AFRICAN ART REVIEW

by patrick Nwabia

Africa’s major obstacle to economic growth lies in poor human capital development though with a combination of the neglects on basic social infrastructures and these in effect reduces economic opportunity and productivity on the part of the citizens. However in spite of these social inequalities there are a few of the citizens who have refused to be discouraged but have dared to make a remarkable difference in their chosen career particularly the entertainment industry. The focus of africanpolitics.eldeotjairay.com/entertainment, as a channel of propagating social action in line with the ideological proposition as a socio-political movement of the African youths inspired by the innate pride in the potentiality and greatness of the African art and the artists themselves, lies in the fact that the African youth remains the today and the future of the continent. This assertion is not an affront on the old and the elder statesmen of the continent rather it’s a timeliest and prompt assessment of the prevailing continental and global-regional psyche opinionated by the prevalent neglect and wrong use of the youth force by the political leaders.
Permit me at this juncture to present to you one of the great talents from the African soil. LEONARD IYARE OBINYAN(aka) LEYA. He is a Nigerian and an indigene of ubiaja in esan south-east Edo state. Born and brought up in Benin City the capital of Edo State. Leya as he is fondly called on stag even though he is just starting out, he has an unusually strong command of his music and has a fully-formed musical identity. He is a musician, a song writer, a drummer and a painter, indeed a true African a great talent of art and an artist of note. Many artists struggle to establish their musical identity, laboriously trying on different musical styles like a piece of clothing, looking to find what fits. But there are others that emerge fully formed, in full command of their craft and art, their identity and their music. Leya fits firmly in the latter category. His new album, his newly recorded single as a solo artist Bgoju-Bgoju in august 2012, is a captivating and moving debut that heralds the arrival of a gifted and significant new talent, one whose music feels familiar in the best possible way, while striking out on its own territory.
An Esan boy who grew up in Benin City, near…….. , Leya played drum as a child in his local church choir new covenant gospel church choir Benin city, but didn’t take music seriously until he met a guy called Raymond. A recording artist who saw his potential skills and talents as at the time, and encouraged him and that was how “he started writing songs in his head, and it took his interest in music to another level. He had to pick the pen and paper so he could cut music to the ideas he heard in his head. In 2007,Leya and his friend Raymond visited Lagos for the first time with their then demo cd, though the experience wasn’t quit desirable, it paved the way for Leya;s meeting with another guy called Ben, who taught and made him a better vocalist. I love the wide-openness of Leya;s life.” As a potentially great and an up-coming artist from the most concentrated black nation in the world. Benin city is the host to one of the very powerful, well respected and globally known monarch with an uncompromising African cultural and traditional heritage. Indeed, “Leya no fit fall our hand” because “Benin no dey carry last”.

With his diversified genre which flows from R&B/soul and Afro-pop, and a combination of his unique style, skills and vocal, I have no doubt that this artist name will certainly grow in a very short distance time in and around Benin, Lagos, Nigeria, Africa and the entire globe.Bgoju-Bgoju, Leya’s current single is expected to be the push to actualize this dream. From the opening notes of “bgoju-bgoju,” his first single, one hears that combination of melodic irresistibility and lyrical incisiveness that certainly will become Leya’s hallmarks.

NEO BLACK MOVEMENT OF AFRICA; the origin, objectives and ideology

by (aka Lord Malcolm X)

ORIGIN:The year 1977 was indeed a historic one for the Black Race. Globally the major issue confronting Black People was the total emancipation of the African Continent. Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Angola were in the final throes of colonial rule and exploitation. The sensitization of children of the Black Diaspora to answer the call of Mother Africa and look homewards had reached its highest crescendo especially with the event of the 2nd Festival of Black Arts and Culture that was held in Nigeria (i.e. if we choose to ignore and relegate to the background the philistinism and vulgarity of the organizers of FESTAC 77).
In Nigeria the nation is even at this point in time still undergoing what I see as an ironic phase of shock while she tries to come to terms with disbelieve to the rude awakening of hopes dashed and yet another dream destroyed with the loss of General Murtala Mohammed, whose dynamic but brief leadership had been halted by the Imperialist/Neo-Colonialist instigated assassinations of February 1976. For the first time in her history, the sleeping clay footed giant of Africa had woken up to proclaim Africa as the centerpiece of her Foreign Policy and he took an uncompromising stand against neo-colonialism and all its modern variations of Western Imperialistic and Euro-American exploitation.
Within the University community, Student Activism and Unionism was at its zenith as the “Alli must go” demonstrations had shown. It was against this background that during the 1977/78 academic session, nine (9) undergraduates of the University of Benin who were concerned and aggrieved about the dilemma and plight of the Black Man came together to form the Neo-Black Movement. They Were:

