Nigeria’s stowaway boy reveals family crisis

 
JETHRO IBILEKE/Benin
Contrary to the account by Osaigbovo Oikhena, father of 13-year-old stowaway boy, Ricky Daniel, that he did not abandon his family, Mrs. Evelyn Oikhena has revealed how her husband abandoned her when she ran into financial problems.
Evelyn who has vowed never to reconcile with her husband, disclosed that she separated from her husband over one year as a result of incessant beatings as well as her indebtedness to Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO), a micro-finance bank.
According to Evelyn, whose runaway son was released to her on Tuesday, trouble started when robbers attacked and robbed her on her business trip from Koko town, in Warri North local government area of Delta state, sometimes last year, following which he could no longer repay the LAPO loan.
She further disclosed that due to the severe beatings she received from her husband, she suffered defect in one of her eyes, which has affected her vision.
She also disclosed when she reported to her husband that their son was missing, his only response was that, “I should go and look for his son for him,” but that the husband and his family members have been disturbing her with several calls on hearing that her son has been given scholarship by Rauf Aregbesola foundation.
“We separated over one year now. We separated because of the problem I had with LAPO. I was robbed on my way from business trip to Koko market in Delta State. I always go to the market to buy goods.
“I also had defect in one of my eyes that affected my vision at the moment. I cannot see with one of my eyes at the moment due to incessant beaten I received from him. The question you people should ask him is whether he knows the private school Daniel was attending before I transferred him to public school at Ogbe.
“He has since abandoned us. He and his family have been disturbing me with several calls since they heard that Daniel has been given scholarship. My son has also told the governor and SSS that he doesn’t want to see his father. My husband is currently staying in his mother house,” she said.
Mr. Osaigbovo Oikhena, from Ora community in Owan West local government of Edo state had in an interview with newsmen at government house Tuesday denied that he has separated from his wife.
Oikhena who claimed that he was still responsible for the upkeep and the education of his four children, added that they decided to stay apart when his wife refused to move in with him due to quarrels they had last year.
He said that they both went to the police station at Evbuotubu police station to lay a formal complain where they were not seen the boy at home.
Nothing was heard of Mr. Oikhena until last Tuesday when he suddenly resurfaced at the Edo State Government House when the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, was to hold a meeting with the state Director of State Security Service (SSS), Mr. Bello Bakori, officials of the state ministry of women affairs and social development as well as Ricky Daniel and his mother.
-Culled from PM News

Teenage stowaway's father speaks, I didn't abandon him

   Two weeks after his son flew from Benin City to Lagos in the wheel compartment of an aircraft belonging to Arik Air, Daniel Ohikhena’s father denies claims that he abandoned his family.

    Little is known about Daniel Ohikhena, the 13-year-old stowaway who flew from Benin City to Lagos in the wheel compartment of a plane belonging to Arik Air, by his schoolmates at Ogbe Junior Secondary School in the Edo State capital.

    Shortly before his celebrated escapade, Daniel’s mother, Mrs. Evelyn Ohikhena, had withdrawn him from a private secondary school for want of money to pay his tuition fees. She had enrolled him in OJSS, which was about 500 metres from her residence.
Investigation by our correspondent shows that the teenager had spent only a term in his new school before embarking on the dangerous adventure. A source said, on condition of anonymity, that Daniel joined the school, popularly known as ‘Ezoti Junior’ just before the end of the third term.

A youth named Festus, who also resides in the same neighbourhood as the stowaway boy, said the latter was not popular in the area.

“We hardly know him. It was recently that we heard he lives in the neighbourhood. I have not seen much of him. He was very quiet at school. I have not known him for long,” he said.

However, events took a dramatic turn on Tuesday when the boy’s father, Osaigbovo Ohikhena, 44, materialised as if from nowhere. Earlier, his wife (Daniel’s mother) had claimed that they did not live together.

Mr. Ohikhena, who is a driver by profession, said he had been separated from his family for a year because of a misunderstanding between him and Daniel’s mum. But he denied the latter’s claim that he abandoned his family.

“I always pay my children’s school fees and provide money for their feeding regularly, contrary to claims that I abandoned my family. After I lost my job, I decided to move to a cheaper apartment and told my wife that they should move in with me. But she refused and continued to stay in the three-bedroom flat. My new residence is located on Siluko Road. I decided to come here (Government House) to tell the world that I am the father of Daniel.

