2016 Essay Contest For Undergraduates

The Nation, Nigeria, African Liberty Organization for Development (ALOD) and Network for a Free Society (NFS), in collaboration with the Rising Tide Foundation are calling for entries into the 2016 essay competition.

Details are as follows:

Topic: Entrepreneurs are the creative force in the economy.  Is your government helping or hindering them?

Participants must discuss the topic using contemporary examples

Qualification: Participant must be a student in any tertiary institutions (university, polytechnic, college of education and technical schools) in all African countries. The format of the text should be in Microsoft Word and not more than 1,500 words.

For useful background materials on the theme of this contest, interested student can downloadebook from here.

Be informed that no participant is allowed to lift materials directly from the works of any author and claim to be his/her own. Plagiarism automatically disqualifies any entry, which contains works of another author .If any text or sentence is copied from another author’s work, it must be shown in quotation marks and writer must credit the original author at the bottom of the paper.

And to assist you in writing a good essay, please visit here.

On the first page of the completed essay, every participant must write his/her full names, department, and year of study, name and country of institution, gender and age. Also include your email address and functional mobile phone number.

All entries should be sent to: essay@alodpolicy.org

Entries will be received between March 14th and May 17, 2016. Late entries will not be accepted. Winners will be announced on June 23, 2016.

6 selected Judges from Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania and Zimbabwe will mark and come up with winners. Please note that their decision on the result is final.

PRIZES

1st-George Ayittey (Platinum Prize): $1,000 and scholarship to the 2016 Liberty Camp/Event/ in East Africa OR West Africa in 2016

2nd-Anthony Fisher (Gold Prize):  $700 and scholarship to the 2016 Liberty Camp/Event/ in East Africa OR West Africa in 2016

3rd-Franklin Cudjoe (Silver Prize): $500 and scholarship to the 2016 Liberty Camp/Event/ in East Africa OR West Africa in 2016

4th- The Nation CAMPUSLIFE (Media Bronze Prize): $300 and 2016 Liberty Camp/Event/ in East Africa OR West Africa in 2016

5th- Rejoice Ngwenya Prize: $250 and 2016 Liberty Camp/Event/ in East Africa OR West Africa in 2016

Consolation Prizes:

We also have 7 (seven) consolation prize of $50 each

'One Chance' Robbers Unleash Hell On Female Journalist

Notorious ‘one chance’ bandits on Wednesday attacked a producer with Television Continental (TVC), Toyin Ibrahim and four others, dispossessing them of their valuables.

The incident occurred at about 5:30am few minutes after she boarded a commercial bus at Ketu bridge heading towards Berger-Magodo.

Ibrahim, who is currently being treated at a hospital in Magodo stated that the criminals attacked them barely two minutes after entering the bus, collecting the phones and cash.

Showing her torn jeans trousers to reporters, she stated that she was almost raped after she bit one of the robbers. She said they also took victims’ Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards to withdraw money.

Her words: “Two minutes after the vehicle took off one of the robbers began to hit me. He asked me of my ATM pin number but I gave him a wrong number. When they tried the numbers and discovered that the pin was a fake one, they descended on me, hitting and booting me with their heavy shoes.

“I had to tell them the truth, giving them the three pin numbers of my GTB and Skye Banks cards. As they were beating me, I bit one of them and he became angry and tore my jeans trousers.

“He wanted to rape me. I was saved by one of them who warned that there was no time for that. The company just paid my salary and I was hoping to withdraw some money yesterday. The robbers have withdrawn all.

“It was a 14- seater bus. I wanted to sit at the second seat at the back of driver’s seat, but the conductor said that was his seat so I had to go to the last seat. I and four other people were victims.

“They were stepping and marching me very hard. I would have died if they had succeeded in raping me. Even as they were doing that, they pushed two victims down on motion. They injured me in the head.

“I am still spitting blood. They stole my three ATM cards, one phone and the N3,000 in my pocket. They robbed other victims too.”

Courtesy, TheNationNewspaper

Cat vs Snake Fight

If  snake has ever bitten you before, you will love this...hahahaahaha! Wtch and enjoy.

Badeh Goes To Kuje Prison

Former Chief of Defense Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh has been remanded in Kuje Prison by an Abuja High Court. The former Defense Chief will remain there until Thursday when his bail application will be heard. The court also fixed 14 March 2016 for the beginning of his trial.

According to The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Badeh is facing a 10-count charge of theft, corruption amongst others.  The money which the sum of $1m was found in cash at his Maitama mansion is said to belong to the Nigerian Air Force.

