Review of 'The Hunger Games', the movie

By Amina Kollere

Drama, intrigue, suspense, science-fiction, and fantasy with a hint of romance all bottled up into a 2hr 22min movie in form of The Hunger Games, the movie adaptation of Suzanne Collins book.

The Hunger Games is a movie set in the future, where South America is today, but would be described as “used to be.” A new country, called Panem, emerges with twelve districts and the Capitol, where all decisions are made. “Every year, the evil Capitol forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation scheme, The Hunger Games is a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight to the death with only one survivor.” (via hitfix.com)

The movie’s theme centers on oppression, survival, and hope for a new future. The oppression is depicted in the form of an authoritarian rule, with one character named Snow presiding. Survival is seen throughout the movie, from the first time we see the main character to the very last scene. The Hunger Games itself symbolizes a form of ‘bread and circus’ for the people of the capitol since they do not participate and seem to have a lot of free time on their hands.

As the plot unfolds, we meet the characters one by one. Katniss is the main character. Her character is that of strength and endurance, coupled with her ability to make ends meet through hunting, and trade. Peeta, the male lead, is sweet and charismatic, a definite crowd pleaser, which comes in handy in The Hunger Games. In terms of survival, he is the kind of character that relies on his wit and physical strength, as is apparent in the arena, where he forms an alliance with the bad guys in order to protect Katniss. They are featured as star-crossed, lovers destined to die in the arena. The audience believes this, both in the movie and in the book. It is obvious that Gale and Katniss go way back. He has a good sense of humor, not to mention HOT! He also has a secret crush on Katniss, as we see when Katniss and Peeta have a moment in the arena, and Gale takes his eyes off the screen.

Haymitch, their sponsor, is first shown as a drunk, who could care less. But after seeing Katniss’ abilities, he is motivated to help them, and he comes through in the end. Effie Trinket is one of my favorite characters in the movie. Like the rest of the capitol, she is unaware of the unfairness of the games. Instead, she believes it as an honor to be a tribute. She is more concerned about the mahogany table into which Katniss drives a knife than the issue of the argument. When Katniss fires an arrow towards the judges’ table because they are not concentrating during her evaluation, Effie is concerned about manners. She is the kind of absurdly oblivious character that can make your day.

President Snow is one sketchy, no-nonsense character that makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise anytime he is on the screen. He looks vindictive and ruthless because he doesn’t see anything wrong in eliminating people that could cause problems in his perfectly knit world at the top of the food chain. He tells Seneca Crane, the game maker, that he hates underdogs and thinks they should be eliminated.

As a sci-fi, the movie’s ability to mimic the setting exactly as it is in the book is commendable. The movie is able to properly depict the lifestyles of the Capitol’s citizens, especially their fashion and architecture. This adds to the fantasy of the movie. The scenes with bloodshed look so real and thrilling, as if you are right there with the characters. Amidst all the chaos, the romantic scenes fit right in and seem even more romantic. Peeta knows the right things to say, but since Katniss is not much of a chatterer but more of an actor, she kisses him, an epic scene that buttresses the star-crossed lovers’ angle.

The movie is a wild ride of blood-boiling, heart-stopping, and mind-reeling events. In terms of character, plot, and action, this movie has it all and deserves high ratings. I rate it 8.5 out of 10.

Turning to What Matters

By Halima Olajumoke Sogbesan

Vice President (VP) Namadi Sambo, of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, will be getting a new house soon, and N2bn from the 2013 budget will be spent to that effect. The VP is not the only beneficiary; there are other outrageous appropriations for the renovation and design of houses that belong to some senior political officers. While defending the planned spending, Federal Capital Territory Minister Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed said, “The projects that will be funded under ongoing projects include the designing and construction of the residence of the Vice President; the residence of the President of the Senate and the Deputy Senate President; the Speaker and that of the Deputy Speaker.”

In 2009, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved N7.1 billion for the design and construction of the VP’s house. Since then, the amount of money that has actually been spent on the house is unknown.

Just few days ago, a N9 billion request was made for the same ‘project.’ This time, the executive secretary of the Federal Capital Development Agency (FCDA), Adamu Ismail, said, “The additional N9 billion was needed to build a banquet hall, protocol guest house, two other guest houses and civil infrastructure, as well as to purchase furniture and install security gadgets.”

In addition, the Presidency has secured approval of the FEC for an additional N2.2 billion to build a 150 seat capacity banquet hall that will be used to host the president’s events.

Are our public officials oblivious to the suffering of the average Nigerian? Isn’t this the same Nigeria where over 60% of the population live on less than a dollar a day? Or have the poverty and the illiteracy rates improved in the North? Are the educational systems now better? Have the maternal and child mortality rates now improved? Don’t we still have many other problems? How many Nigerians will get to spend a night at the billion naira house? How many will be privileged to attend the President’s event at the N2.2bn worth banquet hall? Why then should so much money be spent?

The former FCT minister, Adamu Aliero, attempted to give an explanation when he was minister. He revealed that the VP has been living at the President’s guest house for visiting heads of state. The previous house where the VPs resided had to be given to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, as stipulated by the Abuja Master Plan. Aliero had said, “It is imperative for us to provide accommodation for the Vice-President. The Vice-President has no accommodation; certainly, you will agree with me that it is unbecoming for any government not to provide accommodation for its Vice-President. We will now embark on the construction of a befitting residence for the Vice-President.”

Is the VP homeless, like many other Nigerians? Isn’t he comfortable wherever he is now? Instead of spending so much money for the comfort of one man, can’t this project be suspended? The country has too many problems to deal with, and the VP can still ‘manage’.

We say kudos to the Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory for refusing to grant the proposed N9 billion. However, we disagree with Smart Adeyemi, the Chairman of the Senate committee on the Federal Capital Territory, when he said, “Fourteen billion Naira to me is huge for the Vice-President’s house. If you are even talking of N10bn that would be understandable.”

We cannot call the use of N10bn for one house understandable. This should not be condoned in a country that has numerous debts to settle. We should remember that this is not Namadi Sambo’s money; it is the nation’s.

