The tragic boat mishap of Wednesday, April 10, 2024, which claimed the lives of popular Nollywood actor, Mr John Paul Obumneme Odonwodo, popularly known as Junior Pope, and four others, has sent shock-waves across the Nigerian movie industry, and set the social media buzzing with reactions.
A contingent of 12 movie crew members had set out for a boat journey from the River Niger Cable point, a waterside jetty at Asaba in Delta State, to cross to the other side of River Niger, into Anam, a riverine community in Anambra State, for the shooting of a movie set titled ‘Another side of Life’ produced by Adanma Luke. Unfortunately, a series of avoidable events culminated the journey into an ill-fated expedition that sent fives lives to ‘the other side of life.’ The incident made the movie’s eventual ban a nullity, having played-out its symbolic meanings in real life while in the making, rather than on envisaged screens.
An avoidable incident, it exposed our society’s casual attitudes towards marine and general safety, as well as our endemic superstitions, while telling, on several flaps, other side tales of reality in the accounts of what transpired during the production, or rather, play of Adanma’s ‘Another side of Life.’
While veteran actor and Senior Adviser on Military Relations to the President of Actors’ Guild of Nigeria, Mr Steve Eboh, claimed he missed joining the ill-fated boat because he arrived too early before the crew, and had to go back, the producer, Adanma Luke, claimed she missed it because she came too late.
A journey’s jolly take-off from Asaba, Delta state, which ended tragically in its return from the other side in Anambra State, proved to be a rascally journey that showed the other side of rascality, even as T. C. Okoye claimed that pre-performing of obeisance to some marine spirits saved his life. But it was T. C. Okoye who had to hang unto a boat’s anchor in the face of death, rather than rely on the powers of the spirits he had appeased with Fanta, to await rescue from mortal men – sensible men, whose advise that one needs wear life jack during marine journeys – he had forsook, yet gave glory to his rituals after rescue.
Conversely, one may flip the flap to consider the other side of T. C. Okoye’s rituals to ruminate on other possibilities. Could the ringing of bells, spraying of money and snacks, and pouring of Fanta, have evoked the anger of the ‘marine spirits’ as rumoured, or distracted the boat driver, to the point of accident? And as reported by The Punch, what’s the significance of T. C. Okoye ‘dashing’ ritual money to innocent children whom circumstance made to be by the riverside?
Also, the argument by Mr Steve Eboh, that “If the star actors in that boat had wanted to wear life jackets, they would have been given the jackets” holds no ground, because the guild, as well as all the marine transport stakeholders, should have enforced strict safety compliance by all voyagers. It is therefore commendable that the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, has ordered exhaustive investigations into the matter to determine criminal liability of all persons involved.
However, in the melee of pandemonium that accompanied rescue efforts, Nollywood celebrities, our society’s supposed role models, prioritized superstitious rescusitation over sure medical practice, rushing victims between spiritualists and hospitals, until a ‘pope’ whose work and journey had bound with the superstitious, died amidst superstition. Indeed, it’s during crises, when people care less about ‘packaging,’ that truth and the real personality of humans stand bare and naked.
While medical personnel who got their chance late had certified Jnr Pope dead, our star-persons held unto their spiritual advisers who claimed his spirit coming back to life, up until reality finally dawned that pope’s spirit has permanently crossed to the other side of life.
Regrettably, the reality has not fully dawned, otherwise three corpses shouldn’t have been buried by the riverside as dictated by spiritualists, and Jnr Pope’s family shouldn’t be worried about what would happen, as rumoured threatened of his three children, if his corpse is not buried by the riverside. However, it appears that having encountered the influence of a frontline celebrity, the spirits have turned capricious by bending divinely demands to accepting two cows, as rumoured, in exchange for Jnr Pope’s corpse being buried elsewhere.
