Re-Branding of Nigeria Launched

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 TD Day; I AM STOPPING TB

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.

A Writer Can Not Be Quiet

 

They flow, the writers, that is, through the lanes,from different professions into the writing sphere.There are also born writing individuals.

First, they get the inching; worried about the need to make public the content of their thoughts.By this, they devise the best technique of approach to tackle the write-able topic.

This could be propelled by what they have observed,heard or read.Others,spontanously,flow into it without understanding the reason for the drive.

They write a first copy,cancell it ,write a second copy and cancell again.If that copy is not good enough,satisfying what they intend to give out,they write again and lock it away from the public eyes.A few of such writers make further effort to go public.

They are so dicouraged because of the cost implication of publishing.Even the internet could be very expensive for them to use.

The traditional publishing avenues may not look in their direction because they are not a ‘name’ that could be accorded attention.Some of such desirous writing prospects,move further to seek a freelance opportunity to do so for free,giving out their thoughts on paper to contribute to public pool of information.

Most publishers may accommodate this position because it removes all financial obligations on them. All such times the published items are judged on the premise of their relevance to comtemporary issues and the beauty of the language used.

Sometimes, the approach/angle the issue is discussed also becomes an attraction.When the writing propect knows that he is now and always, an accepted contributor, his morale grows daily and gradually, he becomes a pro.

The pro’ writer never would cease to contribute his quota to enrich the columns,pages,weblogs and the stalls the daily published books must fill.This consciousness keeps the writer alive.

He lives and is active because he is writing and attending talk sessions that his written works has created/elicited for him.But can the writer stand at the rostrum and not utter any word? The audience would think that he must have suffered a momentary speech ceasure and would sympathize with him.

They could also want to volunteeer assistance to move him back to his seat or home.Such writer would feel a greater sickness not for what he said verbally but for what he was unable to say.

The writer would not always desire such situation, so will crave another opportunity to correct whatever impression that must have been built..This urge is what qualifies the thinking that to be silent is unlike a writer.