VIVID VERSES- A NEW AVENUE FOR POETIC EXPRESSIONS BY EMEBIRIODO UGOCHUKWU.

Vivid Verses A new avenue for Poetic Expression - by Emebiriodo Ugochukwu

It's no news if you're a fan of poetry and spoken word in Nigeria. That there are few radio programs for the promotion of the art, even outlets for Poets to express themselves in the media but well there's good news, Komson Studios has bridged that gap.

Poets and poetry in the past few years have been on a rise. A rise that has led to the creation of various platforms, competition even journals to help promote the art form. Poets and spoken word artists before now have been reduced to event hunting, platform and open mic seeking intellectual MC's while their counter parts in other genres and even contemporary music enjoy maximum exposure in the media.

On the 1st of November 2014, a new platform was introduced. A platform created by Komson Studios, named Vivid Verses, a platform managed by Poet and Media Merchant Ayokunle Komolafe. The platform was and still is, aimed at promoting poets and poetry, taking poetry back to its rightful place in the society and also giving a voice to both the known and the unknown in the Nigerian poetry scene. In the words of Ayokunle Komolafe "Vivid Verses was born out of my love for poetry and believing that poetry should be given its rightful place in the society". The program since its inception over a year ago, has hosted the biggest and brightest of poets from across the country; slam champions, upcoming and established poets, local and international poets. The program is currently on two Lagos based radio stations, Metro 97.7 fm, on Saturdays at 11:15am - 11:30 and on Rhythm 93.7fm on Sundays at 7:30pm - 7:45pm and can also be streamed online on the websites of the stations.

Recently Komson Studios organized a spoken word competition which was won by Promise Osigwe, a final year student of Federal University of Technology, Owerri. He clinched the first prize of audio and video recordings of his winning poem entitled "Three Bullets". The company has also made efforts to assist poets in developing their concepts into video and assisting them to promote it on television. These efforts would go a long way in repositioning the art and placing it on a pedestal where every other art form would strive to catch up.

In coming years Vivid Verses plans to organize events that would bring old and new poets together on one platform, hold workshops, organize competitions at the secondary school level to encourage budding writers and of course help in the growth of the art form.

Wordaholics is the newest addition to the poetry platforms being offered by Komsons Studios. It is a monthly open mic event that is being held at Barbecue City Lounge at Apapa Road every last Monday of the month. It is an opportunity to take poetry to where people are.

In the coming months, they shall be launching the television platform named Rhymes Time. This program is geared towards putting faces to the voices and also to encourage production of spoken word videos in Africa.

In the words of Matthew Arnold "poetry is simply the most beautiful, impressive and widely effective mode of saying things and hence it is important". Vivid Verses is helping to promote poets and poetry, two vital tools in societal development also seeking to change the world one poem and poet at a time.

I really appreciate your interest.

You can find more on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/vividverses

And on YouTube - vividversestv

Thank you and God bless

Omo Akin- Sisi Maria ft. Skales and Koker.

AfroPop Star Omo Akin is celebrated his birthday on the ’23rd of May with the unleash of a hot new single titled “Sisi Maria”.

 He has teamed up with music sensation Skales and Chocolate City shine shine Bobo Koker on this outstanding piece of music. It’s a track every music lover ought to hear.

Download this music

Mercy Aigbe looking fresh in new photos.

Isn't she a sight for sore eyes? wow!

TWO YEAR OLD CHILD ABUSE VICTIM.

Musa is a two year old who was brutally beaten up by his step mother, She cut his genitals,broke his legs, injured his eyes and other parts of his body. The child is now in a hospital receiving treatment after suffering from physical and emotional trauma. The stepmother has since been apprehended. The stepmother ,father and grandmother are claiming that the injuries were from evil spirits and have refused to pay for medical care. Sad.

Selebobo Dazzles in New Promotional Pictures.

Udoka Chigozie Oku also known as Selebobo has released new promotional pictures.

MASSIVE CROCODILE CAUGHT IN FESTAC, LAGOS.

Don't we have like conservation laws in this country? According to the user who shared this photo, the crocodile was caught in a canal in Festac, Lagos.