According to the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, a team of rescuers comprising men of the Anambra State Marine Police Command, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, with the aid of fisher men, rescued seven persons alive to the Anambra side, while two retrieved corpses were sent across the other side, to the Delta State Marine Police Command jetty where Nollywood officials stood waiting. Of other three victims, two corpses were rescued next day, while a third was thrown out by river tides, all of whom; Abigail Fredrick (Vice Chairman of Costumer Designers Guild of Nigeria, and Akwa-Ibom State-born make-up artist), Precious Oforum (Sound engineer) and Joseph Anointing (Gaffer), have since been buried by the riverside, according to local belief.
However, what the police PRO’s statement didn’t reveal is if Jnr Pope’s corpse was sent to the other side in Delta after all the back and forth between spiritualists and medical personnel within Anambra, or if it was sent straight upon rescue to Delta state, but mysteriously found its way back to Anam, on the Anambra side.
It’s unfortunate that Nollywood which set out in its early days to expose superstitious beliefs and practices in our societies, in the hopes of enlightening the minds of the masses, and to curb the manace, has made many believe it’s rather reinforcing superstition in the ways it condicts the movie industry business.
Members of the showbiz in general, now appear to be key protagonists of superstition to the point that, being perceived as role models, so many youths have been drawn to lives of unrealistic dreams and materialism, which often get pursued through ritualism, with its attendant crimes.

Joseph Nwankwo

The quality, quantity and diversity of books produced by a society are important indicators of that society’s level of development. . . .”–Valdehusa (1985).
April 23 of every year is marked around the world as ‘World Book and Copyright Day.’ Also known as ‘International Day of The Book,’ it is a Day set aside by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), to promote reading, publishing and copyright. The Day aims to change lives through a love of books and shared reading.  The theme for the 2024 ‘World Book Day’ is: “Read Your Way.” This year’s theme calls on everyone to let go of pressure and expectations, giving children a choice – and a chance to enjoy reading.
According to Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO: “Books have the unique ability to entertain and to teach. They are at once a means of exploring realms beyond our personal experience through exposure to different authors, universes and cultures, and a means of accessing the deepest recesses of our inner selves.”  Therefore, the power of books should be leveraged to combat isolation, reinforce ties between people, and expand our horizons, while stimulating our minds and creativity. It is critical to take the time to read on our own, or with our children.
Did you know that The Bible stands out as the most widely translated and distributed book worldwide? Yes, the Bible is by far the most widely translated and distributed book! Its wisdom has reached and helped more people than any other book or publication. 96.5 percent of the world’s population has access to the Bible. The Bible is available (in whole or in part) in over 3,300 languages, and the estimated number of copies of the Bible produced is 5billion, far more than any other book in history.  Which other book(s) do you enjoy or have you enjoyed reading? As for me, one book I am currently enjoying reading is a 400 – 500 page healthcare handbook titled, Where there is no doctor, authored by David Werner. It is a very valuable healthcare handbook that I have found to be very very beneficial! In fact, this healthcare handbook has been fondly described by some as “the ‘Bible’ of health education,” and I strongly recommend that every family should have a copy of this book at home. Apart from this book, I also enjoy reading for pleasure children’s books, such as those I have found on booksmart.worldreader.org and www.africanstorybook.org. What about you? What books have you enjoyed or do you enjoy reading? Do you know about the book industry? There are three major sectors of the book industry. They are: publishers, booksellers and libraries.
Book publishing is channelled towards promoting learning and expanding knowledge.  In a strict sense, book publishing starts from the point of conceptualisation of the ideas for the book by the author, and ends at the very last stage – the end-user (the reader). The history of book publishing in Nigeria can be traced to the establishment of the very first publishing press in Calabar, in 1846, by Rev. Hope Waddel of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland Mission. The press was used to print Bible lessons and later arithmetic books for schools.