This is a clear indication that political leadership positions are becoming way too lucrative, albeit, illegitimately. What happened to leadership for service? Not only is this immoral and unwise, it displays a stunning disconnect from reality. While the majority suffer in abject poverty, our leaders get comfortable with the nation’s money. Let the projects that require such outrageous amounts of money be suspended, and let’s fix the country first.



News Source: The Punch (5 December 2012), The Nation (7 December 2012).

The CBN Governor's Outrageous Proposal

By Amina Kollere

The CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (SLS), stirred trouble on 27 November 2012, in Warri when he proposed that in order to increase government revenue, 50% of the Nigerian civil servants should be sacked. He argues that with a huge reduction on overheads or less spending on recurrent expenditures, more funds would be freed and directed towards capital projects, so that significant spending on infrastructure can be guaranteed to lift the economy.

Sanusi said “You have to fire half of the civil service because the revenue government has is supposed to be for 167 million Nigerians. Any society where government spends 70% of its revenue on its civil service has a problem. It is unsustainable…The country does not need over 100 senators, about 400 members of the House of Representatives to make laws.”

The President of the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC), Abdulwaheed Omar, wondered if, to SLS, saving government funds was more important than saving lives. Omar added that, “The burden that will come with a mass sack of as high as 50% of civil servants, in addition to the already saturated unemployment market, can better be imagined.”

The NLC is clearly not happy with Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. As expected, he has been called many foul names. Some have called for him to be sacked, and the more aggressive ones called for his head. Clearly, SLS has ruffled feathers, and he is facing the consequences.

Although, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is right when he says that spending about 70% of government revenue on the civil service is wrong, the solution he is proposing is outrageous and not viable. What he should have tackled is the unreasonable salary paid to senators in Nigeria. They are the most highly paid, but useless, public officers in the world. There are no legitimate laws and systems in Nigeria to show that they deserve the luxuries they are given. SLS should realize that sacking 50% of the civil servants will only increase unemployment and poverty rates, not to mention a rain of curses on SLS and his entire generation by the people of Nigeria.

It is highly irrational that with the top officials in Nigeria embezzling millions and fraternizing with the tax payer’s hard earned money, the innocent civil servants who suffer to earn a living should bear the brunt of the top officials’ failure to keep their greedy paws off the government revenue.

The 2011 budget includes N18 billion to service the presidential fleet. Does it make sense for the president to have 9 aircraft? Having one or two aircraft will not limit his itinerary, but extravagance is running high within the power-brokers in Nigeria. Imagine what N18 billion could do if invested in Agriculture or in the educational sector. All these are the issues Sanusi Lamido Sanusi should have identified, because they are the main problems, not civil servants.

The governor asked whether or not Nigeria needs its 36 states, as some of the states are in pitiful conditions. No doubt, the governor asks very good questions, but his answers are not well thought through. If the constitution were amended, and some of these states merged with more resourceful ones, has the governor thought about the chaos that could wreck? Should we keep merging until, well, when? No doubt the ethno-religious tension already paramount in Nigeria will be heightened as each group struggles for control. God knows we do not need any more fighting.

Instead of looking back at the things that cannot be changed without severe consequences, we should find a way to move forward despite. How about improving the agricultural sector in all states so that they can come up with part of their revenue instead of relying solely on the federal government? Or how about training our youth on how to be entrepreneurs so that they can be employers in their respective states? We need our leaders to be intelligent, outspoken, and even a little eccentric, which Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is, and that’s admirable. However, when talking about social issues, it shouldn’t just be about the profit to the federal government. It should be about the profit to the entire nation, and sacking 50% of civil servants is no profit.

A Review of 'The Sky is Falling' by Sidney Sheldon

By Amina Kollere

The Sky Is Falling is a spellbinding novel of glamour, power, and murder. The title suggests chaos and mayhem. From the beginning, there is a secret auction going on, which suggests something illegal, giving reader’s room for imaginations and speculations. Is it drugs, human trafficking, or something worse?

The popular, charismatic Winthrops have captured the imagination of the world with their commendable public service, their enormous charity, and their glamorous lives. But in a single year, all five members of the family are killed in a series of accidents. Dana Evans, a beautiful, young anchorwoman with a Washington D.C., TV network, who has just come back from covering the war in Sarajevo, finds the deaths of all family members suspicious, not coincidental.

She begins an investigation and starts discovering compelling evidence that she can hardly believe. In her determined pursuit of the truth, Dana never anticipates the cat-and-mouse chase that leads her through a half-dozen countries in search of a serial killer. During her search, she is accused more than once of being ‘chicken little’ (That is probably where the book takes its title). She keeps chasing a story no one else believes, until the evidence is uncovered.

As she closes in on her suspect, the shocking secrets she unearths place Dana and her young son in dire jeopardy, and, in an unpredicted twist of events, Dana becomes the hunted. Can Dana outsmart her pursuers, and expose the truth that will shock the world?

This is a book that highlights a myriad of societal problems in one breath-taking fiction. Although the book is fiction, there are some elements of reality. For example, as the search for the truth takes Dana across the U.S. and Europe, the glamorous places she visits are real, and they add a touch of reality to the book. The use of suspense is gripping and eye-popping. The fact that she travels across the world to as far as Siberia looking for a killer while the culprit is right under her nose is ironical, and makes the plot as interesting as ever.

I love how her boss tells her that she runs in like Chicken Little yelling “The sky is falling, the sky is falling.” Once the murder conspiracy starts, I have a hard time dropping the book; my eyes literally pop out of their sockets, and I am glued to my seat waiting to see what happens next.

Readers should buckle up and prepare for the amazing journey through the twists and turns of the plot that is Sidney Sheldon's trademark; a mind-blowing explosion of thriller, action, and adventure, filled with all the features that have made his previous works sensational bestsellers, The Sky Is Falling is Sidney Sheldon at his best, and I would award it a 4-point rating out of 5.

The Trouble with Nigeria: A Review

By Halima Olajumoke Sogbesan

Title: The Trouble With Nigeria

Author: Chinua Achebe.

Length: 68 pages

Publisher/Year: Fourth Dimension Publishing Co. Ltd 1983

 ISBN: 0435906984.

Chinua Achebe, the literary genius, starts the book by asserting that, “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” This gets me interested in what he has to say for the remaining 67 pages of the book. Though the book was first published 29 years ago, towards the end of the twentieth century, it is relevant to modern day Nigeria with all its troubles and challenges.

