What You Probably Don't Know About Benin Republic

By Ganiyu Ayanniyi M.

The republic of Benin is a francophone country that borders Nigeria at the southwestern part of the Nigerian territory. It was formerly known as "Dan-ho-mé" which means "built on the snake's (Dan) belly" in Fon, a local Beninese language. The French colonialists had difficulties in the pronunciation of ''Dan-ho-mé", so they called it "Dahomey". In 1975, President Mathieu Kerekou influenced the change of the country's name from Dahomey to Benin (La République du Bénin) because the former name was regional in which many citizens didn't show signs of belonging since the name was in Fon language. She gained her independence on the 1st of August 1960, before Nigeria got hers.

The country is the first and only nation where three presidents ruled in the same tenure at a time. The names of those presidents are: Sourou Migan Apithy, Justin Ahomadégbé Tomêtin and Tahirou Congacou. They were from different tribes (Yoruba/Nango, Fon...) and different zones (North, central and South parts of Benin). The trio left office in 1965. The country later had other trio presidents after the first set. Now, the country's presidential mandate is quinquennial which is renewable once.

The name of the current president is Patrice Talon. He assumed office in 2016. He resides  at the presidential palace located in Porto-Novo, the political capital. The name "Porto-Novo" which means "New port", has its influence from the Portuguese explorers who came through the coasts of the Beninese capital. Cotonou is the economic capital of the nation.

Some artifacts from the Ethnographic Museum Alexandre Senou Adande

Personal Travelogue to Benin Republic
At Porto-novo, I visited a Museum named "Ethnographic Museum Alexandre Senou Adande" which is controlled by the Beninese ministry of Culture.

In the Museum, different ancestral masquerades were seen of which some are pertinent to the Yoruba culture and tradition as well as to the Egun. More so, different calabashes were sighted with some African drums, clothes, cowries, etc.

The ethnographic map which shows all tribes in Benin republic were seen too; The Yoruba and Egun are dominant in Southern part of Benin, the Fon at North/central...

From Porto-Novo, the bus took its way for Cotonou. Cotonou, the economic city which is more developed than Porto-Novo in terms of business, good roads, infrastructures, basic social amenities etc. I got to a popular bookshop in Cotonou named "Sté Le Bon Berger Sarl Librairie",  where many people bought French books.

My next destination was the Cotonou central market.

Observations from the Trip
1. I observed that the two Beninese dominant cities, Porto-Novo and Cotonou, have good roads though the latter has better roads.

2. I noticed that most administrative buildings found in Porto-Novo, the capital city, were built by the colonial masters though they under maintenance.

3. I observed that Benin republic has constant electricity for 24 hrs/7.

4. I saw that the use of motorbikes is the Beninese major means of transportation.

5. I noticed that in Porto-Novo, one could hardly see a filling station. And that, in Benin republic, Roadside sale of petroleum is common.

6. I was informed that the main operating banks in Porto-Novo are: Bank of Africa & Banque internationale du Bénin.

7. I observed that the new Beninese senate building which has been under construction since more than 8 years is still under construction.

8. At the Cotonou central market, we discovered that Yoruba or Nango (Yoruba from Benin) and Igbos are the ones dominating the commercial arena. The Yorubas or Nangos sell food stuffs there while the Ibos sell deported clothing materials, shoes, bags, belts etc. The Hausas there are very few and some of them engage in wheelbarrowing goods of customers.

9. I noted that Beninese actually love Nigerians, especially Yoruba people.

10. Benin republic is very peaceful country though she is the mother of 'voodoo', witchcrafts or traditional religious.

11. At Cotonou, we discovered some toilets were channeled with funnels where men could pee.

12. I discovered that Benin republic is a very small country and that its resources are not be comparable to that of Nigeria. But, what surprises us is the constant electricity she has. Most francophone countries in West Africa enjoy constant power supply 24 hrs/7.

13. I discovered that imported food and other things as car, cloth, etc. were cheaper to those ones in Nigeria.

14. The most popular primary and secondary school dressing in Benin republic is identifiable by  khaki clothes. Male primary school pupils wear shirts with shorts while female pupils wear garment or robe, all in khaki. Male secondary school students wear shirts with trousers while the female ones wear shirt with skirt. Almost all the students wear khaki except few whose parents couldn't afford to buy school uniform (khaki).

The Dilemma of Moral Instructions: Exploring the Fela Falana Construct

Thoughts on Falz's Moral Instruction Album by 'Joba Ojelabi

If a need to rank art forms ever arose, it might not be entirely foolish to bet that music would clinch the top ranks. With the diverse genres and musical subclassifications that exist, it remains perhaps the most relatable form of art. While a person might find it difficult to see the beauty of a painting, or appreciate the imperfections of a sculpture, it’s safer to assume that there’s a song for every man or at least every mood. Whether it’s the solemn sound of Yaani or the aggressive vibrations that characterizes the metallic genre of music, there’s someone that vibrates on the same frequency. This is why music, as a form of art, has over time been used when there’s a need to communicate with the public.

By hiding their message in the lyrics of a song, brands have been able to sell their products, politicians have able to get their names on the lips of the masses, and activists have been able to spread their ideals; hence the essence of protestant music. And of course, if protest and music occur in the same sentence, you can be sure there’s a “Fela” hanging somewhere, so much that even dear Uncle Folarin couldn’t pull one off without inviting Anikulapo from the grave.

