DESCRIPTION : SAND FILLED LAND.

LOCATION :ABUJA QUARTERS,IBEJU LEKKI.

PRICE: N700,000.

DESCRIPTION: 5 BEDRROM DUPLEX

LOCATION : LAGOON ESTATE OGUDU

PRICE: 65MILLION

DESCRIPTION: SHOP WITH TOILET FACILITY

LOCATION: OGUDU OJOTA ROAD

PRICE : 3 MILLION NET

DESCRIPTION: TO LET7 BEDROOM DUPLEX WITH

2 BEDROOM BOYS SQUARTERS

LOCATION: OGUDU GRA

PRICE; 2.5MILLION

ON REAL ESTATE MATTERS..ASK ME

PROPERTY/REAL ESTATE CONSULTANCY: IT'S WISE TO RENT A HOUSE DURING RAINY SEASON IN L...

PROPERTY/REAL ESTATE CONSULTANCY: IT'S WISE TO RENT A HOUSE DURING RAINY SEASON IN L...: Renting a house during rainy season has been seen as the right and best period to rent houses in Lagos State and some States in Nigeria. Lag...

IT'S WISE TO RENT A HOUSE DURING RAINY SEASON IN LAGOS

Renting a house during rainy season has been seen as the right and best period to rent houses in Lagos State and some States in Nigeria. Lagos is practically under water many areas have been left flooded due to ceaseless rainfall Some low lying area of the city are prone to flood, poor environmental practices such as dumping of waste in drainage often lead to flooding, also lots of buildings in Lagos state are not properly built and the basement of the building is too low that the building are inherently prone to flooding. They are, by definition, the lowest level of a building, typically built partly or entirely below ground basement level., hereby water end up penetrating into this buildings. Also so many building in Lagos state are built in water log area, close to canal( unapproved buildings ) and we have lots of shanty, this  houses pose to be ideal or lovely during the dry season and when renting the property,the agent or landlord will brainwash you that it is lovely and good to rent the particular property  and after making all payment eventually it starts raining the whole street and area becomes flooded that one has to flee from his home for days until the flood goes off, Even to the extend that the flood gets into the apartment and end up damaging properties and  documents.

                       ALAPERE LAGOS


Lagos is practically under water Many areas have been left flooded due to ceaseless rainfall Some low lying area of the city are prone to flood Poor environmental practices such as dumping of waste in drainage often lead to flooding and this has causes havoc and even lost of life, in Lagos state some tout even make money by transporting people from one location to another by carrying them on the back in this floud areas and they pay for this service.
In the last few days, Lagosians have been experiencing intense rainfall and most part of the areas listed has been flood. People have been driven out of their homes because of rising water level which makes their homes become inhabitable.  The areas are:
1, Alapere , Aboru in Ipaja,
2. Surulere,
3. Bariga,
4. Anifowoshe, Ikeja
5. Ijesha
6. Meiran,
7. Ajasa Command Road in Agbado-Okeodo,
8. Alagbole, Isheri in Berger area,
9. Part of Agege,
10. Ojodu,
11. Okun-Ajah, Lekki Peninsular
12, Ogba,
13. Oshodi,
14. Iyana-Ipaja
15. Owode,
16. Badiya,
17. Aboru,
18. Iwaya,
19. Arowojobe in Maryland,
20. Ajegunle,
21. Ajegunle,
22. Owode-Onirin
23. Kuramo Beach
24. Oke Afa, Ejigbo and Bucknor area in Ejigbo,
25. Maza Maza,
26. Ijegun Isheri,
27. Agbado,
28. Akute
29. Ikoyi,
30. Victoria Island, particularly Ahmadu Bello Way.
Lagos state government has warned that those living in the areas below should consider relocating to avoid flood problem, the dedicated telephone number is: 08099183777 for Lagosians to notify the state government whenever they notice flood related issues in their streets, neighbourhood and highways

                                

With the state of Lagos State and the endless rain this past few days, there is need as they say in pidgin English.Shine Your Eyes or ask questions properly before renting or buying a house in Lagos State.

THE NEED TO CREATE THE OFFICE OF VALUER GENERAL IN LAGOS STATE.

A BILL FOR A LAW TO ESTABLISH THE OFFICE OF THE VALUER-GENERAL IN LAGOS STATE FOR THE EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION OF VALUATION OF PUBLIC ASSETS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES CONNECTED THERETO
1. (1) There is hereby established the Office of Valuer-General Lagos State (hereinafter referred to as “the Valuer-General Office”) which shall be responsible for the preparation of valuation of all public Assets in the state.
(2) For the purpose of this bill the Valuer-General shall have zonal offices in Local Government areas in the state.
(3) The valuation offices in each local government area in the state shall be the only body empowered to carry out assessment of public Assets subject to the approval of the Valuer-General.
(4) The Valuer-General Office shall consist of the Valuer-General and such number of other staff as may be required to assist the Valuer-General in the execution of his duties under this Bill.
(5) The members of staff of the Valuer-General Office shall be members of the state public service who shall be professional Estate Surveyors and Valuers and other supporting staff.
2.(1) The Governor shall appoint the Valuer-General who shall be a member of The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) and also registered by the Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON), with at least 12years post registration experience.
(2) The Valuer -General shall be appointed from within the civil service or externally after due process.
(3) The Valuer -General shall be both the Professional and administrative head of the Office.
(4) The Valuer-General appointed under this Bill shall be responsible to the Governor of the state.
3. The Valuer-General shall be responsible but not limited to the following ;
(1) Shall maintain Asset Register of all Government Assets in the State.
(2) Shall supply valuation information on yields on Real Estate Investment, Land Values, Rental values, Property ratios, Investment Analysis and other relevant data to the State Government and the Public.
(3) Shall Advise Government on International Financial Reporting Standards with relationship to physical Assets.
(4)(i) Shall implement the intent and expectation of sections 29(4b), 29(4c) of the Land Use Act 1978 as the “appropriate officer”.
(ii) Shall act as an adviser on value to satisfy the provision of section 33(2) of the Land Use Act 1978
(iii) Shall advise Government on compensation issues as provided by section 29(1) and 29(2) of the Land Use Act 1978.
(iv)Shall advise Government on compensation matters under the appropriate provisions of the Minerals Act or the Minerals Oils Act or any legislation replacing the same.
(5) The identification, survey and assessment of public Assets in the state for the compilation of the Assets register mentioned in subsection (1) of this section.
(6) Nomination or appointment of professional advisers for valuation of all public Assets in the State.
(7) Valuation of all property based taxes for purpose of revenue generation.
(8) Valuation of Government assets including infrastructure, facilities, furniture and fittings, landed properties and other tangible/ intangible assets in line with International Public Sector Accounting Standards.
(9) Pre-investment appraisal of government projects, public private partnership projects, project monitoring and evaluation etc.
(10) Valuation for arbitration, mediation and reconciliation.
(11) Assessing the compensation payable upon acquisition of land by the Government.
(12) Assessment of appropriate rates for Stamp Duty.
(13) Determining the values of properties rented, purchased, sold or leased by or to Government.
(14) Other functions that may be assigned from time to time.
4. (1) The Valuer-General shall appoint consultant Estate Surveyor and Valuers for the purpose of this Bill.
(2) The consultant so appointed under subsection (1) of this Section shall be subject to and under the supervision of the Valuer General or his designated officer.
5. An Estate Surveyor and Valuer shall be:
(1) Responsible for the valuation of any Asset that may be assigned to him/her.
(2) Required to give all such information orally or in writing as may affect the assessment of such Asset.
(3) Required to enter into any Assets on any at any reasonable time to take such measurements and other particulars of the Asset as he may deem necessary for the purpose of his/her engagement.
(4) Required to ensure that valuation carried out for all purposes are in conformity with the applicable standards as set by NIESV, ESVARBON, IVSC, IPMS, IPSAS, FRCN and any other standards applicable for the assignment.
6. For the purposes of this bill, all Assets in the state shall be valued based on the purpose for which the valuation is required.
7. In assessing relevant Assets, Estate Surveyors and Valuers, shall determine the appropriate value of such in accordance with a purpose for which the valuation is required using acceptable valuation methods.

with all this I see a need to create the office of a Valuer General not just in Lagos State ,but all36 states.
BY:

ESV Offiong Samuel Ukpong  FNIVS

Chairman NIESV Lagos Branch.

