The Nigerian government has launched a national image campaign aimed at reversing the negative perception held by people about that country and its people. The campaign kicked off with the launch of the slogan and logo in Abuja, Nigeria.
The vice President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who unveiled and presented the logo/slogan to the public said the re-branding launch does not mean a quick solution to the plethora of problems prevalent in the country.

The problems he listed included poor road network, epileptic power supply, poor health service, corruption, unemployment, election rigging, internet scam, drugs and other negative attributes that Nigeria has been associated with over the years. These he said will not just disappear but as the re-branding campaign subsists there will be a national ethical revolution that would nip them in the bud.

He urged Nigerians to continue to make valuable sacrifice, develop a positive mindset that things can work well in the country, be committed to upholding community value and live by integrity. While the government would pursue the Millennium Development Goals in building the institutions that would encourage national re-orientation, moral re-armament, and holistic push to inculcate believe in Nigeria as government is run with a responsive spirit to the need of the people on the pedestal of the rule of law.

The Chairman of the occasion, Yakubu Gowon, said no matter the negative perception held about Nigeria and its people, the problem can be redeemed if all Nigeria will develop positive attitude towards Nigeria and stop running it down with acts and words.

He urged the leadership to lead by examples and work to make better lives for the average Nigeria. Then it will be difficult to neither celebrate the ills nor be held ransom to the criminal few whose activities are seen as representation of what Nigeria is.

The Minister of Information and Communication, Professor Dora Akunyili, said though similar image re-branding projects had been undertaken in the past like the MAMSER, WAI and HEART OF AFRICA PROJECT, the present version is different because it is home grown, launched in Nigeria and propelled by Nigerians to make Nigeria be seen as a positive and good world citizen.

With the project, other nationals will not be trusted to tell Nigeria stories from their perspectives. Nigerians must therefore acknowledge their good attributes and celebrate them with believe in themselves. Then with systematic information dissemination activities minds will be re-orientated and Nigeria can be equipped to tell Nigeria stories.

The re-branding she said, will attract foreign investors, tourists, create employment for Nigerians, reduce crime, build trusted institutions, make Nigerian want to do things for Nigeria, stop harassing of Nigerians at embassies, airports in other countries and build a strong Nigeria spirit of wanting to ‘die for one’s country’.

Professor Akunyili said the project is people centered, internally based, motivate, inspire and promote the Nigerian and national values. It is people private public partnership venture to create rigorous awareness, encourage participatory/consultative approaches and regular national tour to every state of the federation.

The focus will beam on school children also for value orientation, build honesty and get valuable feedback from all the regions with the committee of information commissioners in the states headed by Edet Asim of Cross Rivers State coordinating their state activities.

The slogan is ‘Nigeria, Good people great Nation’ created by Chike Obinah. Already the slogan will be sent via cell phones to 60 million Nigerians.

2009 world tuberculosis day has been observed with a focus to raise public awareness on the danger associated with the disease in Nigeria.

This year’s theme being I AM STOPPING TB is based on the need to check the spread of the disease in the developing countries of 22 in number with Nigeria rated the fifth TB burdened country.

The opinion of a cross section of the public in Port Harcourt and Obio Akpor local government in Rivers State and Yanagoa was sampled Tamunobarabi Gogo Ibulubo who observed that most of them claimed ignorance of the effect of tuberculosis and any meaning full effort done either by the government or individual to stem TB.

They called for more public enlightenment campaign by the government to enable members of the public to identify the infection and how to access medical facilities.
According to them, they encourage their friends or relations who show signs of protracted cough to consult relevant medical practitioners for assistance.

The state TB control officer Dr. Bamidele Agborubere and the World Health Organisation south-South Zonal officer for TB Dr. Michael Jose said TB is a killer disease and advised that any one who has experienced persistent cough for two weeks to go for TB screening test and treatment .

They encouraged members of the public to avail themselves of the twenty two TB diagnostics centres located at health centres in eighteen local government areas in Rivers State. Members of the public can also go the one hundred and thirteen Dot-centres for attention. The treatment for TB is free with modalities being concluded to make diagnosis free also.

The noted that most of the death witnessed among HIV/AIDS victims is reinforced by TB presence in the person and called for commensurate attention for TB situation as given to HIV/AIDS.

They advised affected people not to expose their sputum, avoid overcrowded places, and open their windows and doors for cross ventilation in order to check TB in the society.

