Mma Yiri Ona: (Igbo Folk Song, delivered with Hand Pan accompaniment) B...

Biafra On The Rock

BIAFRA:  Graffiti on top of the Rock Church

One major water-shade in the history of my country Nigeria is 'The Nigerian Civil War', what became known as 'The Nigeria-Biafra War'.
The now-defunct Republic of Biafra was declared on the 30th of May 1967, after the gruesome pogrom carried out against the people of Eastern Nigeria. 

I have given this piece a seemingly strange title 'Biafra On The Rock Church'. Well, you will soon find out why, as in the Nigerian parlance we say, "Do not worry about the inscription on a bus, just hop in' do exactly that, hop in with me and find out more.
                                               
                                                                  The Rock
The rock is a very strong symbol in Christianity. Jesus walked the wilderness with his disciples a lot during his lifetime, and the wilderness of the Middle East is littered with rocky mountains, hills, and deserts with outcrops of rocks which Jesus and his followers sat on when they rested. 

Many paintings describing the life and times of Jesus depicted him sitting or praying on the rock. Also, Jesus spoke many parables using the rock as a symbol, and by the way, doesn't Saint Peter’s name mean the rock?
Why am I drawing these analyses one may ask. The reason is not far-fetched, and here it goes.

View of the cluster of rock surrounding the roof of the Rock Church

In 1968, The Finnish Lutheran Church embarked on a project of building an over a million dollar valued church that was to be carved out from a huge outcrop of granite rock. Finland is littered with granite rock. indeed, everywhere you turn, every inch of ground you dig, there is granite. Sounds kind of mysterious doesn’t it, that land within the cold region of the Nordic should have such a geographical feature. 

The land on which Finland is presently sited was supposed to have formed under a tropical environment thousands of years ago, at least based on geological information. Well, that is just by the way, as Finnish geography is not our topic of the day, so let’s rock on.

                                                                   Nigeria 1966
Thousands of kilometers away in tropical Africa, political unrest was set in 1966 after a brutal military takeover in Nigeria. The Nigeria nation was in turmoil. A counter-coup and pogrom followed, leading to secession and the declaration of the Biafra nation, and then civil war ensued. 

By 1967, Biafra had turned into an enclave due to economic blockade initiated by the Nigerian government, the war degenerated to immense human suffering in Biafra, and the outside world was shocked by the level of suffering and death especially of children, due to starvation. All over Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, shocking images of starving and dying children were seen on television, and in news magazines.

                                                               Finland 1967
Back in Finland, A huge outcrop of granite rock somewhere in the Töölö district of Helsinki was being dynamited and excavated for the purpose of building a modern piece of architecture in the form of a church. Millions of dollars are being sunk into the project.
While this was going on, some concerned students led by a Marxist priest were very upset and unhappy that the Lutheran Church should be wasting such a huge amount of money to build such a church which they believe was more for aesthetic reasons, and at such a time thousands of children were dying of starvation in Biafra. They argued that the money used for the project should rather be sent to alleviate the suffering of the children of Biafra.  For this reason, they rallied around other students and carried out a protest against the building of the church which was later to be known as the Rock Church.

Inside the Rock Church

As usual, it is often hard to win such fights, but the students made their point. The echoes of their protest were heard all over Europe and beyond as it made headlines. It also still stayed relevant today as one cannot tell the history of the Rock Church of Finland which turned out to be a major tourist attraction in the country, without mentioning Biafra and the students' protest.
To bear witness to the protest, the inscription BIAFRA has written with white paint on top of the rock by the protesting students still exists. I remembered my first visit to the Rock Church some twenty years ago.
My Finnish host took me up to the top of the rock overlooking the roof of the Rock Church and pointed to a white inscription that said BIAFRA. That was when I was told the story behind it. It almost brought tears in my eyes as I imagined that while the struggle lasted many people genuinely cared, even though the few with the power to stop all the killings were rather fueling it up, as their objectives were totally different, the drive for wealth, yes, oil wealth.

The roof of the Rock Church

                                    MORE ON FINLAND AND BIAFRA
Do you know that the music of the Biafra national anthem was adapted from the composition by renowned Finnish composer Jean Sibelius? The piece called Finlandia.
Apart from being an acclaimed piece of musical composition, Finlandia is also seen as a good example of how music can be used effectively to convey the moods of a nation. This was what Jean Sibelius succeeded in doing with Finlandia which is often referred to as a Symphonic Poem.
The Finnish nation went through very rough and tough terrain in their quest for independence, first in the hands of Sweden and then Russia. Jean Sibelius captured this entire struggle in the piece Finlandia.

Here is what is written on Wikipedia regarding the composition
“Most of the piece is taken up with rousing and turbulent music, evoking the national struggle of the Finnish people. But towards the end, the calm comes, and the serenely melodic Finlandia Hymn is heard. Often incorrectly cited as a traditional folk melody, the Hymn section is of Sibelius's own creation.[1]
Although initially composed for orchestra, in 1900 Sibelius arranged the entire work for solo piano.[2][3]
Sibelius later reworked the Finlandia Hymn into a stand-alone piece. This hymn, with words written in 1941 by Veikko Antero Koskenniemi, is one of the most important national songs of Finland (though Maamme is the national anthem). With different words, it is also sung as a Christian hymn (Be Still, My Soul), and was the national anthem of the short-lived African state of Biafra (Land of the Rising Sun)”.