PRESENTATION: AN IMPORTANT SKILL IN BUSINESS BY STRIVE MASIYIWA.

In July 1997 I learned about a public tender for a GSM cellular license taking place in the southern African country of Botswana. I decided that we must submit a bid, even though I knew the competition would be fierce.

Having purchased the bid documents, I sat down with my team and carefully went through each page, line by line. We must have spent three days, working over 20 hours a day, reviewing this document which was not more than 50 pages long.

# You must understand fully what is asked for. Seemingly small details make the difference between success and failure!

I had a staff of 35 people and I divided them into teams, working on different sections of our response. None of us had ever submitted an international bid before, and we didn't yet even have experience operating a cell phone business.

We knew there were 20 other bidders, and most of them were well established international operators like MTN, Vodacom, Bharti and France Telecom (Orange).

There was really no Internet in those days, so we couldn't just "go on the Net to do research." We called friends in the industry and asked them to share with us information on how such bids were put together. We kept calling and sending "faxes" back and forth because that was the technology available to us at the time. Of course, there was no "email"!

Don't let anyone say to you that "hard work can kill you.” There's no such thing. We worked up to 20 hours every day. We ate pizzas, and slept in the office.

Once we had completed the substance of our response, we turned our attention to the presentation.

"Our presentation must solicit a ‘wow’ when it is opened," I told my staff.

I brought in a friend from an advertising agency to help us with the design of the presentation. (I promised to pay him by giving him the advertising contract when we won!)

Color printers had just come on the market, and I went to a guy who had one, and asked him to print everything in color. Our presentation was bound by a professional printer, who worked all night to get it done. The presentation was thematic and told a story about the people of Botswana. We designed a logo for our new company: Mascom Wireless.

On the day of submission, we delivered our bid documents: 10 x 900 pages! And it had taken just two weeks to put together! All the bidders were present, as was the media, and government officials. We made sure we were the last to arrive.

There was a collective gasp! "Wow!"

Three weeks after our submissions were presented, we were invited to make oral presentations before a panel of experts hired from Sweden, as well as the Botswana regulator led by a formidable lawyer (the best regulator I ever met in my life), Moses Lekaukau.

We knew this would be part of the process for the selected final bidders: Mascom Wireless, MTN, Vodacom, France Telecom (Orange) and Bharti. Each bidder was given a day to make their presentations and answer questions.

We were ready: I had drilled my team like commandos. This was our moment. I left nothing to chance. We even agreed how each member would dress, and we entered the room and greeted the panel members in Botswana language!

We knew our document, and we knew the numbers! Altough we were facing such tough and experienced competition from around the world, and we were unknown, I had deep faith that we would win.

Three weeks later, the government of Botswana announced that Mascom had come first! France Telecom was second and Vodacom third. Two licenses were granted.


# All the skills I had honed in SELLING ever since I first sold sweets to my friends at eight years old were needed. I had come a long way!

# If you’re going to play in the big leagues you must go the extra mile. Don't settle for mediocrity!

# Always present your work with passion and excellence

One day a few years later, a senior executive at a big Swedish company said to me that one of the consultants involved in the bidding process had told him after he retired that he’d been totally shaken by the quality of our presentation, describing it as "out of this world, and beyond anything he saw in Europe." The executive then asked to see a copy of the presentation, so I gave him a copy and it was taken to their headquarters for display.

The company we established in Botswana in 1998 is there to this day. This was actually my first cell phone license, not Zimbabwe. It is called Mascom Wireless, and it’s not only the biggest operator in the country, it’s a world-class business, run mostly by Botswana people. And why not?



I saw this on a WhatsApp group and decided to share.

JayZ's Roc Nation to Sign on Tiwa Savage.

The talented act is said to have signed a management deal with American rapper, Jay Z’s, Roc Nation company, a deal which will  further boost her already impressive career.

According to Bizzle Osikoya, Jay Z, was so impressed with Tiwa’s catalogue and profile and had  to sign her on

In Bizzle’s words:

"According to our Roc Nation sources, Jay Z  extremely impressed at Tiwa’s catalogue and profile, gave the go-ahead for the deal yesterday, put together by Roc Nation’s Briant Biggs and Shawn Pecas. So expect BIG things from Tiwa this year!".

