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Corruption; The Bedrock of Africas Problems

I love this quote from Theodore Roosevelt, which says: “A man who has never gone to school may steal a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad.” I couldnt agree with him more. The educated and the elite in Africa are the connoisseurs of the corruption clouding our beautiful sky. Their knowledge is channeled to create a system that benefits the few in society to the disadvantage of the majority.

There is also a saying that, ‘’when the ordinary citizen works hard, the educated uses their pen to steal.’’ I can say that Africa’s progress is hindered by the educated in society; it looks like they want to find solutions to our predicaments, but they are opening the wounds than healing them.

Corruption has become an acceptable norm in Ghana and Africa as a whole; we don't see anything wrong with it anymore and even if we do, we do not know how to fight it. Corruption has moved from those times when the menace was done behind the curtains, to a different status of it taken centre stage in the light.

Corruption in Africa spans from the corridors of power to the ordinary person on the street.  What is making corruption a vicious cycle in Africa is that, the leaders are highly involved, and they also invite their cronies to the party. Their level of corruption is killing the development of African nations. However the populace also is engaged in bribery and corruption on a small scale.

Hence they think their level of involvement is nowhere near those in the political sphere so they should be given the benefit of doubt to engage in it. But this scenario is like sin; every sin is sin and there is no category of sin that predominantly outweighs the other.

What we tend toforget is that those that engage in corruption on a small scale later grow to become the leaders of the country, and then the cycle continues. This is the reason why corruption has become like a terminal disease in our part of the world.

Therefore corruption has become a cultural practice because the consequences are no longer heaped on those who are involved in the act; hence many think that, if they dont participate in corrupt activities then you are losing out of the immense benefits documented by those that are highly involved.

According to an article by Transparency International dated November 30 2015, ‘’Nearly 75 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa are estimated to have paid a bribe in the past year – some to escape punishment by the police or courts, but many forced to pay to get access to the basicservices that they desperately need.’’ This is further reiterated by the chairman of Transparency International, José Ugaz: he says,;Corruption creates and increases poverty and  exclusion. While corrupt individuals with political power enjoy a lavish life, millions of Africans are deprived of their basic needs like food, health, education, housing, access to clean water and sanitation.” This depict the fact that the damaging effects of corruption is unprecedented and the earlier we deal with it the better for the sustainable development of Africa.

The question is how do we fight something when the custodian/the makers of the laws of the  land to the highest hierarchy of positions are involved? Is it a battle that can easily be won or it seems an insurmountable task?

How do we fight such a war and win? The questions are endless and the answers are few.

The fact is, corruption as in any part of the world cannot be eradicated but it can be highly minimized.

No corrupt person would wake up one day and say;I have changed  my mind and henceforth I will stop my corrupt activities; This means that this menace can be dealt with, if we build strong institutions and use technology as a tool to control it. Our leaders must show exemplary leadership and the citizens should be committed to hold the leaders accountable; this is the fundamental principle in dealing with corruption.

Everyone has a role in fighting corruption. The bottom line is you cannot fight anything in life  that you don;t have knowledge of. The Bible says, ;for the lack of knowledge my people perish.

Hence understanding what the law says about corruption is your first weapon in fighting bribery  and corruption; knowledge is the key to get out of the dungeons of corruption.

We also need to start challenging the status quo; Our institutions have done things in a certain way with the baseline of corruption. It's time for us to challenge those unruly procedures that have siphoned resources to the detriment of the ordinary citizen. The battle is not for one person but for all those that are hungry for change.

Our political leaders in the past and present have not been able to have a firm grip in fighting  corruption in Ghana. Hence the battle to fight it continues unabated.

During this election, my advice to all voters is to, vote for the leader who would fight corruption; that leader who has the  development of the country at heart and one who makes the people first in his/her developmental policies and not self seeking gains.

This is a great opportunity for us to vote for the leaders that will create an atmosphere that breeds success. I will end by calling on all the great citizens of GHANA to have a peaceful election where we will exercise extreme patience, tolerance and co-existence in spite of our differences. Meaning PEACE should be the mantra of this election.