Whether the adaptation of Finlandia as the national anthem of Biafra was done with the composition's historical background in mind I do not know, but all I can say is that it was a most suitable coincidence


Just a few days ago I had an emotional encounter at the Malmi shopping center in the northern district of Helsinki city. As I headed towards the bridge connecting the upper and lower Malmi sides of the mall  I heard the soft and melodious sound of violin and cello delivering Jean Sibelius Finlandia Anthem. I listened till the end of this captivating rendition by this pair of gifted buskers. I was almost in tears as I walked closer to the musicians and emptied my pocket of all the change I had on me, and with an emotional voice, told them what the piece meant to me. They were very thankful, and that made my day.

Ike Chime is a freelance journalist and a member of the European Journalists Network

Buskers playing Finlandia Anthem

                                                                                                                                                         

Foreign Nationals and Municipal Elections in Finland

Electoral rights of foreign nationals in municipal elections of Finland

Right to vote

In municipal elections of Finland, entitled to vote are Finnish citizens who reach the age of 18 years on election day at the latest and reside in Finland. In addition, entitled to vote are: 

1) citizens of other EU Member States, Iceland and Norway residing in Finland, under the same conditions as Finnish citizens; and  

2) citizens of other states if they have resided continuously in Finland for at least two (2) years on the 51st day before election day when the voting register for municipal elections is established.

No one needs to separately register to be entered in the voting register for municipal elections. Instead, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency compiles the register by virtue of office, based on the information entered in the Finnish Population Information System for each individual.

Right to stand as a candidate

As a rule, every person entitled to vote in municipal elections is also eligible to stand as a candidate in municipal elections. However, persons who have been declared legally incompetent by a court decision and persons who perform certain tasks related to municipalities referred to in section 72 of the Local Government Act are not eligible to stand as candidates in municipal elections. 

Candidates may be nominated by (a) political parties and (b) constituency associations. To become a candidate of a political party, the person must agree on this with the party in question. To become a candidate of a constituency association, the person must collect the signatures of at least ten (10) persons entitled to vote in the municipality in question in support of his or her candidacy. Further information on the nomination of candidates is provided by:

• registered political parties, and
• central municipal election boards, if the question concerns the establishment of a constituency association.

The above extract from the website of the Finnish electoral commission said it all regarding the rights of residents of foreign nationalities in Finland to vote and be voted for in Municipal elections. 

But the pertinent question to ask is, are the foreign nationals effectively utilizing these rights?

In this article, we will feature some candidates of foreign backgrounds and from different political parties to find out what their manifestos sound like, and also know what other things they have in mind to offer. 

Christian Thibault is a European of German extraction, from Bonn, to be precise

• 
   Why I want to serve the people: I believe that we need to do a lot of work for and as a society and that so far democracy is the best form to do it. Democracy needs active participants and as such, I am ready to serve.  

• What I think about diverse participation in local politics: It is very important that the diversity of a municipality's citizens is represented on every level of decision-making. In this, we have to remember that immigrants are not one homogenous group, but rather consist of multiple backgrounds and generations.

• 

Habiba Ali is a young mother of Somalian extraction.

I am a young municipal councilor from Espoo, the Church Aid Aid Program Coordinator and mother of the family. As a person, I am brave, honest, and humane. I am very people-oriented and get along with different types. It has therefore been natural that in my working life I have ended up in positions where I have worked as a bridge-builder between communities. I enjoy meeting people and working together, it’s a strength that supports me.

Despite my young age, I have been involved in politics for more than 15 years. I was elected to the Espoo Youth Council at the age of 14. Since then, I have worked in various organizations and municipalities in both work and trust positions. The red thread in all my activities is the desire to see an equal, diverse, and secure society around me. A society where no one is left out and everyone would treat each other equally as human beings without any additional attributes or confrontation. I want to continue this work in the Council

John Opoku Aduajei is a young father of Ghanaian extraction

I encourage all those living in Helsinki who are eligible to vote; to vote for the Sustainable Entrepreneurship vision. Vote for better lives for all Immigrants in our city.

Your vote matters and it's respected to make a huge difference. 

Kindly take your valid ID to the nearest Posti or supermarket and vote for John Opoku Aduadjei (955). 

Also from the voting notice you received from Maistratti, there are listed in it the places closer to you where you can vote as well.

We're counting on your priceless vote to make a difference in our Municipality.

 #Vote955

#SustainableEntrepreneurship

#betterlives4immigrants 

Eligible persons of foreign background are hereby encouraged to use their votes to bring in those they believe will represent their interests, for this is the essence of democracy. 

You cannot sit back and murmur your complaints when things do not favor your interest. The time to act is now. USE YOUR VOTING RIGHT do not waste those papers you got from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

CAST YOUR VOTES NOW!