My introduction to Chinua Achebe was through Things Fall Apart. In an article featured in The Guardian, a Nigerian newspaper, approximately 8 million copies of Things Fall Apart have been sold since it was published in 1958. I found Achebe’s writing brilliant and easy to comprehend. In fact, I’m not surprised at The Paris Review’s reference to the literary genius as, “the father of modern African literature.” As a result, I looked forward to what the pages of The Trouble with Nigeria had to offer, and I was not disappointed.

In the preface, the then younger Achebe states that the book has been written for his children and their peers throughout Nigeria. The book, as he further states, is an argument about their future.

The table of contents clearly outlines the troubles with Nigeria. In the first chapter, he introduces the topic, and then uses eight chapters to discuss the trouble with Nigeria in detail.

In a Nigeria that was dealing with issues of tribalism, high rates of corruption, and the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War, the book couldn’t have come at a better time. It explains the problems with the 23 years old Nigeria, and makes suggestions about how those problems could be solved.

The problems that Achebe discusses are tribalism, the false image of Nigeria as a nation, the Nigerian style of leadership, patriotism, the social injustice and the cult of mediocrity, indiscipline, corruption, and the Igbo problem.

Achebe uses the first person narrative technique in the book. Using this technique, he incorporates fascinating stories that reinstate his arguments. He also uses sarcasm, and humor to make the book more interesting. These elements make the content of the book stronger, and so I relate to it better.

There are things to learn. In the book, it is quite unbelievable that sometime after independence, Nigerians put Nigeria first. The Nigerian of the time would say, ‘I am Nigerian’, before hinting at being Yoruba, Hausa or Igbo. Though sad to note, Nigeria had also planned to become a force to reckon with in terms of its development by year 2000. It is 2012 and we are still projecting into the future.

I thought the most interesting chapter in the book was chapter two on tribalism. Achebe says about the tribe, “Tribe has been accepted at one time as a friend, rejected as an enemy at another, and finally smuggled in through the back-door as an accomplice.” In this chapter, Achebe ridicules so called ‘nationalists’, who are in the actual sense, the perpetrators of tribalism. He mentions names and cites examples of how people, like Obafemi Awolowo, played tribal politics.

Outside politics, Achebe laments on the detrimental role the state of origin plays in a so called unified Nigeria.

I was disappointed in the author’s chapter nine on The Igbo Problem. Just 40 pages away, Achebe bashes the idea of tribalism, and then ironically, he writes a whole chapter that fuels the idea. In the chapter, Achebe portrays the Igbo as superior in character. However, the words in bold struck me the most. Achebe says, “They (Nigerians of other ethnic groups) would all describe them (the Igbos) as aggressive, arrogant and clannish. Most would add grasping and greedy (although the performance of the Yoruba since the end of the Civil War has tended to put prize for greed in some doubt!). I thought that was inappropriate of Achebe and the remark contradicted some of the lessons from chapter two.

The book ends well with chapter ten on the example of Aminu Kano. In this concluding chapter, Achebe explains that change is possible in Nigeria. He praises the simplicity of Aminu Kano, and compares him with Mahatma Gandhi. The last sentence is particularly interesting, “Nigeria cannot be the same again because Aminu Kano lived here.”

This is a book Nigerians should read, especially to understand that the problems of the country did not start today. Every young person should read the book. As the ‘leaders of tomorrow’, it is imperative that the youth know the problems of yesterday and look at their relationship with what is obtainable today. In a Nigeria with even more contemporary problems, such as security issues, and a disturbingly high rate of corruption, young people need to help try to fix some of these problems. If they cannot fix them, then they should not contribute to them.

Film Review: Mr. & Mrs.

By Halima Olajumoke Sogbesan

Movie Title: Mr. & Mrs.

Year: 2011

Director: Ikechukwu Onyeka

Producer: Chinwe Egwuagu

Cast: Nse Ikpe Etim, Joseph Benjamin, Thelma Okodua, Paul Apel, Barbara Soky, Chioma Nwosu, Mpei Mapetla

This is one movie that attempts to tell a truth about some of the conflicts and struggles in marriages. Mr. & Mrs. is a Nollywood movie directed by prominent Nollywood director Ikechukwu Onyeka, and written, and produced by Chinwe Egwuagu.

The 2011 movie features upcoming actors. Joseph Benjamin plays the role of Kenneth Abbah, the Managing Director of Hills Oil and Gas, who emotionally maltreats his wife of ten years. Nse Ikpe Etim is Susan Abbah, Kenneth’s wife who has to put up with the unfairness of her husband. Thelma Okodua is portrayed as a Career woman, Linda, who is so consumed with work she hardly has time for her family. Paul Apel is Charles, the loving husband of Linda who, ‘supports’ her career and never complains.

Plot

The movie depicts the lives of two families: the Abbah family, and the family of Charles and Linda, whose surnames are never revealed in the movie. The family that receives more dramatic attention is the Abbah family. Susan is portrayed as the housewife who has been relegated to the position of a maid in her marital home. She has to make fresh meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, because her MD husband dislikes stale food and eating out. Her husband barely eats the food she makes, nags constantly, rains insults on her, and never pays her attention except when he wants to satisfy his sexual needs. He also suggests that she is incompetent. She accepts all the abuse in an attempt to please her ungrateful husband.

Charles and Linda, on the other hand, seem like the perfect family. Linda is a career woman, who spends most of her day at work. Her husband, Charles, appears supportive of her career.

The story relates the experiences of Susan and Kenneth and how they work out the problems associated with their marriage. At the end of the movie, Susan is able to get back a husband that respects and loves her dearly. Linda and Charles, on the other hand, have to deal with a challenge in their marriage before a happy-ever-after. Linda finds out that her marriage is not perfect after all; her husband had been having an affair with the maid all the while. However, she is willing to make sacrifices in her career to make her marriage work.

The story is told in a linear way, with no flashbacks or foreshadows. However, there are times that the viewer disconnects from the movie as a result of some weak transitions.

Themes

The movie has two important themes. These are consistent marital conflicts and the wife’s struggle between confinement and independence.

