A Mid-Year musical concert organised by The Masters Music Academy (TMMA) was held in Calabar, July 28. TMMA is a Calabar- based institution working to 'promote knowledge, empowerment, and opportunities through music education, performances, and intercultural exchange'.

Performances by the academy had in the past centred around the Christmas season, or to highlight special events, such as the ‘Sounds of Comfort and Hope Concert’ dedicated to the Covid-19 crisis in 2020.

The Mid-Year concert was the first of its kind by the academy; and according to the academy's Director, Dr Philip Ephraim; its aim was to put us in the mood for the 2024 long holiday season.

The concert featured a female voice choir, a male voice choir, a mixed voice choir, an orchestra, solo performances; and more - all treating a modest receptive audience to smooth and delightful music. Poetry reading was not left out as is the tradition of the academy.

The female voice choir sang, beautifully, the very popular 'Where the Gentle Avon Flows' by Ronald Binge, and 'In Praise of God' arranged from Francois Couperin.

For the male voice choir, it was a rousing presentation of the Irish 'Be Thou My Vision', and the immortal 'Edelweiss' - from 'The Sound of Music' by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

The mixed voice choir and the orchestra featured in a refreshing rendition of 'Panis Angelicus'; with the silky-voiced choirmaster Mbang Usang taking the solo.

The TMMA Chamber Orchestra shone with its performance of  '12 Street Rag'.

It is hoped that TMMA can sustain this activity annually.

We always need music; especially to cushion the effect of the troubling moments of our lives. We encourage TMMA to keep 'playing on'.  However, there should be some more African music at the next concert.

© Bassey Itam Asuquo

August 2024

The people of the Odioama community in Bayelsa State have cried out to the Nigerian government for help in the face of rising sea encroachment. Powerful sea waves have swept away buildings, fishing spots, wetlands, and farmlands.

A Community in Danger

Odioama is situated on the banks of the St Nicholas’ River in the tributaries of the Atlantic Ocean. Citizens survive mainly on fishing and subsentence farming based on their peculiar geography. Some members of the community work at the Creek Flow Station owned by the prominent Brass Petrochemical Company. However, rising sea levels have severely challenged members of the community. Houses and farmlands have been lost, leading to increasing homelessness and poverty. 

Speaking anonymously to Philco News, a woman cried out “Please tell the government to come to help us, we are homeless, we are finished”. The woman was expressing anguish over the recent destruction of her house by sea waves. Only remnants of the veranda could be seen above the water. The woman said she was particularly pained because of how long it took her to save up to build a house.

Another man said that half of the community is gone, that when he was younger, there were large hectares of farmland and even forests in what has now become a small beach. He added that even the dead were not spared, as corpses are increasingly being washed up as the sea has invaded the community’s graveyard. He also lamented the rising levels of homelessness and poverty in the community.

Sea Encroachment - Main Causes

Sea or ocean encroachment describes the invasion of land by ocean or seawater. Sea encroachment is induced by both natural and human causes. Rising sea levels is a strong evidence of climate change. As the earth warms up due to harmful human activities, the ice caps in the North and South poles melt, releasing vast amounts of water into the oceans, thus raising the normal water levels globally. 

Coastal communities such as Odioama are particularly in danger of rising seawater. Research findings show that sea encroachment has serious implications for the weather. It induces strong winds that cause heavy rains and storms. Animals are not excluded from the dangers. Feeding and breeding grounds for coastal birds and other aquatic creatures are damaged or completely lost. 

A Global Problem

Sea encroachment is a rising global problem. For example, in Haiti, the Solomon and Marshal Islands, communities in coastal and low-lying areas are in danger of being swept away. Findings from the US Space Agency NASA shows a rise of 8 centimeters in global sea levels in the past 23 years. The agency fears that this rise will increase in the next 50 years if harmful human activities are not checked. The United Nations forecasts an increase of up to 0.9 meters by the end of this century. These grim forecasts point to an increasing need for governments and related organizations to seriously address the growing threat.

Government’s Response

On August 8, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri paid a visit to the community to see things for himself. During the visit, he called on the Federal Government of Nigeria and oil companies making billions of dollars from the land to come to the aid of the community. The Chief Council of Odioama has sent an SOS letter to the Nigerian President, appealing for assistance from the Ecological Fund to help save the community from being wiped away. 

Tell us what you think about the situation at Odioama on our social media pages.

Published: 10/09/2023

Philip Ephraim

Calabar, Nigeria

Apprehension is growing between the people of Endo village in Kokona local government in Nasarawa State and Chinese mining companies over illegal lithium mining. There have already been several near-violent clashes. 

Lithium is a highly demanded alkali metal required in producing batteries, glass, ceramics, iron, and steel. In the past three years, the value of the metal has risen astronomically, from 7,000 to 72, 000 USD per ton. Nasarawa State is blessed with lithium. On July 1, State Governor Abdullahi Sule stated that Nasarawa State has the capacity to produce 3000 tones per day at the cost of 100 million USD.

Members of the community have complained that several Chinese-owned companies appeared in their village, brandishing questionable licenses purported to be issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria. They complained further that these companies mine and transport the precious mineral at night, making it difficult to effectively monitor or control their activities.

Particularly affected is Sani Adagba, a landowner, who has accused the companies of setting up mines on his land without his approval. Adagba said that he sued the companies involved. He added that the high court had issued an injunction in his favor to halt the companies’ activities. However, he complained that these companies ignored the court injunction and employed various tactics to bully him into surrendering his land, including orders from the village head to hands off the land and being forced to sign agreement papers he cannot read or understand.

