the nigerian american community -...
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NEWSLETTER Vol. 4, No. 4, June 2015
The Nigerian-American Community
South Central Alabama, Inc.
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Letters from the Editors
Dear Members and Readers:
We are delighted to bring to you this current edition of the NAC Newsletter in the same spirit of
fellowship and citizenship. This edition comes at a critical juncture in the political development
of our country, from the past presidential, legislative, and gubernatorial elections, to the current
security challenge and growing terrorist insurgency in the north east, the near collapse of the oil
economy as a result of falling global market prices, and a restless world beset by one crisis after
another. We profile a few economic and socioeconomic metrics that would allow you to assess
the past and current developmental issues facing our country and which, perhaps, can give you a
better prognosis of what the future may bode both for nation and people.
A cursory review of the numbers points to an emerging but stark reality that the economic future
of our country, while ‘superficially’ optimistic in specific regards is also quite troubling and may
be unsustainable by virtue of its overwhelming reliance on oil revenues as well as unimpeded
corruption. Even in the midst of a seeming indication of abundant wealth creation, there is a
rising level of poverty and abysmal income distribution across geopolitical zones, some more
indebted to it than others. But then, not yet Uhuru! And this demands that policymakers get to
the root of the causes of these disparities. But will they, and if so, how much? In addition to
individual experiences and events over the past of couple of months, we also present you with
our vintage culture portraits—a nostalgic journey to the past which we believe would also serve
as a placeholder in your collective assessment of the future and its promise.
We use this opportunity to invite you to support this project and to submit your articles or
materials of interest for review. Feel free to make your own contributions and to share with us
your views and suggestions on how to move our country, society and community forward.
Happy reading!!
Editors:
Sesi Ogunbi
Kalu N. Kalu
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Basic Socio-Economic Indicators
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Oil Wealth: Health and Environmental Consequences
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Market Manipulation: Not a One-Off
by Rick A. Williams
May 13, 2015
The Federal Reserve Chairperson Janet Yellen said this on May 6th, 2015, “I guess I would
highlight that equity valuations at this point are generally quite high.” It is noteworthy that the
market has been in a trading range that sees the Dow go up to around 18,200 only to fall back to
the 17,500 level. This type of activity is known as a narrow trading range. What commonly
happens when a narrow trading range occurs is usually a breakout to the upside or the downside.
Based on the Fed Chair’s statement as well as market analyst commentary, it appears the
prevailing thought is the market may have a decline of up to 20% from here. This is very
similar to what I said in a previous observation. The balance to that (the reason I believe we have
not seen the decline) is an oft overlooked matter - international money flooding American
shores. Look at the geopolitical unrest in the world today. In Nigeria, Africa’s largest country
and economy, Boko Haram is trying to wreak havoc. In the east, Russia recently took Crimea
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and is still pretending it is not in Ukraine. ISIS, which is primarily in Syria and Iraq, just claimed
credit for a shooting that happened very recently in Texas. Then there is the war in Yemen where
Saudi Arabia is sending planes in to bomb the Houthis out of power. Because intelligence may
indicate that Iran is trying to send weapons to the Houthis the United States Navy sits offshore
prepared to intercept, just in case it is true. Taken together, it is no wonder international money is
flooding into the U.S., - the most liquid market in the world with the only reserve currency - at
least for the time being. Again though, one wonders how long it can continue.
A Word About Market Manipulation
Do you remember the flash crash that happened in 2010 where the market went down almost
1000 points and then recovered most of it - all on the same day? On April 21, 2015, American
authorities identified Navinder Sarao as a person who played a part in that fateful market event.
Quite curious that, after five years, only one person has been found and he is only partially to
blame. This event does highlight the reality of market manipulation. So then, what may be the
answer in a world of turmoil and manipulation? The best solutions I can think of are to increase
the percentage of portfolios that have quality high dividend paying stocks or to increase cash
positions. A combination of the two solutions is also worth considering. I have identified several
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equities that are trading well below their 52 week high level and more importantly are paying
dividends of 8% to 23%. The fact is that we cannot control what happens on a geopolitical level.
Nor can we believe that when investing, we do so in completely fair markets that are free from
manipulation. Does this mean we should stop planning, investing or looking ahead? Quite the
contrary. Strategy, professional financial advice, wisdom and focus is required.
Take time to think about what you’ve read here.