For some of us 90s kids, “Moral Instruction” might not sound so strange. It was a compulsory subject in the Primary school curriculum at the time. I remember that I had the same notebook for Current Affairs and Moral Instruction and once in Moral instruction class, the teacher asked me to pronounce “Conscience” and I did, as “Con” and “Science” and was the joke of the class for a while. Moral Instruction class was the one class that sought to teach moral virtues, to show us, even as little boys, the concept of right and wrong and push us in the “right” direction. Looking back now, I cannot say the Moral instruction classes did not have any effects. I am unsure if the motivation for Falz’s latest album was from one of those classes but there’s no disagreeing with the fact that only a few names would have more aptly described his latest album like “Moral Instruction”.

The album which is only nine track long features several other artistes both living and dead as Falz does a lot of sampling of vocals and beats from the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti. So much that you could refer to the work as a Falz-Fela Mixtape. However, apart from beats and vocals, another thing that links to Fela is its Social consciousness. Over the nine tracks, Falz manages to explore a number of trending societal issues. This of course is the highlight of the album as, as expected, it goes on to spike varying reactions, some of which places Falz and his seemingly controversial album in the social media spotlight for a while. However, with a father like Femi Falana, it might not be too surprising that dear uncle Folarin treads the path of conscious music.

The album opens with “Johnny” which is a play on the popular Nigerian clause “Johnny just come” which is more commonly used to describe newbies in street slangs. Falz however adds a twist to the clause, using “Johnny just drop” and using the track to highlight the several avoidable killings around the country. “Follow Follow” comes on with blaring trumpets and the unmissable voice of Fela himself. A voice we would still come to hear later on in the album. However, in delivering a number of tracks, Falz gets help from some names we’ve heard before. The sonorous voice of Demmie Vee in “Hypocrite”, Sess, the alleged problem kid, in “Brother’s Keeper” and Chillz in “Paper”.

Interestingly, somehow the dead Fela still manages to outdo the living in Moral Instruction.
Something that makes the album quite beautiful, if that is the word to use, is the completeness of its content. Such that from even within the songs, Falz tries to predict the reaction of listeners to the content of his lyrics and addresses them. This he does successfully in “Amen” which address religious bigotry and fraudulence and is more deeply entrenched in the last track on the album which is nothing but a vocal acceptance of the fallibility of the thoughts expressed in the album.

For the reality of morality is no one can be absolute about right and wrong. And whether it’s a Primary school teacher trying to make ends meet, a rebel trying to sing his country into the light or the son of an activist igniting the first fires of his activism, no one really is perfect when it comes to moral instructions. In the words of Falz, “After all said and done, I do not have the right to direct the finger of guilt or look of contempt at my guy, for even I can barely see through the speck in my eye…”. But then again, perhaps it is this imperfection, or rather the acceptance of it, that makes “Moral Instruction” a beautiful piece of art. And of course, its social consciousness makes it timeless, such that when posterity look back at political landmarks of 2019, they’d remember that Nigeria had elections and just maybe that Falz dropped an album.

Surrounded By Wizards, What Does One Become?

 By 'Joba Ojelabi 

 

A review of Olawale “Brymo” Asimi’s Oso Album

“Depth is a function of a listener’s individual interpretation” The half true words of the one of the many friends with whom I have had a conversation over the depth of Brymo’s latest piece of art. Interestingly, my friend belongs to the school of thought that believes that Brymo is not as deep as he sounds. Trying to quote him, “Brymo only takes advantage of the slow typical rhythm that by default gives any listener the first impression that embedded within such rhythm is quality”.

Certainly my friend is not the only peddler of this perspective to Brymo’s art and interestingly, Oso is an album that tempts any true fan of the Carpenter’s son to explore this opinion. The album which is about 38 minutes long like others before it contains 11 tracks and although the similarity in tempo and rhythm make it all seem like one very long song, the dissimilarities in themes allows a listener a means to distinguish each track from others and even some previous of his previous work. The album explores a number of themes; from the basic characteristics of the human nature to the usual Brymo’s style of preaching virtues and sending messages to past, present and posterity.

Oso is the Yoruba word for “Wizard” and while the controversy continues to exist on the depth of Brymo’s lyrics, Oso might just have certified the Band; The Lagos Touts, as wizards of their craft. Good enough lyrics or not, the acclaimed touts manage to give every track a vehicle that by itself gives the average listener goosebumps, gaining enough attention to allow Brymo wow (or not) such listener. Of course, Brymo also gracefully takes full advantage his natural Baritone to even further hold that attention, and indeed, while this might be good enough for some, especially first timers, for fans who have followed the albums of Brymo, appreciating the improving depth of the artist and his art over the years, there is that tendency to expect more from Oso.

Another interesting thing about Oso is its nomenclature. At the mention of a “Wizard”, magic is expected and while this nomenclature might be Brymo’s way of declaring his latest work as magic, the only seeming relationship between the name of the album and its content comes in “Olumo”, the tenth track of the album. In Olumo, Brymo sings fondly of the literary icon Wole Soyinka, whose surname translates to “Surrounded By Wizards” and just might be the source of the name of the album. Even though Brymo goes on in the song to pay homage to former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo; the acclaimed gnome of Owu and in the final moments of the song; the Royal father of the home of the famous Olumo rock. In anyway, the mystery of the name “Oso” is certainly one of the selling points of the album.

