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Jazz musician Oliver Mtukudzi has passed away, according to multiple news sources in Zimbabwe.

A tweet was initially sent out by Zimbabwean publication Masvingo Mirror.

According to the tweet, the publication “has it on good authority that he died two hours ago in the ICE at Avenues Clinic in Harare”.

The musical icon’s death has since also been reported in NewsDay as well as Health Times, who reported that the death has been confirmed by a reliable family member.

His record label, Gallo Record Company, has also confirmed his passing.

The 66-year-old musician, nicknamed Tuku, had been struggling with his health for over a month.

No statement has been released yet by the family and the cause of Mtukudzi’s death is not yet known.

Tributes immediately began pouring in on social media.

As well as possibly the country’s best-known musical export, Mtukudzi was a businessman, philanthropist, human rights activist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Southern Africa Region.

SOUCE

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I am putting myself forward to lead a team of Nigerians in the capacity of Chairman Board of Trustees, providing strategic direction for the European arm of the official Nigerian Diaspora body called Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO). Reflecting, as I should do, on how I wish to do such important job at this time in Nigeria’s history, I took a journey down memory lane to all the efforts invested over the years by good men and women of NIDO Europe. They toiled for the organization to become an alternative platform for sustainable social economic development of Nigeria. I can only be grateful for the selfless services of these founding members and all the stakeholders that have sustained the organization till date. (This one is for you).

Irrespective of the amount of energy and human resources already invested, the organization is perceived by a significant number of people to be performing below its potentials and expectations. Much as they want to, under the circumstance, optimists – and I like to think of myself as one – are caught in the dilemma of expressing appreciation for the sacrifices of yesteryears while stopping short of an endorsement or show of total satisfaction with the state of NIDO today. I am sure that without all their efforts there will be no NIDO today, and the effects, irrespective of the expectations compared to reality, will not be felt in Nigeria and certainly not within the Diaspora.

Exciting times for Diaspora engagement

These are exciting times to be part of the Nigerian Diaspora movement. This is because more than ever before, our citizens back home, not to talk of our different arms of government; look up to us for innovative solutions to the myriads of challenges facing the nation. And why not? After all we are living and working in places where things work. As Chair of NIDOE Germany in the last three and half years, I have led a dedicated team of patriots accosted with the challenges and intricacies imbedded in Project NIDOE both at national and at continental levels but have also being amazed at the available enormous goodwill that provided the leverage upon which we have built a solid Chapter. My excitement for Diaspora engagement is fed partly by a deep sense of optimism about the future of the organization as it continues to contribute in its own little way to National development. Clearly, through NIDO, a very good foundation has been laid for the Diaspora to make great things happen at home and also to join in the national discourse regarding the process of nation building.

The Diaspora as de facto State

In my view, it is now time for NIDO to be seen as a symbolic 37^th State of Nigeria in terms of politico-structural importance just as the African Union considered the Diaspora as the sixth Region of the continent, with Diaspora policy and Diaspora Commission and a planned future representation at the AU General Assembly.

What is important to know at this stage is that our European body NIDO:

• has great potentials to contribute to the social, economic and cultural leveraging of our people in Nigeria
• is facing major challenges in its current developmental stage, this not being unusual for organizations of such magnitude and importance
• enjoys an abundance of goodwill and human resources needed to take NIDO to the next level and that is why most well-meaning Nigerians have not abandoned the NIDOE ship.

Diaspora repositioning

What is also needed at this stage of our development is to rekindle once again the Diaspora indomitable spirit through a holistic re-strategizing and repositioning of NIDOE to  present the organization and the Diaspora as a well ordered and dependable group, promoting national development, business, trade & investment opportunities, providing a professional resource pool from where the Diaspora and National developmental interests could be managed in a transparent but secure, respectful but fair manner to induce growth in the areas of economic, social, academic, political, entertainment and all areas where our people seek to position themselves. A team of like minds is urgently needed to recalibrate the course of the NIDOE ship for a new stage in its development.

Knowing our true base

I am first a Nigerian before being a Diaspora. I am first a chapter member before being a continental member. The foundation of NIDOE we all agreed starts with the Chapters. Getting the foundation right is a fundamental step in this new strategy. The resentment of most of the European citizens against the EU should be a big reminder to what happens when the people at the foundation of any organization feel “left-behind” due to the policies crafted at the top level of our policy hierarchy. Similarly, some of the difficulties we are experiencing in Nigeria today could be traced to the magic of Abuja at the expense of the federating structures.  NIDOE at the European level must provide a road map to synchronize the unique and potentials of various Chapters and must work with Chapters as partners in progress in actualizing the set goals and objectives.