Sports
More Nigerian-Americans Are Reaching
Highest Levels of Sports
By JERÉ LONGMANMARCH 18, 2015
TEMPE, Ariz. — At Arizona State’s recent Senior Day celebration, guard Promise Amukamara
was escorted onto the basketball court by her four sisters, whose mellifluous names spoke of
royalty and hope: Peace, a teammate, along with Princess, Precious and Passionate. Their
brother, Prince, a cornerback for the Giants, sent his well wishes in a text message.
“All of them got scholarships to university,” said Christy Amukamara, the family matriarch. She
smiled. “That was a great relief for us.” Technically, Passionate, a high school senior, had yet to
sign a scholarship offer as her team played for an Arizona prep basketball championship. Still,
the Amukamaras are at the forefront of a growing number of Nigerian-American athletes, born in
the United States, who are excelling at the top levels of high school, college and professional
sports.
Andre Iguodala and Victor Oladipo play in the N.B.A., and Ime Udoka is an assistant coach for
the San Antonio Spurs. The brothers Samuel and Emmanuel Acho are in the N.F.L. The sisters
Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike of the W.N.B.A. were the only siblings drafted No. 1 over all in a
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professional sport besides Peyton and Eli Manning. Jahlil Okafor of Duke is predicted by many
to be the first pick in the coming N.B.A. draft. And the sprinter Courtney Okolo of the
University of Texas set a women’s N.C.A.A. record of 50.03 seconds at 400 meters last spring.
Photo
Arizona State’s Peace Amukamara warming up before a game against Colorado this month.
Credit Jarod Opperman for The New York Times
Typically, these athletes have parents or grandparents who came to the United States to study or
to escape the 1980s-era military regime in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, with about
175 million people living in an area twice the size of California. About 380,000 Nigerian
immigrants and their children live in the United States, up from 25,000 in 1980. They have
settled in metropolitan areas like New York, Houston and Washington, and as a group, they are
far more likely than the overall American population to receive undergraduate and advanced
degrees, according to a 2014 analysis done for the Rockefeller Foundation and the Aspen
Institute.
Many in the Nigerian diaspora view sports as a kind of student-athlete ideal with their discipline,
work ethic and opportunities to gain access to higher education and careers, said the athletes,
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their parents and sports officials. “The educational piece is the cross-nexus; they’re not just
doing this for sport,” said Chris Plonsky, the athletic director for women’s sports at Texas, where
a number of Nigerian-American and Nigerian immigrant athletes have played. While at
Nebraska, Prince Amukamara said, he planned to attend law school until he heard the ESPN
draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. project him as a first-round pick in the 2011 N.F.L. draft. “My dad
said, ‘O.K., you can pursue sports,’ ” Amukamara, 25, said, adding, “Sports has always been
secondary.”
Athletes born in Nigeria have also continued to rise to prominence in North America in the
decades after Christian Okoye’s grinding success as a running back with the Kansas City Chiefs
and Hakeem Olajuwon’s Hall of Fame basketball career with the University of Houston and the
Houston Rockets. Masai Ujiri is the general manager of the Toronto Raptors. Obafemi Martins, a
forward for the Seattle Sounders, finished second last season in the voting for most valuable
player in M.L.S. The country’s top-ranked girls’ high school basketball team, SS. John Neumann
and Maria Goretti Catholic High School, in Philadelphia, has two players from Nigeria: Christina
Aborowa, a 6-foot-4 senior forward headed to Texas, and Felicia Aiyeotan, a 6-9 junior center.
Ujiri estimates that his foundation, Giants of Africa, has brought 75 to 100 male athletes to the
United States from Nigeria over the past dozen years to play college basketball.
Carl LeVan, an Africa scholar at American University, said that sports in Nigeria had historically
provided a unifying force in a culturally diverse country and, along with literature, had helped
instill a sense of exceptionalism. “This is another area where Nigerians hear that calling to
greatness,” LeVan said. On occasion, athletic migration has gone in the other direction. At the
2012 London Olympics, nine players on the Nigerian men’s basketball team were born in the
United States. And Nigeria’s reigning 100-meter sprint champion, Mark Jelks, is from Gary, Ind.
Sometimes, achievement has brought controversy. Jelks was called a mercenary last summer by
some reporters and former athletes in Nigeria after he switched his track allegiance from the
United States. He had only a casual relationship with Nigeria and had previously been suspended
for two years by American antidoping officials after missing an out-of-competition drug test. He
could not be reached for comment.