John Okogie

nicholas Idemudia

Tokonbu Brown

Uche Alumona

Marvel Akpoyibo

Olagungu Ojo

Gbolahon Dosunmu

Bernard Ojishua

Godwin Ehigiator

The Patron of the movement then was Professor Onwuejiogwu (a Professor of History and Anthropology). Their inspiration came from the lives and works of men such as Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jnr, W.E.B. Du Bois, Kwame Nkurumah, Nelson Mandela, Ben Bella and historic characters like Sundiata Keita, Shaka Zulu, Ewuare the Great, Ovoranwen and the Pan-africanist teachings of musicians like Robert Nesta Marley, Peter Tosh, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and the Ossibisa/BLO amalgam.

In 1982 the Movement opened its first branch outside the University of Benin in the then College of Education, Abaraka now Delta state University, and was followed by subsequent expansion to the Federal Polytechnics in Auchi and Idah, the then Bendel State University in Ekpoma and the Universities of Ife and Ibadan before the end of 1983. Within a decade of its existence the Movement was operational in most major tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The wave of campus violence that has plagued Nigerian tertiary educational institutions since the late 1980s to date made the Movement to take the rather painful decision to withdraw its operations from the Campuses in 1994.Presently the Neo Black Movement has Zones in most major cities all over the world with its Headquarters in Benin City, Edo State in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

OBJECTIVES:The redirection of all minds towards Black Realism and Determinism and the inculcation of discipline in the individual both in the body and mind. With the expectations that this socio-psychological philosophy and orientation would permeate into the institutional and organizational life of Africans. Consequently prevents all acts that seek to tarnish the image of the black people all over the world.Inculcation of the culture of academic research findings on issues bordering on African tradition, religion and her entire social value system so Africans can tell their own story from an African perspective.The publication of a regular magazine called the Uhuru, serves as the mouthpiece of neo-black movement of Africa. The publication also serves as a communication tool for co-operation and exchange of relevant ideas with other neo-black and pan-African movements

IDEOLOGY:The ideology of the movement is Neo-Blackism, which was a complex mix of Intellectual Radicalism, Pan Africanism, Negritude, Research into African Traditional Religions and Cultures, Fraternal Relations, Secret Rites of Passage and Activism.
The Neo-Black Movement believes in equality and brotherhood of all races and men. It does not encourage or seek to propagate any teachings or acts of supremacy or the practice of any forms of inequality in any variation based on race, religion, socio-political affiliations, sex, tribe or tongue.

MOTTO:The movement adopted a Motto, which was to serve as it guiding principle “Whenever there is a cry of oppression Neo-Blackism begins”.

THE NBM TRINITY:The Neo Black Movement and its members are guided in their actions, thoughts and utterances by the concept of the NBM Trinity which can be likened to the tripod on which the flaming pot of life stands. These guiding principles are; Reason, Courage and Grace. Therefore the Axe man (a Member of the Neo Black Movement) is always expected to talk with Reason, act with Courage and behave with Grace; this has served as the movements code of conduct thus; the eternal equation of:
Reason + Courage = Grace

PUBLICATIONS:The Neo Black Movement in its early beginnings published the Black Axe Magazine which served as the official mouthpiece of the Movement. This has since metamorphosis into the Uhuru publication which presently is the official magazine of the Movement. The issues raised with the inaugural publication of this noble Movement in 1978 are as relevant today as they were then.