WHATS THE BIG DEAL :SAVE RENT AND INVEST IT IN OWNING YOUR OWN HOME.

Food, Clothing and Shelter form the BASIC NEEDS of man, and it is in the above order that these needs are usually met. In developed societies it isn't much of a problem (though it doesn't mean there aren't armies of homeless on the streets), but for the employed it is easier to afford accommodation, even pursuing the process of owning homes via various mortgage schemes than it is for the person with similar characteristics (even level of income) to pursue same in Nigeria.

It is also interesting to note that while in the west owning, even inheriting a home or property is a liability, in Africa and in Nigeria particularly, it is an asset, and that is why when Africans read books like Robert Kiyosaki's "RICH DAD, POOR DAD" we should know when to draw the line especially when it comes to what is applicable locally in contrast to what works in regions from where people in the west have experience of and from which they write. It is the lack of circumspection amongst Africa's elite, especially those who determine the policy direction of state that is responsible for the poor economic state of most countries in Africa, as they usually promote economic policies baked in the hallways of buildings housing International Finance Corporations, IFCs without any input from locales (in Africa) which the policies require for its survival, apart from the fact that the hypothetical conditions on which many of these policies are founded and formulated are alien to the practical conditions on ground in many African countries like Nigeria.

So, the need to own one's home in Nigeria, besides having to pay a large portion of one's income as rent especially in cities like Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt, cannot be overemphasized. Even when one can afford the exorbitantly prized homes in the centre of town or close to the sea, or with some nice view, with some semblance of government presence in terms of social amenities, the accommodation thus procured barely meets the standards one would expect of an ideal home. Many of the newly built houses do not reach the requisite heights as you will find with older houses (built with the occupant in mind, rather than with the lean pocket of or the profits to be made by the owner/developer in the shortest possible time), as if they were built by Lilliputians or Hobbits, even Dwarfs (no pun intended). Some privately owned estates that sell houses that meet the standards often stay around to provide utilities that government isn't ready to provide especially on virgin lands in the fast urbanizing parts of the outskirts of town, holding the occupants of such homes to ransom in the way that the cost of utility is on the expensive side most times, though most times the wealthy homeowners usually won't mind paying because of the constancy for instance of water and electricity (a feat that remains an impossibility with the public utility companies in the areas of town where they are found) as well as central sewage management and disposal, with clauses such as a prohibition of use of electrical gadgets with heating elements. In fact, in some of the estates that I know in Lagos, home owners aren't even allowed to iron their clothes or use electric stoves, using uninterrupted supply of electricity from the utility companies within the estate, which they pay an arm and a leg for, leaving such homeowners in a quandary, the sort that immediately cuts the freedom they initially thought they enjoyed by buying their own homes to size.

Governments' (at Federal and State levels) involvement in bridging the housing deficit in Nigeria (especially targeting civil servants and employees in the formal private sector) so far has amounted to nothing more than a joke, with several mortgage schemes in recent times come to nought, after billions of Naira (Nigeria's currency) may have been deducted at source from workers' salary, which after a few years with just a few eventual beneficiaries is engulfed in controversies and scrapped with affected individuals sometimes repaid their contributions fully or partially and at other times not repaid a dime, leading to the high level of apathy on the part of workers to enlist in subsequent attempt by government to initiate and follow-through with housing schemes.

When governments like that of Lagos appears to have gotten it right through PUBLIC-PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERSHIP, PPP collaborations to produce mass-housing units where members of the tax-paying public can by lottery own apartments of their own and pay off the mortgage on them over time, the schemes have turned out not to be favourable to the pockets of the majority of workers, as the premiums paid especially to the mortgage banks (on the private end of the PPP) are such that one has to be complicit in corruption in the office, one way or another, or married couples must be working at very well paying jobs or have business that "churn out cash on the daily" to be able to make the monthly or annual deposits they need to make to offset their mortgages, which isn't lessened by the fact that it runs into years, even decades to pay off because of the high interest rates, which at the end of the day sums up to more than twice the original amount of the cost of the apartment. Even at that the experience in Lagos is such that because the state government is partly involved, when there is a change in government progress may be hampered especially if the new wants to review the dealings of the old, thereby jeopardizing the plans of prospective homeowners (whose contributions are tied down) which may be distorted if the government, as is presently the case in Lagos, decides to put on hold further developments until the whole process is reviewed. If one decides to go it alone by approaching mortgage banks for loans to build or outrightly buy a house, with interest currently standing between 20% and 25% with the private mortgage establishments, it will seem in the long run "penny wise and pound foolish", except one has a phoney source of income to pay the outrageous sums monthly or annually over a period of a decade or more. Though interests are far lower with federal mortgage establishments, the corruption in the system as well as likelihood of policy reversals and summersaults especially when a new government takes over power (as Nigeria is currently experiencing at the federal level) makes such less expensive ventures very risky.

Nigeria is a mono-product economy, regardless of what you have heard, especially from government officials. She relies heavily on crude oil exports to fund her existence, nay her fragile unity . The most economically viable of her states is Lagos, the economic and commercial nerve centre of Nigeria. Lagos has no oil (well, presently) as the states in the Niger Delta region (suffering the effects of years of oil exploration activities) but makes much more than any other state in Nigeria. Lagos' "oil" is its LAND, and because it is small in size with what is arguably the most densely populated (many believe that despite Kano- with a larger landmass- allocated the highest number in the last census, it isn't as populated as Lagos) of all the states in Nigeria, acquiring property (as with procuring accommodation that matches ones' taste with ones' pocket, for rent) is herculean, and when it comes to choice of location, may not even be a function of money, as many times than none government patronage as well as political connections with the right people in government is required to facilitate such.
This scenario has over the years birthed the increasing number and influence of LAND SPECULATORS (and "grabbers" under the guise of being "indigenous" owners of land (aka OMO ONÍLÈ) in Lagos, making people who can't afford the exorbitant cost of owning homes in the city centre with social amenities to head to the outskirts where land is cheaper, though not without the presence of these speculators who can make the process of owning land difficult, as in the very unfortunate of cases ones may pay for the same land several times, as different "factions" of the families could lay claim on the land, and extort from the new owner, who may lose the land if s/he doesn't begin development while "settling" the different factions, at the end of the day making the one pay twice or thrice (or more) the amount advertised for the supposedly "cheap" land.

Now, that is beside the constant harassment of builders at the site, and payments made to head of the "Ruling House" at every milestone reached in the building project afterwards. Completing the structure is no guarantee that all is well, sometimes even with the necessary approval granted from the state's ministry of land and housing, including possession of the Certificate of Occupancy, C-of-O (especially when the house is located in a remote area with very few other landlords braving the odds to build theirs as well), as government may "wake up" one day to decide to develop the area, and woe betides one if it comes to be that the house is sitting on a path earmarked as a road or any other amenity that the government had planned to site (as many of the lands that are on sale in the outskirts of major cities/states bear no markings or BEACONS that suggest or give one an insight into future government plans for the area (a reason why you can see a house with its backyard to the road), according to a MASTER PLAN that only a very few people, even in the "ministry" are privy to. Interestingly, the same people that may inform one of this development may yet tell one that there can be a way around it, making the unsuspecting homeowner a conduit for their enrichment periodically, till government eventually demolishes (with or without compensation) the house built from the one's sweat, with nothing but excuses or outright denial of ever collecting anything from the unfortunate and heartbroken homeowner by the unscrupulous elements that litter the corridors of housing ministries especially in states like Lagos.