The album opens with “No Be Me”, a song that reminds us of the limitations of man in the control of his circumstances and perhaps the frustration that might accompany these limitations. The beauty of “No Be Me” lies in the way Brymo is able to relate sub-themes like love and corruption amongst others to sell the larger theme of the song. “Mama” comes immediately after and lasts for about 1 minute within which Brymo quickly sneaks a message to his mother on how things have really not changed since his birth. “Heya”, which as at the time of this review is the only song with a video comes in third on the album and as much as the video of the song did cause controversy, the song is a testament to the above average songwriting abilities of Brymo. The words embedded in Heya, like its video send a message that requires some mental effort from an interested listener to discern. And it only gets better in “Patience and Goodluck” as the artist plays with the names of the former first couple of the country but yet manages to make serious music from his pun.  

“God Is In Your Mind” takes the listener on a journey that is certainly deeper than the superficial. Somehow, the track puts the magic in your mind and allows you to find it. “Time is so kind” and “Entropy” then give way to “Money Launderers and Heart Breakers” which does its best to remind us of our immediate society and our roles in bringing it to its current state. The last three tracks of the album; “Olanrewaju”, “Olumo” and “Ba’nuso”, which unsurprisingly seem to rank as most listeners favorite come in Yoruba language with “Olanrewaju” seemingly preaching virtues to posterity, “Olumo” praising the past (the ones closest to the past) and Ba’nuso advising the present.

Oso, due to its unique brevity, is the kind of album that is conveniently put on repeat. Although some of the songs on the album share similar themes and delivery methods that came on the Klitoris album, the less content of the Oso album which is becoming a trademark of Brymo prevents the overload that often gives a listener an excuse to not fully absorb one song before moving onto another. And as much the argument of depth exists, I believe that the major basis of comparing the depth of Brymo’s art is Brymo’s art. To say Oso is not deep is to say Merchants, Dealers and Slaves or Klitoris or Tabula Rasa is deeper. For indeed, only a few other Nigerian musicians peddle art at that depth!

Exploring the alternative postulation of the nomenclature of the album, perhaps the album did get its name from the sage: “Oso yinka”. Or in another adventurous attempt at seeing where the name comes from, perhaps it’s a testimony of the wizardry of the Lagos touts: Brymo’s acknowledgement of the wizardry that surrounds him and its effects on him because really, when surrounded by wizards, what else can one become?

Fashion For The Season

By Hassan Pelumi

Good day everyone!
It is no news that the Sun has decided to be harsh ouch, ouch... it's so scorching you feel! So,  considering that heat plus examination is a very bad combination - surviving in this weather would be hard unless you wear the appropriate outfit. So, by popular demand and the fierce unmercifully pinching sun, this is the ways I have posited to dress in this weather.

AVOID DARK COLOURS:
  Please, for the love of comfort, stick to light colours. You should keep your black clothes far away from you this weather. Black clothes absorb heat, it would cause the weather to be more unbearable than it already used to do. Remember my job is to make you survive in this weather, as your school mama alright?

 WEAR CLOTHES MADE FROM COTTON AND LINEN:
  These materials are very breathable, that even in hot weather, one doesn't sweat in them. So... in this weather, clothes made from cotton should be in your wardrobe.

AVOID CLOTHES MADE FROM NYLON, RAYON, WOOL, SILK AND POLYESTER: 
  Unlike the first set of fabrics, These ones are not breathable and cause one to sweat. Wearing outfits made from these fabrics in this weather would cause make you uncomfortable and smelly because they retain sweat. These fabrics may look nice, but they are not for this weather.

AVOID SKIN TIGHT CLOTHES:
     As much as you always want to hot in skin tight outfits, in this weather, your result would be to look sweaty and very uncomfortable. I would advise you wear loose dresses to breathe well and let air flow well.

CROPPED TOPS AND SKIRTS:
    Ladies, this weather is perfect for you to rock that cropped top, they don't hug your torso so air would happily wrap around you. Plus they are very fashionable.
   For the love of comfort, wear skirts over trousers in this weather. They do not cover the legs so it reduces the generation of heat. But if you must wear trousers, wear those made out of linen and cotton.

 WEAR JERSEY AND SHORTS:
    Nope, I didn't forget the guys. Guys should opt for jerseys over shirt and shorts over trousers. After all comfort is survival. Guys, I am your momma too, you good?

 WEAR SHORT SLEEVES AND SLEEVELESS CLOTHES:
    Clothes that allow breathing is the best for this weather and short sleeves or sleeveless are very breathable.

DO NOT WEAR JACKETS, SCARFS OR MUFFLERS:
  Jackets?!!! In this weather?! Uh?! Ah! Please, avoid these to live longer.

FACE CAPS, HATS AND SUNGLASSES:
  These are the best accessories for hot weather. They protect the face from the rays of sun.

WEAR SCANDALS AND COMFORTABLE SHOES:
   Avoid rubber or leather shoes these weather. Opt for scandals or palm slippers. Luckily, they are fashionable too.

  SUNSCREEN:
   Very important for this weather. It protects the skin against UV rays, also against the risk of skin cancer.

  If you follow these, this weather may not be much of a problem. Fashion is survival, survival can be fashioned and my job is to make sure you survive this weather and still slay!  Stay safe and good luck with the exams.