Party politics and 2015 election in Nigeria

by patrick nwabia

The political crisis in the PDP (people’s Democratic Party) and almost every other political party in Nigeria including the newly formed APC (all progressive congress) is purely as a result of the lack of the knowledge and wisdom of God almighty. The holy bible in the book of Isaiah chapter 5 vs. 13 & 14 explains. The obvious implication of these ongoing political crises with its root in the parties, drawing from the centrifugal ethnocentric forces, if not carefully managed would certainly breed anarchy, economic stagnation and social strive that may consume some of the actors and gladiators, not excluding the ordinary poor masses of the country..
Fortunately however the Nigerian state for the first time in a very longtime is privileged to have a gentle man, humble, calmed, and well educated and in my humble opinion a God fearing president in the person of Good luck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR). This is a political power holding phenomenon that is been missing in the political power equation in the country’s body politics since after her political independent era that saw the emergence of great leaders like Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe(ZIK OF ARICA), Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Sir Ahmmedu Bello.
I hold the above view about President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in respect to the way and manner he had handled what I called the various artificially created political and social crisis that had prevailed so far since the inception of this current administration led by him, without an unnecessary show or abusive use of political and constitutional powers which he has in abundance by the design and structure of the body politics subject to the provisions of the 1999 constitution. More so with his ethnic background as an Ijaw man, a minority ethnic group from the south-south region of the country, with a concentration of other minority ethnic groups all together in these domains lay the nation’s natural capital wealth, the crude oil natural resources thus the economic mainstay of the Nigerian economy. I strongly believe that the current leadership of APC (all progressive congress) is not ignorant of these superlative qualities of President Jonathan and in consideration of the fact that there is a high political awareness amongst Nigerians today, to understand the fact that either APC or PDP they are all same old wine we use to know. The difference here lies in the fact that one (APC) is now in a new bottle with a new style and packaging. It wouldn’t be surprising to know therefore that the APC leadership is in an underground political plan to catch on an error management of the current PDP crisis, ready to welcome Mr. President to the party as their presidential candidate come 2015 general election as a strategic move to take power from the ruling party.PDP. And expectedly use their very active and ever vibrant political actors and machineries in both upper and the lower chambers of the national assembly to protect Mr. President against any possible impeachment threat. After all even though the PDP constitutes the majority membership and representation in the HOUSES, majority of the most active and vibrant amongst them are from the opposition party. This explains why the leadership of the both houses had not been firmly in charge and control of most political issues as well as very important bills that are presented on the floor of both houses for deliberations and consideration, these few but very active and vibrant minority opposition in their unique strategic move, had always hijacked, manipulated the proceedings and outcomes of these bills and or political issues to suit their party wills and wishes often times in a very controversial manner. Some of these issues include the Rivers State political Crisis, The controversial early child marriage bill, the petroleum subsidy removal and some other issues that every close watcher of the activities in the house would attest to.
More So from a political economy point of view subject to the recent accord and united stance evidenced in the open declaration of support for their son president Good luck Jonathan by the various ethnic groups, pressure groups, and significantly the militant groups and their various leaders from the south-south region considering their economic relevance and indispensability of the region and by extension the inhabitants whom I refer to as the custodians of the chicken that lays the golden national egg, the nation’s natural capital wealth, The root source of empowerment subject to the money bag politics that has obviously become a norm. this is in view of the fact that virtually all major political actors and gladiators in the country had in one way or the other either as a former leader or as an aid or agent of a sort to the former leaders had primitively acquired and converted an accumulated national wealth into their private wealth using various corrupt social mechanism and machineries’ such as the now politically relevant and dreaded militant groups and their leader, whom by the above explained corrupt system had been ironically empowered to distort or even completely stop the flow of these corrupt and ill gotten wealth, that obviously is the main source and tool of political control and manipulations.
In case this is not very clear to you, on the 9th of September 2013 on a local TV station in Lagos, one of the renowned Niger-delta activist, an ex-militant leader, Mujahid Asari Dokubo threatened in a very strong words that there be “blood shard” if president Good luck Jonathan (GCFR) is not re-elected in 2015 forth coming general election. This was in response to a statement credited to the former military head of state RTD ARMY GENERAL Muhammadu Buhari, who in his statement declared that 2015 would be bloody if the results from the election do not favour him and his political party the CPC (congress for progressive change).I am very sure Gen Mohamadu Buhari (rtd) is already regretting that statement credited to him in view of its negative impact on the prospecting electoral fortune for any political party that he is involved in, in the entire south-south region(Niger-Delter). The lobby movement with rally by the APC leadership led by Senator Ahamed Bola Tinubu, to get the 7 (seven) aggrieved governors of PDP to join APC with particular emphasis on Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amechi is part of a strategic move to balance political equations subject to the effects of Gen Buhari”s undemocratic statement on the social-psych of the people of south-south in view of the acquisition and merger arrangement that involves Gen Buhari”s CPC and Senator Bola Tinubu”s ACN that constitutes what we know as APC today.
However Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amechi right from his days as the speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly is been known for his smart political calculations and relatively amidst the ragging political crisis that has him and a minister under president Jonathan from his State, the wife of the president Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan was once quoted in the media saying that both Governor Amechi and the minister from Rivers state are both her Sons. More so recently in a political rally by the APC leaders in port-Harcourt Rivers State, organized to beg him to consider joining the party, in view of my earlier sub mission on the factors of Nigeria economic determinism and the indispensability of the south-south region in the political equation theory of the country, Governor Amechi openly and publicly replied that he would have to consult his boss the president and significantly in that same occasion he emphasized his ethno-regional affiliations/bond with his brother from another mother President Good luck Ebele Jonathan. After all in the game of politics there are neither permanent friends nor permanent enemy rather it’s all about permanent interest
I foresee a democratic youth movements in Nigeria prior to 2015 general elections it going to be an ideological socio-political movement predicated on democratic value orientation, a unique platform to present to the Nigerian youths worldwide the ideals of a true Nigerian project by the Nigerian youths themselves ignited by the current national socio-psych which is subject to the leadership style and Bureaucratic value orientation of president Good luck Ebele Jonathan. I have no doubt in my mind therefore that with the present true democratic value orientation in the country initialized by Jonathan’s administration, which some folks in their ignorance misconceive as weaklings, Nigerian youths would not lose sight of the innate pride in the potentialities and greatness in the candidature of this humble and well educated man from the south-south region of the country for re-election in 2015 as a capable and competent manager for the Nigerian political-economy project. This is in view of the fact that the Nigerian political project requires a leader with a good knowledge of the country’s socio-political equilibrium, a leader that can conceptualize and boldly initiate a very good policy, a leader that has the intellectual capacity to employ and deploy for good governance, the right human capital resources from the abundance of the nations human capital wealth, a leader with a very good diplomatic skill to challenge the system by “abnormalizing the normalized abnormalities” in the entire polity, for a better Nigerian society that can be equated with modern civilized society as in Europe and America. No need to over emphasize the fact that Mr. President Good luck Jonathan in his humble character has got it all. Nigerians shouldn’t forget so easily the popular Holy Bible saying that a nation perishes for first lack of knowledge and secondly and more importantly lack of vision… God Bless Nigeria.