Many homeowners manage to surmount these problems and eventually begin to build their houses in the outskirts of states like Lagos, or even the adjoining state like Ogun in this case. Or in Keffi or Mararaba, outside of Nigeria's administrative capital Abuja where they work. Some opted for this route especially when they can easily access federal roads to state roads into the major cities where they work from the outskirts of town where their house is, transiting from their homes to work daily especially when they are mobile doing on the average two hours to and two hours from their offices, when there's light traffic, especially very early in the mornings and very late at night. Some elect to still rent a small one-room apartment (convenient for males usually, the bad side of which is that the man may then go on to have another family in town, away from the one at home in the outskirts of the city or in another state where he has set up an abode) in the city and spend week days there, before commuting to the outskirts to be with their families during the weekend, especially if the spouse has business nearer home. Another interesting thing to note or consider is that it is difficult to get a plot of land in Lagos and "major" towns in most states in Nigeria that will measure approximately 120ft by 120ft or even 100ft by 100ft, just variants of something less in length and breadth as definition for a plot, sometimes even in the remote places in the outskirts of the state. It is possible however to get the semblance to an ideal plot elsewhere in Nigeria, with the added advantage of absence of "Land Speculators", especially in states where the Real Estate potentials remain largely untapped or in the budding stage.

Because of the remote nature of the places outside of town, it is not enough to dig trenches to demarcate ones' piece of land. Some elect to make a fence using cheap aluminium roofing sheets, not only to ensure that the land isn't encroached upon, but to discourage intruders from stealing materials used in building especially at night. Others simply go ahead and make the perimeter fencing with blocks since they will have to do so eventually (as is norm with homes and houses in Nigeria), simultaneously with the building of the foundation, though the fence may not be built to what should be its eventual height.

The cost of setting up a structure, after one has finally secured one's land (with or without hassles, depending on the place in the outskirt of a major town or even within town), that will cater for the foundation for a three bedroom bungalow and include a partly constructed perimeter fencing on a 100ft by 100ft piece of land by todays' estimation varies from place to place, but usually differ only slightly at construction sites Nigeria-wide. Now, because most of the lands in the outskirts are located inside bushes, sometimes forests, one may need to clear the land of shrubs, weed and trees before any work starts there.

- CLEARING of the land shouldn't cost more than =N=12,000 including the felling of TREES, of which the wood can be sold for some cash.

- DIGGING or making a TRENCH for the fence and foundation should cost about =N=45,000 in labour costs.

- As for the CONSUMABLES, the costs are as follows:
*SAND - 2 tipper loads/trips..............=N= 90,000
*STONES - 2 tipper loads/trips........=N=120,000
*BLOCKS : Usually, the foundation is made using 9-inch blocks while the first two layers for the fence is done using 9-inch blocks and 6-inch blocks for subsequent layers. To achieve a foundation for a three bedroom bungalow and a fence of about 3 or 4 feet off the ground over a 100ft by 100ft of a plot of land, you may have need of about 1800 blocks @ 140 each 0r 160 depend on the area...... =N=252,000
*CEMENT - 40bags @ N2,300 each..... =N=92,000
*WATER: Usually in places in the outskirts, where there's no means of public water supply, and no natural supply as well besides the rain, one may have to buy water from vendors via water tankers or ask help of neighbours who may have dug boreholes (or one may decide to embark on digging one, to aid water supply for the construction as well as for household use after completion of the building). However, there is need to have a tank to store the water so procured in a tank of which the bigger sizes go for about =N=45,000 for one. Other costs here depends on how the builder decides to source water therefore I will leave that blank.

- LABOUR costs for the FOUNDATION should hover around =N=40,000, while that for the perimeter FENCING should be about the same =N=55,000.
It is pertinent to note that payment for labour should be made per MILESTONE or till one runs out of building materials, and not PER DIEM or else the labourers will linger on the job for longer, costing one more in the long run.

To make the foundation and perimeter fence for a 3-Bedroom Bungalow on a 100ft by 100ft piece of land, one will need not less than =N=762,000 (very conservative estimate) besides other sundry expenses as may occasionally crop up.

When the building proper begins, one may want to make some business by the side, especially if one finds that there are other buildings being erected simultaneously. An aspect to exploit is transportation of materials, as one can procure a not-too-run-down pickup truck to haul building materials from source to the building site for about =N=600,000 and give it out at higher purchase for a period of about 70 weeks (or thereabouts), for between =N=1,200,000 or =N=1,500,000, for which the operator makes a weekly payment of between =N=18,000 and =N=20,000 (or more, depending on haggling and bargaining power). Another, involves the moulding of blocks especially with building projects that is more than a bungalow, and will take longer than a year to complete. The builder may then sell excess building blocks to neighbours far and near who are also engaged in one form of building or the other.

Many builders are exploring alternatives to the popular building materials and I would've loved to touch on that howbeit briefly but on a second thought it will have to be a topic for another day. For now, I will just like to end by saying that we should be encouraged to build, as just about anyone can do it. Once one has mustered the courage to start, the worst that can happen is a delay to completing it. CARPE DIEM!


N.B.- The official rate of the Naira to the Dollar as at the time of writing this is =N= - $1.is 412N

WAEC PERFORMANCES 2015. which state top the list.

The West African Senior School Certificate Examination has released its performance chart for May/June 2015 exams.

The Chart as obtained by PUNCH showed the list of all the states and their positions.

See details of chart below:

Abia - 1st

Anambra - 2nd

Edo - 3rd

Rivers - 4th

Imo - 5th

Lagos - 6th

Bayelsa - 7th

Delta - 8th

Enugu -9th

Ebonyi - 10th

Ekiti - 11th

Kaduna - 12th

Ondo - 13th

Abuja - 14th

Kogi - 15th

Benue - 16th

Akwa Ibom - 17th

Kwara - 18th

Ogun - 19th

Cross River - 20th

Taraba - 21st

Plateau - 22nd

Nassarawa -23rd

Kano - 24th

Borno - 25th

Oyo - 26th

Niger - 27th

Adamawa -28th

Osun -29th

Sokoto - 30th

Bauchi - 31st

Kebbi - 32nd

Katsina - 33rd)

Gombe - 34th

Jigawa - 35th

Zamfara - 36th

Yobe - LAST

NGOZI OKONJO IWEALA ATTACKS FALANI. CALLS HIM AN INTEGRATED CHALLENGED CHARLATAN

YOU ARE AN INTEGRATED CHALLENGED CHARLATAN

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy during the tenure of former President Godluck Jonathan, has taken a swipe at human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, calling him an integrity challenged chalartan.
Okonjo-Iweala was responding to the call for the arrest of the ex-minister by the International criminal Court (ICC) over the corruption that went on during the last administration.
Falana had in petition dated January 19, 2016 and sent to the Prosecutor at the ICC requested the court to “investigate allegation of crimes against humanity committed against the Nigerian people by some former and serving military officials as well as public officials and private persons who engaged in the criminal diversion of $8 billion earmarked to procure equipment for the armed forces to fight insurgency.”
He said: “The inquiry conducted by the Presidential Panel on arms procurement has established that the bulk of the sum of $2.1 billion and N643 billion ($4 billion) earmarked for the purchase of military hardware to fight terrorism was criminally diverted by the former government through the office of the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd). It has also been confirmed that the said Col. Dasuki colluded with some serving and retired military officers and civilians to divert the sum of $2 billion and N29 billion set aside for the procurement of fighter jets and other equipment for the Nigeria Air Force.
“As if that was not enough, the sum of $322 million and £5.5 million from the Abacha loot which was illegally transferred to Col. Dasuki by a former Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for prosecuting the war on terror has also been criminally diverted. Part of the stolen fund was used to fund the campaign for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 general elections”, Falana said.
“We therefore submit that this is sufficient to hold Col Dasuki and others that have been indicted in the arms theft scandal responsible for crimes against humanity perpetrated against Nigerians. The failure of a former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to prevent widespread and systematic corruption including the re-looting of the Abacha loot amounts to complicity under the Rome Statute, and therefore fits the legal requirements of a crime against humanity.”
But the former finance minister in a response Thursday by her media adviser, Paul Nwabuikwu, said the call for her arrest “is a desperate joke by an integrity challenged charlatan (ICC).”
She said “this misadventure shows that the so-called learned lawyer does not have any idea of what the mandate of the ICC is about.”
The statement reads:

A RESPONSE TO FEMI FALANA, AN INTEGRITY-CHALLENGED CHARLATAN (ICC)
The malicious attempt by Lagos Lawyer, Femi Falana to mix Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala up in issues that have nothing to do with her in his letter to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a desperate joke by an integrity challenged charlatan (ICC).
This misadventure shows that the so-called learned lawyer does not have any idea of what the mandate of the ICC is about.
He has resorted to this action because his previous efforts to tarnish her name – through his discredited NGO, SERAP and petitions to the EFCC – failed because they were lacking in credibility.
This latest effort to try to attach her name falsely confirms that Femi Falana is nothing but a tool of corrupt elements whose interests were hurt by the work Dr. Okonjo-Iweala did in fighting corruption while she was in office.
These elements have now made a habit of making false allegations against Dr Okonjo-Iweala whenever she receives any national or international recognition for her work. The pattern is clear and Nigerians should be alert to it. But Dr Okonjo-Iweala will not be intimidated from going on with her life and performing her duties. She will not give in to cowardly and unmanly bullying.
Falana’s latest attempt to implicate Dr Okonjo-Iweala falsely suggests that he is suffering from an ailment that may be described as Chronic Cerebral Amnesia (CCA) because he simply has no grasp of the facts.
Here are the facts:

FACT NO 1: OKONJO-IWEALA HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE $2.1 BILLION ARMS CONTROVERSY
Contrary to Falana’s lies, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala has absolutely nothing to do with the alleged misuse of $2.1billion by the office of the former National Security Adviser. Falana and his sponsors are simply trying to invent a connection where there is none.

The January 20, 2015 memo in which Dr Okonjo-Iweala sought and received the approval of former President Jonathan for the release of part of the newly returned Abacha funds to the NSA for purchase of arms is totally separate from the $2.1 billion issue.
The memo which is now in the public domain speaks for itself. The release of the resources was in response to an approval by the former President following a meeting chaired by him after a committee had considered the request.
The memo clearly documented Dr Okonjo-Iweala’s insistence that the proper procedure be followed, subject to appropriation and according to financial regulations. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala went further to state that the former NSA should account for the funds to the former President since she is not a member of the Security Council. The attempt to link Okonjo-Iweala to the $2.1billion issue is therefore dead on arrival.

FACT NO 2: OKONJO-IWEALA WAS NOT IN GOVERNMENT WHEN MOST OF THE ABACHA FUNDS WERE RECOVERED
Falana and his sponsors have claimed that billions of dollars of Abacha funds were recovered and that Dr Okonjo-Iweala should account for the recovered funds.
The fact is that some of the funds recovery was done under the regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar and the first term of President Olusegun Obasanjo when Dr Okonjo-Iweala was not even in government.
During the time Dr Okonjo-Iweala was Finance Minister in the second Obasanjo administration, $500m was recovered. As documented by the Field Study conducted by the World Bank with the assistance of national and international NGOs, this amount was properly applied.
Falana’s insistence on the contrary shows how despicable he is and how he is ready to ignore facts and concoct a fiction in the service of his sponsors.

FACT 3: OKONJO-IWEALA LEFT STRONG LEGACIES AS A CHAMPION OF TRANSPARENCY AND THE FIGHT AGAINST
?CORRUPTION WHILE IN GOVERNMENT
It is on record that Dr. Okonjo-Iweala championed transparency and vigorously fought corruption during her two terms as Minister. Among other actions, starting from the second Obasanjo administration, she, for the first time in Nigeria’s history, published monthly revenue allocations to all tiers of government for Nigerians to see.
While serving in the Obasanjo administration, she requested the assistance of the World Bank and DFID, the UK’s development agency to build institutions and systems that could block leakages from the treasury. This work stalled after she left office in 2006. In August 2011 when she returned under the Jonathan government, with the assistance of the Ministry of Finance Team, she re-invigorated the establishment and use of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Management Systems (IPPIS), the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS) and the Treasury Single Account (TSA), all of which saved the country billions of naira by drastically reducing avenues for corruption in the public service. These facts are well documented in successive World Bank, DFID and IMF Article 4 Reports.
It is gratifying that the present government has adopted and is further building on these systems for the benefit of the country.

FACT NO 4: DR. OKONJO-IWEALA’S MOTHER WAS KIDNAPPED AND ALMOST KILLED BECAUSE OF THE FORMER MINISTER’S STANCE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Falana is callous beyond belief for ignoring a fact of recent Nigerian history: the kidnap of Professor Kamene Okonjo, the then 83 year old mother of Dr Okonjo-Iweala by agents of fuel subsidy fraudsters who were angry that the former Minister had blocked them from defrauding the country further.
The kidnappers had told the traumatised old woman that they were sent to punish Okonjo-Iweala for refusing to pay some oil marketers. It is on record with the State Security Services that the kidnappers initially demanded the resignation of Dr Okonjo-Iweala in return for the release of her mother. Thank God Professor Okonjo is still alive to tell her story today and she will not be silenced.
It is extremely insensitive and, in fact, inhumane for Falana and his sponsors to level false accusations against someone like Dr Okonjo-Iweala who went through this kind of searing personal ordeal for her principled fight against corruption.

CONCLUSION
Falana’s attempt to implicate Dr Okonjo-Iweala falsely is a disservice to law, justice and the image of the country. It is sad that a person who had earned some prominence as a human rights lawyer now tramples on the human rights of others as a political jobber.
He and his sponsors are engaged in nothing but media harassment, cyber bullying and intimidation against innocent persons like Dr Okonjo-Iweala for political and pecuniary gain. That is why Nigerians should not give in to Falana’s self-imposed Chronic Cerebral Amnesia (CCA).

Paul C Nwabuikwu

Media Adviser to Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

REINCANATION

A STRANGE OCCURENCE THAT'S STILL IN DOUBT.

Ever before the white men came with the Christian religion and Western civilization, our great grandfathers in Igboland (in Nigeria, West Africa) knew about reincarnation, which they called in local language, “Ịlọ ụwa” (a return to the world). They knew and also believed in life beyond, which they call “Ala-mụọ”. By “Ala-mụọ”, they mean the inner realms not just the fairyland of folkstories. It is at ‘Ala-mụọ’ that they imagine their noble ancestors to be living and interceding for them before “Chi-na-eke” (the God that creates) and “Ofo-na ọgụ” (Gods operating force) that balances things in nature including the yearly climatic conditions vital for their agriculture. It is at the same “Ala-muo” they believe their dead relations to be residing after physical death and from there would reincarnate probably to those that were their kin in their past life.

