16082018 - Uproar as EFCC seeks minutes of Benue's security meetings

28—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2018
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By Ekanpou
Enewaridideke
EBI Yeibo, an English lan
guage graduate of the
Delta State University Abraka,
indigenous to Ayakoromo
town in Burutu Local Government
of Delta State, Nigeria,
now a lecturer at Niger Delta
University, Bayelsa State, is a
poet of this generation with
MAIDEN LINES (a collection
of poems) to his credit. The
book published in 1997 has
generated a complex of differing
views among critics. To
some critics, Ebi Yeibo is an
obscurantist writer – an accusation
I see as untenable and
condemnable emanating from
the unconscious modernist
colouration in his poetry
which only committed and
serious – minded critics can
discover – which Ebi Yeibo
claims naturally as a reflection
of the modern period he
has been accidentally catapulted
into
I hate cosmetic approach to
any collection of poems.
Cosmetic review of any collection
of poems often produces
two unacceptable interpretational
possibilities: overvaluation
of the worth of a
work with “forced” facts not
validated by the materials of
the work, which rather shows
shallow-minded critical exploration,
and the devaluation of
the work occasioned by the
inability of the critic to give
the complexities in the work
a comprehensive organic
whole – which consequently
beclouds the worth of the
writer and his artistic vision.
So, I am poised to give a panorama
of Ebi Yeibo’s MAIDEN
LINES, pronounce an authoritative
judgement on the
work and set forth his artistic
vision.
Ebi Yeibo’s famous
obscurantist MAIDEN LINES
has thirty-four poems, each
with a clearly situated pathway.
The first poem of the
collection is titled “MER-
MAID”. Mermaid is portrayed
as a symbolism round
which the poet struggles in
life. Mermaid symbolises
Delta State University, Abraka
(Delsu) and how the poet,
undistracted, fired by the
records of predecessors, toils
to realise his academic dream
and comes home crowned.
As a student at the University
he surveys the environment
and with humility, without
over-self-valuation, he engages
his academic task devotedly.
As a newcomer, the poet
draws strength and sustenance
from the achievements
of his predecessors. His preoccupation
becomes that of
how to excel at the university.
“… And your spread
Takes over my blood
Like the flood”.
The degree he obtains at the
university is the crown he
has. Crowned, he finds solace
and strength from his alluring
performance at the university.
The poet feels at
ease like a traveller home in
his destination.
Ebi Yeibo did not only have
second-class upper at the
Delsu, Abraka, but has
equally become a celebrated
poet of his generation. Mermaid,
traditionally a river god
A panorama of Ebi Yeibo’s Maiden
Lines
in Izon, symbolising here
Delsu, has become a guide for
hardwork and commitment.
The poem captures his pride
in Delsu as a centre of academic
excellence. Symbolically,
Mermaid has become
the force from whose reservoir
the poet will draw strength to
Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe for Edozie’s New Nigerian
Conjuctures in Lagos
By Japhet Alakam
AFTER a successful
outing in his last solo that
focused on the culture and art of
the Onitsha people tagged Shifting
the Paradigm hosted by the
Museum Of Contemporary
Art,North Miami,one of Nigeria’s
leading contemporary artists,
George Edozie is set to hit the
art space again with another exhibition
of paintings and sculpture
titled New Nigerian
Conjuctures: The art of George
Edozie.The exhibition will as
usual showcase some of the
latest works and some from his
rich art collection.It will open
on 5th September 2018 and run
till 15th September at National
Museum Onikan, Lagos.
The solo which will be graced
by prominent art collectors, patrons,
scholars and colleagues
will also host the art loving
monarch of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred
Nnemeka Achebe, Obi of
Onitsha who is the special
guest of honour.George Edozie
is among artists making waves
in the contemporary art space
who studied Fine and Applied
Arts at the University of Benin
in 1996. He is both a painter
and fabric sculptor, and his
works are widely collected
within and outside the country.
Edozie who was co-founder of
the Art group, Artzero and a
consultant, has taken part in Art
workshops within and outside
Nigeria. He was part of Africa
Now organized by the World
Bank for emerging African Artists
at the World Bank main
face future
challenges in
his struggles.
In the poem,
U N C E R -
TAINTY, the
poet posits
that, as adventurous
as man
is in this life
defined by vicissitudes,
man’s glorious
dreams can be
only realised
within the
framework of
destiny which
no one can divine.
