Our Role Model: Barrack Obama, President of the United State of America

Barack Hussein Obama II born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who is the 44th President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office and the first president born outside the continental United States. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review. Obama was born on August 4, 1961, at Kapiʻolani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital (now Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women and Children) in Honolulu, Hawaii; he is the first President to have been born in Hawaii. His mother, Ann Dunham, born in Wichita, Kansas, was of mostly English ancestry. His father, Barack Obama Sr., was a Luo from Nyang'oma Kogelo, Kenya. Obama's parents met in 1960 in a Russian language class at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where his father was a foreign student on scholarship. The couple married in Wailuku on Maui on February 2, 1961, and separated when, in late August 1961, Obama's mother moved with their newborn son to attend the University of Washington in Seattle for a year. During that time, Obama Sr. completed his undergraduate economics degree in Hawaii in June 1962, then left to attend graduate school at Harvard University on a scholarship. There he earned an M.A. in economics. Obama's parents divorced in March 1964. Obama Sr. returned to Kenya in 1964 where he remarried; he visited Barack in Hawaii only once, in 1971. When he was killed in an automobile accident in 1982, his son was 21 years old. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School between 1992 and 2004. While serving three terms representing the 13th District in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004, he ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for the United States House of Representatives in 2000 against incumbent Bobby Rush.

His mother spent most of the next two decades in Indonesia, divorcing Lolo in 1980 and earning a PhD degree in 1992, before dying in 1995 in Hawaii following treatment for ovarian cancer and uterine cancer. Of his early childhood, Obama recalled, "That my father looked nothing like the people around me – that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk – barely registered in my mind." He described his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage.

In 2004, Obama received national attention during his campaign to represent Illinois in the United States Senate with his victory in the March Democratic Party primary, his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July, and his election to the Senate in November. He began his presidential campaign in 2007 and, after a close primary campaign against Hillary Clinton in 2008, he won sufficient delegates in the Democratic Party primaries to receive the presidential nomination. He then defeated Republican nominee John McCain in the general election, and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. Nine months after his inauguration, Obama was controversially named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

During his first two years in office, Obama signed into law economic stimulus legislation in response to the Great Recession in the form of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. Other major domestic initiatives in his first term included the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often referred to as "Obamacare"; the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; and the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010. In foreign policy, Obama ended U.S. military involvement in the Iraq War, increased U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan, signed the New START arms control treaty with Russia, ordered U.S. military involvement in Libya in opposition to Muammar Gaddafi, and ordered the military operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. In January 2011, the Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives as the Democratic Party lost a total of 63 seats; and, after a lengthy debate over federal spending and whether or not to raise the nation's debt limit, Obama signed the Budget Control Act of 2011 and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.

Obama was reelected president in November 2012, Obama will be succeeded by President-elect Donald Trump.

Vigram N/P School emerge champion of Edulight Spelling Bout 2016 for primary schools

October 28, 2016 will remain a remarkable day in the lives of everyone gathered (pupils, teachers and partners) at the Destiny Hall, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos. The event which was the maiden edition of the spelling competition for primary schools saw sixty (60) schools come together to slog it out and it lasted for 5 hours. 

After a tight competition amongst the participating schools Vigram Nursery and Primary School, Surulere, Lagos came tops going home with the champion’s trophy and other prizes while Learnmore Schools, Palm Avenue, Mushin, Lagos emerged first runners-up and ECWA Private School, Lagos Island went home happy as the Second runners-up. The winners could not hold back their joy as both the pupils and their teachers openly expressed their joy on the day.

The top twenty (20) schools went home with gifts, while all participants were certified for participating.

Barr. Olalekan Alaka, the Legal Adviser to Edulight Magazine was on ground to present the trophy to the champion. While the Representative of the M.D Yemat International Catering Institute Miss Yetunde Owolabi was also present to present the first runners-up their trophy and Uncle FM did the honour presenting the second runners-up their trophy. The competition presented two sides of emotions joy for the winners and for other participants who did not make the final twenty were determined to do better in subsequent edition. Olivefield Nursery and Primary school, Ojuelegba, Success Square Nursery and Primary School, Ikate, Surulere and Labo Memorial School, Ijesha went home as well dressed schools on the day.  

The organisers of the spelling competition amidst some of the challenges was quite grateful for the smooth event. He mentioned that as a follow up to the competition, the team is determined to improve on the subsequent event. The editor of Edulight Magazine, Uzoanya Kenneth on behalf of the team tipped off the schools that the event will be regionalized and top schools from various regions will come together to do the final battle. He further did appreciate the partners of the event and did solicit for more partnership assuring the partners of value for their support.