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While Neumann-Goretti, the Philadelphia high school, has lost only one girls’ basketball game in
two seasons, the team has been engulfed in turmoil. John Gallagher, the coach at a rival Catholic
school, resigned in February after being linked to emails, sent under a pseudonym to the
University of Texas, that questioned the eligibility of Aborowa and Aiyeotan.
Promise Amukamara with fans after the Colorado game. Credit Jarod Opperman for The New
York Times
Gallagher’s lawyer told The Philadelphia Inquirer his client had broken no laws. The emails
emerged in a slander and libel lawsuit filed by Neumann-Goretti’s former coach, Letty
Santarelli, who resigned in November amid an investigation of the team. She declined to
comment. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic
Association have said they found no wrongdoing. Neumann-Goretti won the state’s AA girls’
title by 45 points on Friday. Plonsky, the women’s athletic director at Texas, where Aborowa is
scheduled to play next season, said, “We have every confidence that she’ll be fine.”
A predominantly black team like Neumann-Goretti’s might have rankled the largely white
powers that have dominated Philadelphia’s Catholic League in girls’ basketball, leading to
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unfounded rumors, said Mike Flynn, who assisted the Nigerian players in coming to the United
States and who operates the Amateur Athletic Union team on which they have played. Still,
Flynn acknowledged, there can be risks for players coming from Nigeria and other African
countries. “There are so many people looking to make a dollar off them in their own country and
so many people not looking out for their welfare once they get here,” Flynn said.
Photo
Neumann-Goretti High School’s Felicia Aiyeotan during a game last month. Credit Charles
Mostoller for The New York Times
While those who meet expectations often find their way, he said, those who do not are
“sometimes chattel; they don’t have a school, a home, a support system.” “You disappear into
the undocumented American landscape or you go home,” Flynn said.
At 18, Aborowa is the median age for Nigerians. And she speaks fluent English, the former
colonial language of British rule, which has eased her assimilation into the culture. Her coach
said she was a straight-A student. Aborowa said that three or four years ago, however, she knew
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almost nothing about basketball and had little expectation beyond a life as a mother and perhaps
as a trader of goods. A coach spotted her in Lagos, Nigeria, and gave her his phone number. Her
guardian tore it up, Aborowa said, admonishing her not to speak to strangers. The coach
persisted, and Aborowa began to learn the game, eventually traveling to Philadelphia with the
help of a foundation called Hope 4 Girls Africa. Basketball, Aborowa said, now means
everything to her.
“Before, I didn’t have a life; there was no opportunity to go forward,” she said. “Now it’s my
dream, my hope. My mom doesn’t have the money to send me to school. Now I’m there.” She
plans to study computer science at Texas and would like to own a business. “We believe in hard
work,” Aborowa said of herself and other Nigerians. “It’s in the blood, to go hard every time, to
go for what you want.”
Ify Ogwumike, 47, was also born in Nigeria, the daughter of an oil company executive. She is an
assistant superintendent at a school district outside Houston. Her husband, Peter, owns an
information technology business. Their four daughters have become somewhat inadvertent
basketball stars. “We come from highly educated families where the mind-set is to send your
children to the best schools where they get the best education and the best opportunities,” Ify
Ogwumike said. “Sports was not a focus; education was the focus. We just happened to find
sports and find that you can get the best of both worlds.” She insisted that her eldest daughters,
Nneka, 24, and Chiney, 23, play the piano. Not until they were 11 and 10 did the sisters take up
basketball at a Y.M.C.A., adhering to their mother’s two requirements: They had to play the
same sport, and it had to be indoors in humid Houston. The parents of her friends were skeptical
at first, Chiney Ogwumike said, and advised her mother, “You need to put them in honors math.”
Eventually, Nneka and Chiney became all-Americans at Stanford, and No. 1 overall picks in the
W.N.B.A. draft. Nneka plans to pursue a Master of Business Administration degree, while
Chiney intends to enter law school. A younger sister, Olivia, played in the starting lineup much
of this season as a freshman at Pepperdine and will be joined by the youngest Ogwumike sibling,
Erica, next season. “Sports opened doors and sometimes knocked down doors for us,” Chiney
Ogwumike said. Romanus Amukamara, 56, a math teacher, traveled to the United States from
Nigeria in 1980 on a student visa and was told by his parents that a “good name is better than
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riches.” His grandfather was a king of a village, hence the names Princess and Prince given to his
children. His eldest three children have college degrees, and Promise is scheduled to graduate
from Arizona State in May.
Christina Aborowa of Neumann-Goretti High School won the tip-off in a game last month.