Always remember it is possible if only you believe.  God bless Ghana, God bless the people of the land.

Details of Author

Name – Oscar Bimpong Bio – Transformational Speaker and Business Consultant

Email – info@oscarbimpong.com Web: http://www.oscarbimpong.com

Kenneth Gbandi was elected the new chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) at the body’s annual general meeting in Athens, Greece, on 11 November. The Germany-based migration expert, communal politician, business consultant and media entrepreneur spoke in his first interview after the election with some European and Nigerian based media houses and notable bloggers via a Tele-Conference on the challenges facing NIDOE, how Nigeria can attract more foreign investment and the best way to manage the fight against corruption. Gbandi, who has been the president of the German chapter of NIDO for the past four years, also talked about the efforts of the Diaspora to contribute to national development and what he plans to do to support the current government.

1. Congratulations on your election as the new Chairman, Board of Trustees, of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE). How does it feel to be the representative of all Nigerians living in Europe?

I am overwhelmed and humbled by the trust and confidence of the Nigerian Diaspora in Europe. I pray to justify this huge confidence and humbly count on their collective support.

Let me kindly use this opportunity to thank all the representatives of the 14 NIDO country chapters across Europe and all the 61 delegates who travelled from all over Europe to Athens to exercise their democratic franchise and those who voted by proxy too.

I specially thank the Special Guest of Honour, Hon. Barrister Rita Orji (Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora Affairs) and His Excellency Ogah Usman Ari (Charge d’Affaires, Nigerian Embassy in Greece). It is not debatable that without these two patriots, this year’s Annual General Meeting in Athens could not have been so successful.

2. You are the outgoing President of NIDO Germany. Where did you meet NIDO Germany and where are you leaving it now?

It has been a worthwhile experience. All my efforts in NIDO Germany have been geared towards making an input into national development. When I took over NIDO Germany, the focus was on the intellectuals. It was a very solid foundation to step upon. My Exco expanded the horizon by bringing in professionals and entrepreneurs. This is especially important in Germany where a taxi driver and a Barber are trained professionals.

In summary, I am leaving a re-positioned NIDO Germany, one of the very best chapters in Europe.

3. The Diaspora has a role to play in national development. Were there attempts during your tenure as NIDO Germany chief to explore opportunities for making contributions in that regard?

Yes, we did. We held many trade and investment events to bring German business people together with their Nigerian counterparts from home and in the Diaspora. These events were platforms for the potential investors to jointly explore opportunities in Nigeria. I am happy that several German companies that participated in our events are now engaged with Nigeria.

Among our other notable achievements is the Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, we signed with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to join in the fight against corruption.  The MOU provides the opportunity for NIDOE members to contribute to the fight against corruption by providing services such as training in security issues, transfer of Diaspora knowledge and IT-based solutions and availing the organisation of international best practice models.

We have also signed an MOU with Lead University, Owerri. The goal is to support scientific and technological research as well as business development at the university. We will begin implementing our plans as soon as the university is approved to do so by the National University Commission. This is planned to be a model for NIDO Europe’s engagement in skills and know-how transfer in various fields. It will also form a base station for NIDO university exchange scheme between Nigerian and European students.

In the areas of business, under my leadership we signed a tentative Partnership Agreement for Export Promotion with Aulic Nigeria Limited, concessionaire of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex for the New Nigerian Export Hub (NETH) at Lagos. This partnership, considering the current realities, supports the diversification of our economy away from over-dependence on crude oil.

NIDO Europe members or partners in management consulting, software development, industrial processing and related services could key into the opportunities these partnerships provide.

Many more of such partnerships in the areas of agriculture, mining and IT will follow under my watch as Chairman of NIDOE.

4. What are the immediate issues you hope to tackle as NIDOE Chairman?

Our immediate objective is a holistic repositioning of NIDOE to  present the organization and the Diaspora as a whole as a well-organised and dependable group. We intend to continue our contributions to national development by promoting trade & investment opportunities in Nigeria and provide a professional resource pool from where national developmental interests in various spheres could be managed, in a transparent but secure, respectful manner. This will  promote growth in the economic, social, academic, political, cultural and entertainment sectors, where our people seek to position themselves.