Greenland Hall College emerge Champion at the Edulight Spelling Bout (ESB) 2016 for Secondary Schools

Friday, May 6, 2016 will go down in history as a day to remember. On this fateful day, twenty-nine secondary schools converged at The New Great Hall, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idiaraba, Mushin, Lagos were they slugged it out at the Spelling competition. Greenland Hall College, Alakuko stood out as the overall champion on the day with Shoms International College, Surulere coming second and Bachel Model College of Ikotun as the third.

The ESB 2016 had received so much publicity since the beginning. The organizers of the event invited over 200 secondary schools for the competition. There were mouth-watering prizes for the top nine finalists that emerged. A dictionary and 2 bags were given to them. The champion went home with the golden trophy, the first runner up went back with silver trophy and the second runner up with bronze trophy plus dictionary, bags and certificate for not just the winners but also all the participating schools present.

The maiden edition of the event was organized by the publishers of Edulight in conjunction National Association of Proprietors of Private School owners (NAPPS) Mushin Chapter and College of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Science Students Association (COMPSSA) and it was a welcome initiative. The students did express their potentials during the competition. The COMPSSA president, Proprietor of De’Pathfinders Tutorial Consult, Mr. Dotun Sodunke, Miss Yetunde Owolabi M.D. Yemat International Catering Institute and Ayo of COMPSSA were the judges for the day while Mr. Kingsley Ohaeri was the moderator of the event. The competition which lasted for four hours was originally slated to start by 10 am but owing to some logistics challenges at the venue, it kicked off at exactly 11:15am with some schools arriving two hours ahead of time. 

The organizers lived up to their promise by ensuring that all participating schools were issued certificate of participation and were well taken care of. Each school present were represented by four students and a teacher, two of the students were presented as contestants while the other two and the teacher joined the audience.  

Generally, the ESB 2016 took place without rancor, though there were mild protests about the spelling of words given by the organizers which Mr. Kingsley differed from the Dictionary spelling because “printer’s devil” did set-in in the course of publication.

The Publisher, Bello Anthony Adekunle assured the participating schools and those who could not make it of a better organization, planning and package to take home come next year. The Editor of the Magazine, Uzoanya Kenneth also seized the opportunity to ask the primary schools to gear up. 

As theirs is next, this 2016 with exact date and time to be made known as soon as possible. This is as a result of the yearning by the primary schools.

ONE ON ONE WITH MURPHY IJEMBA OF BRILA FM

How has the journey been for you?

The journey has been quite interesting. My journey to broadcasting started from Kano State, that is Bayero University, Kano. That was where I studied BSc. Accounting. During my third year we had the Students’ Union Government (SUG) Week so we did a presentation at Daar Communication Ltd i.e. AIT and Raypower at the center in Kano. I led the team and we had a great conversation with the audience and listeners on that day. One of their staff approached me and said; “we love your diction, attitude and character.” So the staff asked, why don’t you do something for us on radio. So I said I have a special passion for sports and said let’s give you a chance since the man in charge has traveled. And that was how my career started.

People love Murphy Ijemba on Radio and you seem to have a lot of followership, how did you come about this?

What did the magic is simple when talk to people in the language they understand. Sure they will love you and what you are doing. But when you try to be like Dan Foster for instance, you want to speak in a foreign accent even though you have no visa let alone traveled out of the country. You have lived all your life in Mushin, Ajegunle, Surulere etc. you speak your local language in the normal way. But when you come on air you start speaking like a “Londoner.” So I said look let’s speak to people in the language they understand let’s go down to the level. “Omo Iya mi bawo ni” “yaya gida” Ke du” a language both old and young, rich and poor even the almajiri can comprehend.

Does this mean we should forget the English Language?

You know what? I have been to Zambia, South Africa and other countries. They speak English but with their own mother tongue (accent) that is what I am saying. I am not saying we should not speak English I am saying we should speak it with our own mother tongue not by copying white men’s tongue. The audience I try to appeal to are not those that are “Londoners or New Yorkers,” but they are normal people and I send the right messages. Market woman or man in Alaba, Oshodi or Lagos Island will understand local languages or the English you speak with your own mother tongue not phonetics. In China they speak Chinese not English and they are doing well. For instance Wazobia FM is the highest earning radio station today alongside other radio stations, but it is the number, because of what? It has come down to the level of the masses.

