it clear that there is no going back to the way things were: Egypt has changed, and its future is in the hands of the people. Those who have exercised their right to peaceful assembly represent the greatness of the Egyptian people, and are broadly representative of Egyptian society. We have seen young and old, rich and poor, Muslim and Christian join together, and earn the respect of the world through their non-violent calls for change. In that effort, young people have been at the forefront, and a new generation has emerged. They have made it clear that Egypt must reflect their hopes, fulfill their highest aspirations, and tap their boundless potential. In these difficult times, I know that the Egyptian people will persevere, and they must know that they will continue to have a friend in the United States of America.
Source: The White House
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