CALL FOR SUBMISSION: CHILD HERO STORY CONTEST & FILM PROJECT (II)

Dear AMblog Readers, great News! The CHILD HERO project is set for it’s next film project!

Over the years, we have brought together literary creatives to a banquet of passion and creativity, by addressing through literary means, various issues that affect humanity.

In 2014, we began with our 12 Days Of Christmas Poetry competition, in 2015 we had the unforgettable Patriots For Change Creativity Contest, and in 2015/2016 came the CHILD HERO Story Contest & Film Project.

The CHILD HERO STORY CONTEST & FILM PROJECT is a Peregrine Reads initiative under the auspices of the Child Hero Empowerment Campaign founded by Chinonye J. Chidolue, aimed at consciously spurring the minds of the public with the harsh socio-economic and psychological factors that affect the orphaned children in the society on a daily basis.

Following the thriving completion of its maiden edition, which had the winning story by Elemide Benjamin filmed and still sustaining television showcase on Nigerian stations till date, the CHILD HERO dream has grown bigger, giving birth to more projects which fruitfully spanned across the year 2016, touching the lives of the orphaned children in the society, one orphanage/disabled home after another.

Video : The Best Poem Ever

As seen in O le ku. One on the best movies by Mainframe Productions.

This poem is somehow lost in translation. Sorry, if you don't understand Yoruba

Features : Open Letter To Nnamdi Kanu. (A Must Read)

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu was arrested on October 15, 2015 and he is currently facing trial for alleged treason.

Jegede Abayomi writes an open letter to the Biafran leader expressing his mixed feelings.



Dear Mr. Nnamdi Kanu,

You might not be able to read this; but I do hope it reaches you somehow. I wanted to tell you how I admire you, especially with the leadership role you are playing in leading the “progressive” Ibo people under the aegis of Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) from the South-east geo-political zone of this country. It requires courage far greater than I could muster.

Also of importance to this letter is about the struggle to rescue this country and find a sustainable solution to our decades long problem emerging from the nooks and crannies of this entity.

102 years ago, the Northern and the Southern protectorate of Nigeria were amalgamated by the British colonial Governor Sir Fredrick Lugard for administrative purposes. Such union had been fought in the past by some of our founding fathers.

Features : What Is Great About The “Great Nigerian Students” – Adeyeye Femi.

What is Great about the “Great Nigerian Students”.

          Written by: Adeyeye Femi, UNILAG.

Great Nigerian Students!, the response comes as “Great!”; this is a close – to – the – lip ‘song’ of students in Nigeria from time immemorial. The dialogue has served as an insignia / emblem of the Nigerian students when they meet locally or internationally. It is yet said louder especially in the face of a fierce protest against the School management on the premise of what they call Unionism or better decorated as Activism.

The belief is that during these “protests”, ye dialogue reminds them of their greatness and how they should be treated as a people on such scenery but dropping all quips and verbal plethora of sentiments,pride,self – aggrandisement and bigotry, Are they really GREAT?.

What is great about a student who doesn’t understand the political structure of the country where he studies?,

FEATURED : Apply for Writivism’s 2017 Creative Writing Mentoring

Writivism Literary Initiative is pleased to announce that our 2017 online Mentoring Programme is now open for applications. A project of the Centre for African Cultural Excellence, Writivism identifies, mentors, publishes and promotes emerging African writers resident in any country on the African continent.

Now, in its fifth year, the Writivism programme provides online mentoring to emerging writers of fiction and creative nonfiction. An emerging writer is defined as one who is yet to publish a book. The mentoring will involve the emerging writer sending their work to the mentor (a published or award winning African writer), who will provide feedback on how the work can be improved.

The emerging writer will work on their story under the mentor’s guidance. All stories produced during the mentoring will be automatically entered for the 2017 Writivism Short Story and Koffi Addo Prizes. Previous mentees can apply to participate in the programme so long as they have not yet published a book.

Click Here to know More : //homelandreviews.com

SWAAPawards 2017 CALL FOR NOMINATION ENTRIES

The Organizers of Spoken Words Arts and Poetry (SWAAP) awards have released nominations into various categories of the awards events set to hold in March, 2017.
The Awards is a platform for celebrating ambitious and Career driven Nigerian students in various fields of endeavors particularly areas of Social and Artistic interest as what they aspire to.

