THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, July 6, 2013
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METRONOTES
Nigerian Barbers On The March Again... As J. Green Mbadiwe Holds 21st Barbing Contest By Ibukunoluwa Kayode NE day in 1992, Chief Victor Ngozi Mbadiwe found himself really angry at the contempt with which barbers were held in the country. He then braced up to change this mindset and halt the disrespect meted to barbers in Nigeria. Mbadiwe swung into action and created a platform to encourage barbers to keep their chin up, as they go about their art. He sought to enthrone and ensure hard work by doling out cash and gifts worth millions of naira to barbers through an annual barbing competition. And over 20 years after he started his Annual WAHL Barbing Contest, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of J. Green Mbadiwe and Sons Limited, sole distributor of the highly rated Sterling, Illinois, US-based WAHL clipper brands in Nigeria and the subregion has, has gathered enough gusto to wax lyrical on his passion to assist barbers. “It is something I like doing, I like to bring youths together and make them understand that this industry is not for laid back people and illiterates. I want them to be proud of what they are doing,” he said. “The barbing profession is a noble one because it’s a job that seeks to make one beautiful. Look at President Goodluck Jonathan, even Governor Fashola, they surely have barbers who cut their hair. President Barack Obama has his own barber; you see, Obama has a way of cutting his hair. It is the job of a barber. “Again, I am marketing a product that I want anybody using to be happy and know that this is some-
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thing they could do and earn a good living. So I have to support them, and this competition is a way of encouraging them towards making a good living and to be proud of what they are doing.” At this year’s 21st edition of the contest, hundreds of ecstatic barbers from various areas of Lagos trooped en masse to the Syrian Club, Ribadu Road, Ikoyi, to witness who would wear the crown as the champion and bag the mouth watering cash and gifts at stake. Twenty-four contestants, including three female barbers, were on hand to slug it out. Spelling out the criteria on which the contestants would be judged, the Chief Judge, Yomi Olowokere said: “It is overwhelming to see great barbers coming from different areas of Lagos to perform and test their skills to know who is best in the industry. Indeed gone are the days when society looks down on barbers and profess them as nuisance.” He continued: “We would be testing the contestants for their appearancehow neat or otherwise they are-, their equipment-handling of their tools, skill-which involves their creativity-, and speed. And each of these carry 25 marks.” Blast of the ‘Start’ call, clippers went buzzing as the hair stylists frenzied to put up their best acts on their models. At the tick of about 15 mintues, which was the allotted time, three barbers emerged victorious. Ahmed Olorunmeye came out the second-runner up bagging N50,000 and a barbing kit as well .Ahmed Sherrif was the first runner up, going home with N100,000 and a barbing kit, while the winner of the competition,
Adeniran Oluwafemi Olayinka bagged the sum of N150,000 and a state-of-the art WAHL clipper barbing kit. The first prize winner, Adeniran, an Iyana-Ipaja based hair stylist, felt on top of the world after he was announced 2013 barbing champion. “I am very grateful to God Almighty. Last year, I got a ‘NO’ at the preliminary stage. So this year, after I qualified for the first time, I vowed to take nothing less than victory in the competition. I know I am the best, I believed that I am the best,” he said. “I have been a barber since 2004,
and I thank God for Chief Mbadiwe for availing us this opportunity to show our stuff and prove our mettle.” Some of the past winners of the barbing contest, who were at the event, were still basking in the euphoria of their wins as they praised Mbadiwe’s benevolence towards repositioning their careers through the annual event. “My winning the annual WAHL Barbing Competition was an exciting experience; it took me to levels that I never dreamt of, “ said the 2012 winner, Kayode Adewunmi.
“I urge barbers that did not win in this edition, never to have a low selfesteem, rather to continue putting in their best and be hard working.” Also Collin Ukaegbu, 2009 winner and second runner-up 2012 still relishes the day he was crowned champion. “It was one of the happiest days of my life. It is a privilege being part and winning in this contest. To win in a competition like this gives you courage to do your job with renewed verve. And it makes us believe that we are indeed good ambassador of our profession,” he said.