Tiwa is already scheduled to perform at the Made in America Concert this September, whose headlines will be Rihanna.  A collaboration between both artistes I guess? We can only wait and see.

Roc Nation has offices in New York, London and Los Angeles, and is home to popular artistes such as Rihanna, Big Sean, DJ Khaled, among others.

Congrats Tiwa!

Omotola stuns in black.

Omotola Ekeinde sure knows how to strut her stuff. She attended the Victorious Army Women's Conference on Saturday rocking this dazzling black dress.

Oge Okoye fierce in new photos.

divalicious!

Naomi Campbell looking stunning.

Naomi Campbell steps out in a white jacket to support charity.

Wizkid Shares New Pictures.

Wizkid is looking casual and cool in these pictures he shared.

TROUBLE IN THE SENATE.

Trouble in the Senate last Thursday as Senator Ita Enang Reveal that Northerners own 80% of oil blocks

Supporters of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) pushed their case further yesterday at the Senate, with startling facts on the sector.

Senator Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom North East) described the opposition to the 10 per cent host community fund by mostly northern senators as “misplaced”.

Enang, who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, said that those opposed to the fund should know that over 83 per cent of oil blocks are owned by northerners.

But he did not give the number of oil blocks Nigeria has.

Senator David Mark, who seemed to have been shocked by what Enang said, said the Akwa Ibom lawmaker should not be distracted (some senators were grumbling) because he was making an important point.Mark asked Enang whether he could substantiate his claim.

Enang promptly pulled out a document from his folder and reeled out oil blocs and their owners.
Enang promptly pulled out a document from his folder and reeled out oil blocs and their owners.

He said he did not intend to divide the country but to guide those who wanted to contribute to the debate to be truly informed.

He listed northerners who own oil blocks to include Alhaji Mai Deribe, Borno State and owner of Cavendish Petroleum, which operates OML 110 with an average of about N4billion monthly.

He also listed Seplat/Platform Petroleum, operators of the ASUOKPU/UMUTU Marginal Field with Mallam (Prince) Sanusi Lamido, Kano , as a major shareholder and director.

South Atlantic Petroleum Limited (SAPETRO) established by General T. Y. Danjuma, Taraba State , who is also chairman of Eni Nigeria Limited.

SAPETRO partnered with Total Upstream Nigeria Limited (TUPNI) and Brasoil Oil Services Company Nigeria Limited to become operators of the OPL 246.

AMNI International Petroleum and Development Company is owned by Alhaji (Colonel) Sani Bello of Kontangora , Niger State.

“They are operators of OML 112 and OML 117,” he said.

He said that a former Petroleum Minister and former OPEC Chairman, Rilwanu Lukman, another northerner manages AMNI oil blocks “with very key interest in the NNPC/Vitol trading deal.”

He said that Oriental Energy Resources Limited, a company owned by Alhaji Indimi, runs three oil blocks – OML 115, the Oldwok field and the Ebok field.

He said that Alhaji Aminu Dantata’s Express Petroleum and Gas Limited, operates OML 108.

Enang said that OML 113 allocated to Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Limited is owned by Alhaji W.I. Folawiyo. Alhaji Saleh Mohammed Gambo, North East Petroleum Limited, is the holder of the OPL 215 Licence.

North East Petroleum was awarded blocs OPL 276 and OPL 283 and closing thereupon a Joint Venture Agreement with Centrica Resources Nigeria Limited and CCC Oil and Gas.

He said that INTEL is owned by former Vice President Atiku, the late Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and Ado Bayero. It has substantial stakes in Nigeria ’s oil exploration industry both in Nigeria and Sao Tome and Principe .

He said that Mike Adenuga’s Conoil is the oldest indigenous oil exploration company with six blocks. OPL 291 was awarded to Starcrest Energy Nigeria Limited, owned by Emeka Offor, which was sold to Addax Petroleum.

Enang urged the Senate to cause the immediate revocation of all oil blocks licences and their redistribution, in accordance with the Federal Character Principle.