MORTALITY
What the
poem echoes is
inescapability
and invisibility
of death but
the poet is saddened
and
mystified by
the death of
people cut
down in their prime. The poet
sees no difference in fate between
seeds sown and man.
Both are helpless creatures uncertain
of the future.
I CAN’T LEAVE HER
(For Delsu)
Academically nourished by
Delsu in many ways in his uni-
*An impression by George Edozie
complex Washington DC USA in
2008 and African Way of Art, La
Artyrama exhibits Identity Tones
By Osa Mbonu-Amadi
All is set at the Artyrama Popup
Gallery for the exhibition of
the works of a multi-disciplinary
artist, John Madu, titled Identity
Tones. Madu’s works are
represented in iconographic
symbols, texture, colours and
indigenous patterns. His is
influenced by the philosophy that
true art is based on a chain
reaction to socio-economic issues
and the artist’s immediate
environment.Identity Tones is a
collection of Madu’s most recent
work in which he contemplates the
effect of globalization on African
identity using collages, portraiture,
figurative symbolism and mixed
media to bring it to life. The eclectic
mix of source material is
influenced by pop culture,
versity days, now full of a
sense of appreciation and
pride, the poet feels gripped
by Delsu like a faithful concubine
he cannot part way
with. Here university is
painted as place where student
rely majorly on their
individual efforts, with little
input from lecturers, to go
home crowned deservedly.
RE-UNION
This poem celebrates reconciliation
and re-union after
a moment of battle
caused by ignorance between
hitherto united people.
It also symbolically
shows the separation between
man and God in moments
of sinfulness and acceptance
by God in moments
of repentance.
THE WEEDS
The poet shows his revulsion
against extermination
of humanity by criminals
like Lawrence Anini and
approval of government’s
merciless wrath against
them. Criminals are pernicious
to society and which
calls for their eradication by
government. Mosaic-like,
the poet sanctions the philosophy
of tooth-for-tooth
through the extermination
of marauding criminals.
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Galerie Vendome Paris France
in 2011.
African art history, music and
life experiences.
Speaking on the collection,
Madu said “My works reflect
the time we live in. The
spread of popular culture via
social media has created an
increase in cross-cultural
contacts which is a good
thing, but original cultural
practices can be lost in the
process. Identity Tones
captures how I interpret this
new state of consciousness in
this work.”
Madu has had two solo shows
and has participated in group
shows across the country. The
exhibition, scheduled to begin on
17 August with a one-hour
fireside chat with the artist will
hold at the Artyrama Popup
Gallery, 1b Alhaji Masha, off
Terra Kulture
receives
TripAdvisor
certificate of
excellence
By Prisca Sam-Duru
Leading arts, culture,
lifestyle and educational
center in Nigeria, Terra Kulture
has been awarded the 2018
TripAdvisor Certificate of
Excellence. Now in its eighth
year, the award celebrates
businesses that have earned
great traveller reviews on the
TripAdvisor platform over the
past year. Certificate of
excellence recipients over the
years include attractions,
restaurants and accommodations
located all over the world that
have continually delivered
quality customer experience.The
certificate of excellence accounts
for the quality and quantity of
reviews submitted by travellers
on TripAdvisor over a 12-month
period. To qualify, a business
must maintain an overall
TripAdvisor bubble rating of at
least four out of five, have a
minimum number of reviews
and must have been listed on
TripAdvisor for at least 12
months.
Speaking on the award, Founder
of Terra Kulture, Bolanle
Austen-Peters said, “It gives us
great pleasure to announce that
we have just been awarded the
2018 Certificate of Excellence
from TripAdvisor. Terra Kulture
is a multiple TripAdvisor
Certificate of Excellence
recipient and we’d like to thank
our customers, art enthusiasts,
sponsors and patrons for your
unflinching support over the past
15 years. We couldn’t possibly
have done all this without you”
Vice President of Industry
Marketing, TripAdvisor,
Heather Leisman noted that
“TripAdvisor is excited to
announce the recipients of the
2018 Certificate of Excellence,
which celebrates experiences
and other travel businesses that
have consistently received
strong ratings on the world’s
largest travel site”.This
recognition allows us to publicly
honour businesses that are actively
engaging with customers and
using feedback to help travellers
identify and confidently book the
perfect trip” she said.
Ademola Street near Awolowo
Road Ikoyi, Lagos.