Birth of a new dawn for ANA Lagos

By Onwuzurike Donald Ejike 

Mr. Adeyemi Adebiyi, new Chairman of ANA Lagos

The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Lagos chapter in preparation for 2017 ANA International Convention slated for October 26^th to 29^th which will be holding at Makurdi Benue State, held its elections on Saturday 12 August, to usher in a new set of executive members who took over the mantle of leadership of the chapter from Mr. Amos Femi Onileagbon whose four years in office as chairman, ended on the election day.

Among other events and activities in the programme of the day, it was the election that made the most impressive impact on all members who attended. The number of members who were present at the reading was impressive unlike other normal days of reading. Before the elections day, the monthly meetings had never witnessed such turnout.

Tempers however flared when the outgoing chairman raised a constitutional dust about one of the Association’s rules, when he stood his ground that the two delegates from the national executive council who incidentally are also members of ANA Lagos chapter, in the persons of Mr. Toafeek Olatubosun Joseph, national P.R.O. South, and Mr. Adewusi Komolafe, a national ex-officio member who came with the intension to conduct the election, should only be given the privilege to just act as observers. Femi said the congress should rather appoint an electoral officer who will choose some members to conduct the election as electoral team.

After an interval of argument about the constitutionality of his claim concerning the national executive members to act as observers, which he could not substantiate due to lack of a copy of the Association’s constitution, the congress merely allowed sleeping dogs to lie, to make sure the election was held. Hence, the duo humbly acted as observers.

The motion for the dissolution of the former executive team was moved by Mr. Onwuzurike Donald Ejike and seconded by Mr. Blessed Mudiaga Adjekpagbon. Mr. Folu Agoi, an erstwhile chairman of the chapter appointed Hon. Feyi-Abiodun Oyeniyi as the Electoral team chairman and was assisted by Olusanya Anjorin to form a two-man electoral team.

However, two members contested for the chapter’s chairmanship position, namely- Mr. Olu Okekanye, an immediate past vice chairman, and Mr. Yemi Adebiyi, a former Secretary. Both of them had served in the previous executive council that had just elapsed.

Out of twenty-three ballot papers that were certified by the electoral team before the election commenced, Okekanye had two votes, while one ballot paper was voided, and Adebiyi won with a landslide of nineteen votes at the end of the proceedings.

He won perhaps, because of his pre-election speech through which he pointed that, “With my zeal to resuscitate the dwindling fortunes of ANA Lagos, I won the chapter’s secretary position during the past tenure when I was 60years. Now, after two years I am presenting myself to occupy the position of Chairman in order to infuse more energy to attract younger writers into the chapter.”

Other newly elected members of the current executive includes, Mr. Ayo Vaughan Babatunde as Vice Chairman; Ms. Nwafor Brenda as Secretary; Ms. Abigail Ohioro as Financial Secretary; Ms. Davies Lynda as Treasurer; and Ms. Irabor Margret as P.R.O.

While thanking the congress on behalf of his newly elected team, Adebiyi who is an author of several novels, said “I am going to work assiduously to bring back the lost glory of ANA Lagos chapter and replace its image on its usual elevated position. My tenure will by God’s grace be a new dawn for all members.”

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BREAKING NEWS: Many private schools in Lagos unaware of newly approved 2017-2020 list of books

Adjekpagbon Blessed Mudiaga

...Some private schools' proprietors blame Lagos State Ministry of Education for late release of newly approved list of books

The euphoria that greeted the newly approved list of books by the Lagos State Primary and Secondary Curriculum Services Department under the state’s Ministry of Education is beginning to resonate sadly in some quarters, especially among some private schools operating in the state.

The unawareness of many private schools authority about the newly approved list for the next academic session beginning from the resumption of school in September 2017, came to light when Bulkybon Periscopes visited various private schools in different areas of the state to introduce some of the newly approved books to them.