Susan’s representation of the struggle women face in marriages is good, though with some flaws. She is a smart and outspoken woman with a lot of potential yet it is difficult to believe that she cannot convince her husband to treat her differently. However, the minute a divorce is in sight, she becomes the bold woman that does not care what her husband thinks.

The movie also shows that marriages will always have challenges no matter how little. At the end, what really matters is that the couple involved is able to tackle their problems.

Characters

The characters could be better represented. In almost all the Nigerian movies I have watched (I have not watched too many), the career woman never has time for her family, and the needy husband always has to end up having a sexual relationship with the maid. It also always appears that every other person, including the viewer, knows or suspects when a man is cheating on his wife. However, the career woman is always oblivious to her husband’s apparent affair(s). Come on!!! Though, this has become a cliché of some sort in the Nollywood industry, I question the truth in this representation.

In this movie, it is difficult to tag a particular character protagonist or antagonist because these characters change based on the events that occur. However, if we are to tag people antagonists, then Susan’s mother-in-law will be one. She contributes to the discomfort in Susan’s marriage. Kate, the maid in the household of Charles and Linda, would also qualify as an antagonist because she is portrayed as a threat to Charles and Linda’s marriage.

The flat characters are Kate, the security guard, and the mother-in-law. These characters do not change or develop as the movie evolves. The round characters that change as the movie progresses are Susan, Kenneth, Linda and Charles.

The movie also has some stereotypical characters. From when Kate, the maid is first presented, we already expect that, given the circumstances in the household, she would have sexual relations with her boss’ husband. The gateman, on the other hand, as exemplified in many other Nigerian movies is a Hausa man. Though in reality, the man’s name is Edet, in the movie, he has a Hausa accent and he is portrayed as a dumb man that cannot properly purchase a box of pomegranate juice. If you ask me this is very improper and annoying. Our movies should not encourage these representations.

Symbolism

The symbols in the movie are evident from the characters. These characters represent more than they show. Susan represents the struggle for respect in her marital home. Linda represents the image of the independent woman, and Charles represents the force against the independence of his wife.

Unlike many other movies, the climax of this movie is not just one scene but a series of scenes which prepare the audience for the denouement. These scenes are well presented. The ending is good because though the movie ends, I think about various other ways the movie may have ended.

Genre

The movie falls into the family/drama genre, with some elements of comedy.

The movie attempts to show what is obtainable in the Nigerian society. It has the potential of passing messages of women empowerment across to its audience, but instead, it does the opposite. Notwithstanding, it is a movie I would recommend especially because it is funny. Overall, I award Mr. & Mrs. six out of ten stars.

The Damada Experience!

Adamawa is a state that doesn’t have many upscale hang out places, but Mr Sai’du T. Baba-Bikoi’s Restaurant Damada, Located at No 30, Atiku Abubakar road, Jimeta, is a place to go. With a variety of cuisines and impressive environment, you couldn’t find anywhere better to eat in Adamawa than Damada. Restaurant Damada’s slogan promises an “unforgettable experience”, and after our visit (Amina Kollere, Haneefah Adamu, Halima Olajumoke Sogbesan, and Prof. Samuel Tesunbi) they have kept that promise. This is a collective report on our (the students’) experience at Restaurant Damada.

The grounds of the restaurant, which seem to be still under construction, are wide and spacious enough to park up to ten cars. Without the valet services and parking shades, we have the opportunity to pick a very convenient parking spot.

RECEPTION:
The reception at Damada is a tiny booth-like corner by the entrance of the restaurant. It has a well-polished burgundy table and two chairs. On the reception table is a telephone, stacks of menu with two unfriendly receptionists busy writing checks for patrons.

DÉCOR & AMBIENCE
The décor of the restaurant is très magnifiqué. It is what we imagine an African-themed restaurant would look like. In place of the expected chandeliers are wicker lamps that hang from the roof. The ceiling, on the other hand, resembles the long forgotten thatched roof. The place mats are made from raffia and on the walls hang really beautiful African paintings. The impressive artistic representation of a calabash is a view.
There is an array of well-polished burgundy tables and chairs. These are very comfortable and they allow for free movement. The plasma television is on a minimal volume, not too loud to interrupt patrons’ conversations or too low for one to hear what is on. The air inside the restaurant is cool and fresh, despite the heat outside. Thanks to the 6-split air conditioners and 2 industrial size standing fans!

STAFF & PROFESSIONALISM:
The waiters are not professionally dressed, and guests are not ushered to their seats. However, after we are seated, a waitress, who looks like she’s having a bad day, walks over with the menu and hands each of us a copy. She makes no attempt to smile, as she answers our questions half-heartedly. We request that she give us some time to go through the menu; while at it, we order for three cups of medium sized chapman and a bottle of water. She leaves promptly to get our orders ready. The table already has placemats, salt and peppershakers, serviette, as well as an empty tooth pick case on the table.

MENU:
The menu has over a dozen entrées. Savory and taste bud awakening as they seem, the entrées range from local dishes to oriental meals, continental and gourmet meals. The menu consists of appetizers, such as soups and salads. There are main course meals made from rice, spaghetti, potato, couscous, chicken, fish and beef. That’s not all. There are oriental and Nigerian dishes, as well as desserts, sandwiches and pizzas. The vast selection of juice and drinks is definitely eye-catching; they vary from natural juices, to artificial drinks, yoghurts, wines, cocktails, mock tails, beers and table water. The menu caters for all individuals with a particular eating orientation.
In a state like Adamawa, where there are people from different parts of the world, it is important for a restaurant to offer different kinds of entrees; Damada does a good job of it.

FOOD:
On the day of our visit, the owner is present. As a result, he offers us complementary appetizers. These snacks are delicious samosas and spring rolls, which are served with chilly and garlic sauces. This is one appetizer everyone should try. Not only is the presentation spectacular, the samosa and spring rolls are searing and crispy; the sauces are really spicy so much so that they [can] cause some sort of explosion in the mouth, awakening taste buds in the process.
   