In Igboland, our forefathers’ knowledge of life beyond the present one on earth is well understood to be transmigration of human souls through the seven worlds of being. In Igboland, when a good child or wife does quite a good turn to an old father or mother; in many occasions, the elderly ones are heard making such comments as “Ezi Nwam/nwunyem, ịgakwa abụ nwam /nwụnyem, ụwam ụwa asaa” – meaning “my good child/ wife, you will continue to be my child/wife in my seven worlds of being”. This is an indication that our great Igbo ancestors knew and believed in the doctrine of seven rounds and seven races in the evolutionary cycles of mankind.

There are many apparent factors that convince the Igbos in their belief in reincarnation. The reappearance of bodily marks of deceased persons on the body of new born baby is one basis for the Igbos belief in reincarnation. In the circumstance of mentally ill people who were violent in a past life and were constrained wearing handcuffs or ankle restraints for a long time before they died; it is believed that the scar of the wound caused by the handcuffs does appear on the wrists or ankles of some of them upon their reincarnation. It is same with those unfortunate people who perished by fire in a traumatic accident; the scars of burns appear on the body of some such cases upon reincarnation. When marks such as I have pointed out appear on the body of an infant in whose family somebody in the past had such a handcuff or died in a fiery accident; no further proof will be needed to accept that the deceased has come back.

The occurrence of a child prodigy is called, “Ebibi-ụwa”, in Igbo language, meaning Nature’s imprint. Those born with their pre-incarnation intellectual and physical abilities are seen as yet another proof for the Igbos belief in reincarnation. According to Dr Onyike. In my home town, Umuahia, South Local Government in Abia State, Nigeria, there lived a renowned traditional medicine man called Nna-na-Mgbọrọggụ. Nna-na Mgbọrọgwụ was very famous in the early 1950s. My own father who was his senior in age, told me then that Nna-na-Mgbọrọgwụ was an exceptional human being. At the age of seven, he went to the bush behind their house and collected herbs which he compounded with other things and used the resultant medicine to cure his father’s uncle from the dreaded disease, tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis at that time was considered such a terrible threat to others in the village, that the poor suffers were ostracized from their own homes to a hut in the bush where such an unfortunate sufferer would be left to die. This young medicine man’s cure of his own uncle was like an advertisement for what was to be his mission in his present lifetime. People started approaching his parents with different health problems which this little boy efficiently managed. He did not go to school because he started the work of traditional medicine man at a very early age. Nna-na-Mgbọrọgwụ is an example of a man who points one’s mind to the possibility of his being a reincarnation of a forefather of his family. “Nna-nna” (fore father) “mgbọrọgwụ” (medicinal roots), when put together it gives the understanding, “our forefather who was medicinal root himself”, or knows all about roots for healing.

Names such as those mentioned below are very common in Igboland. They are a true indication of the Igbos belief in reincarnation. Nna-nna (the father of his father); Nne-nna (the mother of his father); Nne-ji (my brother or sister); Nna-ji (my half brother/half sister); and Nwa-nne Daa (the brother or sister of my mother). None of these names is repeated in the family because they specify the ancestors. Relations in this life pay the child the same high respect they were accustomed to pay to the deceased grandparent or relation of their father. Some people in Igboland are bearing their pre-incarnation names and enjoying the high level of respect due to a grandfather /mother.

Despite the strong influence of Christianity in Igbo cultures and traditions, reincarnation has remained a heart belief of the Igbos which the orthodox religion has found hard to abolish. Before the conveyors of Christian faith, the Igbos already had their own well established and complex religion which was indirectly Theocentric, a sequel to the order of worship. Reincarnation itself is not a virtually conspicuous tradition that attracts outright condemnation or attack from the preachers of Christian faith in

Nigeria. Nor does such a belief pose any threat or danger to it, like some barbaric customs of ancient times, e.g. twin killing, human sacrifice, etc. which attracted much concern in Nigeria and thankfully were stopped by the authorities.

This are what people have to say about this.

Anonymous

I do ,I don't belong to any sector of Christian religion, nor am I Muslim. So, I am free to think independently. I have spent a lot of years watching young babies doing things that they weren't taught, those experinces have brought me to my conclusion.

Anonymous

Reincarnation happens of course just that christianity and islam, our imported ''Tokunbo'' religions, have turned us away from examining such things.

Now it's all about ''Jesus''.

What time is it? Ask ''Jesus''.

Do we survive death? Ask ''Jesus''

Are we immoral spirits in a temporary physical encasement? ''Shush. Jesus alone is the answer''.

Our brains have been blocked of all thought and introspection by ''Jesus'

Ochugal

I have spent a lot of years watching young babies doing things that they weren't taught, those experinces have brought me to my conclusion.

Mark

I believe in reincarnation most times i feel i'm living a second life. when i was much younger i use to have dreams about certain events. sometimes i see some people i feel i've met before. as in much older people who don't seem to have the slightest idea who i am.

I do believe in reincarnation and I find the topic highly fascinating. The 'Obanje' phenomenon in Nigeria is form of reincarnation right?

I have heard stories of toddlers speaking languages fluently that neither Parents of other family members had any knowledge of. There was also the story of a little boy born in an obscure village in India who kept telling his 'new' mother that he was a shopkeeper Mumbai with a wife and two children. This boy knew his previous name and also the names of his wife and children. To cut a long story short, the boys 'old' family was found in Mumbai and reunited with him. It was quite fascinating watching this young boy of around 7 asking 'his' kids who were now teenagers if they had done their homework and what they had eaten.

Stella.

Using the Bible to refute the reincarnation theory is incorrect. Have you read about Elijah and John the Baptist. Jesus is also refered to as God incarnate! There are quite a few examples of reincarnation in the Bible. Me think the question is 'WHAT IS REINCARNATION'?

Amanda.

they say am my grand-ma's incarnate . . . i look like her and take decisions like her they say.

I dunno wat to believe anyways. I'm sha not a ghost.

James.

judgement follows. There is nothing like reincarnation. Reincarnation is an illusion. I was told that my grand father reincarnated our lastborn but our last born doesn't know my grandpa or have any knowledge of him. Unless you wish an evil spirit in life and family.I ask again, if not Jesus but who... Am i going to call on father or mother for assistance. Hell is real and heaven is real. Repent, tomorrow might be too late for you because you may sleep this night and never wake, i guess ur hope is reincarnatiom but bear in mind that GOD is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth that he shall reap. Jesus loves you.

Tell us your experience and what

you believe.

www.ala-igbo.blogspot.com

Twitter @alaigbo2

OSU PRACTICE AND MARRIAGE IN IGBOLAND

EFFECT OF OSU PRACTICE AND MARRIAGE IN IGBO LAND

A Madness That Should Be Totally Curbed Because of Its Effect on Human Right.