Many proprietors of private schools said the new list is already belated for use by their schools as they have given out lists of books to students and parents in July for the 2017/2018 curriculum of studies before the recent public presentation of the new lists on August 7 to 11, 2017 at Ikeja Junior Secondary School, in Bolade area of Oshodi, Lagos.

Speaking under anonymity, one of the proprietors exclaimed upon seeing the brochure of the newly approved list, “What! Why did they release the list so late after we have already given out lists of books to parents to buy for their children for the next session starting from September 2017? It means we can only start using the newly approved list from September 2018. It is not binding on us to buy books based on the 2017-2020 newly approved list of books just released by the Ministry of Education.”

It seems there was no adequate publicity on the part of the Lagos State Ministry of Education in terms of informing many private schools' owners about the Lagos State 2017 Major Books Review that culminated in the approval of the new lists for both primary and secondary schools curriculum of studies that will commence from September 2017 to 2020; hence, the lack of knowledge about the newly approved list of books by a large number of private schools' administrators.

From the foregoing, it means publishers whose books are among the newly approved lists have to sell their books to mostly only government owned schools for 2017-2018 academic terms, in compliance with the Lagos State approved new lists of curriculum of studies, as many private schools owners have expressed dismay at the late release of the new lists, and declares that it is not binding on them.

As public schools (owned by the state government) are still on holidays, it is not yet known whether they are aware of the new development or not.

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BREAKING NEWS: “London Metropolitan Police threatens my witness to withdraw her statement" -Bircham

Adjekpagbon Blessed Mudiaga

General cap used by police worldwide

The Ruth Bircham’s rape case is becoming more interesting by the day as she discloses that the Police have asked her witness (name withheld) to withdraw her statement so that the case can be closed, but the witness refused. She informed Bulkybon Periscopes of this new development on Tuesday, August 1, 2017.

It is now becoming clearer that the police officers (names withheld) who investigated the case

One of Bircham's artworks

may have compromised by setting the accused man free and subsequently trying to gag the victim’s witness, while stylishly asking Bircham to keep the issue out of media consumption.

The question that comes to the mind of an average reasonable person considering the ways the police have been handling the case to the complainant's dissatisfaction is, “How much did the accused man might have offered the police as bribe to kill the case?”

The world is waiting as Bircham says, “No retreat, no surrender until my victory is attained.”

It would be recalled that the complainant has severally pointed out on social media that, she is fighting for justice not only for herself, but for other women and young female children who have been similarly gagged by any police organisation worldwide, from expressing their pains to the public after being raped, while the police claims to be protecting the victims’ identity by making them anonymous; thereby putting some vocal victims into a state of psychological paralysis and immeasurable hellish trauma; as a result of denying them their fundamental human right to express their emotions and offload acres of stress building castles on their mind..

From the background of Bircham’s outcry, if the London Metropolitan Police wants to save its already questionable image based on the shady ways she says the officers in charge handled her rape case from the onset, coupled with her recent information that her witness is being intimidated to withdraw her (witness) statement to make the case valueless, then the police no doubts need to put its house in order by giving fair treatment to the victim and her witness, and charge the case to court as soon as possible according to her demand for justice. Anything short of that, is tantamount to the police aiding and encouraging more rapists to have a feast of raping women at anytime and place they chose.
Nonetheless, in a letter sent to Bircham by an officer (name withheld) of the Metropolitan Police which the complainant intimated Bulkybon Periscopes with, the officer expressly stated that: "I understand you are unhappy with the decision that I have made and you feel that the evidence has been misinterpreted. I have directed that 'Ms...' (witness name withheld) be contacted about the statement that she has given and we will discuss with her any points that she wishes to amend or clarify..... I have explained that my decision to take no further action currently stands, however I will take into consideration any further evidence that 'Ms...' (witness name withheld) offers."
Based on the excerpts from the letter, the world expects the Metropolitan Police to live up to its duty of standing by the truth by allowing the witness amend any error she had made in her evidence which may have made the police to prematurely set the accused man free. Maintaining peace and order, while defending victims of rape and other crimes by making sure that culprits of crimes face the music, is what the world expects from the police henceforth.

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