What will you say to encourage people about reading?

I interact with people a lot, either one on one or via the internet. They all have love for education, they want to go to school, but sometimes the economy does not encourage that.

Should that be an excuse for not having education?

I think we need to start from the bottom. During my days in secondary school, I sat for Yoruba Language in the examination and my best result in WAEC was A3 in Yoruba Language. I said earlier that in Chinathey don’t speak English and they are doing well. Let everybody be grounded in his or her language, as long as they can communicate with it clearly. I think we have depended too much on English and that is a major problem. Everybody wants to sound like “Oyinbo” (White men) that we are not.

Are you saying we should borrow a leaf from China?

Yes, I know a Chinese man will not speak English like an American and an Igbo man that was born in London cannot speak like that born in Onitsha. Lets us go back to the bases. If you can communicate well in the local language, why not; if you can manufacture an aircraft using Yoruba Language, why not. My take is that as long as it is a progressive thing that can make man a better person, let us bring in our local languages into what we are doing.

Can you share your experience with us while in school?

I remember my primary school, St. Martins Primary School, Mushin Olosa. At the back of the school there was a school farm where yam, cassava and maize were planted. It was a nice experience looking at the farm through the window again, in such a school in Mushin where everything goes, you get to fight for yourself, the courage, the never-say-die attitude, that “mi o ni gba” spirit while others are giving up you say no I am not going back without achieving anything.

How can we combine education with sports effectively?

The marriage between education and sports in vital. Take football, for example, where every youth wants to play for Man U, Barca and many others, but we can start by having educational sports facilities all over the country. If you want to play football you should be able to school as well. In the morningyou go to school and in the evening you go for football practice. This is what happens in Europe that is making them produce the talents we see on a daily basis.

What is your advice for those in school?

I have only one thing to say: be yourself, be creative, don’t try to copy anybody, do something new, that creativity is in you. Bring it out let the world see it. I started with AIT and Raypower FM in Kano where I worked for eight good months without getting paid! There is no short way to glory and two wrongs will never make a right. Youths nowadays want success over night, which is dangerous. Basically, I try to let people know that if you are hardworking, and you are focused your success is guaranteed; there is no other way to it.

ONE ON ONE with One of Nigeria's Most Revered Journalist SULAI ALEDEH

As one of the revered television newscasters in Nigeria and perhaps Africa can you share with us how it started for you?

I actually read philosophy from the University of Benin. That was my major. Then I obtained a Masters degree in Humanitarian and Refugees State from the University of Lagos. I have always been a broadcaster from my college days (i.e. my University days). From my 1^st year in school, I have always been a broadcaster. I stumbled on a station listening to a programme on a particular frequency (I and my elder brother). And I said; “I could do what this guy is doing.”

And who is this guy?

I even can’t remember his name. The guy was on air that was in Benin. And I felt I could do what he was doing and even better. So my brother drove to the office, I mean to the station and told them that his brother said he was interested. Mind you, this time, I had just got my admission letter and I hadn’t started schooling at UNIBEN, I had not done my registration. So they said, they were going to audition me. And I was auditioned and that was it. I was given a couple of radio and television programmes. And that was how it all started.

Where exactly was this?

Edo Broadcasting Service in Benin

Was there anyone you looked up to when you started and for those looking up to you, what would you say to them to encourage them?

I didn’t have any role model when I started. For me, it was fun; it was just what made me happy: being on radio and television. And if I had to call anyone my role model as at that fresh start, I would say Ray Macdonald was the only guy I listened to on radio. So that was how I was able to know that what I was listening to then in Benin wasn’t it at that point in time, for the person I was listening to on air, Ray Macdonald, a renowned Voice of America Anchor, who was doing the Top 20 Chart back then. So, I had to learn from him by listening. So, I was, I don’t want to say “mimicking”, I was listening, If I hear a word, for example the word “inevitable”, I would ask myself, lots of people call it inevitable (slow paced pronunciation) why is not inevitable (fast paced). So I tried and said okay, this is the right pronunciation (fast paced). So if he says, “bomb” and I would wonder why is the last ‘B’ silent. Why didn’t he say “This is the bomb” with the  last ‘B’ sounding. Things like that, so I was learning from him. I was recording the top 20 Billboard Countdown. And then, there was no internet. So I copied him, by recording, putting the cassette in the short waist band and record everything and transcript to the script. And I go “This is the top 20 billboard countdown to radio air play, record sold sales and duration chart day, I still have them in my head. So we were doing all of that. So he, if I must pick someone who was more like a guide, a mirror, for me, I was looking up to, it was Ray Macdonald back then. Until I left school, did my National Youth Service also in the east in a radio station (Ebonyi Broadcasting Service). It’s been broadcasting from school till this moment. There’s never been a break.