He said: “My submission is that when you look at the distribution of those who own oil blocks and the amount of money that comes from the different oil blocks to the Federation Account and you see the owners of these oil blocks, you will agree with me that there is inequity in the distribution of oil blocks.

“The oil is produced in the Niger Delta yet it is the people of the Northeast and the Northwest and a little of the Northcentral, almost nothing of the Southwest and the Southeast, that are the persons owning and controlling these oil blocks.

“Almost nothing for the Southsouth, Niger Delta oil producing areas.

“They are quarreling with the area that takes just 13 per cent when you are producing the entire 100 per cent, you give some to the Federation Account and they give only 13 per cent of what you give and, of course, it is whatever you declared that you have produced. It is actually produced by you.

“I did not want to introduce something that is divisive.

“It is not intended to divide the country, it is intended to say ‘look, let us be realistic’.


“What some of the oil wells and the owners of the oil wells produce in a month and take as profit is sometimes more than what two or three states receive from the Federation Account.”

Enang noted that “when a group of people are richer than a state and then it is produced by you, then there is so much opposition that even the people who suffer the effect of the oil production should not be give host communities’ fund; and we have explained that the host communities fund is not only for the oil producing; it is for any of the communities that hosts oil infrastructure, which includes oil pipelines, refineries, gas pipelines and anything that is capable of causing danger.”

“If we had the host communities fund, the danger that we have been having in Arepo in Ogun State, the area would have benefited from the host communities fund.”

Enag said that other areas, such as Kaduna and some other states, will benefit from it.

He went on: “If you are producing and declaring only what you like and only the 10 per cent now being provided for the host communities and the 13 per cent which is after deducting everything, that cannot be in the interest of the country.

“What I am asking now is that oil blocs in the whole country should be revoked and redistributed according to Federal Character Principle.

“We are not saying that we in the Southsouth should have all or the Southeast should have all or the Southwest should have all.

“In fact, if there are 18 oil blocs or 36 oil blocks, we don’t mind that you give us at least four, Northeast four, Southeast four, Northwest four.

“At least, let there be equity, but then there should be the principle of who owns it and then you give us more.

“But at this time, we don’t even have it. The 13 per cent is what we are even suffering to sustain.”

Senator Olufemi Lanlehin (Oyo South) praised the maturity of Senators in considering the bill.

He urged the Senate to look at the “absolute and sweeping powers” granted the President in Section 191 of the bill.

The Section, he said, gives the President absolute and unqualified powers to grant petroleum licences to whoever he pleases.

Lanlehin prayed the Senate to use the opportunity of the bill to design a template that would grow the economy.

Senator Adegbenga Kaka (Ogun East) said he was supporting the bill with mixed feelings.
He noted that the trend of the debate seemed to indicate that senators were more concerned about how to share the cake and not how to bake it.

Kaka said the power granted the minister of petroleum in the bill should be reconsidered “so that we don’t give too much power to the minister.”

The lawmaker who insisted that the bill should be finetuned, said certain percentage of earnings should be set aside to fix electricity, agriculture and other infrastructure.

Senator Mohammed Goje (Gombe Central) said before the debate, he was completely against the bill.

Senator Barnabas Gemade (Benue North East) described the bill as very important and long overdue.

Gemade said an adage says: “Wherever you find oil, corruption creeps in and wherever you find diamond war emerges.”

He said the adage had been proved to be true.


Posted as received.

Omoni Oboli the hotstepper.

 Omoni Oboli shared this photo on her Instagram page, Isn't she looking fab? she looks hot for a mother of three!

An Abuja man puts his house up for sale for N1.6 trillion.

 The house called White House has 16 rooms and 4 sitting rooms. This masterpiece could be yours for just 1.6 trillion naira! yes you heard right!

ANNIE AND 2FACE IDIBIA CELEBRATE HIS HONORARY MASTERS DEGREE.

 2face Idibia was hosted by Campari to celebrate his Honorary Masters Degree In Music and Arts.The music legend attended it with his wife ,Annie ..