Our common interest cements our relationship

Focusing on issues that unite us rather than issues that divide us must be encouraged. I am first a Nigerian before being a Diaspora. Our religion, ethnicity, tribe and tongue may differ but our professional resource pool and our aspirations to contribute to the development of our country where our parents, brothers, sisters and relations resides must remain the same. Many of us have the luxury to move from one country to another within Europe, North America and the rest of the world but unfortunately, many of our people and colleagues back at home cannot afford such luxury. Pivoting on this fact, our plan must be to develop result-oriented policies and action-packages which will make it possible to galvanize our pool of resources, knowledge and experience to enlighten our folk to overcome the barriers of ethnicity and tribal bigotry and to provide an alternative argument through empowerment programs and initiatives; bearing in mind that such laudable objectives may not necessary receive “a red carpet reception” back at home without a trustworthy synergy with our Diaspora returnees. A starting point could be the commitment to a uniform web presence fashioned after existing common models where the database of Nigerian medical doctors, the lawyers, the engineers and the bankers and other Nigerian professionals in Germany or Sweden or UK will have a dedicated common platform towards national development discourse.

Reforming or consolidating

The organisation needs to build a sense of urgency, not around the word reform or change but a sense of urgency for consolidation. The history of reforms in NIDOE has been a battle ground for many intellectuals and professionals since inception. Every little gain and progress which has been made must be guarded jealously. After careful analysis, I have come to identify the Keyword as consolidation! Not change nor reform but consolidation! We will be mindful of the difficulties and the energy already invested, every reform so far achieved and we must learn to pursue the common sense implementations of such reforms as guided by the constitution. Such implementations nonetheless must follow wide consultations to be sure everyone is carried along; at least the critical mass of NIDOE stakeholders. Consultation must be an ongoing process yielding an organic change within our communities.

More projects less processes

Putting the right processes in place helps to ensure that projects succeed. NIDO does not need more processes but projects because to my understanding, Diaspora engagement should equate with being in a service driven role; an important life-wire, supplying economic and development lifeline to Nigeria. Viewed from this perspective, the focus of the Diaspora is to act as facilitators to the local developmental agenda of the Federal Government but mainly driven through the smaller entities like the Local and State Governments from the Diaspora stand point.  NIDOE must be definitively project driven. The 2013 and 2016 Diaspora Days have clearly shown that being project oriented is a right way to go. Few Diaspora projects like NIDOE solar project, Trade Mission series to States of Nigeria, “No child left behind” are some of the NIDO success stories confirming this project-oriented approach.

Sharpening the lobby tools

It is important to know that none of the efforts of Nigerians in Diaspora will germinate if our leaders, policy makers and opinion leaders at home and in Diaspora do not provide a fertile ground for these efforts. Together with the NIDOE stakeholders in Nigeria, a concerted effort must be made to provide this necessary fertile ground through intensive lobby for the creation of important enabling institutions. Top on the Diaspora list are the Diaspora Database, the Diaspora Commission and the Diaspora Voting Rights. These legislated structures or institutions will act as catalysts giving the Diaspora the impetus to coalesce further and to create new solutions for national challenges. Good news is that the architecture for these important bodies of work is already in place. I want to lead us to swiftly run them to the finishing line.

Imperatives of coherence

To be sure we will achieve the aspirations; certain steps must urgently be taken.  European citizens, for instance, are especially rebelling against the European Union for lack of transparency, openness and proper flow of information of the activities of the European Commission.  NIDOE is irritatingly at similar threshold. They have been areas of total connections in the past that made NIDOE what it was then and what it is today, but many areas of total disconnect also exist at different levels; between the Board and the chapters, between various chapters and between NIDOE and non-NIDO members both at national, continental and inter-continental levels. There must be an immediate information offensive to bridge these gaps using all available information strategy and all available media tools. Moreover the information offensive will help NIDO win hundreds of professionals and resourceful people of Diaspora type who may not have had a favourable disposition towards the organization.

A broad-based vision, not a narrow narrative

In my opinion, the potential of NIDO and the modest achievements so far are strongly underestimated, if not actually neglected. This attitude is probably due to a lack of accurate information about the organization and its activities over the years rather than general indifference. NIDO is only seen by a large majority as an organization of professors and PhDs and at best for the intellectuals. But to individuals with years of experiences in various fields of profession who do not have a university background, NIDO is of little interest if not totally unattractive. At this juncture, let me re-emphasize that there are some outstanding Nigerians who are neither professors nor PhD-holders nor academics but have made achievements in their areas of chosen field. To them I will say that the years of an elitist organisation is dead and buried; welcome to NIDO of 2016 with a constituency that is broad-based.