About an hour after the order is made, the food are ready. We all eat different meals, and so we have different recollections of taste.
For instance, the person who eats Couscous and lamb chops with green salad remarks: “The couscous is nicely done, cooked with minimal water but soft enough. The lamb chops is well cooked in a sweet and sour sauce giving it an edgy taste. The salad was an absolute bliss! The lettuce is so crispy, and the dressing is so alive. This is another meal that does wonders to the taste buds.”
While another person who prefers  jollof spaghetti and chicken says: “The food’s aroma is appealing. The presentation of the jollof rice and chicken is also very good. The food is garnished with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and green pepper. The jollof spaghetti is good. There is a subtle garlic taste; the spaghetti and the chicken are soft, spicy and searing.”
The third customer, whose meal is spaghetti al tonno with chicken, says it is “awesome, searing, and well spiced. The spaghetti is well cooked so that it comes out in attractive, slim, and long strands. The meal is garnished with green peppers, and red peppers. The chicken is well spiced as well and the sauce is amazingly tasty.”

CONCLUSION:
There you have it! The Damada environment allows for relaxation, and it complements the Adamawa culture especially by the décor. The restaurant clearly has trained chefs as is apparent in the taste of the food.
However, the service is slow and is kind of a turn-off for customers wishing to drop in for a quick lunch.
The waiters also need to improve their customer services in order to attract customers.
Restaurant Damada--except for the momentary flies that slide in when the doors open--is certainly a place worth visiting for a second and a third time. Though the food is expensive by Adamawa standards, it is worth it.
However, for a standard and proclaimed restaurant, such as Damada, we expected everything to be properly spelt out and easy to locate. For instance, there is only one visible exit leading into the restaurant. If there is another one, then customers need to be told so that in cases of emergencies it would be easier to evacuate customers from the restaurant.
Overall, we award restaurant Damada two stars for the good services and amazing food.

Restaurant Critique

 By: Haneefah Adamu, Halima Sogbesan & Amina Kollere.

 RESTAURANT CRITIQUE

What you are about to read is an account of our collective experiences of our visit to the AUN clubhouse, Amina, Hanyfah, and Halima. On one sunny afternoon, our professor, Dr. Samuel Tesunbi, treated us to lunch at the club. While there, we took the opportunity to critique the restaurant.

The AUN University Club restaurant is regarded as one of Adamawa’s finest restaurants. The architecture of the club is splendid, with a very large and spacious parking lot. The absence of valet services gives patrons a chance to drive around freely, with no hassle.

RECEPTION:

Upon entering the AUN club, the restaurant is the first thing you see through the glass door. There are no doormen or people waiting to take your coat, but then again, the clubhouse is no 4-star restaurant.  Sitting at the counter are two expressionless, weary-looking receptionists glued to their computers as they sort out the takeaway orders. An incoming customer that wants any attention at the reception would have to walk up to the receptionist to make requests or ask questions. The reception is feebly decorated with three wood carved figurines standing on a small mahogany table, the reception has a very high roof which makes every sound resonate and there is no music to eliminate the noise while a person sits and wait for his or her order.

AMBIENCE:

The blue painted, well-lit restaurant sitting area has eight wooden tables with four lightly foamed, closely knitted metal chairs that don’t allow free and comfortable movement. The ocean blue paint on the wall doesn’t complement the furniture and the dark grey tiled floor or the off white painted ceilings, which then gives the eating area a dull ambience.

Instead of the two displaced paintings, the décor should be themed to complement the overall appearance of the restaurant. Though there are five air conditioners in the restaurant, it still feels drafty and stuffy, especially as more people come in the restaurant for lunch. As for the floor, it is relatively clean, but it could have been cleaner, and the most shocking of all is, the presences of  flies in the restaurant!

STAFF & PROFESSIONALISM:

Upon entry, we did not get ushered to a table; we just roam around to find a table to settle ourselves in. After taking a seat, a shabbily dressed waitress (all waiters are professionally dressed in 4-star restaurants) with a smiling face presented us with a menu. An average order with less than ten customers in the restaurant takes up to 20 minutes. While we were waiting, we were conversing and watching television with nothing to nibble on. 

MENU:

The menu consists mostly of African dishes with few foreign dishes. With the wide variety of faculty and staff coming from all over the world, we think the entrees should be more diverse. We notice that there is a fine selection of drinks and beverages, ranging from soft drinks, beers, wines, and spirits, but there are no natural juices on the beverage menu. Not everyone likes artificially flavored drinks. Water is not free at the clubhouse; a medium sized bottle costs N150, and a big bottle costs N200.

FOOD:

The waitress comes with tablemats, glass cups, cutleries, and water.. The big bottle of water we have ordered is not cold.  We order fried rice and boneless chicken with green salad (N1550), beef burger and potato chips (N1150), and Jollof rice and peppered chicken (N1150), which came 20 minutes later.

The fried rice is well cooked and the vegetables are really crunch. The chicken is properly deboned, well spiced and sautéed that it awakened every taste bud on the tongue. The salad, with English dressing, is not as enjoyable because the lettuce isn’t crispy.

The potato chips have been fried to a golden brown and the burger has visible lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. However the top of the bread looks burnt, this is not too attractive. The chips come with ketchup. The chips taste great. It has just the right amount of salt, and it is dry enough to be enjoyed. The beef burger is also good. The beef is well spiced, and the tomatoes and onions taste fresh. The lettuce on the other hand tastes like it has started wilting. The bread is also really soft and enjoyable.

The Jollof rice is not as enjoyable. One of us who ordered the Jollof rice thinks she could have cooked the same, or better, standard of Jollof rice in her kitchen. She believes the chicken was well spiced but too tough (they probably under-cooked it). She also did not think the food was worth the wait

Still, our colleague admits that the meals hot and edible, though we had to keep batting away flies as we ate which was as difficult and uncomfortable as Jackie Chan fighting off goons in the movies.

BATHROOM:

There are his and hers bathrooms at the university club restaurant.. However, they are not something to boast of. For a place that receives many patrons, this may need some revisiting. While the toilet provides running water, a clear mirror, tissue and a hand wash, there are ants by the sink, on the wall, on the floor, and the toilet bowl. There is no air freshener provided.

Overall, two of us agree that the restaurant has a very good culinary service, except for some professional services and maintenances, which are in dire need for improvement. The third person disagrees with the culinary services and thinks it isn’t worth the while. We give the AUN Club Restaurant one star!