To achieve this, I will immediately propose a master plan to enable us raise half a million euros within the next one year and 1 million in the next two years. The overall goal is to make NIDOE a self-funding and self-driven organization.  This will help us tackle the immediate, medium and long-term needs of the organization.

We will also review and harmonize all ongoing and planned NIDOE projects and find strategies to finance them. A Project Summit is planned for the 26-27 May 2017 in Dortmund, Germany. This will coincide with an investment summit to which all the Chambers of Commerce and Industry across Europe have been invited. These activities are under the framework of the Nigerian-German Bi-National Commission and the Federal Government of Germany economic plan for Africa.

Moreover, we plan to hold a stakeholders’ retreat to re-examine the core objectives of NIDOE including the roles of the various components of the organization. This  is part of the holistic plan of the Board to reposition NIDOE.

5. Migration is a big issue now in the Western world. Brexit and the recent election of Donald Trump have been attributed to the fears of citizens about migration. We also have the issue of thousands of Nigerian migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea desperately and dangerously because they want to get to Europe. What is your view of this issue?

That the issue of migration is on the front burner of national discourse in almost every European country is understandable. While I would like to encourage young Nigerians to seek opportunities for self-actualisation abroad they should desist from the perilous journey of going through the Sahara desert and seeking to cross the Mediterranean in dinghy boats. Thousands of young Africans, including many Nigerians, have perished on such journeys. Those who make it to Europe find out how precarious their situation is as they have no good chances of having their asylum applications accepted.

So my message is that if you want to travel, please be well informed. You can seek to study. Many high institutions of learning offer places to students from Africa. For example, you don’t pay tuition fees in Germany and universities here are willing to consider applications from brilliant students from all over the world. There is also the EU Blue Card residency permit that enables professionals to work in Europe. So, there are many legal routes to Europe.

I am the director of the African German Information Centre in Hamburg and we cater for migrants including refugees from Africa. The stories we hear from these young people about their sufferings will make you to cry. Some were in transit for more than 2 years in North Africa, seeing friends die or killed and bearing all forms of inhumanities. In fact, most of them are traumatised. Yet, at the end of the day, their chances for asylum are not good because they come from countries considered under the asylum law in the EU as safe countries of origin. If you come from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal or Cameroon, for example, you hardly can get your asylum claim accepted. Our young people must know this. This is why many choose to live in the shadow of society without legal papers and engage in crimes such as drug peddling to survive.

The saddest thing sometimes is to realise that some of these refugees had relatively good jobs at home with prospects for career development. They leave all their jobs and families and embark on an uncertain journey that often do end tragically.

In a nutshell, my advice to our young people is to look well before they leap. Sometimes there are opportunities in Nigeria that can enable them achieve their dreams.

6. What can the Diaspora do to help the situation?

Our members always do their best to let their relations at home know the true situation of things. What we often hear is that people at home don’t usually believe what we tell them from here. We understand that the situation at home makes people to become very desperate.

Frankly,  people leave their homelands because they can’t see a good future for themselves. The economic situation is responsible for the wave of emigration from Nigeria and other African countries. And there is no clear-cut solutions to this from anybody.

If the economic situation improves, then lesser numbers of people will be willing to leave the comfort of their homeland and families. So, the situation of the economy is decisive. Many of us send money to relatives to sponsor their education and enable them to start businesses, but our capacity to help is, of course, limited.

We in NIDOE are aware of this and have been making efforts to contribute to the economic development of the country by promoting opportunities for trade and investment with Nigeria in our countries of residency. In Germany, as I have early mentioned, we have held several events to bring together prospective German and Nigerian investors.

We also believe that providing training to young people will open opportunities for employment for them. As a short-term plan, we hope to embark on a basic solar energy installer programme in the six-geopolitical zones of Nigeria to provide solar skills to 12,000 youths in the first two to three years. All NIDOE members with expertise in solar technology and interested stakeholders in Nigeria will be invited to join the initiative.