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Why You Should Opt For Carpooling

By Osinjowo Tomisin

The current petrol scarcity in many parts of the country has plunged many people into confusion. This situation is further worsened by the announced temporary halt in train operations which has been a strong consolation for people who frequently travel long distances even in this time. Many are seeking ways to cushion the effect of these on their finances, health and work performances. Carpooling is an effective measure.

Carpooling is an arrangement whereby several people travel together in the same car in order to save costs, reduce polluton etc. This can be of much help to especially workers who travel long distances daily. Carpooling is well practiced in many foreign countries.

The advantages of carpooling are numerous ranging from economic to health, environmental advantages.

Carpooling can help to save transportation costs of the participants as all it takes is a participant's car and cost of fuel( which will be contributed by the participants). This, on the large scale reduces demand for fuel. It can also do a lot in reducing congestion on roads and in vehicles used for public transport which will in turn reduce air pollution by the exhaust fumes of motor vehicles.

Besides so many financial advantages, carpooling has also health benefits as it reduces for participants the stress of struggling for a seat in public vehicles. This can reduce the risk of many diseases such as hypertension.

Try carpooling today!

Because There Is No Attendance In Heaven

By ‘Joba Ojelabi

It is no longer news that the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities embarked on what was supposed to be a nationwide strike. Unsurprisingly, the protest and strike action has been most intense at the University of Ibadan and the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife. The reason for the action was said to be the sharing formula of the Earned allowances areas as stipulated by the Federal Government. From sources online, the formula seemed grossly unfair to the union as about 89% was said to be for the Academic Staff whilst the remaining 11% was for the other three unions; NAAT, NASU and SSANU. As unfair as the sharing formula might sound, I doubt that I am in any position to comment on the correctness of the formula as I do not have all the details surrounding the sharing. However, one thing that concerns me is how the actions and the seeming brawl between the academic and non-academic staff of the Obafemi Awolowo University affect me, for obvious reasons of course.

The past few working days have been hectic for most students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, as although it is quite apparent that the Non-academic are taking their threats seriously, at least to some reasonable extent, the academic staff might not really be taking them too seriously as classes, tests and other activities still seem to be going on even when it is very uncomfortable for students. For the most of last week, students who reside off campus who regularly pay around ₦60 to transport themselves to campus started to pay as high as ₦200, coupled with the inconvenience of walking all the way from the banking area to wherever their destination was on campus. Certainly, the transport workers too must certainly bear some chastisement as they only saw the circumstance as a means to make money and nothing more. After all, when elephants fight, the grass suffers and the wise gardener makes more money.
Of course, any reasonable advocacy might have come easier when we had a Student’s Union, hopefully events like this are enough to remind the passionate dreamers who go around with all that “you are the union” mumbo jumbo of the harsh reality of not having a Union, or perhaps they keep pretending.

I had planned to start this article with a narrative of my experience from last week’s events and already this is no longer achievable but it just might be a good closer as well:
“So sometime last week, I’m on my way to class amidst the NASU brouhaha, I get to the campus gate only to meet it barricaded- most probably with both physical and spiritual fortifications. But as often is, I assume that the barricade is for automated vehicles so I make an effort to jump over the simple wooden hindrance, only for me to hear a voice yelling from a distance that I should only jump over the barricade if I was ready to die. Well I wasn’t. As a matter of fact, at the time only one thought flashed through my mind; “What did we bring to this world gan gan?”__ So like my father’s son, I dusted my shoes and walked in the opposite direction, keeping in mind that a seeming similar scene had occurred at the Faculty of Pharmacy about a day prior. Now every time my class representative comes on the class Whatsapp page to remind us of how the last lecturer gave an impromptu test or the next lecturer might take attendance in class, I just ask myself in the corner of my mind, that place where one is truly alone with himself; Life or Degree?

Ibadan Girls Will Call It “Fargin”

By ‘Joba Ojelabi

In any historical documentation, one major highlight of the social media, especially in Nigeria, must certainly be memes. The art of fusing a picture with witty words in such a fashion that makes it difficult to not smile at its sight has become so sacred that it now forms a major highlight of social media communication. However comparatively, the art does not come with a lot of financial remunerative benefits yet. Hopefully, it would soon enough, who knows? Maybe Odunlade Adekola might finally make that list of the top richest artists in the country. However, apart from the Yoruba actor, another class of people that often suffer the wrath of these memes are the Ibadan people. Due to the peculiarity of their pronunciations of English words, which is of course often an aftermath of some adaptations of the elements of the local dialect. Some of such instances include the pronunciation of the “sh”, “z” and similar sounds as “s” and “v” as “f”.

Indeed, every language does leave its own accent on the English language but somehow, the Ibadan accent just manages to stand out in a way that is quite comical and so when Teniola Apata dares to make her new song on the premise of this peculiar accent, one is tempted to wonder what the fast rising music act is up to.

Fargin as a word can be confusing. I doubt that such a word even exists in English or any major language. It is therefore not totally surprising that for many, only listening to the song can actually reveal the meaning of its title. Yes, “Fargin” is Ibadan for Virgin. Although a number of Nigerian artistes have made good music using local dialects and accents, with Falz and Olamide being some names that readily come to mind, unlike them, Teni’s Fargin comes off with a more innocent feel. Firstly, because unlike most other users, Teni is not a rapper! And secondly, because of the message of the song.