Chief Mbadiwe, his daughter Carissa, and Nabil Zabadne
Berkley Science Magnet School Helps Green The Grass On The Other Side N an unusual move for this clime, a private Ischool primary school has adopted its public counterpart and reached out with gifts for the pupils as well as offer of assistance to the school and its teachers. It has also offered scholarships to two pupils from the public school to transfer to the high fee-paying private school. It was another Children’s Day and Berkeley Science Magnet School decided they would spend it with another school, Ogudu Nursery and Primary, and quite a day it was. Uptown babies met with downtown children and had fun together at the premises of the public school as part of the Annual Community Service initiative of Berkley Science Magnet School in Ogudu GRA, Lagos.
The day started off splendidly. After the prayers and the opening remarks were said, the interactions began. The children played and mingled and formed play groups, without a care as to who was from which school. A short intermission saw some gift giving and the presentation of the goodwill items that Berkeley had in store for the Ogudu Primary School children. The official gifts as well as the donations from the Berkeley parents were handed out to joyful and very grateful children. As officials from the Lagos State School Education Board and the Kosofe Local Council Development Area, Mrs Oyesoro and Mrs Folake Ajayi, watched, they couldn’t help but applaud the effort put in by Berkley to plan
L-R, Assist head teacher, Mrs. Oguntoye, COO, Berkley Academy with Kosofe LG Excos and little Scholaship Winners, Promise and Haisat, Durring Berkley Community Service Programme 2013, friday
this event and actually see it to fruition. In reaction to the laudatory remarks, Chief Operating Officer of the Berkley Science Magnet School, Dr. Maria Onyia, stated that the school made the decision to adopt the public school as a new spin on their annual Community Service, which has become an unfailing tradition among the school’s staff, the students and their parents. Dr Onyia explained that the aim was to contribute positively to student learning and teacher development. “I believe that this visit will benefit both student groups. Ogudu Nursery and Primary School students will appreciate the fellowship, friendship and supplies brought to school by our children. Even more, our children will develop renewed appreciation for what they have and the parents that work hard to provide them with opportunities that other children do not enjoy, while also teaching them the virtues of sharing and giving.” The highbrow school drummed up gifts of all sorts from the Berkeley parents, ranging from toys to backpacks to stationery to storybooks and many more primary school necessities and treats. The biggest gifts, however, had to have been the ones given to Miss Haisat Abubakar, a sweet little orphan girl and Master Promise Ihegadinma, who both got full-ride scholarships to attend the top notch school. The scholarships, which were worth N500, 000 each per annum, were awarded alongside gift items to the general student population totalling more than N100, 000, excluding donations. On prior Community Service exercises, activities performed by the Berkley pupils included street cleaning, tree planting, orphanage visits with donations and another of its kind to the Ogudu Police Post. Speaking on the inspiration for the initiative, the school’s COO, Dr Onyia, who is a scholar of Positive Social Change from Walden
University, United States, said that she was motivated to contribute to the society as the government could not be expected to do it all. “The government on its own can’t handle the problem in the sector. Communities, individuals and private entities must help also because eventually, we all roam the same Earth and somehow we meet. In a state like Lagos where Governor Fashola is working very hard, I am encouraged to support the government and, like Pastor Sam Adeyemi preaches on the need for all of us to give back. We must look for how to serve. We must reach out and try to level the playing ground for all people.” Dr. Onyia also vowed that the relationship between the schools would not end there as it would be maintained through continuous sharing of resources and provision of worldclass training for the teachers. “The key issue is teaching these pupils that all children, regardless of socio-economic backgrounds, are still children. We have offered to maintain the relationship with our adopted school by sharing resources and providing training for the teachers. One day, we will ship in a container load of resources and share to the students. We have goodwill abroad. If they allow us train the teachers, they will be getting free world class training, which we otherwise would charge a lot of money for. “ In her closing note, the school supervisor revealed that she also was a product of the public school system but grew and ascended to heights that saw her attending higher institutions like Walden University, where she obtained a PhD as well as five California teaching credentials and a Doctor of Education degree from a world class university. Dr. Onyia promised that there would be more initiatives and outreaches in the years to come.