Congestion Calls for Execution in Edo State

By Amina Kollere

Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole recently signed the warrant for the execution of two prison inmates on death row while their appeal is still pending in court! According to the Edo State attorney general, they are alleged murderers, and in order to handle the issue of congestion in the state prison, they should face execution.

I was utterly mortified to hear this so called justification for taking people’s lives. Is this how insignificant our lives are in the eyes of our ‘leaders’? Politicians and people in high places of power commit crimes on a daily basis, but they don’t get so much as a slap on the wrist; however, a groundnut seller steals N5 and it becomes the crime of the century.

The Amnesty International and The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) intervened and asked Governor Adams Oshiomhole to withdraw the death sentence. It’s good to know that when our leaders don’t have our backs, NGOs do.

I remember the prison swap that took place last year in Egypt between the Palestinian Taliban group and the Israelis. The Israelis swapped almost a thousand prisoners for just one of their own, a young military man. I thought it was commendable that they cared so much for just one of their own. With the situation in Edo, I feel nothing but shame for my nation-state. This goes to show that Nigeria is not a sovereign nation, but a geographical location where natural selection takes place. The weak get trampled on by the powerful, and the powerful get more power at the expense of the weak.

We call ourselves civilized? Killing prisoners because of congestion is as barbaric as it can get. We might as well go back to the Stone Age and start wearing hides and skins. That is more civilized than what we’re becoming.

Lucy Freeman, Amnesty International’s Deputy Programme Director for Africa, says, “The decision to sign a death warrant on these two prisoners shows a deep disrespect for the judicial process as the inmates are part of an ongoing appeal. The execution of a prisoner when their death sentence is still under challenge in the courts is a flagrant violation of human rights.”

It appears that the culture of ‘unfair Justice’ in Nigeria is worse than I imagined it. A couple of inmates accused of murder with their appeal still pending are to be executed. The government in Nigeria doesn’t care much for the third arm of government, the Judiciary, and it’s time the Chief Justice did something about it. Shouldn’t the decision to execute a prisoner involve the federal government? I think it should. Already, people die on a daily basis in the North Eastern part of the country due to terrorist attacks. Apparently, the governor is not satisfied with the death toll and is generously offering more.

The death row problem in Nigeria is not just in Edo state. Amnesty International is reporting that approximately 920 people are on the death row in Nigeria. Is it normal to have so many people on death row? If they were all politicians, I’d have no problem with that number. However, since we all know they are mere civilians, I think the judicial system in Nigeria is seriously flawed, and someone needs to do something about it.

At its 44th Ordinary Session in Abuja, Nigeria, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights adopted a resolution calling on African states that still retain the death penalty to observe a moratorium on the execution of death sentences with a view to abolishing the death penalty. The resolution also forbids the application of the death penalty in conditions not respectful of the right to a fair trial guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and other relevant international norms.

Here’s a thought governor, if you have an issue with congestion, why don’t you look into the less complicated cases? I’m sure there are innocent people locked up. Why don’t you set them free instead of being too eager to take people’s lives? Or here’s another idea, why don’t you have contractors taking care of these prisons?

Give us a reason to be calm

By Halima Olajumoke Sogbesan

My fears for the country have been heightened once again, and I think every Nigerian falls into my category. Just few weeks ago, we mourned from shocking deaths; the gruesome killing of about 40 students of the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, in the most callous of ways, and the lynching of 4 students of the University of Port Harcourt in Aluu for irrational reasons.

Though the Mubi attack was attributed to the dreaded Boko Haram sect, some factions claim that the perpetrators of the attack were students who were upset about the school’s recently concluded student union elections. Boko Haram was out of the question for the Aluu lynching because it was obvious that an irresponsible crowd was to blame. So, after some weeks of inactivity of the dreaded Boko Haram, I thought that the prayers of numerous Nigerians had been answered. I thought the period of bomb attacks in Nigeria was over. However, I was in for a shocker as Sunday, October 28, presented another mournful day for the country; a suicide bombing attack on the Saint Rita’s Catholic Church at Ungwar Yero in Malali, Kaduna North LGA.

A spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Yushau Shuaib, has placed the death toll at 8 people and the number of injured, 145. Most of those affected are women and children. Though the sect has not claimed responsibility for the attack, from descriptions, it is safe to say that the attack was Boko Haram styled.

Eye witnesses say that the suicide bomber drove a tinted Toyota car. After being denied entry into the church premises by the security personnel, pretending to be reversing out of the church, he rammed his car into the church building and then an explosion followed. Some reports claim that he crashed into the children’s section of the church, injuring and killing innocent children that had done no one any harm. I mourn with the parents who lost their children, and I sympathize with those parents who are nursing the wounds of their kids. How will they explain to these little angels that they were attacked because of views I refuse to understand? I fear for this and so many other reasons.

I fear that no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The whole of Nigeria has ascribed responsibility of the attack to the notorious Boko Haram. However, the group has not claimed responsibility, proving otherwise. How are we sure that an upcoming terrorist group is not hiding under the guise of Boko Haram? Should we still be scared of subsequent attacks?

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that, “Unconfirmed reports said at least two people were killed in reprisal attacks by Christians after the bombing.” That could have been an innocent me, my sister, my friend or any other person that had nothing to do with the blast. It is scary that Muslims and Northerners may have to pay the price of a group’s wrongdoings, and so, I fear that the killings are making it more difficult for people of different religions to tolerate opposing views. To know how bad the situation is, all one has to do is read comments below news articles on news websites, and the hatred is apparent. Many of these comments call for reprisals, and it is scary that these are not opinions of just one or two, but many.

At this point, I say with no remorse that the government is not helping us deal with these issues well. So far, key players in Nigerian politics have told us to be calm; they (the authorities) are on top of things. How do you tell families that have lost loved ones to be calm? Be calm and that’s it? I think it is high time our government recognized that it is its responsibility to protect the lives and properties of its citizens. I hate that since 2009 when the terrorist activities started I have harboured choking fears about the security situation in the country. As my little siblings leave for school, I would utter a prayer to God begging Him to bring them back safely. As my father dresses up to work, the same fears are expressed, and it is no different when my mother goes to shop at the market. I know I am not alone in my fears. So let President Jonathan stop telling us how “barbaric” and “cruel” the attacks are. We know that. We get it! Let Jonathan not tell us that the culprits of the attack are against the unity of Nigeria. We obviously know that. We get it! What he should do is let us know how he intends to deal with the security challenges of the country. Till then, government officials should stop preaching calmness to us. It is unrealistic to be calm during times like these. Let them give us a reason to be calm. Until they do, we will all be fearful of what Nigeria has become.