The Osu caste system is an age-old practice in South Eastern Nigeria that discourages social interaction and marriage with an ostracised group of persons. David aduge-ani, stanley uzoaru and okechukwu obeta write on the plight of the stigmatised individuals
The practice of the outcast system popularly known as the Osu tradition in Igbo land dates back to the era of slave trade and war in the eastern states where victors took away their enemies as slaves, some of the slaves in turn were sacrificed to the gods and later branded “Osu” in their new settlement.
The Osu caste system has prevented many young men and women from the South East from marrying people of their choice. This tradition has not only led to a high number of ladies and young men remaining unmarried, it has equally led to frustration among this group.
In 2012 for instance, Emeka a businessman who lives in Spain, through a friend, met a young lady called Amarachi who lives in Abuja on facebook and fell in love with her and their love kept growing day by day. They spoke every day on phone and exchanged messages and pictures on facebook.
The love they had for each other even increased when Emeka and Amarachi realised they are from the same state – Anambra and even from almost the same community. While Emeka is an indigene of Amichi town in Nnewi local government, Amarachi is an indigene of Igboukwu in Aguata local government area. ALAIGBO.COM gathered that Amichi is a stone throw from Igboukwu community and people in both communities go to each other’s markets.
“We had the interest of each other because of the closeness of our communities to each other. We courted for about seven to eight months before we finally agreed to marry each other,” Emeka told ALAIGBO.COM.
He said after months of courtship they arranged for a proper introduction in their family home. So he returned home from Spain while Amarachi travelled from Abuja to meet him in Lagos, so that they could travel to the village on the fixed date for the ceremony. Every necessary arrangement was made in the village of the wife-to-be for the marriage introduction. All her brothers and sisters equally returned to the village for the ceremony.
“We met in Lagos in my brother’s house; she actually travelled from Abuja to meet me. This was to enable us make all the arrangements and also for us to travel together to the village for the formal introduction. We also arranged on how the introduction was going to be conducted, including the payment of the dowry and other matters.
“However, on the fixed day, when my family members and I visited the home of my would-be in-laws, we noticed an unusual reception from the family members. When we asked for our would-be-wife, we were told that she went somewhere, which was unusual. My family members were not treated well during and even after our discussion on the marriage introduction; we were told not to worry about the marriage anymore but to go back home and wait for a feedback from them. Up till this moment, I tell you that feedback never came from the family of the wife I wanted to marry,” he narrated.
Amarachi told ALAIGBO.COM that even before the arrival of the family of her groom-to-be on the fixed date for the introduction, her family had already concluded that the marriage would not take place because the man who wanted to marry her is from an ‘Osu’ family.
“On our way home for the introduction ceremony, I received a call from one of my brothers to inform me that the marriage introduction was not going to work out, because my family discovered that the man in question is from the family of ‘Osu’ caste. So the kindred had already met and concluded that the marriage would not hold. On the scheduled date for the marriage introduction, I was locked inside a room in the family compound to prevent me from meeting the man who wanted to marry me or any member of his family during their visit,” she said.
After the incident, every effort made by both Amarachi and Emeka for the marriage to take place proved abortive.
“Because we loved each other and wanted the marriage to work out, we did everything possible. For instance, we visited a Rev Father in our village church and the traditional ruler of my village. Our Rev Father even advised us that the only way he could wed us in the church was for us to go to a court and pay the dowry there and then collect an evidence of payment that we are married. He said with that, he would have a reason to wed us. However, all the efforts we made did not yield any positive result,” she says. ALAIGBO.COM also gathered that there was a man in the same Igboukwu village who married a woman from an Osu family. Before the marriage, every effort to prevent him from marrying the woman was fruitless as the man went ahead and married the woman. What the family did after the marriage was to excommunicate the man from the family. They even gave him another surname different from that of the original family and was asked to pack out of the family compound to another land where the man lived with the wife till his death recently.
In Imo State, the practice still prevails as several efforts by both traditional and religious institutions to abolish it has remained unproductive.
However, efforts of the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri diocese, His Grace, Anthony Obinna who has been at the forefront of the eradication of the age-long practice through his annual Odenigbo lecture to sensitise the people of the state on the need to abandon the practice has recorded some positive results.
Some of those branded as Osu who do not intermarry with the freeborn known as “Diala” now do so after the annual lecture by the clergy. Nevertheless, majority of the residents of the state still believe in the outdated tradition.
When asked if he could marry an Osu, Mr Uchenna Obi from Amakohia in Owerri West local government area of the state said, “this is a difficult question, my people do not marry an Osu; even if I defy their tradition and marry such a person, I would be ostracised from the community.”
The tradition has made the act of marriage so rigorous as the intended couples have to embark on investigative journey to their different families to find out if they are not from Osu clan.
However, there seems to a good tiding about the Osu caste system in Anambra State as His Royal Majesty, the traditional ruler of Isseke kingdom, Igwe Emmanuel Nnabuife said, the system practiced in many communities in Igbo land long ago has been abolished in virtually all the communities in the state.
Nnabuife said the Osu caste system is primitive, retrogressive and does not conform with the “best international practice of human rights.”
Stating that the practice has already been abolished in all communities in Anambra State, Igwe Nnabuife who was a one-time presidential aspirant under the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) disclosed that traditional rulers in Igbo land have already resolved to sponsor a bill to be passed by Houses of Assembly in all the South-East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo to enact laws abolishing the practice of Osu caste system.
According to Nnabuife, all the forests in Anambra state where the deities existed had been destroyed in all communities.
Also, the traditional ruler of Nri Kingdom, the acclaimed ancestral home of the Igbos, His Majesty, Eze Obidigwe Onyesoh stated that Osu caste system no longer exists in most communities because it is discriminatory and does not encourage social cohesion among people.
The president-general of Nawgu community in Dunukofia local government area, Mr Chuks Ilozuo, stated that the culture is not practiced in his community but described Osu caste practice as a violation of human rights, adding that the practice is retrogressive.

Alaigbo.com. : IGBO STUDIES ASSOCIATION CHICAGO

Alaigbo.com. : IGBO STUDIES ASSOCIATION CHICAGO: 2016 CONFERENCE CALL FOR PAPER - CHICAGO 2016 THE 14 ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IGBO STUDIES ASSOCIATION Theme NDI IGBO...

IGBO STUDIES ASSOCIATION CHICAGO

2016 CONFERENCE
CALL FOR PAPER - CHICAGO 2016
THE 14 ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IGBO STUDIES ASSOCIATION
Theme
NDI IGBO IN THE GLOBAL CONTEXT
Dominican University, River Forest (Chicago), Illinois, USA
May 12-14
The Igbo Studies Association (ISA) invites scholars and professionals working on all aspects of the Igbo people of Southeastern Nigeria to submit paper, panel, poster, and/or roundtable proposals for its 14th annual international conference to be held on May 12-14 at Dominican University, River Forest (Chicago), Illinois, USA. Through this annual event, scholars and experts gather to deliberate on diverse facets of the Igbo experience and explore ways of advancing the rich Igbo heritage. The conference theme for 2016, Ndi Igbo in the Global Context, is timely; it will give participants the opportunity to reflect on Igbo consciousness as well as the numerous economic, social, political, and security accomplishments Ndi Igbo have made and the challenges they still face both at home and abroad. The place of Ndi Igbo in Nigeria and the world today demands closer examination especially in the face of threats to their lives and wellbeing from xenophobia, ethnic conflicts, terrorism, economic anxiety, human and drug trafficking, investment dilemma, youth restiveness, educational crisis, brain drain, political violence and marginalization, kidnapping, and unemployment. This conference explores how Igbo indigenous cultural values, attitudes, and worldview could serve as a vehicle in constructing a more positive and meaningful relationship among Ndi Igbo and with their neighbors within and outside Nigeria.
For this conference, the ISA welcomes proposals that assess the engagement of Ndi Igbo with the ever- changing and complex world. Igbo efforts at national and international integration present both risks and opportunities. How Ndi Igbo could maximize the opportunities and minimize the risks in the globalized world of the 21st century is the overriding question for this conference. Presenters are encouraged to propose topics that advance the conversation on the contributions the Igbo have made and could still make in (re)shaping both Nigeria and the world in which equal access to social, political, and economic opportunities could be guaranteed. We hope that your presentations will incorporate original research in understanding and proffering solutions to the obstacles and challenges facing the Igbo people.
Panels will engage with a variety of topics including but not limited to:
1. Globalization, Language Endangerment, and Preservation
2. Ako Na Uche : Understanding the World
3. Migration and Xenophobia
4. Inter-Ethnic Relations, Conflicts, and Fear of Domination
5. Lessons of Indigenous Religion and Igbo Consciousness
6. Linkages and Connections: Igbo in Diaspora
7. Economic Anxiety, Investment and Human Security
8. Illicit Wealth, Drug, and Human Trafficking
9. Ogbu Ara Obara: Terrorism, Political Violence, and Safety
10. Youth Restiveness and Unemployment
11. Educational Advances, Crises and Brain Drain
12. Political Evolution, Democracy, and Money Politics
13. Social Security and Stability
14. Kidnapping, Morality, and Decadence
15. Biafran War, Memories, and Lessons
16. Social Solidarity and Pan-Ndi-Igbo Political Organizations
17. Principles and Practices of Human Rights
18. Nka Na Uzu : Science, Technology, and Development
19. Sports and Youth Development
20. Gender, Class, and Igbo Values
Guidelines:
Submit an abstract of 250-300 words with your paper/poster/roundtable title, name, current position and institutional affiliation, mailing addresses, email, and phone number. Your abstracts must discuss the scope of the paper, the research methodology, possible sources, and tentative thesis or hypothesis. Those whose abstracts are accepted will have to pay a $50 non-refundable part payment for conference registration.
Deadline:
All proposals must be submitted online and submission deadline is January 31, 2016. Completed papers are due by March 1, 2016. To submit your proposal, click on this link: http://igbostudiesassociation.org/index.php/submission
Notification:
You will be notified on the status of your submission and other program details by email. Selected papers will be considered for publication and inclusion in either the Igbo Studies Review or a post-conference edited book. You should, therefore, write your papers as if they are being prepared for publication. Presentations can be made in English or Igbo. Participants are responsible for the conference fee and their travel and lodging costs. It is important that those who will require U.S. visas submit their proposals and completed paper early since they will need them for the visa interviews. For more information on the Igbo Studies Association, including membership and other matters, please visit us at http://www.igbostudiesassociation.org/
For more Inquiries, please contact
Ogechi Emma Anyanwu, PhD
Conference Chair
Department of History
Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY 40475
Phone: 859-248-1394