Jealous Wife of Native Doctor Bathed Me With Acid- Spain Based Woman Cries Out.

A 31 year old lady Mabel Mark, from Edo State who is married to a Delta State guy, has petitioned Edo State Police Command, urging investigation into the acid bath she suffered in the hands of some persons at large.


The incident  occurred in October 2015 according to Sunday Vanguard  when the victim, based in Spain, with her seven year-old daughter, visited Nigeria. Trouble  started when she was said to have visited a native doctor at Sakpoba Road, Benin City shortly after her arrival in Nigeria.
Although Sunday Vanguard could not make certain the relationship between the woman and the native doctor, it was said that the wife of the latter became jealous of the alleged ‘close relationship’ between the Mabel and her husband and engaged Mabel in a shouting match.

The native doctor's wife accused Mabel of having an affair with her husband but Mabel denied the allegation vehemently, explaining that the relationship between her and the husband was purely business. The wife did not believe her story and continued to protest.


.Neighbours told Sunday Vanguard the wife feared Mabel may be using her connection abroad to make her husband dump her. The situation took a turn for the worse when the native doctor’s wife called Mabel’s husband in Spain and reported the matter to him. It was gathered that the incident caused problems between Mabel and her husband.
It took a tragic turn, however, when Mabel went to the salon to fix her hair, and unknown persons stormed the place and bathed her with acid. The incident caused pandemonium as people ran helter-skelter, a situation which gave the suspects the opportunity to escape. Mabel was rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) for treatment before she was flown back to her base in Spain for surgery. It was amidst this tragedy that the victim was said to have sued her husband for divorce, which was said to have been granted by a court in Spain.

Though the reason for the divorce is unknown, it was gathered that Mabel’s husband and the native doctor’s wife continued their communication to the discomfort of the victim. However, Mabel, who is still receiving treatment in the Spanish hospital, is appealing for justice from Edo State Police Command. Speaking to Sunday Vanguard on telephone, the victim lamented:“ I have spent so much hospital bills to save my life due to the wickedness of somebody. I have petitioned the state Police Command through my lawyer. I am only appealing for justice. The police must apprehend the person that bathed me with acid and those that sent them. I have spent all I have on hospital bills so I cannot equally be denied justice in Nigeria. I only came on holiday but look at what I got in return.

I need the prayers and help of everyone, particularly the police so that those behind this will be apprehended. I am in pains and those behind this should not go unpunished. And I appeal that the investigation should be accelerated because justice delayed is justice denied. Life has become so frustrating but I thank God for his mercies .
Sunday Vanguard learnt that the matter is being investigated by the homicide section of the Edo Police. It was said that the wife of the native doctor has been interrogated and some other persons questioned also.

Spokesman for the state Police Command, Abiodun Osifo, who hinted that detectives were investigating the matter, described the attack on the victim as wicked, assuring that the suspects will be arrested in due course.

A TYPICAL DAY WITH HONOURABLE PATTY INEME.

 Please who is honourable Etete Okon Patty?
 Honourable Patty Etete Ineme is a former member of the Nigerian house of representatives who served from 2007- 2011. While there I served the nation in various committees on culture, defence and army, environment, Marine security, federal character, chairman sub committee on works for south south, historical and African cultural researcher, author and arts connoisseur, conceptualiser of the establishment of Annang museum Ikot Ekpene and raffia and crafts skill acquisition centre Ikot Inyang in Akwa Ibom State. I am 44 years old, married with four children, a prince of the Royal family lineage of the progenitors of Ikot Ekpene dynasty of the Annang royal ancestry traceable through our migration from old Ibom lands to present day Akwa Ibom.

 Interesting! I know you have a great love for books and you are also an author. How many books have you authored?
So far I have authored two books.

 Can you tell us the titles and where we can find them?
 They are " A Compendium of Annang Culture" first published in September 2014 and  "Memories of Africa's Glorious Past" published in depth in 2015. I am presently working on my upcoming book titled " The Spirits of Ikot Ekpene Kingdom.