The theme of the song is the age-long one of sexual abstinence. Yes, the type Onyeka Onwenu sang with King Sunny Ade and a fine number of other artistes have also sang about since. Interestingly, one might find this quite ironical upon learning that Teniola is sister to Niniola: Yes, the same Niniola; who don't need no liquor and almost never forgets to tell us of waistlines and philistine lollipops in her songs. Listening closely to the song would reveal to any true fan the influences of Adewale Ayuba on the young Teni as the song at some point almost begins to sound like a response to the 2007 “Omoge Cinderella” track on Ayuba’s “Ijo Fuji” album. On Fargin, Teni also manages to switch to English and Pidgin conveniently, delivering her lyrics on Mystro’s highlife beat, giving the song the absolute Nigerian vibe. Surprisingly, Teni is not from Ibadan, at least not by origin, because after listening to her for almost three minutes, I doubt that even the Ibadan people would deny her a home in the city of brown roofs.

Events, Choices And Consequences

By Akinfenwa Olaitan

We all can notice how much everyone has become engrossed in several activities these days. Of course, this is to be expected in an academic environment, particularly around the middle of the semester in a tasking and demanding institution like our own OAU. Indeed, academic activities and every other involvement we might have, coupled with the interesting yet perturbing events that generally keeps the OAU community in a state of worrisome, yet bubbling excitement, is not something new to most of us.

These past weeks, even till date, have been particularly eventful, considering a whole number of things; some of which are the fear of the widely-rumored security threat on campus and the overall questions about safety, the disturbing fracas and ultimate suspension of the Students' Union, and then the tragedies of loss of some students' lives, all of which flooded the headlines and several social media platforms. All of these events, coupled with the need to keep our academic goals afloat can, and should, serve as reminders of some realities that we as rational and intellectual individuals should always remember and reflect upon. 

Firstly, we must always remember that we all won't be here forever. By 'here', I mean both this institution and also this world. Remembering that present events are mostly only subject to the time factor will influence the choices we make. If we as individuals, all in the name of being 'conscious' or 'politically vibrant' make bad choices, we will eventually have to bear the consequences. And in fact, it is then we realize how personal this game called life is. And as we know that sadly all men must die. Hopefully, later rather than sooner, it is very important that we leave a legacy that will speak well of us when we leave our present positions, or depart permanently. 

Also, a lot of things, even beyond the classroom, contribute to shaping us to be the people we aim to become. Most of the knowledge we will require to make a headway, will not come to us at our crowded ODLT or HSLT classrooms while we strain to hear every sentence the lecturer says. Neither will we know them as we pore over the details in every material to pour out again during exams and make our A's or B's at the whims of our godlike examiners. No, we rather get molded by steps we take at personal development, at relationships we build, skills we acquire, consciously or unconsciously as we are hard-pressed by pressure and responsibilities. Beyond textbooks and materials, we should remember that other books at our fingertips, such as classic biographies, telling great lessons from great men and women enlighten us on lessons that we will need to compete favorably with the increasingly demanding world. 

Interestingly, all the vital knowledge we gain beyond our classroom experiences are those things that serve to really educate us on things that should be the proofs of education. Financial knowledge, rules for leadership, and other human virtues cannot be taught by our lecturers; at least not sufficiently, since they are hardly the experts on those issues. Although most of our lecturers' names are not exactly the names of great men and women, inventors, and revolutionists in the pages of history, we'll still agree they are still great people in their own ways. 

In a nutshell, I must conclude by saying that we should be wise in our decisions during periods of temporary unrest because crisis, just like tenures will always come and go. Also in our bid to make a name for ourselves, we should remember the things that will eventually matter when people speak of us. We should know finally, that whatever it is we are building, whether a fame in student politics, a strong GPA, or a good legacy or career, OAU remains a pathway to the future we intend to see. A future we shouldn't allow a journey of four or five years to adversely affect, but rather to positively influence.

Men Do Not Tally

By ‘Joba Ojelabi

I read poetry; good and bad, and I also make attempts to write some; good and bad. Earlier this year, in the middle of all the shouts that came with the Depression talk, I wrote a poem. My poem was merely an attempt to have fun with the word itself; mentally. Paradoxically, inserting a space into the right place in the word breaks it into two words; men tally. In my poem, which might of course come off as mediocre in some circles, I tried to reestablish a point already established by mother nature herself- I tried to state again that as much as we were one species, we are not equal!

Mercy was a 100L student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife. Sometime last week, she killed herself and there have been many postulated reasons why. In acceptance of the truth, no one would ever truly know. Some of her friends and acquaintances have come to state that she had signs of depression and would go on to kill herself for failing one of her courses. This has been the major argument and even from this, several smaller arguments have begun to emerge: Some saying that she was too young to handle the pressures of a University, some of the opinion that the incident was an indication of the failure of the Counselling unit of the school and a number of other diverse thoughts on the issue somehow seem to make it worthy of conversation.

