Entertainment
What Hope For Our Future Leaders?
In the wake of delin
quency among the youth, serious minds are considering what best to do to be able to catch these youthful minds earlier than they could be susceptible to the prevalent mind of vices hunting the societal air.
This no doubt must have informed the inclusion of early childhood education into the Universal Basic Education programme of the Nigerian government. By the provision of the National Policy on Education of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, early childhood is segmented into 0 – 3 years situated in day care centres fully in the hands of the private sector and social development services while ages 3 – 5 are within the formal educational sector.
It is all about the care, protection, stimulation and learning promoted in children from age 0-5 , supposedly to take place in day care centre, nursery or kindergarten
However, whether done formally in a daycare centre or informally at home, one outstanding goal of this early childhood education is to inculcate in the child, social and moral norms as well as stimulate in him/her good habits, including good health habit among others.
The goals of the early childhood education make it imperative on parents and care providers to consider it a project and so, a serious business which result must be announced someday some time.
Unfortunately, not many parents know that this formative age of the child means a great deal in his/her future development, not many also realise the fact that children at this age remember fastly and repeat actions they observe so as to be wary of their actions before them. While the first two years of a child’s life are spent in the creation of the child’s first “sense of self”. Parents can be seen as the child’s first teacher and therefore an integral part of the early learning process because this age can be highly influential to whatever the child learns in future.
It must be understood that with proper guidance and exploration children get easily acquainted with their environment and ofcourse you can imagine how detrimental the absence of this steady positive relationship will be on the future development of the child with respect to his/her relationships and independence.
Although early childhood education often focuses on learning through play, Jean piaget, an early psychologists posits that play meets the physical, intellectual, language, emotional and social needs of children, their curiosity and imagination naturally evork learning when undisturbed.
Suffice it to say that children learn better and gain more knowledge through activities such as dramatic play, art and social games. However, the object of the child’s play, the toys and the type of game the child is involved in must not be overlooked as they all inform what knowledge the child equips him/herself with at the end of the day. What this means is that there must be adequate supervision of the child’s daily activities.
The Tide’s Women’s Desk, engaged Mrs Nzokurum Mercy, an occupational health/nursing coordinator in a chat on what should be the role of parents in ensuring a proper development of the child. Hear her: “From 0 – 1 year, the world is strange to the child, the first duty of the parents is to make him see the world as a friendly and happy place to live by meeting his perceived needs. Few months older the child’s personality developments and mind very fast too, so parents need to be cautious so as to understand and guide him aright.
She warned against pretentious attitudes towards the child as the child copies every behaviour of the adult to mean the right altitude, in her words. “If there be any need for parents to walk away from the child, then bid the child a proper goodbye, don’t sneak or slip away”.
Mrs Nzokurum explained that until about age 2, the child learns mainly through seeing, hearing and touching, hence parents must be careful to do just what they would want the child to do, say what they need him/her to hear and show them only what they would want them see.
Explaining play as a means by which children discover their skills, the occupational health expert enjoins parents to make out time to guide their little ones, play by creating a conducive and safe environment for effective exploration of their world, maintaining that toys must be age appropriate while observing their activities to know when they derail so they can be guided.
She condemned in its entirety, the idea of sending children of age 0-5 out for holidays or to live outside the sight of their biological parents, stating that many had been corrupt and abused under the guise of living with uncles and aunties as no one can be more vigilant on a child as the biological parent.
She called on parents to watch out for peculiar and worrisome traits, behaviours and attachments usually exhibited by children at this age such as identifying with certain toys, bullying other children and inventing imaginary friends as well as talking about them; she insists that parents listen to them and guide them accordingly.
Parental role to the family is a combination of many activities, expected of the father and the mother for the wellbeing of the home. It ranges from providing protection from the scourge of the weather, by way of shelter, provision of material needs in the forms of clothings and food, provision of medical attention, to provision of education, be it formal or informal. Of all these activities both mentioned and unmentioned, there is no single one that is preferred over the other, a child provided with one without the rest is said to be deficient in the one not provided.
Unfortunately, a failure to provide a child with a necessary developmental requirement does not only leave the child deficient of the good that comes out of it, such vacuum in the life of a child is usually replaced with a trait, unbecoming of a future leader.
Therefore, while it is expected that every parent lives up to their roles and responsibilities in assuring a bright and better future for the child, it is as well important that their daily life activities reflect the image they want to imprint in their children and wards.
Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi
Entertainment
BBNaija Season Nine: ‘Dynamic Duos’ Auditions Begin
The organisers of the Big Brother Naija( BBNaija) have announced that season nine of the reality TV show started accepting applications last Wednesday.
Biggie is back for BBNaija Season 9 auditions with a twist! The audition requires two people. “This year, it is a search for Dynamic Duos that love the show and can turn up the heat in Biggie’s house,” the announcement said.
This new twist to application videos, which used to be a single person in the video, candidates will have to apply in pairs. This means that the audition video will feature two candidates each.