Credit Charles Mostoller for The New York Times
“People can take your wealth, your property, but they cannot take away your knowledge or that
diploma,” Romanus Amukamara said. Sports provided structure and recreation. Romanus
Amukamara was a soccer player, and his wife, Christy, was an elite sprinter in Nigeria. Their
children became competitive. Princess Amukamara, 28, played high school football before
turning to softball in college. (“I think she was a linebacker,” Prince said with a laugh. “She
always wanted to spear people.”) Precious, 24, won seven Arizona state high school track and
field championships. Promise, 21, and Peace, 20, received basketball scholarships and have
helped make Arizona State a top-10 team this season. “In high school, our eyes opened when our
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coaches told us, ‘You have the potential to get a scholarship and play the sport you love at the
next level,’ ” Promise Amukamara said.
Passionate Amukamara, 17, laughed and said she felt some pressure to be the best athlete in the
family because she was the youngest. “Once my parents found out my brother was good in
football and my sisters were good in basketball,” she said, “it became, ‘You have to excel in
sports as much as you do in school.’ ”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NAPAC Selma Voter Registration
Fifty years ago, the Edmund Pettis Bridge was the scene of police brutality when the state
troopers of Alabama violated the law and beat peaceful protestors to within an inch of their lives.
NAPAC Alabama made the trek from Montgomery to Selma to be among the more than 40,000
strong crowd that gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of the humble African Americans
who marched for the right to vote, and in so doing changed the world. Sally Iyobebe,
Chairperson of Region 3 along with Isaiah Sankey, Public Affairs Director, Tornyie Kenule
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Konne, Acting Secretary; and Rick Williams, Vice President represented NAPAC in Selma.
The Alabama chapter went to Selma with one goal in mind. TO REGISTER PEOPLE TO
VOTE! As far as we know NAPAC was the only organization registering people to vote in
Selma on that day. There could be no greater way to honor the selfless actions of those who
marched for the right to vote than to register people to vote on the day their efforts and sacrifice
was celebrated. Many young people who were not registered to vote received voter registration
cards and something even more valuable. They were educated, engaged and empowered to
understand the significant role they play when they go to vote. The young men and women also
understood that registering to vote and then following that up with voting every time the polls are
open was a way to honor those who gained the right to vote for them. NAPAC Alabama will
continue to have voter registration as a core activity of the chapter.
MARATHON QUEENSTOWN NEW ZEALAND
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Sesi and her daughter participated in the Marathon Queenstown, New Zealand; as well as in the
First Montgomery Marathon 2015.
Up Up Sesi !!
First Montgomery Marathon 3/14/2015
GRADUATIONS
It is with gratitude and a sense of pride that we join the families of all our graduates for this
noble achievement in their educational pursuits. You have all made your families and the entire
Nigerian American Community of South Central Alabama proud.
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CLASS OF 2015
HIGH SCHOOL
Stephen Tomilayo Adediji – Montgomery Academy
Naanlop Kromtit – Brewbaker Technology Magnet School
Chika Oranika – Booker T. Washington Magnet School
Ify Oranika- Jefferson Davis High school
Renee Aluba Ndukwe Kalu – LAMP Magnet School
Chris George Azubuike - Carver High School
COLLEGE
Ibasaraboh D. Iyegha- University of Alabama Birmingham
B.S. Biology
Ikoponmwosa Obakpolor – Alabama State University
Biology
GRADUATE
Dr James Obinna Egbuna, (D. Pharm) Samford University
Doctorate in Pharmacy
Dr Patience Oranika, (Ed. D) Alabama State University
Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Policy and Law
Dr Joshua T. Iyegha- Alabama State University
Doctorate in Physical Therapy
Birth Announcement
It is with great joy and appreciation to the Almighty that we join the Ayanwale family in
celebrating the arrival of their grandson. Korewa Soboyejo (son) was born to Lolade Soboyejo
(mother) on Sunday February 22, 2015. Both mother and child are doing great. Congratulations
to the Ayanwale family. May God give the family the resources, wisdom and strength to raise the
baby.
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Book(s)
Mac-Jane Chukwu is a student at Troy University in Alabama. She has written 2 books.