Salvation at last!

By Haneefah Adamu

Nigeria, the giant of Africa, gifted with natural resources, from the cocoa of the East to the crude oil of the South and the peanuts of the North, with a population of over a hundred and fifty million, seventy percent of which constitute a possible manpower which can drive the nation to even greater heights. However, according to UNDP, Nigeria ranks 156 globally in terms of unemployment despite the rising figures of literacy in the country.

Unemployment is second only to poverty among Nigeria’s socio-economic ills. Most of the victims of unemployment are graduates of tertiary institutions.

Generally, quality education has a direct bearing on national prestige, greatness and cohesion. The knowledge and skills acquired help determine the degree of patriotism and contribution to national development, but recent statements credited to Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala saying, “Nigerian graduates are unemployable” comes in a bad taste.

Every year, over 300,000 youth graduate from Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, and, as the number grows annually, more people will join the unemployment line. According to Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics, “Nigeria’s unemployment rate is spiraling upwards, growing at 16 percent per year. The youth of the nation are the most impacted, with a youth unemployment rate over 50 percent.”

As a graduating senior, one who is about to join the labor force of a country with an alarming rate of unemployment, it only makes me ponder more, and ask myself, ‘is this where hope ends?’ ‘Is there no light at the end of the tunnel?’ Recently, Nigeria has been listed among the "Next Eleven" economies and as the world's 39th largest economy; Nigeria is poised for greater prosperity. However, I do not see a role cut out for the youth in helping Nigeria reach such goals and realize even bigger dreams.

Following a great deal of cries, complaints and dissatisfaction by the masses over unfulfilled promises of poverty alleviation and job creations made by past governments, then came salvation. In an interview, the Education Minister, Professor Rukkaya Rufa’I said, she would make graduates of tertiary institutions self-reliant and self-employed. An evidence of this statement is the collaboration among the Ministries of Education, Finance, Youth and Development, and Women affairs and Social Development. This alliance has led to the creation of ‘The Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria’ (YOU WIN) program and vocational workshops in tertiary institutions all over the country.

YOU WIN is designed to generate jobs by encouraging and supporting aspiring entrepreneurial youth in Nigeria. The initiative will attract ideas and innovations from young entrepreneurial applicants from all post-Secondary institutions in Nigeria. Generally, it provides a one-time equity grant of one to ten million naira to 1,200 people aspiring to start or expand their businesses.

The vocational workshops in the tertiary institutions help students sharpen and acquire skills.

Often we criticize our government for not doing enough, now they have done well. Kudos!

Presenting this week's opinions

Hello all! I am Halima Olajumoke Sogbesan. I have had a wonderful time serving as this week's editor. Amina Kollere, the co-editor for the week, has assisted in ensuring that our posts are of impeccable standards. This week's opinions are thought provoking and, of course, interesting. As usual, we hope you have a good read. Enjoy!

Diversity: Liability or Asset?

By Haneefah Adamu

Nigeria is highly diverse and rich in its culture. From North to South, Nigeria’s rich heritage speaks volumes of the resourcefulness and diligence of the people.

After the amalgamation of cities from the fringes of the northern deserts of Africa down to the coastal cities of the Atlantic waters in the south, Nigeria came to being. As one of the most indigenously diverse nations in the world, its diversity is mirrored in a spectrum of principles and aspects, views and counterviews and discipline and tolerance. This 1914 amalgamation fused together over a hundred million people, with over two hundred and fifty ethnic groups that spoke over four thousand dialects.

Ninety-eight years ago, the amalgamation could have been argued as a mistake during the time when the issue was still open for debate or when the man behind the genius idea, Lord Lugard, called it an experiment and also acknowledged that, “The North and the South are like oil and water, they will never mix”.
It is true that oil and water never mix, but we can barely run a powerful engine
without oil and water. Therefore, I do not see the fusion of Nigeria as an experiment or a liability, but something far better which was meant to be and which will take Nigeria to even greater heights of realizations and true victory.

Prior to 1914, citizens could not have imagined what life would be with the blend of citizens from the north coming together with that of the south to live as one. In 2012, we cannot imagine it any other way. The thoughts and beliefs of our forefathers about the amalgamation should not be a basis for judgment, because they had little or no clue what the future held, and as for our generation, we only have relic stories or second hand narratives of what life was before 1914 and a few decades later.

The marriage paved the way for the departure of the British from Nigeria and ultimately, a sovereign Nigeria.

With diversity such as Nigeria’s, it’s cumbersome to maintain. How many other countries can boast of people with such diverse attitudes and values? It prepares us for the world at large, as we’re already able to accept that people are different and have their peculiarities. I believe that our daily lives have become fully Nigerian and we are all products of one society. We should, therefore, focus on seeing the beauty of diversity rather than see it as a threat and be tolerant of one another because there is strength in numbers. And only then we can use our numbers and diversity to our upmost advantage.

Our amalgamation is the best thing that happened to Nigeria. Let’s face it, no tribe can exist without the other because in brotherhood we stand. I believe that purposeful leadership can tackle the challenges which diversity poses for governance. In fact, we need to appreciate that our cultural and social diversity constitute an asset rather than a liability.

Patience Jonathan and the Perplexing Second Chance

By Halima Olajumoke Sogbesan

I am made to believe that the Office of the First Lady is not recognized by the Nigerian constitution. However, the celebrity status of the First Lady is enough to convince anyone that the position is a ceremonious one with many privileges, the most recent being possible candidacy for position of Permanent Secretary. I was, therefore, not surprised when Nigerians noticed the absence of our First Lady-turned-politician from public arena for about six weeks and asked questions regarding her whereabouts.