“Initially, when I heard the news, I thought my son was kidnapped. But my wife said I should calm down and she promised to get back to me when everything is finally okay. I never dreamt of going to America nor am I married to another woman. My wife refused to give the DSS my phone number when they asked for it,” he said.

Giving an insight to what could have been responsible for the teenager’s strange behaviour, an expert and sociologist at the University of Benin, Dr Kingsley Omoyibo, described him as suffering from maladjusted personality, due to inability to mix. Omoyibo did not only warn against labelling the teenager a criminal because of his action; he recommended that the youngster be made to undergo rehabilitation.

Noting that what happened to Daniel could have resulted from his experience in his home, the don urged the boy’s parents to live up to their responsibilities in order to prevent untoward behaviour from their children in the future.

He said, “Like we learnt, the boy is a recluse. He has a withdrawn personality because he does not mix. This is why he acts the way he does. This condition is capable of making him do damage not only to himself, but to his siblings and his immediate environment.

“The boy needs to be rehabilitated. Although we cannot say that his attempt to stowaway in the wheel compartment of an aircraft is criminal behaviour, it is a devious act that must have been propelled by lack of adequate parental care. I do not know the background, but what we can extrapolate from this is that the home is not stable.

“You will find out that there is a lacuna in the upbringing of the boy and consequently, it has affected the way he reasons and appreciates societal issues. The way he sees the complexity of society is different from a child that has complete socialization. The boy is suffering from maladjusted personality.

“Indeed, that child, I still maintain, is not a criminal. In the process of maladjustment, he is exposed to odious things. For a child to keep all night watching films, it tells a lot about his state of mind.”

Now that a group known as De RAUFS has offered the teenage stowaway scholarship up to university level, it is the duty of his parents to seek ways of reshaping his character for a better future. 
Culled from The Punch

 

 

President Goodluck Jonathan, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Boni Yayi of Benin Republic at the Viilla on Sunday

UI Theatre Arts Dept celebrated 50 Years

Celebration which began on Wednesday 28 has reached its climax on Friday at the department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan(UI) campus as the alumni are marking 50th anniversary of the establishment of the School of Drama.

 Being the first theatre department in sub-Saharan Africa, Theatre Arts as a university course started at UI in 1962.
The 50th anniversary began with a series of programmes including play production, an international conference, workshops and a homecoming dinner.
After flagging off the event on Wednesday, the current students of the department presented "TIME", written by Chukwuma Okoye and directed by Yinka Smart-Babalola. Scholars and theatre practitioners who presented papers and are directing workshops included Professor Patrick Ebewo (Tshwane University, South Africa), Dr. Sola Adeyemi (Greenwich University, United Kingdom), Dr. Tiziana Morosetti (Oxford University, UK), Dr Dani Lyndersay (University of West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago), Professor Duro Oni (Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos) and Dr. Esohe Molokwu, a consultant with the United Nations.
The keynote speakers are Professor Abiola Irele of Kwara State University, who played the role of Lakunle in the first ever production of Wole Soyinka’s "Lion and the Jewel" in 1958; and Professor Segun Oyekunle of the Nigerian Film Village, Badagry, Lagos.

The organisers invited the general public to the events and the workshops on Costumes and Make up, Writing and Directing for the Stage, Television and Film, Dance, Children’s Theatre, Theatre for Development and Emerging Industries.

The programme was concluded with a grand Homecoming Dinner last Friday and headliners at the dinner include Baba Dee, Laffomania, Zeal Dance Troupe, Samson and Mary-Jane Duet and The Margins of Art and Entertainment.

“The anniversary not only brings together past students of the department, it will launch a new phase in the development of theatre in Nigeria”, according to the secretary of the organising committee, Mrs. Pamela Arnold Udoka.

She adds: “The Arts Theatre will be refurbished to befit the status of the University.”

The head of the department, Dr. Chuks Okoye is also planning to launch an appeal to re-equip the departmental library that was destroyed in a fire in 1994.

The inimitable Kola Ogunmola, who produced "Lanke Omuti", an adaptation of Amos Tutuola’s "The Palmwine Drinkard" was the first student of the department.