7. How will NIDO Europe play very active role in the Buhari-led government in Nigeria?

Let me run the risk of stating the obvious, but at least for the sake of your readers that have very little to do with NIDO. NIDO members are intellectuals, professionals and entrepreneurs with many years of experience in their various fields of endeavour. The Federal Government of Nigeria recognizes NIDO as an official platform through which it can engage with Diaspora Nigerians. So we are ready to support the government. Already, the Diaspora is actively promoting investment in Nigeria, they invest at home themselves, they provide support through such initiatives as medical missions, education and training programmes.

I think the government, not only the federal government but also state and local governments should create frameworks to actively engage the Diaspora. Nigerians abroad are willing to support the development of their homeland, their states of origin and their local government areas if given the opportunity.

The Nigerian Diaspora should be considered symbolically in my view as the 37^th State of Nigeria  just as the African Union considers the Diaspora as the sixth Region of the continent with the rights of representation.

We therefore need a Nigerian Diaspora Commission to provide an institutional framework for the engagement of the Diaspora in national development. Nigeria can borrow a leaf from countries such as India or even Benin or Senegal that have such institutions.

8. 8. What is your assessment of the Buhari administration so far?
   The war on corruption is good. No Nigerian will be against fighting corruption except they’re direct beneficiaries. Corruption has really had a terrible impact on the country. However, the war should be fought transparently and in a non-discriminatory manner. There should not be sacred cows. Nobody should be spared because they come from a particular ethno-national group or belong to a particular political party. If the war is selective then it becomes a with-hunt and it will no longer be popular with the people. Moreover, it should be fought tactically in such a way that people who have money are not afraid to invest. This is very important. The shadow economy in Nigeria is very huge. That must always be at the back of the minds of our leaders.

9. What do you think the government should do tackle the ongoing economic crisis?

The main reason for the crisis is simply that we import far more than we export. We export mainly oil and gas. And import virtually everything including even refined petroleum products. So the crisis was only waiting to happen.

According to official figures, Nigeria spends US$22 billion to import food items annually, we spend $7.2 billion to import refined petroleum products. We import textiles and ready-made dresses to the tune of $4 billion in a year. Imagine that there are seven million vehicles on our roads and we do not produce a single tyre for them….

So the current crisis is an opportunity to diversify our economy. For example, the major food items that we import are rice, sugar, wheat, fish, milk and cooking oil. Take rice; there are so many rice belts in the country that, if encouraged, can produce as much rice as we want.

The government should draw up a crash programme to achieve self-sufficiency in these food items in the next five years. It is achievable. Countries like India and Pakistan have proven that it is possible. Self-sufficiency will not only lead to basic food security, reduce our import bill, create jobs and further social peace but will also spark the development of the agro-allied industries.

10. Economists say we need massive foreign investment. How can we make Nigeria more attractive for German investment?

The peaceful transfer of power last year is a very good advertisement for our democracy. The present government must deepen the democratic system and ensure the rule of law while maintaining peace and stability.

Two, the way the government treats investors in the country will also send a message out to the world on if the country welcomes investors or not. This is why the Buhari administration should reject any advice that it should reverse the privatisation of the electricity sector. If that happens, it will show that Nigeria lacks respect for contract sanctity and that government is inconsistent in its policy. Nobody would like to go to Nigeria to invest there for the long term.

I would like to call on the President to reject such advice. Whatever challenges the investors in the country’s electricity sector are facing should be critically looked into to see how the government can support them to succeed for the sake of our development.

In the government’s fight against corruption, the rule of law and due processes should be adhered to. It will send out a message that the rule of law prevails in our country which is important for foreigners wishing to do business there. They should be able to rely on our judicial system for the protection of their investment and to resolve disputes when it arises.

11. What will you tell Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora at these trying times?

Today, Nigeria is undoubtedly in an economic nightmare due to the fall in oil price and maladministration. However, the potential of Nigeria and of doing business in Nigeria with over 170 million people can never be ignored or underestimated and we need to wake up the giant in us by active participation in the affairs of this great country.