THE NOMINATION CATEGORIES INCLUDE:

SPOKEN WORDS CATEGORY

• Best Student Spoken Word Artiste
• Best Student Spoken Word Video
• Spoken Word Recording of the Year By Student

FINE ARTS CATEGORY

• Contemporary Artiste of the Year
• Best In Nature Depiction
• Best Use of Colour to Express Emotion
• Best in Imaginative Work (Abstract)
• Pencil Drawing of the Year

PHOTOJOURNALISM / PHOTOGRAPHY CATEGORY

• Fashion Photographer
• Studio Photographer
• Photojournalist of the Year
• Student Photographer of the Year ( Any Form of Photography)

POETRY / LITERARY / WRITER'S CATEGORY

• Best Student Poet
• Best Student Writer Award ( All Literary Work )
• Non – Fiction Awards
• Flash Fiction Awards

THEATRE / PERFORMING ARTS CATEGORIES

• Best Actor (Stage or Film)
• Best Actress (Stage or Film )
GENERAL AWARDS CATEGORIES
• Best Use Of Social Media
• Best Campus Blog
• Promising Artiste on Campus ( Music )

NON – VOTING CATEGORY

• Student OAP of the Year
• Enterprising Student of the Year
• Creative Student of the Year

(This category will be decided by the SWAApawards Committee)

HOW TO ENTER FOR SWAAPawards 2017

• Name:
• Institution:
• Category
• Phone Number
• Email Address (Valid email)
• Please send a Link of the Project you wish to Nominate or attach it to the email.

Note: You can nominate someone and also nominate yourself.

Send your nominations via email to: swaapawards@gmail.com Nominations closes February 10 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFO OR TICKET RESERVATIONS, PARTNERSHIP OR SPONSORSHIP

Tel: 08082960017 | 08034833425

Email: swaapawards@gmail.com

Website: www.swaapawards.com

Powered By: BYAFRIQ PROMOTIONS

Engage Us on Our Social Media Platforms @swaapawards using the Hashtag #SwaapawardsNG

Omidan Yoruba Beauty Pageant 2017

The Omidan Yoruba Beauty pageant is a reality styled 
beauty pageant which has a blended culture and tradition where the beauty practices of the Yoruba culture will be highlighted with olden days and today's beauty techniques using products that enhance beauty physically .

The theme for Omidan Yoruba Beauty Pageant is 
“The Beauty of Culture”

The pageant will also showcase the talent and
creativity of the young Yoruba women and her
impact in society. The first half of the pageant will be the viewer’s choice while the latter half will be determined by Judges.

There would also be special Focus on Miss Photogenic which will be the viewer's choice and judged via social media Campaign.

The fashion, styling and carriage of the contestant will reflect the cultural Yoruba lifestyle of Olden days.

Using locally designed fabric such as the Aso-Oke ,Ankara and Adire. The contestants will have 30% of the costume tailored with these fabrics.

There will be visits to Tourism/cultural sites such as the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Alake of Egba, Awujale of Ijebu, Akarigbo of Remo, Olu of Ilaro, etc and the Adire pits in Abeokuta, Olumo Rock and Erin-Ijesha
waterfalls.

The pageant will be presented in Yoruba and English to showcase the entire pageant.

Auditions will take place across all Yoruba States, which includes Osun, Oyo, Edo, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Ondo, Lagos, and Ogun State.

Prizes to be won include:

· Star Prize – Car
· Cash Prize 
· Modeling Contract
. Ambassadors 

Consolation Prizes include, Tickets for Vacation
Trips Phone and Tablets, Household Electronics,
Beauty Products, Gifts, Vouchers and many more.
The grand finale will be in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital.

Form fee: 5,000 payable to FCMB 
Account No 3620448011 
Acct Name: Voice of Yoruba Youth

Fill your form here https://goo.gl/etR4ex

Form closes on February 28th 2017.

For Enquires: call 08038391081, 08182943832 or whatsapp 08169452055 
Email : omidanyoruba@gmail.com 
Facebook: Omidan Yoruba 
Instagram: Omidan Yoruba

A REVIEW OF DENJA ABDULLAHI'S DEATH AND THE KING'S GREY HAIR - BY OLANIYI ABDULWAHEED

In every society, there must be a leader. A leader who is ready to refurbish the land, lead by example and abides by the laws of the society. A leader who is respected by his subjects is the one that serves the nation relentlessly and bends for the rule of law. The law of every society defines its power, culture and tradition. The uniqueness of a tradition in a particular nation is reserved in the constitution and how the people of the state respect the rule of law. When the power of a nation is given to a particular person to maintain orderliness, peace and harmony reigns if the ruler or king obeys political culture. Leaders must lead by example lest things fall apart.