Email: isaconference@yahoo.com

Alaigbo.com. : BIAFRA:EX MILITANTS ISSUE BUHARI 31 DAYS TO RELEASE KANU

Alaigbo.com. : BIAFRA:EX MILITANTS ISSUE BUHARI 31 DAYS TO RELEASE KANU

BIAFRA:EX MILITANTS ISSUE BUHARI 31 DAYS TO RELEASE KANU

Supporters of the Biafra movement among the Niger Delta ex-militants have given President Mohammadu Buhari led federal government 31-day deadline to free the leader of the group and Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, or face the consequences.
Also, the former warlords warned security agencies against tampering with the life of the IPOB leader, who is detained at Kuje Prison. Spokesperson of the concerned ex-militants, simply identified as General Ben, warned that at the expiration of the ultimatum, they would resume massive abduction of expatriates as a first step.
The spokesperson declared that Federal Government should not underrate the activities of the militants in the Niger Delta, no matter the number of soldiers deployed against them.
He fumed: “The ex-militant leaders in Ebeocha IPOB are warning the Federal Government and are giving them 31 days to release Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB and Director of Radio Biafra.
“We are giving Federal Government deadline; if they fail to release him, the country would be vandalised. He is fighting a just cause. Nothing should happen to him and Federal Government should not forget what we can do,” he threatened.
Source: Sun Newspaper

HISTORY OF REMARKABLE ALAIGBO TRADITION FOR THE WEEK

TRADITIONAL DANCE OF OHAFIA ABIA STATE NIGERIA.
1. OHAFIA in Abia state,
2.It is called Ohafia War Dance...
3..the ancestors of Ohafia were renowned to be mighty men of war who were always on the lookout for wars to take part in.[3] The Ohafia warrior tradition which remains one of the fundamental identity of the people of Ohafia is hinged in the performance of iri agha - the practice of beheading a fallen enemy. A human skull is a proof of a man's courage and strength. Only those who brought home a human head could join the Ogbu-Isi society and wear an eagle's plume which is a symbol of courage.The Ohafia War Dance which is also performed to celebrate an individual's achievement is headed by a lead dancer carrying a basket full of human skulls (Igbo: oyaya) while holding a short cutlass and a small palm shoot in his mouth, while his fellow dancers dressed like fierce warriors mime the cutting off of human head while dancing to the music from the akwatankwa musical instrument thus portraying Ohafia as a land of brave warriors

MY MAMA SAY I BE IGBO ' A Menace that has to be Curbed'

It has become very necessary to teach our children the IGBO LANGUAGE that is fast going into instinction.According to research conducted by United Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),IGBO language has been identified as one of the word's language that might be subsumed by other stronger languages by 2025,if the current speakers do nothing about it. Hence ,they opined that about 10,000,000 ( ten million) Ndigbo are needed to vote for the revival of IGBO language in order to increase the consciousness and the use of the language among adults and children,and thus,curb the menace of 'my papa say we be IGBO'~a virus that must be fought head long.

Of course if neglected,this disheartening situation will pose a great threat to the development of IGBO Nation,because language and culture of a people are the vital ingredient for their quest for survival,growth and development. It is often said that the "EASIEST WAY TO DESTROY A NATION IS TO FIST KILL HER LANGUAGE "hence the future of IGBO nation solely on us and our children.

ASUSU IGBO AMAKA

By ignitia Nwaelugo

Published in the 10th anniversary magazine NAIS.(LASU).

What is your contribution to this?

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW OF HUMBLE SMITH' OSINACHI'

HUMBLE SMITH THE NEXT BIG THING TO HAPPEN TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.

Real Name: Ekene Ijemba

Stage Name: Humble smith

Date of Birth / Age : May 4th, 1991

Place of birth / state of origin : Abakaliki Ebonyi State

Record Label : DG Records

Genre: Afro Pop, Singer / Song Writer

Tertiary Institution : University Of Lagos

Ekene Ijemba popularly known as Humble Smith is a graduate of University of Lagos, UniLag. The fifth child from a humble home of 8 children, he was born on May 4th, 1991 at abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

The Afropop Artist initially known for his hit single Chiamoo has went on prove himself as a talented artist to watch out for, with the release of Osinachi, one of the best most played singles last year. Humblesmith’s Osinachi has topped various chart and continues to receive massive airplay both TV and on radio.

He has worked withe likes of Phyno, Mr. Dimz, Jokes, feokee etc.

Humble Smith Singles includes:

Osinachi featuring Phyno

Chairmoo produced by Mr. Dimz

Na you

Nominated as the rookie of the year ( 2015 ), by The Headies Award 2015.

With the release of the remix of Osinachi ft HKM star Davido,which is now making wave on radio and topping chats.

There you have it for Humble Smith Biography and His Latest Songs presently.

we would add more update as we get more information on him. Don’t hesitate to share your thought and additions with us through the comment box and like us on facebook Page:

Alaigbo.com

Blog:

www.ala-igbo.blogspot.com

Twitter @alaigbo2

BRIDE PRICE IN THE EAST TO BE COMPARED TO OTHER PARTS OF NIGERIA

JULIET UMEH examines the full range of bride price practices east of the Niger.

Ask Anthony Omeha why he is still single at 45. His response will give you an insight into why most youths from the South East of Nigeria marry late. Says Omeha, “I’ve been in a relationship with Chinasa Ukeh, my girl friend, for the past ten years, but I’ve not been able to tie the knot because getting married in my town is not child’s play. It could nearly push you to rob a bank, especially if you don’t have a good job or a viable source of income.

As a result, many are boycotting the normal process by swiftly getting their girlfriends pregnant, so that the family would accept whatever is presented to them. But I don’t want to go about it that way. And that’s why I’m still single, hoping to gather enough funds to face the challenge soonest.”

Ikenna Madu, a 38-year-old young man from Ezinihitte Mbaise in Imo State is obviously facing the same challenge.

