The Art of the marina

Dotun Alabi’s love for plein-air has seen him churning works in different themes. Joe Agbro Jr. was at the one day exhibition he held recently documenting the nuances of “A day along the Marina.“

Water holds a strong need and appeal. Just think of why people flock to the beaches, riverside, lakeside, and other bodies of water. Now, Imagine spending a full day at the Marina - taking in the visual aesthetics from the rising sun that makes the water blue, through the afternoon where visibility is high and at a distance the activities of the ships create a changing landscapes. The sombre period before a rain, the dullness after the rains, the distant shimmer of anchored ship lights at night, and even the distant ports in the fading lights of dark. Well, Dotun Alabi has saved one the tasking work of imagining these visuals, for he has captured over different twenty scenes of the ports in his one day salon exhibition titled “A day along the Marina”

All the marina paintings were done in Plein Air - a style that sees a painting completed at a go. It involves starting and ending a painting in a stretch without any break. The idea Alabi says, “is to arrest a scene and document it as it is. For these, the artist works in hurried strokes to catch the changing landscapes. For the varying and constantly changing moods, the technique is very apt; otherwise how would it be easy to capture scenes such as before the rains which is swiftly changing with each moment on canvass.

For Dotun, whose love for Plein-Air has seen him churning out the paintings, it provides him a platform to be prolific. I finished each of the paintings in about two hours,” he says. And looking at the paintings, the hurried brushstrokes betrays the haste in which he must he must have done those works. In addition, despite using the same theme - The Marina, no two painting are the same. “That is the beauty of Plein-Air. You can do a hundred paintings and not get similar things because the scenes keep changing” Alabi says, with the fervour of a believer.

The exhibition held at the home of Janneke, one of his students which resembles a museum with all sorts of art and crafts. while Alabi’s paintings lined the sitting room, arts and crafts made by herself, her children and bought ones mixed to infuse a measure of calm and beauty in the living room. In one of the room is a wall mural done in oil by Alabi, Janneke Van Idiven and the son, Guz with a scene right out from Star Wars, one of her child’s favourite series. The mural has a wow effect, but like the creative artist, he feels it is not his best

There were a series of works which revolved around the fast-paced game of Polo. For Dotun whose interest in the game lies in the fluid movements of the players which provides meat for his canvass. And he documented this in five paintings. His “Ships Along the Port” done in pastel expresses the lack of hurry of the ships to set sail again. And in “Lights out at Apapa,” the dark silhouettes of the ships are unmistakable and it is also suggestive of the perennial blackout which the country has become plagued with is suggestive. The artist also shows the beauty of womanhood with full-bodied suggestive curves as she portrays in “Sitted Figure,” a nudism.

“Initially, I wanted to capture the scenes from different sppots along the Marina on canvass, but the first day I put my easel at CMS bus stop to paint, street urchins otherwise known as “area boys” bombarded me. I didn’t want a situation where I would be thrown into the lagoon because of a painting,,” he said with a chuckle.

Alabi who had a successful outing last year with a travel exhibition ”Four Seasons and a Day” in Lagos and a joint exhibition with former classmates, now “Klass 97.” Along “the Marina” is his first outing this year, while he plans to embark on a national travel exhibition later in the year.

Ribadu's journey to Kuru: Azu's Post Mortem

 
 


 
The Executive Director of Publications at PUNCH Nigeria Limited, Mr. Azubuike, has been in the news since a few months back. This time, it is not for any reason related to his columns in THE PUNCH. Rather, it is because of the fresh debates that he has stirred with his book, The Trial of Nuhu Ribadu, in which he revisits the technical removal of the erstwhile Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Chairman, Mr Nuhu Ribadu.

In his columns, Azu had repeatedly argued that the government’s decision to get Ribadu out was wrong. But while this stance is still largely maintained in The Trial of Nuhu Ribadu, he takes a more holistic look at the issues surrounding the posting of Ribadu to the National Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos, Plateau State, he also examines ways to make the EFCC become more independent and manage its own affairs better.

Also, Azu, as he is fondly called, he reviews the circumstances that led to the formation of the commission, the progress it has made, the arguments of those who believed Ribadu should go, and what has happened in other counries like Kenya , Malawi and South Africa , where concerted attempts have been made to fight corruption. His conclusion in the chapter eight of the book is that corruption will always fight back.