In 1854, another Missionary based in Abeokuta, Rev. Henry Townsend of the Church Missionary Society (CMS), established a Press. Five years later (1859), he used it to print the very first newspaper in Nigeria – ‘Iwe Irohin.’ Thereafter, notable Nigerians like Herbert Macaulay established the first indigenous newspaper in 1926, called Lagos Daily News. Also, in the same year, Daily Times made its debut.  In 1949, Oxford University Press (OUP) floated a sales outlet in Nigeria. This action attracted many foreign-based publishing firms to Nigeria, such as Macmillan, Longman and others. The first published book in Nigeria by OUP was released in 1963, when its local branch published ‘Ijala Ere Ode’, a Yoruba poetry genre by Oladiipo Yemitan. Aside from the foreign companies, many other home-based publishing houses were architected by indigenous entrepreneurs. The book publishing industry in Nigeria has continued to enjoy drastic growth ever since.
However, in the last few decades, the Nigerian indigenous book publishing industry has experienced a downturn due to numerous challenges facing the industry, including: book piracy, proliferation of unqualified author -.publishers, lack of capital, and inability to provide adequate numbers of high-quality books.
Other challenges include: poor reading culture, infrastructural decay, dearth of expertise, incessant rancour among the major stakeholders, and so forth.
Therefore, here are some suggestions for developing our book publishing industry in Nigeria: Stakeholders such as government, publishers, authors, regulators, booksellers, libraries, and readers should cooperate among themselves and contribute their quota immensely towards the development of a virile book publishing industry.  Private investors such as banks, finance houses and influential individuals should participate, especially in terms of massive capital injection.
Ighakpe writes in from FESTAC Town, Lagos.

 Daniel Ighakpe

At the maiden edition of the Nigeria Police Awards and Commendations ceremony in  Abuja recently, President Bola Tinubu, declared the first week of April as Police Week and the last day of the week as National Police Day. He stressed the need to engage men and women of the force in training and capacity-building to equip them with the expertise required to carry out the arduous task of modern policing.
These, according to him, are part of his administration’s ongoing bid to transform the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) into a modern, professional and accountable institution.
Over the years, Nigeria has grappled with numerous challenges in various sectors, but perhaps none as glaring and urgent as the need for police reform.
The Nigerian Police Force, tasked with maintaining law and order, has often fallen short of public expectations, marred by allegations of corruption, brutality, and inefficiency.   Corruption within the NPF remains a pervasive issue, undermining public trust and confidence in law enforcement. Cases of bribery, extortion, and abuse of power by police officers are not uncommon, perpetuating a culture of impunity and eroding the legitimacy of the institution.
At the police event mentioned earlier, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission and former IGP, Solomon Arase, advocated an improved welfare package for men and women of the NPF, noting that enhanced wellbeing of the personnel would improve their overall performance in securing lives and property.  He just hit the hammer on the nail.   Police officers in Nigeria often work in challenging and dangerous environments, with long hours and minimal compensation. The poor working and living conditions has been a topic for discussion both in the media and other gatherings for many years.  Low salaries, limited access to healthcare and other welfare benefits have continued to be an issue. Government after government promise to tackle the challenges yet the situation remains unchanged
The NPF suffers from chronic underfunding, which limits its capacity to procure essential equipment, maintain infrastructure, and provide adequate logistical support to officers. As a result, many police stations are poorly equipped, with outdated technology and inadequate resources to respond to emergencies promptly.
What about the issue of inadequate training and capacity building?  Many police officers in the country lack sufficient training and skills to effectively carry out their duties. The quality of training facilities and curriculum is often substandard, leading to deficiencies in areas such as investigative techniques, human rights awareness, and community policing strategies.
The NPF is susceptible to political interference, with politicians exerting influence over appointments, promotions, and operational decisions. This interference undermines the independence and professionalism of the force, compromising its ability to enforce the law impartially.
During a recent visit to the president by members of the Afenifere Cultural group, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, asked President Tinubu to look into the command structure of federal security agencies to ensure equity in the posting and deployment of senior officers, advising that equity should also be reflected in the recruitment of security personnel from the bottom up.
A situation where the NPF and other security agencies seem to be dominated by people from certain parts of the country, certain ethnic groups does not show that Nigeria is committed to the implementation of the federal character as enshrined in the constitution. This no doubt contributes to the low morale and high attrition rates within the force.