Ike Ude-Chime is a freelance journalist and a member 

of the European Journalists Network EJN

 

WNBA Draft Pick, Awak Kuier, The Latest Sensation in Finnish Women Basketball

I call her the Humble Gazelle of Finnish Basketball.

With a height of 194cm and a sleek body, she practically dominates the court, gliding around smoothly, and making baskets with ease, and she dunks real hard. 

This gentle young girl born of a former refugee family made history recently as the first Finnish female Basketball player to be drafted into the WNBA. It did not come to me or anyone who followed her career closely as a surprise.

She was my daughter’s close friend and teammate when they were in the under 16 girl’s national team and had a couple of sleepovers at the house, which offered me the opportunity to observe her at close range.

She has a very natural dignified personality, quite easy-going; a young girl who knew where she was heading, coupled with the determination to get there.

Who is Awak Kuier

She is of South Sudanese origin and was born in Cairo.

Her parents moved to Finland in search of refuge due to the hostilities that pervaded Sudan at the time.

She was only two years old when the came to Finland.

She attended Karhula High school and Makelanrinne Upper Secondary School respectively.

Awak’s success so far has shown that any child, his or her background notwithstanding, when exposed to the available opportunities, and without boundaries, will definitely make progress.

Her success will serve as a motivation for every girl child, especially those of the minority communities in Finland.

We give Kudos to the Finnish Basketball Association and also her former coaches and clubs for their fantastic role in building her carrier, for, without their positive actions, this big step in her carrier, and in the Finnish Women Basketball history wouldn’t have happened.

Let us not also forget her parents who stood for her, and who did not allow cultural and traditional differences to become a stumbling factor in her quest to pursue her dreams.

To us at the Liikkukaa Sports4All organization, successes like this strengthen our purpose, giving us more turbo to push and work tirelessly on the issue of promoting Social Inclusion through Sports, in furtherance of our vested interest in building a society where everyone will have equal opportunity to develop their God-given talent and skills.

Ike Ude-Chime is a freelance journalist and a member of

the Finnish chapter of the European Journalist Network

POETRIVISION: 'AUTOCHTHONOUS' -Visual Poetry by ike chime

The earliest autochthons of the earth lived in Africa and it was from there humans dispersed to other parts of the world. In this visual poem, Ike Chime tries to pip into the mind of the descendants of these forebearers, the way they would react to the present world we occupy today, the way they would assert their autochthonousness being direct descendants of the earliest inhabitants of our world.
"I am the son of the earth, I sprouted from the belly of the earth, I am autochthonous....."

Flavour, iconic Nigerian entertainer coming to Finland for the first time

The iconic Nigerian entertainer, singer, songwriter, and multi/instrumentalist FLAVOUR, who is also the current undisputable 'King of Highlife' will set his foot for the first time in Helsinki Finland.

The date is 15th June 2018. The venue, Teatteri Forum.

The artiste in brief
Real name, Chinedu Izuchukwu Okoli, otherwise known as FLAVOUR N'ABANIA, or simply FAVOUR.
He was born in Enugu on November 23, 1983, and it was in the same city he started his early romance with music at his local church as a drummer. Through the help of his local pastor after noticing his talent, he was sent to study music at a new institute established by a renowned musician and educator, Chris Ordor. It was at this institute, the Sound City Communications that Flavour learned to play other instruments, including the keyboard.
After the training, Flavour had exposures playing local gigs with some bands and also doing solo acts at outdoor Bar/Restaurants in Enugu and the positive reactions from the crowd at these venues encouraged him to push on.
In 2005 he released his first Album, N'abania which became a huge success. This was followed by Uplifted, and much more. From this point, Flavour became unstoppable as he went on to establish himself as a major superstar in Nigeria, and Africa in general.

Discography

Baby Na Yoka

Ijele - The Traveler · 2017

Most High

Ijele - The Traveler · 2017

Ada Ada

Blessed · 2012

View 25+ more

Massive Protest Against Racism in Finland

The event was opened with a sing song and speech by the Chairman of 'Sports fo All' Finland, Ike Chime

The 28th of July will remain a date that will be always remembered in the annals of protest movement, especially against racism in Finland.
It is not an easy achievement to gather up to 20,000 people in one place just within two days of planning.

The whole drama was sparked by a Facebook statement by a member of parliament of the extreme right party 'The Finns' party know for its strong stand against migration in Finland. In his statement, this parliamentarian.  Olli Immonen wrote,
"I am dreaming of a stron brave nation that will defeat this nightmare called multiculturalism. This ugly bubble that our enemies live in, will soon enough burst into a million little pieces" he wrote last Saturday.

"I have strong believe in my fellow fighter, (he continued) We will fight until the end for our homeland and one true Finnish nation. The victory will be ours."

Many Finns, including former president, Tarja Ahonen, and Prime Minister Juha Sipiala of the Central Party condemned Immonen's statement as unacceptable.

The protest rally featured many prominent speakers, and there were music performances by prominent artistes.

Many organizations and individuals were responsible for making the protest possible, and there were also other protests on the same theme taking place simultaneously in other big cities of Finland like Tampere, and Turku.
The protest was covered live by both Radio Helsinki, and the national television.

A cross section of the 20000 strong crowd at the event