AMVC Awards 2016: Behold The Winners

It was gathering of the crème de la crème in the entertainment industry in the Entertainment Industry in Africa at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards 2016. The show which was anchored by Ik Osakioduwa and Minenhle "Minnie" Dlamini was electrifying and memorable with performances from top African acts. Below are the list of winners:

Best Art Director – Frank Rajah (The Refugees)

Best Television Series Award – Ariyike Oladipo (Daddy’s Girls)

Best Makeup Artist in a Movie or Series – Louiza Calore (Ayanda)

Best Short Film or Online Video Award – Oluseyi Amuwafo (A Day With Death)

Best Writer for Movie and TV series – Trish Malone (Ayanda)

Best Lighting Designer (Movies/TV) – Stanley Ohikhuare (Common Man)

Best Cinematographer – Paul Michaelson (Tell Me Sweet Something)

Best Sound Editor – Jose Guillermo (Cry)

Best Picture Editor – Shirley Frimpong-Manso (Rebecca)

Best Costume Designer – Uche Nancy (Dry)

Best Local Language Movie/TV Series (Swahili) – Single Mtambalike (Kitendawali)

Best Indigenous Movie/TV Series (Hausa) – Salisu Balarebe (Dandi Kowa)

Best Indigenous Movie/TV Series (Yoruba) – Binta Ofege

Best Indigenous Movie/TV Series (Igbo) – Paul Igwe (Usekwu Igbo)

Best Documentary – Remi Vaughan (Faaji Agba)

Best Supporting Actor In A Movie – Sambassa Nzeriba (A Soldier’s Story)

Best Supporting Actress – Tunbosun Aiyedihin (Before 30)

Best Actor In A Comedy – Folarin ‘Falz The Bahd Guy’ Falana (Jenifa’s Diary)

Best Actress In A Comedy – Funke Akindele (Jenifa’s Diary)

Trail Blazer Award – Kemi ‘Lala’ Akindoju

AMVCA 2016 Industry Merit Award – Bukky Ajayi and Sadiq Daba

Best Movie (Southern Africa) – Joyce Chavura – (Lilongwe)

Best Movie (East Africa) – Elizabeth Miachael – (Mapenzi)

Best Movie (West Africa) – Genevieve, Chinny Onwugbenu and Chichi Nwoko – 

(Road to Yesterday)

Best Actress In A Movie/Drama/TV Series – Adesua Etomi (Falling)

Best Actor In A Movie/Drama/TV Series – Daniel K. Daniel (A Soldier’s Story)

The Best Director – Akin Omotosho (Tell Me Sweet Something)

The AMVCA is an annual awards of film and movies in Africa by digital TV Giants, Mulitchoice.

My Take On Ayodele Daniel Dada, The 5.00 CGPA UNILAG GRADUATE

Though this piece is coming late but i must put it up still. I got the news of Ayodele Daniel Dada's shocking 5.00 CGPA with some goose pimples. This is because I myself am a student and I know what it takes to achieve such fit especially in a Nigerian university where corruption through bribery is a common occurrence. It is a common thing here in Nigeria as either lecturers demand for the offer or the students themselves initiate it. On many occasions where the student is doing well, some lecturers take it as a slap on them that such a student feels he/she can pass their courses without their (the lecturers) help. Also, the achiever of this great fit is not from the pure sciences but from the Social Sciences. Students from the pure science has always been the ones with the top grades due to the preciseness of their field of study.

The case of Ayodele has proven many things:

• The Nigerian universities are improving. I said this because if it was in the past (like I said before) one lecturer wouldn't mind to be a wall of Jericho standing before Ayodele Daniel Dada from making such a rare history. 
• Any student of the Arts, Social & Management Sciences can actually make as much high grade as possible. Many students in these faculties has always doubted this.
• The Western Nigerian (YORUBAs) still has the best crop of academic wealth in Nigeria (if not the entire Africa). Before you attack me please, I am not even from this region but it’s a statement of fact that needs no big research to prove.
• There are still students passionate about education and their career even in this present day of social media distraction. These days, it’s either a student is tweeting, facebooking, whatsapping, skyping or pinging and this tells on such a student’s grades.

Now the BIG issue. The reward system of Nigerians and Nigerian governments. I read that some amount of money was given to the young man. He won the Vice Chancellor’s award for the best graduating student, worth N600,000 and N500,000 from the UNILAG Alumni Association. I laughed when I noticed that it is a meager amount of money. Don’t even go “at all at all na witch” on me. This fit demands more than “at all at all na witch”. What happens if the University offer him scholarship for his Masters? What happens if MTN, GLO, ETISALAT, AIRTEL, ZINOX, THE BANKS, etc endorses this rare gem as an ambassador? What if he gets a presidential merit award? What if the federal or his state government sponsors him to further his education in a topnotch university somewhere in the world?

I must go with Freeze of CoolFM on this one. Where I come from, I was told not to ignore a good message just because it is coming from a bad messenger. I don’t know if this Ayodele Daniel Dada dude trended on twitter. If he ever did, he should again until something worth more than a meager 1million naira is done for him. If we could make #LeaveTrashForLawman, #back2back, #psquare, #OgaAtTheTop and other trivial issues trend on twitter and other social media platforms, then this should trend too.

I use this medium to call on top bloggers and social media heavy weights like Linda Ikeji, Bella Naija, Sen Ben Bruce, Omojuwa etc to join Freeze on this journey of making Ayodele Daniel Dada an academic celebrity. We have had enough of the music, movie, and fashion celebrities.

Let's do this. It is #RewardAyodele5.00CGPA

Some people reading this might ask, “What do I stand to gain if this guy is hugely rewarded?” In answer to that as a typical Nigerian that I am, I ask back: “What did you gain in other trends you have promoted at `one time or the other?

I welcome the bashings!

What Is Wrong With This Photo?

I was surfing the net and i bumped into this photo on Facebook

I don't know who the young man is or who the baby is to the young man but, do you think anything is wrong with this photo? I definately do.