In Europe, citizens participate actively in the process of governance through professional, civic and other groupings, which is why the state works well for them. We have to do that too. Anybody who chooses to keep out has no business complaining. Yes, we are down but not out. Nigeria will be back and in full strength.

12. Will the new position avail you time to remain a magazine publisher?

Time will tell.

Chigozie Ifeanyichukwu Alex is a 23 years old graduate of Accra Institute of Technology (AIT), Ghana. There he studied Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

He currently is working as the Director of Organization at Rebrand Nigerian youths In Ghana Organization (RNIGO) an NGO in Ghana.

While in AIT, he was the President of the Nigerian Students Association, Senator and the Senate Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the National Association of Nigerian Students Ghana (NANS GH). Chigozie was recently given two appointments by the leadership of NANS GH because of his exceptional service during his tenure, he was appointed a NANS GH Ambassador and a member of the NANS GH publicity committee.

With his undying passion in serving and contributing to the economic growth and development of Africa, Chigozie is motivated to chase his passion in Humanitarian, social and Civil service.

Graduating at the top of his class with a First Class Honors in Engineering, Chigozie has decided to rather chase his Passion than his Profession, he is an entrepreneur and a tireless worker. Chigozie has written a lot of powerful and motivational articles that has inspired hundreds of youths in his community both in Nigeria and Ghana. Some of his recent popular articles includes Hard-work Performs Miracles and Warning to Nigerian Youths.

His hard-work and commitment to leadership has earned him several Awards, and has enabled him set records and standards in Youth Leadership. He is an advocate, a public speaker and a life motivator.

Chigozie believes the success and development of his country Nigeria lies in the unity of all its tribes, he also believes the corruption in Nigeria is a collective effort and not a task for the Nigerian Government alone.

His vision for a One United Nigeria has led to him being mocked and called different names, but he has chosen to hold on to his vision as he believes it is very achievable. One of his recent quote on unity says “If any person tells you oil and water can’t mix, tell that person you need oil and water to prepare a delicious soup! We are stronger together and where unity abounds success is sure”

PRESS RELEASE

New book features mental and practical strategies for debt elimination

Obioma Anukwuem shares how he completely eliminated debt from his life

SALISBURY, N.C. – According to a report by the Pew Charitable Trusts, eight in 10 Americans are in some form of debt, most often because of a mortgage. Obioma Anukwuem knows how debt and financial struggles can ruin personal lives and relationships. More importantly, he knows that it is possible to break free from financial bondage and live a life of financial independence. He shares how in his new book, “Debt: Slavery in Disguise” (published by Xlibris).

In “Debt: Slavery in Disguise(how I paid a debt of half a million dollars in three and a half years),” Anukwuem shares the travails and triumphs of living the American dream. He had accumulated huge personal debt and realized that his spending habits would make his financial problems worse if he did not make drastic changes. The book not only describes his inspiring story, it shares the personally tried and tested strategies he used for debt elimination.

“I wrote this book to show that nothing is impossible if you dare and that ordinary people can do extraordinary things,” Anukwuem says. “Theoretically eliminating debt in its entirety is possible but it takes actually working on it to achieve any kind of results. That was what I did when I turned a claim on debt freedom into reality in the face of so many odds. That is why I wanted to share my experience.”

Timely and practical, “Debt: Slavery in Disguise” offers a blueprint for building a life of financial freedom and security. Anukwuem’s story will resonate with many who are enduring money problems.

“Debt: Slavery in Disguise”

By Obioma Anukwuem

Overview

In Debt: Slavery in Disguise, Obi Anukwuem captures the travails and triumphs of living the American dream. From his experiences, he sheds light on the traps that can ensnare us when we want to live well. He consciously and subconsciously allowed negative influences from people and things around him get him sidetracked, but he knew it was mostly his own doing. He forgot his own life and began to live other people’s lives in an effort to belong. Through poor judgment, indecisiveness, weak principles, and greed, he accumulated huge personal debt. He realized that his spending habits would make his debt matters only worse if he did not do something urgently about his debt. It stole his peace of mind many times. He did not cease until he found a way out of his bondage to debt. Even though he seemed to have stumbled into what promised to help eliminate his debt, he knew that it would take more than just a theory to tackle his problems.