The play Death and the King’s Grey Hair centres around the ancestral culture of the people of Shakaga village. According to their unwritten constitution , a king rules for a short period of time, it is a taboo for him to live with signs of ageing,.The village only witnesses young kings and short reigns. The law of the land does not permit any king to stay long on the throne. The ancestral tradition of kingship in Shakaga started during the time of Jigulu, their founding father.

The trend of tradition exists for ages in the village and the people of the land witness no king that stays long on the throne until the time of King Esutu. The terminal sign, which is grey hair, has not appeared on King Esutu’s head despite the fact that he has ruled beyond the expected time.
1ST WISEMAN: ‘…Esutu has ruled and handled enormous powers for fifteen seasons, the longest in the history of our land. And surprisingly the sign for departure refuses to come.’

Short Story : The Blue Lace by Hadiza Muhammad

The Blue Lace by Hadiza Muhammad




Maman Laraba came out of her house with a rag in her left hand. She picked the dusty boots by the door and dusted them. The boots belonged to her husband who doubled as a farmer and an Insecticide seller; he had travelled to Zaria in his other pair of shoes, the leather slippers.

She placed the boots close to the door. The house was a small room inside a compound that had a row of five single rooms that faced east. Each room was occupied by a family. The room next to hers was occupied by a man selling ground nut oil, and his wife and four children. It had a small window that was missing its shingle. It was covered by an old half of a Bagco sack that the Sun couldn’t peep through.

She wiped the sweat on her forehead with the back of her right hand and went to the kitchen to pick her large tanda and washed the inside with well water. She wanted to sell Wena and Miyan Geda. She stared at the bungalow opposite the kitchen shed. The lady Copa had not awoken.

She rinsed the biscuit bone she had bought yesterday for fifty naira, and added it to the boiling mixture of her groundnut soup.

‘‘Hanatu, please go and buy thirty naira groundnuts,’’ she said.

Poem : “Dodomu” by Alokan Oyedele

Dodomu



Sheep of a leaderless flock

Cradled in fate’s dicey grip

The babies of breastless mothers

Sons of busy fathers

Workers without pay

Citizens without gain

Slaves of circumstance

Passengers of destiny

Short Story : THINKING ALOUD

Thinking Aloud





I just had a sumptuous meal for the first time in weeks. Lying down on my small mattress in a room filled with mosquitoes, I can’t help but think of a letter in the English alphabet. Yes, the alphabets that the white man left for us after our fathers parted ways with them. Can you guess the alphabet on my mind?

I’m sure that if I leave you to make 10 attempts you’ll likely not get it. However, I’m certain you’ll mention the alphabet on my mind if I allow you make twenty six guesses. Do you know why you’ll get the answer correct if you make twenty six guesses? Your guess is as good as mine.

Well, the alphabet on my mind is the letter B.

Get a cup of coffee or water (if you don’t do coffee), sit down and let me tell you why the letter B is on my mind this night.

Short Story : IS MMM REALLY BACK

I was struggling very hard to look at Musa sympathetically when he finished telling me this story last Friday. As the words ‘ndo, pele, sannu and sorry’ kept tumbling out of my mouth, deep down my heart I concluded that he was not just a fool but also an idiot.

As a bachelor who’s currently experiencing the gnawing bite of the economy of this country (no thanks to MMM and Christmas celebration that drained the money I had in my account), I punch the calculator these days before I decide to buy a bag of sachet water, and when I eventually make up my mind to buy, I don’t drink water as much as I used to so that the bag of water would last longer. Of course, that’s an exaggeration but I feel that there’s no better way to explain my financial predicament than to use the sachet water scenario_____ water is life. Be that as it may, I know that my situation would change for good once January salary shows or the moment MMM merges me for payment. Honestly, I’ve NEVER been this broke in my life.

Before I go into the story that Musa, my colleague (whom I’m ashamed to call my friend after listening to him tell me his story at lunch break two days ago), let me paint a little picture of the current situation of yours truly. I got a job at one of the ministries in Nigeria in August last year

Review : Artcentral Gallery: Home for Quality Artworks

Nigeria’s first online general art gallery www.artcentral.gallery has just commenced operations. Artcentral provides an avenue for artists to upload their various artworks ranging from sculptures, carvings, drawings, paintings, metal-works and all other forms of art. The website helps with the marketing and sale of various artworks present on the site.