He says, “My greatest predicament is certainly not only my unviable business but the fact that I couldn’t get Oluchi Uche, my former girl friend, to be my wife because of the high bride price in Mbaise, my locality. Both of us agreed to walk down the aisle in 2014, but that was not achievable due to financial constraints. Uche later backed out of the relationship and went with a young man who came from abroad during the last Christmas period.”

The jilted Madu tells his story further: “I have the intention of marrying from among my people, but fear always grips me whenever I think of what it takes to marry our ladies. I am not thinking of living with one illegally because, if, God forbid, she dies, you will be made to marry her corpse before she is buried. I lost my lover of many years because I couldn’t meet up with her people’s high expectations.

I am still a struggling man hoping to make it one day.”

Gladys Ezeh is from Mbano, in Imo State. She also has a story to tell. “My maternal uncle was lamenting recently that he doesn’t know how to present the list he was given by his kinsmen to his daughter’s suitor. The worst thing is that the list is now in two parts. There is a list for an educated girl and another list for the uneducated.”

While high bride price is often a stumbling block to singles from the South East, especially in Mbano and Mbaise communities of Imo State, bride price is not really an issue in most parts of the North and the South West.

According to Sheik Muhammad Awwal Adam, a prominent scholar in Adamawa State, dowry is one of the most significant pillars of marriage, without which marriage cannot be consummated in Islam. However, in Islam, the minimum amount acceptable as dowry is one quarter of a “Dinar”, which is about N10, 000.

That is nothing compared to the bride price of the South East.

Sola Aderemi, who is of Yoruba extraction, says with N20, 000, one can comfortably marry a wife in Yoruba land, which constitutes the South West. Still in the South East, many argue that bride price varies from community to community, and is not a problem in many places. Alloysius Njoku, a titled chief from Mbaise debunks the allegation of high cost of marriage in Imo State, especially in his community.

He says, “In Igbo land, especially in Mbaise where I come from, when we give you our daughter in marriage, you’ve just picked gold. She will have children for you and you will make profit and the woman will even take the father’s wealth to your place. Bride price varies from community to community.

For instance, in my place, Ibeku in Abombaise Local Government, when a boy and a girl agree to marry, we will give the groom-to-be the list of items for the bride price. That list may contain like 10 cartoons of beer, 10 cartoons of malt, 50 tubers of yam, wrappers, and 30 kegs of palm wine.

But I must let you know that if you are interested in marrying the girl, even if you bring one cartoon of beer, one keg of palm wine or one wrapper, we will ensure the wedding is successful.” Njoku continues, “I have a daughter in the university whose education I am solely funding presently. I cannot calculate how much I have spent on her.

Now, if she finds a man and both of them are in love, once I’m convinced that she likes the man, even if the man pays nothing, I can even use my money to settle our kinsmen. So when people say Mbaise people are collecting too much money as bride price, I would say it’s not like that in my case. No one is forced to do it. We will give you the list, and if you want to show that you have ‘arrived,’ the kinsmen will happily collect the items and money from you. But if you come to Mbaise with little or no money, you can take a wife.

In fact, we may even assist you to wed in church. Don’t mind those people who say they are single because of high bride price. They are just looking for excuses for their delay in getting married. Money cannot hinder anyone from getting married,” Njoku submitted.

Matthew Chukwu, also a title holder in Ehime Mbano in Imo state, unlike Njoku, insists the bride price in Mbano is still high. Chukwu, however, strongly believes the whole process should be upheld because that’s tradition. But he was quick to explain a way forward.

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PRICE PRICE IN THE EAST TO BE COMPARED TO OTHER PARTS OF NIGERIA

JULIET UMEH examines the full range of bride price practices east of the Niger.
Ask Anthony Omeha why he is still single at 45. His response will give you an insight into why most youths from the South East of Nigeria marry late. Says Omeha, “I’ve been in a relationship with Chinasa Ukeh, my girl friend, for the past ten years, but I’ve not been able to tie the knot because getting married in my town is not child’s play. It could nearly push you to rob a bank, especially if you don’t have a good job or a viable source of income.
As a result, many are boycotting the normal process by swiftly getting their girlfriends pregnant, so that the family would accept whatever is presented to them. But I don’t want to go about it that way. And that’s why I’m still single, hoping to gather enough funds to face the challenge soonest.”
Ikenna Madu, a 38-year-old young man from Ezinihitte Mbaise in Imo State is obviously facing the same challenge.
He says, “My greatest predicament is certainly not only my unviable business but the fact that I couldn’t get Oluchi Uche, my former girl friend, to be my wife because of the high bride price in Mbaise, my locality. Both of us agreed to walk down the aisle in 2014, but that was not achievable due to financial constraints. Uche later backed out of the relationship and went with a young man who came from abroad during the last Christmas period.”
The jilted Madu tells his story further: “I have the intention of marrying from among my people, but fear always grips me whenever I think of what it takes to marry our ladies. I am not thinking of living with one illegally because, if, God forbid, she dies, you will be made to marry her corpse before she is buried. I lost my lover of many years because I couldn’t meet up with her people’s high expectations.
I am still a struggling man hoping to make it one day.”
Gladys Ezeh is from Mbano, in Imo State. She also has a story to tell. “My maternal uncle was lamenting recently that he doesn’t know how to present the list he was given by his kinsmen to his daughter’s suitor. The worst thing is that the list is now in two parts. There is a list for an educated girl and another list for the uneducated.”
While high bride price is often a stumbling block to singles from the South East, especially in Mbano and Mbaise communities of Imo State, bride price is not really an issue in most parts of the North and the South West.
According to Sheik Muhammad Awwal Adam, a prominent scholar in Adamawa State, dowry is one of the most significant pillars of marriage, without which marriage cannot be consummated in Islam. However, in Islam, the minimum amount acceptable as dowry is one quarter of a “Dinar”, which is about N10, 000.
That is nothing compared to the bride price of the South East.
Sola Aderemi, who is of Yoruba extraction, says with N20, 000, one can comfortably marry a wife in Yoruba land, which constitutes the South West. Still in the South East, many argue that bride price varies from community to community, and is not a problem in many places. Alloysius Njoku, a titled chief from Mbaise debunks the allegation of high cost of marriage in Imo State, especially in his community.
He says, “In Igbo land, especially in Mbaise where I come from, when we give you our daughter in marriage, you’ve just picked gold. She will have children for you and you will make profit and the woman will even take the father’s wealth to your place. Bride price varies from community to community.
For instance, in my place, Ibeku in Abombaise Local Government, when a boy and a girl agree to marry, we will give the groom-to-be the list of items for the bride price. That list may contain like 10 cartoons of beer, 10 cartoons of malt, 50 tubers of yam, wrappers, and 30 kegs of palm wine.
But I must let you know that if you are interested in marrying the girl, even if you bring one cartoon of beer, one keg of palm wine or one wrapper, we will ensure the wedding is successful.” Njoku continues, “I have a daughter in the university whose education I am solely funding presently. I cannot calculate how much I have spent on her.
Now, if she finds a man and both of them are in love, once I’m convinced that she likes the man, even if the man pays nothing, I can even use my money to settle our kinsmen. So when people say Mbaise people are collecting too much money as bride price, I would say it’s not like that in my case. No one is forced to do it. We will give you the list, and if you want to show that you have ‘arrived,’ the kinsmen will happily collect the items and money from you. But if you come to Mbaise with little or no money, you can take a wife.
In fact, we may even assist you to wed in church. Don’t mind those people who say they are single because of high bride price. They are just looking for excuses for their delay in getting married. Money cannot hinder anyone from getting married,” Njoku submitted.
Matthew Chukwu, also a title holder in Ehime Mbano in Imo state, unlike Njoku, insists the bride price in Mbano is still high. Chukwu, however, strongly believes the whole process should be upheld because that’s tradition. But he was quick to explain a way forward.

What's your opinion about this?