The author believes that to do well in any area of life, we must be true to ourselves, be passionate about what we want, be decisive, and do right all the time. Our dreams, motivations, and aspirations have to always be at the forefront of our thoughts. Unless we change our mentality, life will always seem to be the same.

Through perseverance, huge sacrifice, and a desperate desire for a peace of mind, Obi and his family eliminated approximately $500,000 in personal debt in about three and a half years. He recalled a negative net worth just before this venture. Now, he no longer has to share his wealth with greedy creditors; his net worth is positive, no longer negative, and it continues on a healthy, upward trajectory.

His story can be yours as well.

His book can be found on amazon.

Visit the link below TODAY

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1524535834/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

I am so honoured and pleased to be informed that I have been shortlisted as a Finalist for a GAB Award for my contributions to the promotion of the positive image of Africa and Africans. Am short of words.

ABOUT GAB AWARDS
The gathering of Africa`s best [GAB] Awards was established by the Trumpet Newspaper in 1999. The GAB Awards is one of the most prestigious and highly coveted Awards event within the Diaspora African Community in the United Kingdom. The GAB Awards attracts Africa`s best and reaches over 10 million people via pre-event and post-event coverage through various Media Channels and Media Partners.

See you on the 27th of November in the UK.

OKOLI IKENNA

AFRICA4U AWARD WINNER FOR THE NIGERIAN YOUTH 2016

LIFE IS SIMPLE. WHAT’S THE BIG FUSS?

We are so bombarded with our own problems that we cease to realise that this will soon past and that a better future awaits us.

Accept your present situation and start to embrace what is going on around you.

It is time to:- Feel Alive

Do something you are passionate about. Follow your heart no matter what.

Show others you care – Help someone in need by making their day. This will add value to his or her life.

Tell someone directly how you love them – Don’t keep the anger inside after a heated argument or disagreement.

Stand up and face the music – The next time someone puts you down be firm and let the person know how you really feel.

Do something extraordinary – Life is an adventure you won’t really know if you would enjoy it until you try. You will be amazed by the discoveries.

Realise that life is precious & life is short – Live everyday with full meaning.

Each moment is precious. Give our Creator your time, your heart & soul. When you have done all this, *JUST LIVE!*

Thank God for second chance. Get your self-help, self-mastery guide today and don’t forget to SHARE this post & quote.

See link: https://www.amazon.com/Bernadette-G.-Kerr/e/B00HJ80T0M

Dear Family and Friends ,

I am pleased to inform you that Mr IfeanyiChukwu Petwise Msp – The CEO OF LEADERSHIP MIND AMBASSADORS ONLINE INTERNATIONAL AWARD will be one of our New media partners for OUR ANNUAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATIONS AT THE UK HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT

IfeanyiChukwu Petwise Msp and team will be directly responsible for Digital marketing aspects of the annual event and also improving various aspects our brand awareness

National Association of Nigerian Students Ghana (NANS GH)

Join NANS GH as she celebrates INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS DAY 2016 at Bluecrest University College Kokomlemle Tomorrow from 9am – 2pm.

Do you have potentials of being a leader? Then grab the opportunity of discovering, developing and deploying your leadership potentials at the BEHAVIOURAL LEADERSHIP CONCLAVE session tomorrow with Ghana’s renowned Bishop Gideon Titi-ofie.

You are invited to The official launch of AfriCaAh inspired by Israel Onoriode

Israel Onoriode is A  Multi-Award Winner, Performing artist, Radio Ambassador  and former Nollywood Icon    (Information about this amazing community ambassador can also be found below)

AfriCaAh seek to bring blacks everywhere together to showcase who we are, exhibit what we have then work together to create a place for The Original Africans People world over Our desire is to also encourage Black brains and talents to go back and develop Africa.