Cooperating rather than competing is smart leadership

Crucial Diaspora affairs and events like the Diaspora Commission, Diaspora Voting Rights and Diaspora Day are matters that concern all Nigerians outside Nigeria, therefore a strategic cooperation, networking and synergy with other Nigerian Diaspora Groups e.g., ANNID, NIDAN, CANUK is cardinal. The Diaspora of 2016 must be seen as a call to service and all hands must be on deck and NIDOE must be seen as providing the needed framework and guidance. We must reject manipulative tendencies designed to keep us divided and fighting one another. We must accept to dance individually to the tone of our music and each in its own dancing steps and rhythm, but we must learn and accept to dance together. Together we are stronger and united.

In closing, I should say that there is much work to be done to overcome the things that set us apart. This work we must do together. Then focus on discharging our duties as Diaspora in accordance with the Charter of NIDO. Building on the experiences of our founding stakeholders both within the Diaspora and back at home, it is my utmost duty to provide the leadership needed today to make NIDOE a cornerstone of foreign and domestic policy by the Republic of Nigeria. I am certain that I am able to rekindle the fast dwindling indomitable Diaspora Spirit, unite us around a common agenda, work effectively with the private sector, governments and non-governmental organization at all levels and bring Nigeria’s development partners on board. It is the choice of others if they want to tell you something different, but it is your decision to retain the faith that the work to be done is not more complicated than I have laid out before you. We can do it and I want to provide us the strategic Servant-leadership as Chairman Board of Trustees to do it. So help me God!

Kenneth Gbandi

CROSS RIVER NEEDS A FUNCTIONAL GOVERNMENT – EYO EKPO

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Calabar, Ekpo said that the state requires a new lease of life to meet current challenges.

He said getting the state back on the path to success, required a functional government with plans and capable hands that would execute the plans and a governor willing to monitor performance.

Ekpo said that the state needed to have a budgeting system capable of managing its debt profile which was huge and was preventing it from raising more funds.

“We don’t have infrastructure in Cross River anymore, we have a power plant that is not delivering power to anybody, roads that are not maintained, water boards that are not delivering water and rural electrification agency that is not doing its work.

“We had a programme that was backed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) that was designed to take Agricultural produce from the hinterlands to the roads. Unfortunately, that is not happening anymore.

“The Cross River plan is to invite investments into our state, if you don’t have a state that is functionally governed, with good infrastructure that takes care of social welfare issues particularly health care, education, security and is not attracting investment, the youths have no business doing there.

“I have engaged with young people around the state and I see how they bubbled with ideas, what they don’t have is a government that will enable them and not treat them as thugs that money should be thrown at.

“The future is Information and Communication Technology (ICT), application-based work, and this is a sector that takes a lot of young people. We can create an ICT hub in Tinapa which is built for research and innovation and engage a lot of these young people.

“We have a programme called the Cross River Trust Fund, we will take a fraction of what is spent on people in the name of putting food on their table and put it in the trust fund and secure counterpart funding from private investors and every year we will get 100 to 200 business ideas from young people on the ground.

“We know some of these ideas will fail but we will keep that percentage low but the rest will succeed and they will employ labour because we will give them mentors and monitor them.

“We have a huge power plant in Cross River, 550 megawatt that nobody is deploying, we can take some energy from there, I know how to do it because I was in electricity business, I know how to get energy from point A to point B.

“We need to see our young people as agents of growth, it is just a question of vision and leadership. The state is very fertile and I know what it takes to provide them with opportunities.

“We have everything in Cross River, the problem is that we have just allowed them to die which is why my campaign is titled ‘recover and restore’,” he said.

Ekpo said he believed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had tried its best to ensure free and fair elections.

He, therefore, urged residents of Cross River to come out on the election days and express themselves if they believed they had a right to good governance.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ekpo, a lawyer, was the state former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and an energy sector specialist.

He has 35 years old Mr Okoi-Wofai Ewa as his running mate.
Source; pulseng.com

If life is a battlefield, art is Kimba’s weapon of choice. Since 1999 he’s been using words to paint pictures that capture hope in the midst of despair, framing life as a journey full of opportunity for greatness.

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