Africa's Deliverance from colonization

by patrick nwabia

In you O lord the nation of Africa has taken refuge. Let her never be put to shame rescue her and deliver her in your righteousness: turn your ear to her and save her. As the rock of refuge that you are and will always be, give her the divine wisdom knowledge and courage to always come to you.
Deliver her O lord from the evil and wicked tricks of neo-colonialist. Tendencies, deliver her from the grasp of evil and cruel exploitative tendencies of globalization for you and her only hope O sovereign lord let her know you are and has always been her confidence since her independence for you brought her path from the grasp of colonization to partial freedom. Though she had become a dumping side for every unwanted socio-political and economical ideas, technology from her formal colonial masters, she has become potent to other regions of the world. Yet you are her strong refuge.
With the aid of the western regions institutions and organization, praise and worship of you Jehovah God of Elijah has become a part of her cutline and value imitation. Do not forget her when all the mineral resources which they had deposited in the lord shape dry-up; give her the technological wisdom and knowledge to be able to utilize the availability of these resources to create an alternative economic sustenance for her fearing population. Her enemies are now conspiring to ve-colonolize her in the new globalized order though their various agents. Thus: IMF, World Bank, parisclub etc in a new system code economic determination advantage of political and socio economic instability, corruption, mad-administrative and they are mobilizing her own people against her through various pro-and Ant: Protests. Be not far from the land of Africa o God; come quickly to save the people from these unfold evil. May these conspirator and their allies peevish in shame; and may all those who want or wish the downfall of the nation of Africa be convened with scan and disgrace.
Africa and Nigeria particular shall always be hopeful in the praise and worship of your holy name, in singing and dancing of redemption songs, in proclamations, of your righteousness and in waiting salvation from these ills. She hopes to proclaim your mighty act of redemptive from bad political leadership.
With the aid of the western religions organization and institution, the entire nation of Africa and any country Nigeria understands that you are the only source for a permanent solution and that’s why they keep praying pleading for your divine interventions hoping to declaring you marvelous splendor and pause these generation yet unborn.