 From your brief introduction, you are a stakeholder in Nigerian Culture and tourism and a conceptualiser of Annang museum in Ikot Ekpene, What is the future for Annang culture and how far do you think we have gone in propagating our culture beyond the shores of Nigeria and Africa as a whole?
 Annang culture is one of the oldest civilisations that existed in present day Nigeria. In fact you can say that the culture even pre-dates the existence of ancient Benin Kingdom, when you consider the fact that we were the progenitor tribe that ruled over old Ibom lands; a kingdom and civilisation which existed and still exists today though decimated and abandoned by the progenitor family during the invasion of the kingdom by the present day occupiers of the old Aro confederacy which was named after we relocated to present day Ikot Ekpene. The inherited thriving and prosperous kingdom with its array of architectural masterpiece was later credited with being the "bedrock of Ibo civilisation. Which means that before the Ibo's, we were civilised. After the 14th century disintegration and migration, some Annangs became Ibo's, settling in such places as Onitsha, Abriba, Rivers state, Ijaw, Tivs and a tribe that inhabits the Mambila plateau, Ghanaians, Efiks and what have you. In fact the Ekpe cultural organisation has its roots in old Ibom lands that was ruled by the Annangs and till date their shrine as old as 800 years and beyond is still in Ibom land as well as that of the Ekpo cultural group which was more activated and enrolled as a war machine for post Ibom lands to use as a tool in keeping the rampaging aro invaders away from our new kingdom which we later took over as the next civilization from the Aro kingdom and continued in its prosperity in the new Ikot Ekpene dynasty which was founded in the fourteenth century as the first civilisation in present day Akwa ibom State; till the British invaders fresh from the victory over the Benin Kingdom were finally able to overcome the once mighty Ikot Ekpene kingdom, the capital of the Annang tribe. Due to their fascination with the advanced and civilised nature of the kingdom which was also expressed through the love of our arts and cultured nature, they created a white holiday colony in Ikot Ekpene where all whites including later younger Queen Elizabeth finally visited as a young lady. That same fascination and advancement led the British government to adopt our inherited system of governance in the implementation of the now famous local system of governance as the first recognised local government Area in the whole of British West Africa. The Annang previously came from the Bantu speaking people of Africa who in turn traced their ancestry to the kushite tribe which also pre dates Egypt and was also part of God's positive plan through the creation as one of his promised tribes.


 Wow! another question for you sir. What sparked off  your interest in Nigerian culture?
 My interests in cultural arts and craft was like an intuition which I later found out was hereditary because though my late father was a fabrication Engineer, he had a knack for using metals to fabricate fun and fancy house hold items unlike his own fore bears who used wood and raffia for decorative and fancy items. It was not until my University days during one of those cash draught days, that I realised intuitively all of a sudden that I could make money to support my schooling by discovering rare artistic objects and works to sell to people from my fellow brethren from Ikot Ekpene who were known as legendary carvers etc and thus began my journey and interests in arts and crafts. I had a thriving arts and crafts business as a student even into my early youth service years. As a fact when I was going for youth service in the year 1997-98, I went into Camp as a youth corper with raffia arts wares with fancy bags shoes and hats worth over 500 thousand naira and I prospered in it before God took me away temporarily to other occupations to garner needed experience and knowledge about life, management and administration, rising through the ranks speedily where I acquired the needed wherewithal and experience to be a successful politician before representing my people at the National Assembly. It was at the National Assembly that my world view and interests became rekindled again once more and I also discovered that arts and culture was very very deep and that those objects that used to catch my fancy held much meaning and expression than what was physically seen. Every object of art represented a story in an era. It was my quest to delve into the stories behind the different eras represented by the works of arts that made me discover the rich cultural heritage of first my own lineage and others too and I knew that development and modernisation had either distorted or thrown even the most fascinating of history's glorious past away due to lack of documentation and most times historical revisionism of different greedy selfish and wicked regimes over time. My interests is to delve into all the time and try to discover the stories behind those spaces with the hope that we can conveniently rediscover those salient and wonderful attributes that ensured our existence and success through a glorious past for posterity and better prosperity of our people.

where is your museum located?:
The Annang museum is not my museum. It is the property of National commission for museum and monuments in Abuja but situated at 10 Smith Close Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State. I just facilitated the inclusion in the National budget and it's construction when I was in the House as well out sourcing for the initial antiques and materials that represent the Annang. However I have a personal Centre dedicated to the study, research and preservation of Nigerian and African arts in Abuja, it is called tny gallery and African cultural heritage Centre Abuja. www.tnyafricanheritage.com.