The first major separation I would have from my mother (at least that I consciously remember) happened when I was a little over Nine years of age. I remember at the time, I spoke at lot to myself; way more than I spoke to anyone else around. And on some nights when my eyes needed cleansing, I would somewhere under the wrapper she gave me to protect myself from mosquitoes and cold find the tears to properly express myself. Despite all of this, there was still the pressure to pass my examinations in flying colours from home. Somehow in the middle of all of this, I would learn quite a number of things- most basic of them all being the fact that in the reality of it; “I am alone in this world”. I think this lesson would eventually go on to influence some of the ideals of my adult self. So I believe that as much as age does have a strong influence in determining the mental capacity of a person, sometimes it is not enough assess that capacity. The average age that one is expected to enter the university is Sixteen years but this is not to say that there are not older people who are foolish or younger people who are wise enough to handle the pressures of independence that comes with the University life and so for me, I do not think Mercy’s age should hold too much ground in the discussion of her suicide. After all, too many people have made wiser choices at that age and even older people have committed suicides for more diminutive reasons.

Of course, the argument that the Counselling unit of my dear University would be more effective if she were closer to the students stands valid for me. Counsellor’s offices could be present within respective faculties. Personally, I’m not sure which I’d choose between killing myself and walking down to the Division of Student Affairs to see a counsellor, perhaps there just might not be a difference between both options. Somehow, I have tried to not talk about Depression too much in this course of the editorial. I mean, the entire WHO is talking about Depression this year, not forgetting the thousands of NGOs and other organizations that are also engaging the same topic. For me, I feel before we begin to point fingers or chastise anybody, we recognize at the very foundation that mentally, men do not tally…

Lambasted Emeralds: How Our Precious Stone Became A Pebble…

By ‘Joba Ojelabi

Love, like many other issues of the heart, is a complex yet simple phenomenon. There have been many schools of thought that have come to state that its control is not totally with man: That we cannot decide who or when to love, it just happens. And indeed, I remember that in my years in the Obafemi Awolowo University, never had I seen so many people love one lady so and interestingly, it was for no good reason. Jacob Oluwatosin had come to contest for office at a time when even the walls did not know her name. She had been a representative of the Faculty of Law at the Hallowed Chambers before then but only few cared to know, not when her competition were both former officials of the Hall Executive Council. However, it would seem that all she needed to do to change the mind of the great Ife was hold the microphone at Oduduwa Hall. Interestingly and very unusually, I was unable to attend the Debate of the elections that brought in the people’s precious stone but even I began to notice the unusual surge that came in her polls immediately after the Debate. I do not know what she did or did not say but whatever it was, it worked so well that Emerald did not have to do anything after that event; not even say a thing at the manifesto declaration. The chants of her name were everywhere and at some point, speculations started to come that this was no ordinary love and although I might not agree with whatever context the speculations might have risen from, only a fool would have disputed that that love was not extraordinary. 

 I have seen leaders fail, I have seen leaders succeed but only a few have I seen that truly stood out at the job. Many have asked what has brought about my catholic silence on the current leadership of the Obafemi Awolowo University Students’ Union and my response has remained fairly the same: There is so much noise and so little talk. Somehow, we never truly let people fail before we call them failures. Even though the temptation to jump into that conclusion is quite high but these days, everybody wants to talk and nobody want to listen. It’s why idealists would in their surreal perspectives grow so distant from reality that they become the very opposite of it. But maybe another day, I would share my thoughts on ideals and their realistic workability. For today, like many others, I just want to try to understand how a precious stone became a pebble that the very ones who used to polish now walk upon. 

A whole semester happened and we would not here anything major from the Vice President. All we would know were a stale Fresher’s week and a couple of bland articles. But even they were pardonable, after all, power did need some adapting to. But then a bottle broke and along with it a couple of hearts, not just because our gracious lady had come to level of bottle brawls and things of the sort but also for the detestable photographs of her battery that accompanied that event and then we happened; the gentlemen of the press seeking another juicy story. Amidst all of the plenty stories that surfaced, we never really could find the truth but one thing is apparent from the events that followed: In all the lambasting that happened at the Students’ Union Building that night, there was only one victim. The question then remains who the victimizer was: Herself or him? 

Picking Fruits Over Soft Drinks

By Ayantayo-Ojo Damilola

The stress an average student passes through during the weeks of lecture can get quite tiring. Walking far distances to different lecture threaters in the sun to receive lectures. This obviously creates fatigue in the body as a chill refreshing soft drink is the next resort of students.  The body feels refreshed as it soothens the heated body instantly. The magic of the fizz seems to soothe the body and mind instantly.

Therefore, it is easy for students to get addicted to soft drinks such that they make it a thing of complusion everyday. Some even go ahead to take as much as two to three drinks in a day. An  average student takes at least four soft drinks within seven days.

   Though refreshing, these drinks are often filled with a lot of sugar and can have serious negative effects which might not be comparable with the short refreshment attained.
The soft drinks could cause serious health  problems such as teeth and bone damage, high risk of infertility, obesity , diabetes , kidney failure, metabolism level decreases among other things.

More importantly, recent research has shown that it affects the brain function. The high amount of HCFL in soft drinks disturbs the insulin activity in the brains which maintains the sugar for energy process. Thus causes memory loss. Therefore, there is the high probability of not recollecting all what one has read and studied.

     In order to supplement for soft drinks, it is advisable to take fruits as they benefit the body greatly providing it with vitamins and minerals improving body function.

Some Fruits usually found around are:
Pineapples: Contains natural enzymes called Bromelan which breaks down protein and aid digestion, prevents blood clot and the growth of cancer cell. Also speeds up healing wounds.