Femi Sowoolu in his word said; “There is an extinction of intelligence” because today’s generation does not embrace the reading culture, do you agree to that?

Mr. Femi Sowoolu, I call him Egbon Sowoolu. He is an icon in the field. I think you really can’t overemphasis that big point. And it is also evident in broadcasting. You take a look at or you watch so many television programmes, listen to so many radio programmes. And what you get is the ‘wanna bees’ ‘mediocres’ and people who are not even trained. Lots of people want to hear their own voices. With some kind of pseudo accent, whether it is right or wrong is another thing. So, sometimes you get just an individual, who makes in a sentence, part of the word would have an Asian or Indian accent. Another one would have American accent, so you really can’t place where the person is from and almost all those that are called or termed ‘Returnees’, those who have come back home, even those from non-English speaking countries. Everyone wants to speak in funny accent and they have a radio job, especially radio. They are the most culprits. So, when he says intelligence or fresh kind of professionalism is going extinct, yes, he has a point; people don’t take their time to read anymore. I told you earlier that before starting off I was listening, doing a great deal of listening to Ray Macdonald. As I was doing a great deal of listening I was also transcribing his script and reading. For the younger people today who intend to attain higher education, you just realize that they do more of watching television than reading, they forget that you can’t even be a good on-air personality without reading. So you can’t take away the importance of reading in your everyday life. On a daily basis, we have so many newspapers, we put them in our bags, and we just stash them. We go home; try to read all we can read. Sometimes, when you’re bored, you just flip and see what catches your eyes and whether you like it or not. You think that it’s not there in your head but that’s what we call residual knowledge. It is somewhere in your head. And you really can’t be thankful enough when the need for it arises. And I’m hoping that people should see such importance in cultivating a reading culture. So you must read a page a day. If it is online publication but by all means read. Read ahead, it builds your vocabulary. It broadens your horizon such as; traveling and meeting people. But we don’t think today. Some of today’s professionals in their respective fields or in school aspire to become someone important in life but if you deemphasize the importance of reading, I don’t think you will get to the pinnacle of your profession. That is why most schools introduced what they call the “Prep” or “Library period”. And they should also have “Days of Reading”. You have people who come to sit with them, who could be some people they look up to as role models from the banking sector, telecom industry, journalism profession; different people to sit with these children and read. And even the orphans and the less privileged ones. So many other people have taken it upon themselves, especially some NGOs to have a day or two in a month to read with these ones. Buy them books in their libraries and read with them. Reading is the Key, reading is important. And I tell people, if you pick up anything that has been printed, just have it in your mind that it is an important document. It may not come handy now, but you really can’t tell when it will come and when it does come you would have been prepared.

What do you think the government need to do to drive reading culture into the students, both in private and public schools?

I think the government should put in the school curriculum, reading as a subject. Reading in itself; people should be made to step forward after reading to expatiate on a particular passage, page or point on they have read. I’m trying to look at it like a debating society. You know in a debating society people come to marshal out their points on an issue or some matter of national discuss. If we have a debating society, which in some schools is going extinct, we have to revive it. You don’t go out for a debating contest without reading. So reading is also the bedrock for you to excel in bringing up those points. I’m hoping that the school, I mean the government at all levels; local, state and federal would try as much as possible to bring back that culture. But it can only work if we now have fantastic and up to date Libraries. Get E-Library that would entice these children to come in and read.

What do you have to say to those striving to get to where you are now?

Sacrifice is the key. You have to sacrifice your time to study and that’s why for you to be on breakfast show on national or international television, you have to always study.

How about those who apparently would be hoping to attend Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) for their basic training?

So many people have attended such school, but what they do with such knowledge after the school is another thing. Lots and lots of people have passed through FRCN. I have too, but is it sufficient for you to just acquire such knowledge and stay back? No, even those who come for the intermediate course is to remind you of what the basic is about. For those who come for the advanced course it is also a refresher of what the basic is all about. So everything is about basic knowledge. But if you don’t put it into practice on a daily basis and you don’t put to practice how you can harness and use it, then it becomes dormant in you.