 The writer's stand in other chapters variously titled No Smoke Without Fire, An Axe to Grind, The Ibori Conundrum, The War Goes on Trial, The Road not Taken and Reflections is further that in a country that is genuinely interested in fighting corruption and other related crimes, the offices of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Inspector General and the leadership of an institution such as the Economic and Financial Crime Commission ought to work in tandem. Where this unity of purpose and even approach is lacking for one reason or the other, the fight becomes slow and counterproductive, thus making the demon called corruption make a wider in-road into the fabrics of the society.

 Also before going into the author’s sizzling examination of the circumstances in which Ribadu had to go, and a critical review of the roes played by key stakeholders - such as the Federal Government, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Michael Aandoakaa; the Inspector-General of the Federation, Mike Okiro and, of course, political barons that operated behind the scene – there may be need to quickly mention another very important part of the book. This is in Appendix One where an extract of the EFCC Act 2004 is published. One is actually tempted to first ask the reader to study the act first. Doing so will make the theses contained in chapters one through ten more meaningful. But whether this is strictly adhered to or not, the reader has a good book in his hand.

It is the story of Ribadu, the story of corruption, and the story of Nigeria . The Chairman of Punch Nigeria Limited, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola, stressed this in the foreword he wrote to the book. First, Ogunshola too believes in the heroic courage that Ribadu made to bear on the fight against corruption, describing him as a rebel of a kind, "judging by the energy, dedication, commitment and messianic anger, the non-conformism and unusual loquacity with which he pursued his job as a chiarman of the EFCC." He then gives the reader a lift by giving a concise review of each of the chapters. But Ogunshola does not pretend that some people may hold opinions contrary to the writer's on the issues involved. He challenges such people to write their own books!

Incidentally, Azu notes in the preface that it was Ogunshola that provided the inspiration for the book, when, at a meeting, the chairman noted that elsewhere, the debates that surrounded Ribadu’s story would have been documented into a book.

“I took up the challenge quietly. I pursued those who know Nuhu intimately fand read up whatever I could find on him,' Azu writes in the preface. He then adds his conviction: "Nuhu has made a difference. I really believe that, and thought I should tell the story as I see it. I thought I should extend it, however briefly, to capture the progress in the anti-graft war in a few other African countries.”

And so begins the story with how members of the public, especially the elite and the media, received government’s move to remove Ribadu.The politics of his removal - in which the writer picks a gauntlet with the Federal government, Aandoakaa, Okiro and pro-Ribadu critics such as Chidi Amuta - dominates the chapters that follow. These are An Axe to Grind (with Andoaakaa); The Ibori Conundrum (a critical and passionate examinations of Ibori’s road to the EFFC’s net and the threat it spelt to Ribadu’s tenure); Patching it up in New York (where a revelation is made on how Aandoaakaa berated the excesses of the uncompromising Ribadu); The War Goes on Trial (where, on the pages of newspapers, the likes of Soyinka, Olatunji Dare, Chidi Amuta and Segun Adeniyi slug it out on the Ribadu’s case); and the Road not Taken.

The last chapter, If the Future Comes, is also very strategic to the philosophy behind the book. Here, the author examines some of the contradictions in the structure of the EFCC. To make it work better - with or without Ribadu - Azu argues that its board has to be relieved of the government representatives that dominate it. "Out of the twenty-two members of the board, only five have a chance of being non-government people," he writes. Other areas in which he raises posers include who the chairman should be and who should have the power to remove him; and how the commission on how it manages assets seized from suspects or convicts.

Although some readers may not agree with Azu on some of his arguments, everone is assured of an exceedingly fine prose he displays in The Trial of Ribadu, which was presented to the public at the MUSON Centre, Lagos on Wednesday, April, 23.

Living on probabilities

One pastime of an from ages has been gambling- a pastime that knows no bounds as per age, class, and status. It stems from the passion to conquer. From schools to street corners, to expansive and glitzy highbrow casinos where the rich gamble millions away daily using blue, red, and black chips, many people indulge in it. A common denominator is the rush. From the convenient and quick decision of the roll of a dice, the manipulation of shuffling cards, expertise of card games such as poker, Blackjack to the spinning decisions of the roulette, the ends are the same- winner takes all. For most gamblers, the appeal goes beyond the monetary reward. The soaking tension of waiting to win and the heart pounding adrenalin of actually winning make the action so irresistible. Getting the high; this is perhaps what breeds and grooms the compulsive gambler. In the late seventies, Pool, an English favourite found its way into the country and it made a few while it marred many. In the last three years, it has been the rise of lotto into the awareness of many Nigerians. From office workers, labourers, students and even hhousewives, market women, the dream of a better life is strong and with the embrace of the lotto by many, it seems they see busting the lotto as another avenue to Eldorado. Joe Agbro Jr. looks at how Nigerians troop to the colourred kiosks dotting major Nigerian towns and cities for financial succour.