Pear: Much of fibre found in pear is soluble. Can help prevent constipation. It may also help reduce cholesterol level and prevent heart disease.

Oranges: Good source of folate, important vitamine for pregnamt women. Contains phytochemical called Hesperidin which may lower blood cholesterol level
Cherry: Contains  antioxidant  which helps reduce inflammation and ease the pain of arthritis and gout

Banana: Source of vitamin B6 and pottassium and folate. With 422 milligrams of pottasium per banana,these sweet delights have more pottassium than most fruits and may help to lower blood pressure levels.

Mango: High in oxidant, protect vision and reduce risk of age related macular degenerstion ( the leading cause of blindness in adults)

  Most of these fruits can be easily purchased around the OAU campus. It is also advisable to purchase natural fruit juices which are sold around also. Personally, I recommend that students take at least two edible fruits in a day.

The "Over Sharing" Epidemic: How The Internet Makes Us Cheapen Our Private Lives

By Adeyeye Eyitayo


Today, everyone seems to have a “digital self.” Our status updates on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, watsapp reveal a bit about who we are to the public. And as we know from countless controversies regarding celebrities and politicians, our “digital self” is intertwined with our public image and reputation.The internet and social media give us the ability to broadcast our thoughts and feelings to the world at a moment’s notice. While there are many advantages to this ability to instantly communicate and reach out to others, it also breeds an environment of over-sharing.

Every time you post photo or update your status, you are contributing to your own digital footprint and personal brand. With so many people now on social media tweeting links and posting selfies and sharing YouTube videos, it can sure get pretty noisy sometimes. Overtime, we tend to rack up a lot of friends and followers and that can lead to lots of bloated news that can’t be undone. We often share on social media to express our “true selves.” This desire often stems from our need for a “sense of belonging.”

We have a natural desire to be accepted by others. Having strong social ties is an important factor in our success and evolution as human beings. When other people “like” or “share” our updates, we often get a temporary high from it in our brains. However, when we over-share on social media we become “approval-seeking machines.” Every thought, feeling, and opinion needs to be circulated to the public, and we no longer have a sense of what should be kept private.” And social media has given us a way to craft this identity and share it with anyone. But in the midst of all that, we’ve become obsessed with our public appearance and reputation. We’ve become obsessed with signaling to others who we really are.

WHEN DO I FIND MYSELF “OVERSHARING”?
I find myself “over-sharing” when my mind feels overloaded and I feel like I need to purge some of my thoughts and feelings.
Whenever I try to look smart, witty and interesting and as such trying to manage the other person’s impression of me. Oftentimes when we’re looking at the screen we’re not face –to-face with someone who can immediately respond with us, so it’s easier to let it all out. It’s almost like we are invisible.

CONSEQUENCES OF “OVERSHARING” REPUTATION – To quote Warren Buffett, “it takes 20 years to build a reputation and only five minutes to ruin it”, and with the rise of social media it feels like it could take a lot less than five minutes to potentially damage your online reputation. People often base their opinion of you or your business on what they see and read online, even if they might not know you personally.

DON’T POST WHEN YOU’RE FEELING EMOTIONAL
We have all at one time or another said and done things in anger that we later regretted and wished we could take back. These things are harder to take back when they are published on line. When we’re in the heat of the moment, going rogue on social media usually isn’t the best idea. Instead of quickly responding to a friend’s comment am you take issue with, consciously take a break from social media in order to give yourself the proper time and space to process your feelings and to collect your thoughts before posting a response.

PREPARE YOURSELF FOR NEGATIVE RESPONSES
Before engaging in a public discourse, ask yourself: “Am I prepared to receive a barrage of negative responses?” If you think negative feedback and comments will make you feel upset or angry, hold off on posting. Instead, consider calling.

It is equally important to navigate our online relationships with the same level of care we navigate our real life relationships-perhaps to an even greater level, as social media lacks a personal connection.
Paul Booth, a professor at DePaul University in Chicago: “Our interactions on social media tend to be weak ties — that is we don’t feel personally connected to the people on the other end of our communication as we do when face-to-face.”

Ergo, when sharing information on social networks, it’s vital to be fully conscious of the implications and potential risks it can involve. It’s extremely important to be aware of privacy settings, to control the reach your messages might have across the web. What you decide to share on social networks is a personal choice and as a result, different people have different ideas over what constitutes oversharing. Nevertheless, be mindful that you have to be willing to live with the consequences.
Whenever you “like” or “share” something on social media, you need to understand that you are sending out a signal to other people, and they are going to form a judgement about you based on that signal.So generally it is a good policy to conduct yourself on social media just as you would in a similar group and context The the real world.

If you wouldn’t openly say it to a roomful of people, don’t say it on a social network!