In humanity and faith in you, Africa acknowledged that there is no other God but you Jehovah God All iniquity. Inspirit of the many political and economic was that you have allowed to befall Africa soar and bitter as the case may be, you will restore good governance, political and economic nominal standility, God fearing leadership and other positive things in every sphere of the Africa life And for Nigeria they shell remain a good people in one in nation with the fear of God.
By your Grace God the repine of Africa and her daughter Nigeria shell utilize every of you give of talent resources, technology e.t.c in our position to give you thanks and praise Amen.

FROM ME TO YOU GREAT MAMA AFRICA

By Patrick Nwabia

Great mama Africa and the global African citizens, as we progress into the new world order politically and economic, I like to draw our attention to the fact that our overall success collectively as state or as individual citizens would be anchored on our courage to dare to be different and outstanding in both our political, economic  social & cultural life in today’s global political arena. The African leadership and her global citizens undoubtedly are saddled with the task of breaking norms and changing the political orientations that had held her down against development, if Africa must progress to the next level on socio-political and economic development comparatively to the western countries. The regular and normal ways of doing things in terms of administrative and general bureaucratic processes, which in most cases are below and even outside the global ethics and standards, needs to be critically reviewed. AS individual citizens some of us were born as Africans for the sheer purpose of guiding our generation by default into a new way of thinking, living and being. Note that the outcome of this new attitude of being outstanding is that in most cases you are called all kinds of funny names and you are perceived as being crazy and abnormal by the real crazy and abnormal people all because you dared to be different. The fact is “there is no way Africa nor her leadership could soar like an eagle, when she is surrounded by pigeons”.

For daring to be different as a leader or citizen of the continent, you would certainly be accused of wrong doing. This is naturally so because, for several years things are done in a particular way and pattern and it’s believed that’s the only way out, And that’s is if its even Wright at all. Therefore I urge you fellow Africans in view of the new world order, dare to standout from “ignoramus black political crowd”, put on the amour of courage and reformation, to liberate Africa and her helpless citizens from the shackle and bondage of poverty and ignorance, occasioned as a result of political and socioeconomic corruption, subject to bad leadership.
In other words if the political leadership of the African states must take their citizens to the promised land of sociopolitical and economic development, comparative to what is obtained elsewhere in the western countries of Europe and America, A uniquely designed dexterous political economy approach need to be applied to first correct the inherent foundation errors in Africa’s geopolitics. Then things must now be done in a different way so as to achieve a new and a different result, far from and better than what used to be.
Therefore as leaders and citizens of black origins, irrespective of the part of the global society where you find yourself, lets collectively pull together to make Africa great. We just can’t continue doing what has always been done, since what has always been done has not taken us out from the point where we started. Our social & political orientation subject to value orientation has to change for a better African society where citizens are guaranteed of their social and general security, where rule of law is respected and above all political and economic stability. In view of these, a revolutionary change, driven by strong political will is an imperative to the attainment and sustenance. it must start now among us as first the people of black origin and then as patriotic citizens of the continent. The only thing needed to actualize this dream, as i have earlier mentioned includes self-will, political-will, strength and courage to recognize that every individual African patriot have been chosen for this awesome task of enforcing social reformation and social re engineering of Africa’s social structures.
More so let your life as African provide a new direction for the 21st century African society. Yes a lot of people would have to be left behind, but are you going to be one of them? I pray you wouldn’t be. Don’t let anybody stop you, be outstanding, be smart and out wired. Be a patriotic African by imbibing this philosophy. God bless you for Reading...