A way of life
The gambling culture is not entirely new in the country. In the seventies through the eighties, the pools, imported by the English was a source of concern to many households in Nigeria. While some were lucky and could be said to have won, others have been ruined by the habit. Yet, it has become a way of life as the ubiquitous pool shop is now a permanent nay laid-back feature of nearly every major city. Placing oneself at enormous odds has for long been a favourite pastime of some people; whether for money, love, or just for the adrenaline. When it comes to seeking a fortune, the adrenaline loving humans see gambling as an easy way-out. For the poor, winning could better their lot and the ardent gamblers amongst them would be ready to stake their last kobo.

The rich too are not left out the desire to win at the expense of losing. With innate bluff to fate, they move in droves, mostly in the evenings to the numerous casinos which are not too discreet in the major towns and cities of Nigeria. And in the air-conditioned halls with shimmering lights, large velvety green card boards, poker tables, roulette wheels, and slot machines, all in simulating the evasive Las Vegas ambience, they court their luck. Olumide Otunla, a former worker at one of the casinos in Apapa, Lagos says, “they come there with heavy pockets, change it to chips, and most leave very poor, leaving the casino very rich”. He continues saying, the plan of the casino is to make sure the clients don’t win. And in this wise, he says, “any dealer where customers win on his table is suspect and if this continues, he is usually given the boots.”

Enter the lotto
While the pools are a bit laid back now, and the casinos do not open doors unless to the few rich who can dole out figures in five digits and upwards, the wave of the lottery is fast catching on. For those in search of the fast buck, the lotto is just another way of getting this rush. Because of the cheap nature of the lotto, it is being wholly embraced by the larger poor sector of the economy. In the past six years, it has gradually become a way of life for many Nigerians, especially those from the low-income bracket. And with the embrace, which they have given it, it seems the lotto has berthed with success. From North to South, and through the West and East of the country, the fire is catching.

In foreign countries, the lotto has served various purposes; developmental of sports, charities and for realizing other laudable schemes. In Nigeria, most of the lottos are foreign with a bulk coming from Ghana. However, the local ones include premier pool which was initiated by Adebesin Keshington. There are many different types of lotto which are played on different days. Monday Special (MSP), Midweek, Premier, National, Gold and the likes.

There is also the National Sports Lottery which was initiated for the development of sports in Nigeria. Then, there is the “levels go change” Lagos lotto which rolled out with much publicity in the print and electronic media and whose show and draws are televised every Friday evening. And for want of greater reach and participation, the lotto operators have deployed technology to the rescue. More lottos are being played via mobile phones through SMS and special real-time machines. For example, the ubiquitous red machines of the Lagos lotto are distinct. It generates the tickets electronically and on real-time.

However, Johnson says it is “Ajebo lotto” probably referring to the razzmatazz which the lotto has been subjected to. Hence, it is a common sight to see people loiter around the ticket stand all day, every day, green optimistic with each set of numbers accompanied with stakes. with heads buried in charts studying in order to conjure up a winning number.

Busting the lotto
The lotto is a game of numbers. Usually, there is a range of numbers, for example from 1 to 90, of which the player is expected to pick five numbers. At the draws, which are held publicly, five numbers are then drawn. Winnings come when a players numbers are drawn. A winner then gets paid according to the game which he plays and how many numbers appear. The more numbers that tallies with drawn numbers, the higher his winnings. A player that gets all five numbers is said to have busted the lotto. But, this is no mean feat as the mathematician versed in probability would muse.

Numbers on T-shirts, car pate numbers, numbers innocently voiced out, numbers on books, magazines, and even the balances of phone are all among sources by which the players seek numbers. And it is done with much passion and conviction, that an impersonal observer wonders at the craze for numbers. They also resort to taking numbers from people such as albinos, spiritualists, little children and even trade numbers with themselves. Among the players, it is common to hear them ask themselves, “which banker u get today?” And so on and on, they pile numbers on their skull that at the end, it becomes difficult arriving at a particular number.