Simisola: Merging With Art…

(A Review of Simisola: The Album by ‘Joba Ojelabi)

There is no gainsaying in that Upcoming acts usually are in a more delicate place with the quality of their work than already established artistes, most especially when it comes to Debuts and sophomore projects. The delicacy of the former perhaps being due to the concept of first impressions and how long they last. Interestingly, this might not always be the case, especially in some kinds of art; like music, literature and a few others. Sometimes, a person can jump into the art, suck so grossly at it and grow out of that mediocrity. Such an artiste must however strive and work hard to improve. It is why in these industries, a person who has been around for a while might remain unknown until such a person makes a ‘hit’. But what comes after the hit? This is where the sophomore impression comes in. An artist, after a hit, should be able to reproduce such success, if possible on an even larger scale. This is what goes on to cast in stone any impression the debut might have left in the mind of the audience. And so, as much as mediocrity might be pardonable in some forms of art, before a transition into professionalism can be fully acknowledged, a minimal level of improvement must become reproducible by the artist. It is perhaps why some Nigerian artistes who have been in the industry for a number of years would still be regarded as “upcoming” despite producing a few hit songs; that lack of consistency! It then becomes interesting when an artiste still in this delicate region of her career goes on to take an even bigger risk with her debut!

Self-titled music albums can sometimes be very tricky, especially for an upcoming artiste. I mean, Beyoncé can call her album “Beyoncé”, sing whatever she likes and get away with it. But for an act that doesn’t own that kind of veteran license yet, it can be tricky business especially if the quality of such an album is not at its optimal level. Self-titled albums are usually personal; they are a means by which an artist expresses himself in his art such that a fusion between the two is inevitable. Sadly, sometimes the fusion can go awry, and if the art is not regarded as good enough, so is the artist and often times, in these cases, irrespective of any improvement that might come afterwards, the artist is already at some level, both literally and figuratively, bound to the work that shares his name. Interestingly, in my time listening to Nigerian music (which might not be as long), I have only come across only a few self-titled music albums that have caught my interest: First on the list being “Asa” by Bukola Elemide, who also goes by the same name on stage. And as is the case for many lovers of good music, the 2008 award winning album does hold a spot on my eternal playlist. Another being “Ayo” named after Ayo Balogun or Wizkid, as he is more often referred. However, unlike “Asa”, the second studio album of Wizkid might not have met the expectation of some fans, who without any reservations expressed their disappointments at the time of the album release. Funnily, “Ayo” was not a debut, it was an overdue follow up to a hit debut. Adekunle Gold, might also fall in the class of artistes with self-titled albums. After all, there is Gold in Adekunle Gold. However, when Simisola Ogunleye announced on her instagram page that her debut album would go by her first name, I really hoped that the album would live up to its name; a name that Simi herself had spent the past few years building, and amidst the thrill of anticipating the album, I feared that it wouldn’t.

Simisola is a 54-minute album and in that less than one hour, Simi does to us in bulk what she has been doing in bits over the past few years. The album opens with “Remind me”, a song that reminds us of what many religions preach but rarely practice. On a solemn beat flavoured by a lot of gentle instrumental, Simi reminds us by remembering herself what love is. The Jamb Question crooner then goes on to bring Sir Victor Uwaifo’s classic to the twenty-first century. In “Joromi”, Simi, with her graceful voice and some quality production, manages to create her own version of “Joromi”; one that unlike Uwaifos’ exposes the subtle things ladies do to get the attention of guys they fancy, especially in a society that does not allow the female throw too much advances at the other party. She repeats this feat again in “Aimasiko”, only this time it’s Chief Ebenezer Obey’s classic with a similar title that she remakes; giving it a modern twist, in her own little way encouraging a little patience in an age where everything and everyone seems to be in a hurry. “Complete Me” as the name might imply is a love ballad and haven’t we heard just enough of Simi to know how much she can handle her love songs. But it would seem that even love doesn’t last forever as in “Gone for Good”, Simi, in that slow solemn Sam Smith kind of way, delivers this attempt by a lover to move on from a heartbreak. This is the kind of song that makes you feel like Adele might just have some African links somewhere in her genealogy. “Original Baby” is perhaps the core of the album as Simi bares Simisola; the person, all in encouragement of originality. “One kain” is a tale of two friends who try to reach to a level higher than the friend zone. And on the eighth track of the album, its only feature comes in. Being the only featured artist on his album, one might be tempted to think that Adekunle Gold being the only feature on Simi’s album is some way to make things even. Interestingly, the song does bear some semblance with the Adekunle’s album collabo, only now, Simi is asking ‘Kunle, as she refers him on the song, to, in her words, “Take me Back”.

Things the get somewhat groovy as the ninth track of the album describes the Lagos frolic for vain ceremonies and the attention given these ceremonies. “O wa n be” describes what Saturdays in Lagos look like and the unrepentant ways of its people towards this lifestyle. Simi’s last single before the album; “Smile for me” comes in tenth and although, somewhat stale, the track somehow still comes off with a new vibe. “Angelina” is another testimony of Simi’s exceptional creativity, the song tells the not too unfamiliar story of the cheating boyfriend on a reggae beat. And although, the victim girlfriend in the song has already accepted a “side chick”, she goes ahead to discover another lady in the picture and according to her, this time it’s a no...no…no. “Hiphop hurray” comes on last on the album and does what it can to offer a lively exit.

The album comes with some bonus tracks, which are indeed worthy forerunners of the album; “Tiff”, "Jamb Question", and “Love Don’t Care”. As expected, Simi’s pristine voice goes a long way in making the album the wonder that it really is. With production credits to Seyikeyz, the problem kid; Sess, Vtex, and the more familiar Oscar Rackah, Simisola is a piece of art that might just be joining “Asa” and a few other self-titled albums on my eternal playlist. For indeed, in 54 minutes the album blissfully merges Simi with her art; a feat that many artistes spend an entire career trying to achieve…and very many never really do.