Posted by 9jabook.com on November 16, 2009 at 10:47am
Reps to review NYSC billNational NewsNov 16, 2009
By Ola Ajayi
THE House of Representatives is set to review the bill that established the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme to make life more bearable for corps members across the country.
This was disclosed by members of the House Committee on Youth who were on inspection tour of facilities at the permanent site of the NYSC in Iseyin yesterday.
The committee which was led by Nasiru Sule Garo from Kano State, inspected the facilities on ground to assess if the N3billion budgeted for the scheme in the 2009 fiscal year was judiciously spent or not.
Garo said it was the responsibility of the Oyo State Government to provide accommodation for the corps members and that it should try and complete the work it started on time so that the corps members could move to the site.
Though, he accepted that the job done so far was a quality one, he said it was moving at a snail’s speed.
He said, “we have inspected the project and we feel the state government is doing a good job. But, we were here last year and we can see now that the work is going slowly. We ask the state government to continue with the standard and to expedite the project so as to get hotel accommodation for our youths”.
The State Director, NYSC, Mr Gabriel Ibe, complained that the scheme is suffering from acute shortage of funds and facilities.
“We have insufficient facilities. The hostels we use now are classrooms and we had to pack our things before the students arrive. NYSC could be funded better. Whatever fund that is accrued to the scheme should come directly. Oyo State Government has been living up to its responsibility.
Out of five operational vehicles we have, it provided four for us”, he said.
Read more…
Re-enter the Wu Tang Clan or could it be “Killer Bees” part three?Str8 Buttah – Str8 From Da ArtThe Most Indepent and Conservative Hiphop Album.Re-enter the Wu Tang Clan or could it be “Killer Bees” part three? When last did your hear a rap album where you can’t sayWhen last did your hear a rap album where you can’t say “Hey, that’s my favourite track”. Str8 Buttah blow doors off the hinges with their Album “Str8 from the Art”.Since rap’s East coast style is my favourite,I dare to say since it ain’t where you from it’s where you at then hip hop is definitely where Str8 Buttah is at. With an 18 track offering, XYZ, Teck, Deck, Mr. Rae, Enigma and R-Cube hit you with a sound similar to the abstract feel of the Wu Tang era fused with a lot of soul. It’s tough at this stage to not call it close to classic by Hip hop standards and at the same time, but if I were to be mistakenly quoted in the near future, I wouldn’t deny.The steady drums, kicks and soulful samples go a long to show their influences except of course you don’t understand the tenets of ‘94 type hip hop, you might not get with the program as you ought to. With lines like “I know who I rep man,Rakim in my left hand,Fela in my right hand, and in my past life, I was Shakespeare’s hype man” You get to understand the sincerity of their approach to hip hop /rap music.With skits and an album arrangement that would almost make producer RZA of the Wu Tang Clan blush heavily.For instance,listening to the hook and beat of “reunion’ gives you nostalgic feelings of the entire “W” era,unfortuanately more Nigerians recognise the Logo than ones who know what it rpresents.The Buttah crew run through an 18 track masterpiece that will put aspiring Nigeria Rap crews on their toes, it is hopefully geared towards a universal audience, a serious and seemingly ambitious step considering the rap scape in Nigeria. Coming fresh off their SMVA award winning video for Last Stand ,”this is how Hip Hop’s supposed to sound” Str8 Buttah show somewhat why rap is not necessarily American but universal so did I say before “it ain’t where you from, it’s where you art?” if rap/beats and lyricism is an art, then the Buttah crew studied well!!Downsides of the album would a relegation to the underground as a result of heavy samples apart from a lack of conscious attempts to reach the new mainstream Naija music consumer who is stuck in reggae-ton beats and “henessey”,”swagger” and ginger infested lyrics but that’s secondary,since “stra8 from the art” makes flawless listening to the Naija rap 1%(one percenters)…..“live ones” ,”showtime” featuring Kel and “Fly” feature MI-Fliss…adapt classic lines like “1 for the treble and 2 for the bass,” …..and if you didnt’ follow hip hop before 97,this album’s not for you, apologies due!
Read more…