Ayo Osinlu, the First Lady’s aide, explained to the media that Mrs Jonathan had to “rest” after hosting the laborious African First Ladies Summit in July. The presidency said no more on the subject, leaving the people with unanswered questions, therefore, giving room to media speculations. Few weeks into the First Lady’s mysterious absence, different “discoveries” were made on the First Lady’s whereabouts. First, the media reported that Mrs. Jonathan was in Germany receiving treatment at one Horst Schmidt Klinik in Wiesbaden for numerous ailments.

The First Lady was alleged to have been hospitalized for treatment of terminal diseases, such as cancer of the uterus and the Parkinson’s syndrome. Her Body Mass Index (BMI), slurred speech, and slow movements were symptoms that were fed to the public as indicators that she had these diseases. I dismissed the credibility of these news reports when the speculated list of ailments extended. In addition to the previous list, the First Lady was supposedly treating complications from a cosmetic surgery she had in Dubai; she was getting treated for food poisoning and, in fact, some speculated that she had died. You can always trust Nigerians, they will connect the dots. Overnight, people concluded that the Aso Rock Presidential Villa had been cast under a dark spell. This spell was said to have claimed the life of a president and/or a first lady. Examples of the death of Late Abacha, Stella Obasanjo and Yar’Adua were cited to make the nonsense believable. Was it Patience’s turn? Nigerians asked.

While these speculations continued, the presidency remained mute about Dame Patience Jonathan’s location. Instead, to pacify the enquiring minds, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on October 7 aired President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to the First lady in Germany. She was not dead after all.

Patience Jonathan finally silenced cynics with her arrival at Abuja on October 17. She was received amid celebration at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport by politicians, state First Ladies, and female ministers. Mrs Jonathan was happy to be back to Nigeria and she had a few words for those that had spread the rumors. She said, “…I will use this opportunity to tell those few ones that are saying that anybody that goes to Villa or Aso Rock will die. They mentioned Abacha, Stella Obasanjo, Yar’Adua and other people. But those people, why didn’t they mention those ones that went there with their families and succeeded and they still came out alive?

“At the same time, I read in the media where they said I was in the hospital. God Almighty knows I have never been to that hospital. I don’t even know the hospital they mentioned. I have to explain what God has done for me. I do not have terminal illness, or any cosmetic surgery much less tummy tuck.”

I was just about to castigate the rumor mongers before some more words of the First lady struck me. “…I will use this opportunity to thank my beloved husband and my children and my staff in general and all Nigerians for standing by me during my trial time. God has given me a second chance to come and work with women of Nigeria, children and the less privileged.”

Mrs Jonathan is causing some confusion here. Apart from the fact that many people who welcomed her at the villa wore shirts with “you will live long” inscribed on them, Mrs Jonathan talked about “a trial time” in her life and God giving her “a second chance”. What is Mrs Jonathan not telling the Nigerians she has come back to “serve”? I may have understood the First Lady better if she just slightly hinted at her whereabouts for six weeks. Don’t we deserve to know how she was getting really comfortable with the nation’s money?

This is another issue that is shrouded in detestable secrecy. It has become typical of the presidency to keep health issues secret. The Patience Jonathan case has some similarity with that of Late President Yar’Adua, whose unstable health was kept secret until his death. My prayer for the First Lady is that she remains in good health. However, let Mrs. Jonathan tell the truth about her condition to Nigerians. Until she does that, her “second chance” will continue to remain a perplexing issue.

Central Bank of Indecisiveness

By Amina Adamu Kollere

Some months ago, the news was dominated by discussions about the CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (SLS), and his attempt to introduce N5000 notes into the Nigerian economy. This spurred huge debates all over the country which resulted in SLS openly attacking the former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo.

I have no fond love for Obasanjo, but I do think that SLS was inappropriate, rude, and unprofessional. The headline read ‘Obasanjo is a bad economist’, and SLS was reported to have said, “This is an interesting country because my uncle or my father, who is our former Head of State, Gen. Obasanjo, you know he is a very successful farmer, but he is a very bad economist. He stands up and says that this higher denomination (N5000 note) will cause inflation and improve hardship.” Pardon me Governor, but there are better ways to disagree with Obasanjo, and they wouldn’t make you sound like an angry okada man.

That being said, the issue I want to put on the table is the indecisiveness of The Central Bank of Nigeria. Not long after CBN started contemplating having a cashless economy, it started contemplating the introduction of coins and the N5000 note. Don’t you all think that is a tad contradictory? I certainly think that SLS should make up his mind before making his thoughts public.

Rumors started that producing the N5000 note would cost Nigeria N40 billion, but SLS negated it saying that it would actually save Nigeria N7 billion. Did he provide facts to support his claim? Not that I know of.

The Country Manager of MasterCard, West Africa, Omokehinde Ojomuyide, said, “MasterCard envisions a world beyond cash, a goal that mirrors the cashless policy conceptualized by the Central Bank of Nigeria. We support this policy that aims to modernize the country’s payment systems. One of the key elements is reducing the cost of banking services and the cost of cash, as well as growing financial inclusion by providing more efficient transaction options and greater reach.” Continuing, she said: “It also aims to curb the high cost of using and accepting cash as a payment method, and prevent corruption, leakage, money laundering and other fraudulent activities that cash can enable.”

Howevr“However, to introduce a cashless policy means limiting individuals of cash withdrawal or lodgment in banks to N150, 000 and then initiate changes in features of all currencies in circulation while introducing a new N5000 note, means a deadline will be given within which hoarders of cash outside the banking system have to trade their old currencies for the new ones, which they can only do through banks and the cashless policy will be waiting for them”, wrote Kingsley Omose of Vanguard.

The fraudsters and politicians hoarding stolen cash must hate SLS for trying to put them in a difficult position. I hope that someday Nigeria becomes cashless just to put a dent in our Polithieves armors. However, for that to happen, thousands of illiterates in the country would have to be educated, which would not happen any time soon.

I appeal to SLS to not complicate matters. If he thinks we should become cashless, then he should put all his effort into seeing that it is successful instead of increasing our denominations at the same time. If he thinks the N5000 note is good for the country, then, again, he should try to make it work. This is not a context where we attempt to kill two birds with one stone. In this case, the stone will just scare the birds away. I may not know much about economics, but I do know that if SLS doesn’t make up his mind, come 2013, our economy would be even more unstable than it is now.