We are inviting you to be a part of the premier event because in our many years of putting African events together we have noticed that you have not let the sufferings, pains and deprivations our ethnic group go through stop you trying to make or create your path in the scheme of things

This Black networking event is expected to have People of African origin – Black, brown or white come with their business, initiative or organisations

We’ll encourage people to come display: (their African, Caribbean, American, Asian… Black people everywhere) Our music Our Attire Our Art and craft Genuine Initiatives designed to develop Black communities and the continent of AFRICA

AfriCaAh ( ‘Afri Car Ame’ is not about competing with other races but to celebrate AFRICAN

VENUE –  The Warehouse, New Room, 1a Cumberland Road, Reading RG1 3LB, Berkshire

TIME   – 4PM

DATE  – Saturday the 10^th of December 2016

ADMISSION – FREE This is an amazing event you cannot afford  to miss

The Africa4u Awards for Africans in Berkshire will also be taking pace as part of this Major initiative.  Africa4u is inspired by Tony Tokunbo Eteka Fernandez. Tony is a Published Writer and Poet, MC and Youth Empowerment Consultant.  Tony will be giving out award on the day to Africans who have distinguished themselves in The Berkshire Region

ABOUT ISRAEL

Israel Godson Onoriode also knows as Dj real O’rael is originally an actor, songwriter and a radio presenter. He also does event video and photography. Isreal is  The eighth of nine children from the family of Gabriel Onoriode Uge, his love for music entertainment and media was first noticed when he was 2 years old as he would dance and sing for anyone, he eventually started making money performing at the tender age of nine. He knew and would talk about all programs especially films on TV.

Israels  passion for creativity took him to becoming a member of Stars theatre one of the most popular dance theatres in Benin City, Nigeria around late 80s and early 90s. He also featured in a couple of episodes of the comedy variety show on Edo state broadcasting corporation EBS While an undergraduate at the University of Portharcourt, he was always chosen as one of the delegate to represent the University at the annual National University Theatre Arts Festival (NUTAF). He was also one of the actors on the Rivers state entry of the then Nigerian International Bank (NIB) Annual Production It was not until he relocated to the UK that he started giving more attention his music.

He released his first highlife CD in 2007 and  again his hunger to express his passion in images led him to start Realmultimedia originally called Realife images – a video and photography event coverage business that same year.

Realmultimedia have shot about 33 events since then. They are looking forward to doing feature films from next year. Israel Onoriode DJ real, the soul man as he is fondly know on radio is the host of Real Vibez and The African Show (from 6- 8pm every Tuesday) where they examine the music, lifestyle, culture and traditions of a particular African country every month on Blast1386 the UK, Reading based radio station. Israel Onoriode is the founder of Realpraisefestival (www.realpraisefestival.co.uk) a Christian whole day praise festival and LIVING IT an annual music and general entertainment initiative where they showcase and encourage acts especially youth groups to live their acts. Some of his works on stage • Samuel Beckett’s one man play Act Without Word, Directed by Yibo Koko (Man) 1991 • Miesoinuma H S Minima’s Odum Egege – Directed by Comish Ekiye for Nigerian International Bank (NIB) Annual Production (Ikechi) 1997 • Don Pedro Obaseki’s OBASEKI, directed by Pedro Obaseki (Igbinovia) 2001, 2002 & 2003 • Don Pedro Obaseki’s AZAGIDI, directed by Pedro Obaseki (Fool) 2003 • Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Preach directed by Chris Moran for progress theatre. Reading. UK (The Magician) 2005 Films: • Aziba (1999) directed by Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen (Ebah) • Tara (2000) director by Don Pedro Obaseki (Anslem) • Brave Soldier (2000) directed by Don Pedro Obaseki (Policeman) • The Reverend (2001) directed by Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen (Police Officer) • Afro (2002) directed by Charles Novia (Native Doctor) • Sinners in the House (2003) directed by Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen (Medical Doctor) • Blood Diamond (2012) By The Film and Video Makers club Reading, UK (Diamond Dealer) • Escape (2014) The Film and Video Makers club Reading entry at the Reading Fringes Film Festival. TV Soap • ZENITH (2004) Soap Opera on African Independent Television (AIT) (John)