Make and upload a three-minute video telling Big Brother why both of you should be in the Big Brother’s House together.
The video can be recorded together or separate, but must be a single video.
You have to audition together.
In the video describe yourselves and where you are from.
Also talk about your personalities, your favourite things, likes, dislikes, unique things about both of you and how it may help you do well on Big Brother Naija Season 9.
Stay natural, do not force it, keep it fun!
Audition is free and has opened on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 8:00pm.
Application is only open to people who are 21 or older with a valid means of identification.
Entertainment
Onyeka Onwenu’s Film To Chronicle Her Music Journey
Renowned Nigerian musician, Onyeka Onwenu, says she is working on producing a film that will delve into her experiences which span decades within the music industry.
Onwenu disclosed this in an interview with the Newsmen, on Tuesday with a career that stretches back to the 1970s, the “elegant stallion” expressed her eagerness to share her firsthand account of the evolution of Nigerian music.
”I am currently working on a film that will chronicle my experiences in the music industry from the 70s to the present day. Having been a part of this narrative for decades, I have a wealth of stories to share,” she said.
In addition to the film project, Onwenu discussed her efforts to release her classic songs through collaboration with emerging artistes, promising fans a compilation of rebranded tracks later in the year.
“I am rebranding my old songs and collaborating with new talents. My aim is to offer listeners a fresh perspective on timeless classics,” she explained.
Onwenu’s creative pursuits extend beyond the realm of music, as she recently released a single, titled Abu Otito (Songs of Praise) and dedicated proceeds from its streaming to support widows through the Rose of Sharon Foundation.
“I am passionate about using music to address social issues. From supporting widows to promoting education among rural children, I strive to make a positive impact through my art.”
Reflecting on her philanthropic endeavours, Onwenu shared her commitment to providing educational opportunities for underprivileged children in Abia and disclosed the plan to expand her initiatives to Imo.
“We not only pay school fees directly to schools but also offer civic education to instill a sense of cultural identity. These efforts represent my dedication to empowering future generations,” the musician noted.
Offering advice to fellow artistes amidst economic challenges, Onwenu emphasised the importance of resilience and self-initiative.
“Hang in there and create opportunities for yourselves,” she urged, highlighting the need for proactive approaches in navigating the ever-evolving music industry landscape.
Onwenu’s multifaceted contributions to music and society underscore her enduring legacy as a trailblazing artiste and philanthropist, inspiring generations to come.
“I have been part of the story right from time, and I am still moving forward, so I have a lot of stories to tell,” she remarked.
The Tide Entertainment reports that aside from the cinematic venture, Onwenu unveiled plans to breathe new life into her classic hits by collaborating with contemporary artistes. According to her, she aims to compile a collection of rebranded songs, promising Nigerian audiences an eagerly anticipated release later in the year..
Onwenu has used her music and its timeless messages to promote Nigeria’s culture. Her music duet with King Sunny Ade, titled Wait for Me, has remained evergreen. It is remembered always as a song with deep lyrical message which was put together to help the government of that era fight seriously against the outburst of population explosion while also regulating it with the different family planning programmes put together by the government.
Her song, African Woman, helped greatly in projecting the innate exquisiteness of the African woman giving them a sense of pride and belonging amidst poverty, widowhood, rape, lack of care, hatred, humiliation, abandonment, among others.
Her evergreen classic, Sodom and Gomorrah, is a biblical narrative of the popular story of the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, a city destroyed by God due to their heedlessness and high level of immorality.
Some of her other evergreen songs include Iyogogo, One Love, Dancing in the Sun, and Choices, among others.
Entertainment
Osita Iheme Reacts To Pawpaw Memes
Legendary Nollywood actor, Osita Iheme, fondly known as Pawpaw, has revealed that he is happy with the way his memes are used on social media as a means of expression.
In a recent interview with newsmen, the actor expressed pleasure with the use of the clips from his films, stating that it shows his old films still have value.
“It’s good to see that your works are doing well out there and people are appreciating what you are doing,” he said.
“Even though it has been so many years, people are still valuing it years later. It’s good and it shows that you have an asset that you can always back up and bank with. Because when you look at 20 years ago, the works you’ve done and you see that people are using it to express themselves, you’d feel happy. I feel happy,” he continued.
The Tide Entertainment reports that over the past few years, hilarious stickers and memes of the star from his old films have been used widely across social media platforms to add a comic flair to conversations. His funny memes were not only used by Nigerians, but also in foreign media, especially during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown era.
It is worthy of note that Iheme is one half of the dynamic Aki and Paw Paw duo, the other half being his partner-in-crime, Chinedu Ikedieze.
The pair starred in numerous movies in their prime like ‘Aki Na Ukwa’, Village Rats, and Double Wahala, amongst many other iconic films.
More than 20 years later, they have remained Nollywood household names, hilarious memes, and pop culture icons.
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