Young people of Enugu State have smiled home with various cash prizes and commendation letters, as winners in the art competition to depict the transition from Monday sit-at-home to productive Monday emerged.

The joint winners are Mstr. Nwachukwu Sunday and Ms. Ukeje Olubebe Victory, while Ms. Nkiruka Ogbonna is the runner-up.

The competition, according to the Special Assistant to Governor Peter Mbah on Visual Communications, Mr. Great Okeke, was put together to allow the youth of the state to tell their stories during and after the sit-at-home.

“The governor came in and made that declaration that there was no longer sit-at-home in Enugu State. So, after one year, we tried to put the art competition together for the youth of Enugu State to tell us their own stories about the sit-at-home.

“For instance, you know the students were among the most hit because they did not go to school on Monday before now. They lost 52 days out of the 365 days in each year that it lasted. And, at the end of the day, those in secondary school would still compete with others in Lagos or other states in the same examinations such as JAMB UTME and WAEC,” Okeke stated.

Presenting the prizes, the Secretary to State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, expressed happiness over the restoration of the entrepreneurship, productivity, and studies in all parts of the state on Monday, saying the sit-at-home was a sad and shameful part of the state’s history it wants to put behind it.

“One of the key things the governor said at the very beginning was that the sit-at-home syndrome that had lasted and changed what we are as a people, who are entrepreneurial and fearless, was over in Enugu.

“Before that, activities in Enugu State dwindled and you can see the first drawing here shows the very basic things that happened: people going out to sell, but they could not anymore because they were scared of the confusion, the chaos, the running around, and of course the syndrome that when you moved around and you saw the Sienna and it was tinted, that something bad was going to happen.

“So, I am happy that I can see the transition you depicted and that joy and order have come back. You were selected because you really reflected the thinking of this administration. In your storyline, you expressed the desires of the governor for Ndi Enugu to feel that level of safety, for commerce to come, for our people to live in joy and peace, and for our state to be great again,” Prof. Onyia stated.

Speaking, the winners, Nwachukwu Ozoemena and Ukeje Oluebube, said they were motivated by the theme of the competition, especially given the frustrations they suffered as students and youth while the sit-at-home lasted.

“The theme says “The echoes of sit-at-home”. So, immediately I saw the theme, I was very thrilled and it encouraged me to say yes, I need to do that which I have been keeping in mind. I said let me express myself.

“The message here is that anybody should move around and do his or her businesses because Enugu State today is free on Monday as other days of the week. Normalcy has returned because this current administration has actually helped us by keeping up with the promise to protect lives and property,” Ozoemena said.

On her part, Ms. Ukeje said, “My first painting depicts the dark part of the sit-at-home where I used the tomato seller as a topic. From the picture you see Sienna and whenever people see Sienna they will scamper for safety because of fear of the unknown gunmen.

“From the second painting, you could see her sitting at home and peeping through the window, seeing the unknown gunmen with their Sienna and no one is moving because of fear. “But the third picture depicts the return of normalcy on Monday after the emergence of Dr. Peter Mbah as the governor of Enugu State. The woman can now take her perishables to the market and sell since there are security personnel everywhere. She is now happy.”

Awka Development Union, Nigeria, (ADUN,) Lagos State chapter, the umbrella body of indigenes of the community in Lagos has outlined series of events to celebrate the rich cultural heritage and traditions of Awka town at its 12th biannual Awka Day celebration.

The events lined for this year’s celebrations are weaved together with tradition, regality, and opulence.

Chief Francis Sequence Anagor, chairman of Awka Day 2024 Planning Committee, said that the weeklong event will feature youth day; couples’ night; and empowerment day for indigents of the community.

According to Anagor, the event will culminate on Sunday, November 23 with marchpast by all the villages as well as awards to some deserving members of the community.

“Importantly, there will be live display of our blacksmithing craft. Like you are aware, blacksmithing products of Awka of different shapes adorn homes, offices and museums across the world especially in British and American museums. All of these tell the story of the Awka man as the originator of blacksmithing trade across the world” Anagor added.

He said that “The event is very important to us because it brings together seven Igbo groups sharing common blood lineage divided into two sections. Ifite Section, the senior section, comprises four groups, Ayom-na-Okpala, Nkwelle, Amachalla, and Ifite-Oka followed by Ezinator section, which consists of three groups, Amikwo, Ezi-Oka and Agulu. Each of these groups has a number of villages. All together, Awka comprises 33 villages.” Anagor added.

He said that ADUN Lagos has been an agency through which innovations and development purposes are achieved for the community.

As agent of social change, ADUN Lagos has demonstrated that, through collective action, it can improve on their material conditions of existence, mobilise against the out-group, and defend a common cause.

Awka is the capital of Anambra State and the region in ancient times was the site of the Nri Civilization that produced the earliest documented bronze works in Sub-Saharan Africa around 800 AD.

Prior to the 20th century, Awka was famous for metal working. 

Its blacksmiths were prized throughout the region for making farming implements, weapons and tools.

Samsung is promoting the Korean city of Busan as the host for World Expo 2030 with every opportunity it gets, and one such opportunity is the recent courtesy call on the Busan Goodwill Ambassador, Nike Okundaye on the 56th anniversary of the Nike Art Gallery.

As part of the Korea Republic’s efforts at securing the hosting right for the 2030 Busan World Expo scheduled for May 1 to October 31, 2030, the country, through its embassy in Nigeria, on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, unveiled the renowned Nigerian artist and curator, Nike Okundaye, as its Goodwill Ambassador.

Samsung’s delegation who were at the glamorous Nike Art Gallery, Lekki, Lagos, further promoted South Korea’s candidacy bid with a view to making Busan World Expo 2023, a dream come true for the country.

World Expo is a fair that takes place only every five years, with its location changing every time. The next Expo is set to take place in 2025 in Japan, but the location for Expo 2030 has yet to be decided, which is why Samsung is doing its best to vote in the Korean city of Busan.

The Republic of Korea, in 2021, submitted a letter of candidature to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) to organize World Expo 2030 in the city of Busan with the theme: “Transforming our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future”. The voting for the 2030 World Expo site selection is scheduled for this November 2023.

Busan, a prominent port city, has an enviable history of holding mega global events such as the Asian Games and APEC Summit, which it hosted in 2002 and 2005 respectively.

Busan also serves as a notable transportation and logistics hub and a connecting passageway from the Eurasian continent to the Asia-Pacific via its airports, high-speed railways, top edged ports and other infrastructure. As the cultural nexus of the region, Busan is reputed to be a popular city of cultural festivals, arts and film.

It has successfully hosted many events such as the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), Busan Fireworks Festival, One Asia Festival and a global K-Culture Pop Music Festival.

The municipality has also played host to memorable conferences like the 2011 Busan World Development Institute General Assembly, 2014 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, 2014 &2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit, 2015 IDB Annual Meeting and the 2022 International Forwarders Associations (FIATA) World Congress.

Besides epitomising the proposed theme, the candidate city, with a population of about 3.5 million and average of 40 million tourists visiting annually, is strategically located on the southeastern tip of the Korean peninsula and boasts of well-equipped infrastructure.

Charlie Lee, Managing Director, Samsung Nigeria, who led the delegation thanked Nike Okundaye who is rallying the support of Nigeria in promoting the Republic of Korea and the candidacy of Busan in Nigeria and the entire West Africa.

Responding, Nike thanked the Samsung team for the visit. She applauded Samsung for the confidence the business has in Nigeria. She prayed that Busan would win the hosting rights.

[Source]