Moreover, the legal framework governing the operations of the NPF is outdated and inadequate, leading to ambiguities in police powers and procedures. The lack of effective judicial oversight mechanisms to hold police officers accountable for misconduct and abuse of power is no longer news.
What about the problem of  Security Threats and Insurgency? The NPF is tasked with addressing a wide range of security threats, including terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, and communal clashes. Many policemen have lost their lives in the unending insecurity challenges across the country.
These myriads of challenges that hinder the Nigerian Police’s ability to effectively fulfil its mandate of maintaining law and order, protecting lives and property, and upholding the rule of law should be prioritised over setting aside one week of celebration for the police.
To achieve the ambitious goal of transforming the Nigerian Police into “a modern, professional, and accountable institution that mirrors the aspirations and values” of Nigeria, several key areas must be addressed comprehensively.
Professionalisation and training: One of the fundamental pillars of a better police force is the professionalisation of its personnel. This entails rigorous recruitment processes, comprehensive training programmes, and continuous education to equip officers with the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their duties effectively and ethically. Investing in state-of-the-art training facilities and partnering with reputable institutions can elevate the calibre of officers and instil a culture of professionalism and accountability.
Community policing and engagement: Effective policing goes beyond law enforcement; it requires building trust and collaboration within communities. Embracing community policing strategies that involve residents in decision-making processes, problem-solving, and crime prevention efforts can foster a sense of ownership and cooperation. By actively engaging with the people they serve, police officers can gain valuable insights, identify local priorities, and tailor their approach to address specific needs, thereby enhancing public safety and community resilience.
Accountability and transparency: Accountability is the cornerstone of any credible institution, and the Nigerian Police Force is no exception. Implementing robust mechanisms to hold officers accountable for their actions, including misconduct and abuse of power, is essential to restore public confidence and integrity. This involves establishing independent oversight bodies, such as civilian review boards, to investigate complaints impartially and ensure transparency in disciplinary proceedings. Additionally, leveraging technology, such as body cameras and digital records management systems can enhance transparency and facilitate the monitoring of police activities.
Adequate resources and welfare: A better police force requires adequate resources, both human and material, to fulfil its mandate effectively. This includes sufficient funding for equipment, infrastructure, and personnel, as well as competitive salaries and benefits to attract and retain qualified individuals. Moreover, prioritising the welfare of police officers through improved working conditions, access to healthcare and mental health support is crucial for morale and productivity. Investing in the well-being of officers not only enhances their performance but also reflects a commitment to their dignity and rights.
Legal and institutional reforms: Meaningful reform must extend beyond superficial changes to address underlying structural deficiencies and legal frameworks. Enacting comprehensive legislation that codifies police powers, procedures, and oversight mechanisms can clarify roles and responsibilities while safeguarding citizens’ rights. Additionally, restructuring police institutions to promote meritocracy, decentralisation, and specialisation can enhance efficiency and responsiveness to evolving challenges. Collaborating with legal experts, civil society organisations, and international partners can facilitate the development and implementation of evidence-based reforms tailored to Nigeria’s context.
Building a better Nigerian Police Force is not an overnight endeavour; it requires sustained commitment, cooperation, and perseverance from all stakeholders – government, law enforcement agencies, civil society, and citizens. By embracing the principles of professionalism, community engagement, accountability, resource allocation, and legal reform and sincere tackling of the insecurity problems in the country,  Nigeria can embark on a transformative journey towards a renaissance in policing – one that honours the dignity of every citizen and upholds the rule of law.
Tinubu has assured that: “Our idea of a modern police force goes beyond superficial changes like repainting office buildings and residences or simply procuring firearms. True reform of our security doctrine and its architecture necessitates recognising the importance of administering justice and adhering to our ethical values to foster stability and order in the nation.
“The transformation we seek must transcend mere policy and infrastructure; it requires a fundamental overhaul of our institutional mentality and memory.”
Nigerians await the actualisation of these words.. Let us seize this opportunity to build a better future for all Nigerians, one where the police are not just enforcers of the law but  custodians of justice and equality.

Calista Ezeaku