Artcentral Gallery: Home for Quality Artworks

The website is owned and managed by Don-Uwaj Global Concepts which is also an institutional member of Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), which is the foremost institution where all artists in Nigeria ought to belong.

STORY : Konji Express

“Egbon! How body na? How every and school package? Hope e dey gel and 1 + 1 na still 2. You nor even say make you call persin. Thank God for Whatsapp bundle, persin for no see you follow talk. No be soooo! Well, me just say make I say hail you sha plus this place dry gaaaan! E nor be like our former house. No better bae. Maale just dey para for me, na me be Jamb?Abeg when you dey come back? Gist dey!”

The message made me laugh, Dayo would never change. If not babe, it is money. After several unsuccessful attempts, he kind of lost interest for Higher National Diploma – HND. Well, I trust mumsy to seat on his neck concerning that. Funny enough, he just reminded me how long I have been away from home. Maybe five or six month sha, after I refused to go home for first semester break.

Apete looked like the fading smile of a dying mother. Slowly the sun lost its presence, and legs, raised dusts to the sky. The scene is sometimes uncomfortable, but a beauty to watch, reminding me of Lagos. I think it is an addiction to the roughness of a typical Lagos ghetto life. No wonder I decided to rent a house at the heart of the market.

Ruka, my indigene want-to-be girlfriend is out already, setting up their food stand. Their shop is across the road, opposite my house. Her mum owns the place – Yahoo Rice – every students’ favorite canteen. Aside addictions to the internet and women – Wait! Who doesn’t like women? – I’m a foodie. And that also depends on your definition of foodie; I love to eat and not cook. You see, Ruka is important to the ministry. She likes me, I like food, and she has food.

Face Of SWAAPawards 2017 Registration Opens

The face of swaapawards is open to every female of a recognised higher institution in Nigeria

The pageant will highlight and bring to light accomplishments made by young ladies. These accomplishments will focus on education, intelligence, leadership, independence, commitment to humanity, and a desire for peace throughout campuses in Nigeria. The SWAAPawards team believes this is what true beauty personifies. The Face of SWAAPawards Pageant focus for its contestants is to enhance the inner and outer beauty of Modern young girls while they gain self-confidence and passion within themselves; thus, the Face of SWAAPawards Beauty Pageant 2017 theme is “I Am Beautiful”.

WINNERS BENEFITS:

WINNER (FACE OF SWAAPawards)

Winner Get Rhinestone Crown

Award Plaque / Certificate

Automatic qualification for Miss Tourism Oyo state.

Life on the Mainland

This is how I know I’m on the mainland: the sound of the muezzin at five a.m. from a nearby mosque, the noise from the flight route above the roof, the price of Star (about a hundred naira above pump price).



On the Island of the affluent in Lagos, I rarely hear aircrafts buzzing in the sky, except the posh helicopters of the busy rich. The airport and flight noise doesn’t affect the airspace, it devalues the land.

The rich pretend to pray, God is on the mainland, land on the island is too expensive to build too many worship centres. The island was not built for beer. It’s the hub of champagne, spirits, and wine. Beer is for the road, an appetiser, bottled on the mainland.

The mainland is crowded with families. Life on the island has no friends, everything is cash or waka. The roads are expensively tolled, the schools are US Dollars, and a smile might cost some naira. The island expands and the mainland remains the same. Under neon lights, millions of mainland ants trample on the Third Mainland Bridge into the island of dreams. Many die on the bridge, many earn a kobo, and many rob the others. The Island goes to the mainland, only to fly.

June 12 1993: Annulment by Abraham Oshoko, now on sale!!!

The second instalment of the June 12 graphic novel series by Abraham Oshoko went on sale today, June 12 2013 to mark the 20th anniversary of Nigeria’s most historic election.

If you’re wondering what happened today 20 years ago then you should definitely purchase a copy of this full colour, thrilling graphic account of the election, it’s annulment and the descent into chaos.

Who were the key players and how did their actions change Nigeria forever? Find out in June 12 1993: Annulment by Abraham Oshoko published under Kachifo’s Farafina imprint.

Click Here to Buy .