It will be a great comfort if one had come to your assistance to solve or get a task done that you have spent longer time fixing. This is what mentoring avails the ill experienced individual and helps him/her attain set or required goals faster and maximize potentials.

We all want gain but at what price? If gain was free and easy we would all sign up. However, it is not. In order to gain something we need to lose something. Trying to plow our way through life and accepting the rewards of  hard work often times seems like a good enough gain. What seems like great gain and steady progress to you, might be far less than what God has planned for you.

One form of being mentored is discipleship. A disciple is simply a learner. If we take what we learn from another guy who has traveled the long and dusty road before us, and apply it to our life we gain wisdom.

Want some mentoring help then look for a mentor in your community.

The procession of floats and troupes that participated in the Rivers State cultural festival christened ‘Carniriv 2008,our culture our pride’ began at about nine thirty five this morning 5^th December 2008 when the Nigeria motorcycle club members led by Charley Boy drove their powered bikes, not only to pull out more spectators from where they lurking but to trill them.

Thereafter, the floats, numbering about 29, depicting various indigenous sea animals, birds and other cultural identities of the accompanying groups, drove out from the premises of the Catholic Institutes of West Africa along the Port Harcourt Aba expressway unto the road.

All  the twenty local governments have floats including some corporate organization ,hoteliers, Nollywood actors as well as National Youths Service Corps members that lined up the stretched of Port Harcourt Aba expressway between the Rumuomasi, market and the artillery junctions.

It was at this point that the State government right honourable Chibuike Amaechi and members of the State executives councils joined in the procession climbing up to the leading float, a well decorated typical canoe.

From this point , the floats processed to Airforce, Rumuola  and the Waterlines junctions where some of the cultural groups found some convenient spaces to display their dance steps with  enormous excitement at with repeated cheering by spectators.

Some of the spectator expressed great joy for the carnival, noting that it has provided a forum for common sharing and play together to show case the rich culture of the state.

They said the carnival has defied the fear that has enslaved the people and given them the liberty to come out without any doubt to display the rich culture of the people of Rivers State.

Already, Governor Amaechi said the carnival would be a yearly event.

The last time such carnival was organized in Rivers State was in 1988.

The evening of poetry reading at the Delta Hotels in Port Harcourt to mark the November 2008 edition was more colourful and exciting in many ways than one. It attracted a large attendance; enthusiastic lovers of literature, up-coming and published poets who were desirous to read their poems to the pool of critical audience who offered useful critiques.

There were laughter and clapping of hands to each reading but be sure that high ovation and applause never attend reading of good poems. At best, what was observed was a rapped attention displayed by them and a  deep mind contemplation to find out possible meanings  of each of the poems. For the audience would have been lost in such intellectual travel to remember to clap.

Among the number of readers at this Rivers State branch of the Association of Nigeria Authors [ANA] was Tamunobarabi Gogo Ibulubo who read two of his poems; Pronounce the sentence and Okrika rising which are part of the collection he has earmarked for paper cover publication in 2009.It got critique and stood out as an effort that matches the poet’s standard and meet the taste of poetry. It was the first time for him to do such public reading and with the commendation, his is determined to make public more of his poems.

Also lined up for the evening were graduands of class nine of the Elechi Amadi school of creative writing. Only seven of the ten students succeeded considered under categories of assessment; participation, merit, credit and distinction scaled through the huddles. Ms Enemesit Omofia emerged as the best graduating student with a gift of cash and Elechi Amadi’s ‘book the concubine’

The  Elechi Amadi school of creative writing  was set up to offer a plat form that would attend to the common problems Dr. Amadi had observed with scripts that has been brought to him by prospective writers. Dr. Amadi said that instead of the students being asked to pay forty thousand naira as fees, he has subsidized the fees allowing students to pay twenty thousand naira only.

The state chairman of ANA Minima welcomed the writers, lovers of literature and the graduands and reminded of the writer’s unbounded and parallel  world.

The 2009 literary competition for all secondary students in Rivers State will commence in  December 2008 while the BBC playwriting competition for 2009 is rolling  and would end in March 2009 as explained by the British Council, Rivers State Center Manager, Ms Patience Nwoke.

Democratic Senator Barack Obama has been elected as the Africa-America president of America.

To read this piece, you will go to the
http://www.africanewscom/site/list_topics/404.
Efforts are achieving it.