Are your works being exhibited in other centres?
I don't produce works of arts because I am not directly an artisan but I collect works of arts, I visualise works of art in my mind and sometimes If I am lucky to meet an artist who can express my thoughts and vision in concrete art form then that is my lucky day. This is done mostly with contemporary art forms and so on in the production of paintings on canvas and wood carvings and sculptures. I also collect an ancient Nigerian and African antics both for preservation, research and educational purposes too. Some antic works were donated free of charge to the Annang museum because of the historical myth surrounding them, example is the "iso Ekpo, Nkubia" which pre dates the history of Ikot Ekpene dynasty as it was the same artisan that carved the now famous Ibini ukpabi oracle the modern name given to the "ibom" sculpture that is over a century old still in modern day Arochukwu and the Nkubia mask now resting at Annang museum Ikot Ekpene.

What is the future of tourism in Nigeria and how can we can make it more lucrative so as to attract tourists from the diaspora?
We have a great abundance of untapped potentials in the expression and mining of the rich and diverse cultural heritage for an inflow of needed foreign exchange and increased tourism activities for our prosperity. It is just that there has been a disconnect between the respective policy formulators to get into the right mix for a sustainable and financially lucrative sector while offering a varied range of employment opportunities. This much we had realised since 2012 when we invited relevant stake holders both in the public, private sector and government policy formulators to our maiden seminar in 2012 titled "Treasure's within". The lead paper on the topic "culture and tourism as an alternative foreign exchange earner" was well presented by the current DG Nigerian stock exchange during the seminar while the former speaker House of representative, His Excellency Rt Hon Dimeji Bankole and Former Deputy Senate President Senator Ibrahim Mantu were Co chairmen respectively. Each providing legislative insight into how proper legislation can be made to strengthen existing laws of the federation on culture and tourism to accommodate new ideas and resolutions presented by various speakers at the seminar. We also held another seminar in September, 2014 also with the intention of lending our voice to the call for government intervention and input to encourage the growth of local arts and crafts as a tourist attraction by identifying, exposing and bringing to the fore the respective salient but important dominant and rich cultural heritage that dot the length and breath of the country to package them for marketing and tourism purposes. Our intentions was to encourage a public private sector partnership where the best brains and experts in the field will be directly involved in the profession so as to do away with the usual lackluster attitude of government officials in executing projects this time around; it should be run as a business. It was this same concern coupled with years of research on how best to create a synergy between the relevant stake holders as to the reality of the moment where diversification is a must, if we must stop relying heavily on petroleum that led me once again to organize another seminar in September 2015 where the current secretary to the federal government represented by the senior special adviser political to Mr President Rt Hon Gideon Samani presented a wonderful paper on the topic "A rebirth" where different speakers including the Hon speaker House of Representatives his excellency Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara represented by the deputy whip of the house, honourable Binta bello also presented a paper on how to offer legislative frame work support towards the various resolutions reached during the seminar. I am proud to announce that at least one or two of our resolutions titled a "Bill for an act to include various aspects of our historical past in secondary schools curriculum and other related matters" had already passed the first and second reading. So moving forward, it is our intention to offer more ideas and support to government genuine efforts at diversification through culture and tourism by creating a synergy in the relationship between the relevant stake holders for a greater success.
What is your typical day like?
My typical day starts with praising and glorifying Almighty God the creator of the universe for his mercies and divine guidance before resuming at the cultural heritage centre to continue my research into various forms of our historical past and that of other cultures through documentaries, reading and study through antique collection and analysis. I spend at least two hours a day doing that and the rest I spend writing about the ills surrounding contemporary society while proferring solutions based on historical, traditional and religious principle as a recipe to escape these dteange times. I am inspired to meditate when I am in the midst of various objects and artefacts that represent our historical past.

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