With many numbers flashing for attention, the head of the compulsive lotto player run riotous. The staker finds himself in perpetual confusion as to how he arrives at picking his winning numbers. Johnson, who lives in Ikeja is an example. He lives with numbers in his head. He is always calculating, combining and permutating numbers like a scientist or mathematician in a search to decipher hidden code. Yet, he is neither; he is just a barber, another bloke, like so many with lofty dreams of busting the lotto.

Also, consider what happened to Tunde. “I had already played my three numbers in “three direct,” he said. “I was hanging around the kiosk when someone came and staked one thousand naira on three numbers, also on “three direct.” I believed so much that his numbers were a banker. So, I asked the lotto man to change my stakings to that number. However, when the result came out, I was shocked and disappointed.” The reason for that was that, had he stuck to his previous numbers, he would have won the lotto as his three numbers came out whereas none of the numbers he copied came.

By engaging in this task, the objective lotto player must realize how heavily stacked the odds are against him. In fact, winning big can be likened to the proverbial camel passing through the eye of a needle. In one of his lucid moments, Johnson says, “person no fit chop this people” referring to his enormous losses as compared to meagre winnings.

The strategy each person employs is also unique to themselves. For instance, Johnson who stakes a minimum of two hundred naira daily on the lotto has only won three times; 4,500, N2100, N2100. Out of this sum, the agent collected N300 each as commission for collecting his winnings for him. He is however still optimistic that he is going to win big one day. Daily, he can be found clutching several lotto tickets with different amount of stakings. What Johnson however does not know is that by spreading his stakings across different tickets, he is reducing his winnings if eventually his numbers are in deed the winning numbers.

A case for Nigerian lotto.
The lottery business is big business worldwide. In advanced world, proceeds have been used to finance huge events and even charities. The case is a little different in Nigeria as it is being operated solely for financial gains. The Director-General, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Mrs Titilayo Iroche however asserted that some lotto operated illegally and even find it difficult to pay winners. In deed it is, as Michael, a Nigerian lotto vendor who schooled long enough in Ghana to be able to acquire the Ghanaian accent corroborated this saying, “the staker here in Nigeria is not protected. For instance, baba Ijebu can say, he won’t give you your complete amount of your money if you win or he might even decide not to pay you at all. This kind of thing is not possible in Ghana. There is strict application of the law there,” he mused.

In the same vein, a recent advertorial, Supo Sasore (SAN), the Attorney General claimed this 5 billion naira monthly business is being cornered and short-changed by fraudulent lotto operators such as the National Sports lottery, the Lagos Lotto and some others. His concern stems from the fact that these concerned lotteries are not registered with the state as directed by the constitution. However, in Lagos today, nearly every street corner has them with many innocuous kiosks painted in green, red, yellow, and combinations of them bearing the insignia of the Lagos state lotto authority as if lending credulity to the money making venture. The lottos, even the ones claimed not to have registered by the Lagos state ministry of justice still continue operating.

The perils of winnings
Winning the lotto is no mean feat, yet people still win. But, after winning, they still face some perils. For instance, apart from the flock of friends and well-wishers who want to celebrate and probably get something from the winner, if it is huge sum, disclosing the amount puts one in some danger as a winner of two hundred thousand Naira found out recently in the Iyana Ipaja suburbs of Lagos state. He headed home with his winnings but had armed men of the night pay him a visit at nigght. He had blabbed.

An Abuja-based civil-servant, Edmund Bamso, recently won about 1 million naira in the National Sports lottery. He had been playing the lotto for a while before winning. Yet, as if knowing the enormous odds which he was facing, he couldn’t immediately connect to winning. While there have been many winners at the lotto, though with many winning insignificant amounts to what they’ve put in over time, daily, the losers greatly outnumber winners. With enormous odds, it is a legal rip-off for those who indulge in it.

While many continue to bury their heads in charts of past results, combining and permutating numbers in an attempt to ‘read’ winning numbers, it stands to reason that Lotto is a game of pure chance. And barring exceptional circumstances, no strategy can overcome the odds. Play your birthday, your anniversary, last week's winning lottery numbers -- in the long run, it makes no difference. For most players, lotto has no element of skill. It’s either you get lucky or you don't. Ready to take a chance?