Dr Jasper Dung had a Q/A with her to now a little bit about her and the books
1. ge; intrig
Write a synoptic (short) biography of yourself (expatiate on what you wrote earlier):
Mac-Jane Chukwu is from the famous city of Lagos, Nigeria. She loves to learn and has
been teased for not taking time to have fun; but that is not true and she is indeed a bundle of
talents. She is the author of Open Secret and My Father’s girlfriend. Having obtained her
bachelors in International Relations, she is now pursuing her masters in this field with a
dream of specializing in National Security Affairs; she hopes to become the first youngest
female president of Nigeria. With her background in media production, Mac-Jane is equally
interested in building people, hence her involvement in projects that encourage positive
change. She is the Executive Vice President of the International Student Cultural
Organization (ISCO) at Troy University, a Graduate Assistant with Career Service
department at Troy University and the founder of Tower of Hope Teaclub, a foundation to
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help troubled street girls. Recently, she was awarded Troy Most Outstanding Woman 2015
award and was inducted into the Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society. Indeed,
like Joseph in the Bible, Mac-Jane wears a coat of many colors!
As a Graduate Assistant with the Career Services department at Troy University and Vice President of
the International Students Cultural Organization, I meet with students daily to provide assistance in
various capacities. Also, I work actively with the International office to tutor, mentor and guide students
in different issues they face. Through holding various leadership positions, making presentations at
many students’ activities, and also maintaining a balance between my school works and handling
student’s issues on a daily basis, I believe it is all about God’s grace.
2.What motivated you into writing: Writing for me is a passion. It is something that started out
as a hobby, as I would write short stories. I never thought to publish until my mom saw the
manuscript for my first book and encouraged me to publish it and that started my journey as a
published author. My second was motivated by the young women I saw on the streets, under the
bridges in Lagos Nigeria, my heart reached out to them and I was inspired to share their story to
world, and perhaps one day I can through this book put as many girls off the street and back into
school.
3. How were you able to write your first and now second book: My first book started one day at
a time. I just wrote a piece at a time and it eventually blossomed into a book. But for second
book God already gave me the title, so I just wrote whatever I was inspired to write one piece at
a time as well. Last summer I spent a lot of time working on it and finally by November last
year, I finally finished the manuscript and sent it out to be published.
4. Write excerpts of the books (certain key areas of the books or summaries of the books,
including why the titles were chosen, etc)
My Father’s Girlfriend is heartfelt, real and it is easy to connect with especially if you are
woman or living in a society where women are constantly abused. This book touches the heart
and strongly advocates against women and children abuse. I hope you find this resource
insightful. Enjoy reading this suspense-full, real-life experiences of a young Nigeria woman who
struggled to make a living, carve a niche for herself in the society and overcome by betrayal,
rape, prison life and more. Would she survive at the end? Would she eventually become a
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superwoman? Would she lose faith? Who can she trust? Is she capable of loving again? Find all
that out in this intriguing piece.
Celebration of Life
The Nigerian-American Community of South-Central Alabama commiserates with the Adedoyin
Dosunmu- Ogunbi family for the transition to glory of her mother. May the Almighty God grant
her eternal rest, and for the family the fortitude to bear the loss.
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◊◊◊◊◊◊
Family Profile The Akwiwu Family
The Akwiwu family in Montgomery, Alabama, holds from the old Eastern Region of Nigeria,
Owerri- Imo State, Nigeria. Mr. Akwiwu attended Teacher’s Training College and also taught in
High School in Nigeria. While in the USA, Mr. Akwiwu attended Kansas Wesleyan University
in Salina, Kansas and Alabama State University Montgomery, Alabama.. He earned a Master of
Science in Criminology. He also worked for the State of Alabama as a Youth’s Counselor.
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Later, my wife Lynda joined the pioneer husband to start the family. Mrs. Akwiwu, embarked on
her educational journey to avail herself to the family and the society because she did not want to
be known only as a wife and mother. She attended Trenton Technical College in Montgomery,
Alabama, Wallace Community College in Selma, and Auburn University in Montgomery,
Alabama where she earned Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. Mrs. Akwiwu works for
Baptist Medical Center in Montgomery, Alabama.
The Akwiwu famil have six children:
Elivin Obinna- Park Crossing High School
Olivia Adanna- Park Crossing High School
Jean Nnanna- Johnnie Carr Middle School
Jeanet Chidinma- Johnnie Carr Middle School
Jeanice Chinenyenwa- Johnnie Carr Middle School
Elias Martin Chinoso- Wilson Elementary
The children excel in many school activities including sports. We are a very happy family. Thanks be to
the Almighty God for all His blessings.
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Culture Portraits
Cheii !!!
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Crying Dancer! Obu gini na ese?
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