Well, you and some of your colleagues like Frank Edoho, Charles Anazodo, Kamal and a few others appear to still be relevant in the industry, while others had fallen by the wayside; what would you attribute to their fall?

I think life is a competition. You know, it’s just like how humans come into the world. Over a million sperms are released and they take a race, the first to get to the ovary fertilizes it and the human is conceived. If you think of it in that light you say everyone here on earth is a champion because you were the one who made it. If you believe it, then “you are a champion”. Then you continue in that light. Without saying much on this, I think people fall on the way side, in trying to be what others want them to be, and for those who try to cut corners, without studying or trying to burn the candles, they can’t be where they want to be. Being on radio (Radio Nigeria) which for me was very good, I felt it was a breeding ground for burning talents in the profession. You can throw away your time if you want to but you wouldn’t be found close to the mic. That’s how tough Radio Nigeria was and still is. You are picked based on your diction and pronunciation and how well you have been able to put them into practice. But today, there is a dearth in that, because loads and loads of people have actually pulled out. Those that have retired have retired, those that have left, have left. Using the cliché for “Greener Pasture.” “Greener Pasture” now is not outside the country but within the country. So it tells you that we all have to start looking at deregulating that hasn’t worked well in government circle. So that’s why you get to see people living in drought. The bottom line is this; you have ten people that have gone to FRCN training school all to have the potential of becoming the brightest but some of them don’t have the same energy to pursue it. So that’s why you see some people fall on the way while others excel. There is no one, no station, no television, no print that would see someone who is fantastic and not give him a job.

Does that mean for one to be a successful broadcaster or journalist you don’t necessarily have to go for mass communication or get a certificate in journalism to be there?

Quite frankly, most of the best broadcasters now, with due respect, most of the best broadcasters and even journalists didn’t  study broadcasting or journalism in their first degree. They did not acquire orientation journalism as their first course. Richard Quest is a lawyer, I mean, so loads and loads of them. And coming home, Charles Anazodo read English, Dele Momodu read Yoruba, Frank Edoho read Animal Science. So many people like that you see, Kamal read psychology, I read Philosophy. So loads and loads of these people who finally became what they are today in the profession: it’s about their interest and love for the job. That would now spur them to study and excel. If you don’t have interest, if you don’t have love, because interest and love would sustain you, where there is no money. Time was when people were not even paid salaries yet they were doing it. All the time I was doing it. I was in UNIBEN doing my stuff while I was doing broadcasting. I wasn’t paid but I stayed put, I continued, I loved it and I was even thinking about having my face on TV. I was thinking hmmm okay, let me be the best in the industry and that was what spurred me. And I knew when I leave the school the next megacity of broadcasting is Lagos so I came to Lagos. When we had that growth coming up in Abuja, so many people went to Abuja. I said no! I wouldn’t leave; this is the Hollywood of this profession. I would stay so if also trying to recognize what and when to move to and not to move.

Do you want to talk about your movement from Channels TV to TVC and back to Channels TV before now?

Talking about my movement from TVC to Channels is a big chapter and an entire book. I have always believed that Channels TV is where I should be. I came to Channels TV without knowing anyone. That’s why I tell people, you don’t have to know someone. I resigned from TVC 15^th May, 2013 and I didn’t have any other job.

Was there any particular reason for your resignation?

No! There was no fight, nothing. I just resigned. I got my clearance and I left. So I switched off my phone went home and stayed in the house until I came to Channels TV. I did the audition and all that and resumed 1^st June of the same year. Someone once joked with me saying they pushed me away. I said nobody pushed me; I resigned and applied to somewhere else.  And I wasn’t even a member of staff of TVC when I applied for Channels TV’s job. So looking at the date, the records are there for everyone. I left 15^th May and resumed here at Channels TV 1^st of June. So when did I come in for my audition? It was when I had left the place. That was the same thing I told them at FRCN. They were saying the stations were just pushing me around. I said as for me, nobody pushed me. I left FRCN for TVC. In fact, it was G65. We started G65 before it became TVC. Before I left for Channels and growing with the station in leaps and bounds. I think everyone has grown with the station and for the station. And the fun part is the many pulses because you have someone at the head of affairs who has been through the entire core; as a co-reporter, reporter and he rose through the ranks to becoming a senior person in the profession. And he is an anchor and so there is hardly any department he doesn’t have knowledge of. If you are a camera man, he knows what to tell you, he knows everything about shots. So we are in a place where the leader, the father of the place (John Momoh) is someone who understands every department. No wonder everyone will definitely be the best in their respective departments.
Thank you