Speaking to Philco News reporters, some members of the community complained that the illegal miners are protected by federal law enforcement agents, including the police and officers from the Department of State Services (DSS). These security agents make it difficult to approach or even confront illegal miners.

Speaking anonymously, a farmer said, “They come with big security from Abuja”. Another said, “They are colluding with our traditional leaders to bully us and exploit our lithium. People in high authority are benefiting from the royalties paid by illegal miners”.

Current events in Endo, point to conflict in several mineral-rich communities in Nigeria, where communities and illegal miners clash. As recently as May 2023, three Chinese nationals were arraigned in court over the illegal mining activities of their company, Lian Hua Quarry in Abuja. The Chinese nationals were brought to court by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), acting on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

In Zamfara State, the illegal mining of gold has turned the state into a hotbed of violence, banditry, and kidnapping, as various groups and companies struggle over rights and access to the precious metal. Illegal mining in Zamfara has become akin to crude oil theft in Nigeria’s oil-rich south-south states.

Regulating the activities of miners is a challenge for state governors, as all minerals belong to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The Federal Government issues prospecting or mining licenses to various national and foreign companies, often with no proper background or follow-up checks. Some companies granted licenses to prospect for minerals, end up overstepping their bounds, and begin to mine and export minerals from the country.  

Nigeria loses billions of USD annually due to the activities of illegal miners. Investigations by the NSCDC have linked illegal mining to terrorism, as terrorist groups in Nigeria’s north engage in illegal mining and kidnapping to fund their nefarious activities. 

Mining is an alternative to crude oil. The Federal Government needs to double its efforts to checkmate the activities of illegal miners if it wants to improve its exports and internally generated revenue. 

Some strategies government can adopt in this direction includes, revamping the administration of license issuance in Abuja, granting state governments more power to monitor the activities of mining companies, and periodic checks of the activities of prospecting and mining companies. For example, a company that was issued a license to prospect for minerals should be severely sanctioned if they engage in mining or exportation.

Published: 11/07/2023

Philip Ephraim

Calabar, Nigeria

Cross River State is one of Nigeria’s most blessed states in terms of human and natural resources. However, these resources are yet to be put to the best use, leading to the negative stereotype of the state as a ‘civil service state’. The term ‘civil service state’ in the Nigerian context, carries negative connotations of a society where most of the population is mentally and physically lazy, staff are recalcitrant to work, and live only for their monthly salaries, with no strategies for generating alternative income.

Sadly, efforts by the Liyel Imoke and Ben Ayade past administrations failed to significantly impact the economic situations of the citizenry. It was sad to always hear that the state was broke, despite its vast resources and potential to generate alternative income. Some have blamed the ceding of the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon and the loss of 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State, key causes of the low monthly revenue allocation received from the federal government.

However, despite the low monthly allocations, Cross River State still received several grants from international donor agencies, to support the agricultural, health, and environmental sectors. The state also generated revenue from huge taxes levied on companies like Lafarge. Sadly, the impact of the above was not felt, and the economic situation failed to improve statewide.

Currently, the state is in staggering debt, having taken loans running into tens of millions of dollars from various international financial bodies. The current Prince Bassey Edet Otu-led administration is seriously challenged on how to implement the 2023 budget and how to maintain the payment of monthly salaries and pensions. The Cross River State economy is in dire need of a revival.

To achieve an economic revival of the economy, the following strategies are suggested to the current administration:

DIGITALIZATION OF THE TAX SYSTEM

For effective remittance and monitoring of locally generated revenue, the government of Cross River State needs to engage a globally recognized tax firm to help standardize and digitize its tax payment system. This will help to minimize and/or end tax racketeering and other graft syndicates.

UNIFICATION OF ALL STATE ACCOUNTS

The practice where the state government operates different accounts for the payment of taxes and royalties must be eliminated. Unfortunately, past administrations operated over a hundred official bank accounts. This made it difficult to ensure proper checks and balances.  A Single Treasury Account (TSA) for all official transactions is advised going forward.

ESTABLISHING A STATE FOOD SAFETY REGULATION AGENCY

A new agency is required to help to regulate the health and safety standards of marketplaces, restaurants, and cafeterias. This new agency will not only help generate revenue but will also protect citizens from the consumption of contaminated food and drinks.

ESTABLISHING AN URBAN RENEWAL AGENCY

During the past two administrations, Cross River State lost its position as Nigeria’s cleanest state and leading tourism destination. This was largely due to a lack of urban renewal strategies. Buildings and facilities were not maintained and were left to decay. A new urban renewal agency would ensure that all residences and public buildings situated on major roads are taxed an annual sum for repainting and maintenance to give the streets and roads a beautiful look all year round.

UNIFICATION OF ROAD REVENUE AGENCIES

To avoid confusion and anarchy on the roads, it is wise for the current administration to merge the 100 Marian - Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) and the Department of Public Transportation (DOPT). This merger will ensure a unified and more efficient way of managing vehicle registration, road operations, and revenue collection in the state.

SETTING UP A JUDICIAL PANEL OF INQUIRY

If His Excellency Prince Bassey Edet Otu is serious about revenue collection and recovery, he must immediately set up a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate the management of the state’s funds from May 29, 1999, up until May 2023. All those found culpable should be severely reprimanded and made to return all looted funds back to the government. However, a Cross River State Conscience Fund should be set up as an escape route for those willing to return looted state funds.

Although it is a challenging start for the new administration, all hope is not lost. Following the right strategies will help revive and reposition Cross River State economically and return all her lost glory.

Published: 04/07/2023

Ani Akak

Calabar, Nigeria

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