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Interview Conducted By: Mbuba Chiagozie Tochukwu (@agozieee_)

Photo Credits: Miidiana

So can we get to know you

My name is Odeyemi Olamide Boluwatife popularly known as Miidiana

What inspired you to pursue a career in music, and when did you first realize your passion for it?

My love for music had developed since when I was in secondary school. I noticed that music was something I loved doing since when I was in SS3 when I would leave classes and move around from one studio to another to listen to various artistes and watch artistes during their recording session which I found amazing and exciting.

Also, my father had a profound love for music. He usually listens to music everyday of his life so that’s how I developed my profound interest and passion in music.

“I just choose happiness over success as music is my passion.”

My father is my biggest inspiration as he inspired me more and more to do music. Even with the passion I had for it, Passion is always not enough so my father as the inspirational figure that he is “gingered” me more to do music as he always supports me in both bad and good times so most times, I just choose happiness over success as music is my passion.

How would you describe your musical style, and what artists or genres have influenced your sound?

I would describe my kind of music as a mixture of two genres into one : Afrobeats And Bounce which I call the Afro-Bounce. Most of the artistes that influenced my genre include Bruce Springsteen, Justin Bieber, Phora, Bob Dylan and many more.

Can you walk us through your creative process when writing and producing new music?

I am a kind of artiste that usually gives myself assignments like composing a song in 30 minutes and also the process depends on my mood and the sound that is passed across to me. Like for example, if I am given a sound for a love song, I could compose a song in 30 minutes and also if it is talking about Real life, it can also take me only about 30 minutes to record the song. I usually love being left alone in the studio because I don’t really like people around me when I am recording so that they don’t disrupt my sound like saying that “this sound is okay”, “this sound is good”, “this is good”. I just love to being alone when recording i.e recording with my producer so when I am done, I just send the song to my manager so he can send his reviews and feedbacks.

What has been your favorite performance or tour experience so far, and why?

My favorite performance should be when I perform in schools, universities, Polytechnics, like Yabatech, University of Ilorin, University of Ibadan and Unilag as it gives me more energy and more wisdom to keep doing my thing and most especially, I hope to make good use of the tour I am with Ckay so it will make me very happy to be able to share the same stage with him.

What can your fans and people who haven’t heard your music before you expect from your performance?

They should expect a nice performance and energy as I am a big lover of energy. A lot of people always vibe to my songs but they don’t know the face behind the sound. So when I tell them that I am the “miidiana”, they are always in shock like so this is the guy behind that vibing sound. Even though they might not know about all the lyrics, they shall still vibe and sing along because i mix my sound and performance with massive energy. That’s why I am always grateful to my fans both those that know me and even those that don’t know me but still feel the vibe and the energy.

How do you stay motivated and inspired to continue creating music, especially during times of writer’s block or creative challenges?

Instead of setting up for another day of “work,” I change the pace a little bit and I just set aside some studio time to “play” without objectives or goals. I explore some of my tools, try out crazy techniques, and check out processing chains that I’ve never normally consider in my music.

So If madness is “doing the same thing and expecting a different result,” it’s time to take a closer look at workflow when creating a piece of music.

How do you balance your artistic vision with commercial success and the expectations of your fans and industry?

First of all, I always shoot a lot of content which is always posted on either my TikTok or Instagram handles. Now you can see TikTok has popularized approachable, low production content, and has become a great tool for getting new music discovered out there.

I always Engage with my friends, fans, industry peers, and people that inspire me. I Don’t just post about my music, I let people know what’s going on behind the scenes. If I have a show, I will let people know in at least one post before the show. So that I am able to get video and pictures of the show to post afterwards.

And again I also let people and my loyal fans know that I’m releasing music or a new project at least a month before it comes out. Count downs, pictures of the recording process, or track previews are great examples of ways that I use to get people excited for my new music.

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians trying to break into the music industry?

First of all, you must know that is not easy to break into the industry so you should be ready to make connections. Prepare for the process, create an online presence, Perform often, Find a yourself mentor, Gain internship experience.

Don’t also forget to embrace your passion.

Just keep doing what you’re doing, when it’s your time you will know.

What do you think sets your music apart from other artists in the same genre?

Like I mentioned earlier, if you listen to my sound, you would be assured that my sound is unique as it is far different from your common genre. My vocal is always unique and the same goes to my sound which is bounce as it aligns with my type of genre which is Afro-Bounce.

Every Artiste can come out with their various genres like Afro-Juju, Afro-alive and so on but my genre sets me out from the crowd. Whenever I come up on stage and people find out that it is “miidiana” performing either from my intro or presentation, they definitely know that this is my sound and they just vibe and we have fun on stage

How has your music evolved over the years, and what changes can fans expect in your future work?

I have been working on my self for over a year now, creating and working on different sounds with different artistes and I am so happy with what I have been able to accomplish during the past year. Right now, my next project is ready and I can’t wait for my fans to listen to this one as this project is gonna be really special.

What can we expect to see from you in the near future, and are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’re excited about?

Expect good things from me this year, I have new projects coming in hot but the date of release isn’t yet ready. Just expect the best as usual.

Thank you for your time, we really appreciate your presence in our digital publication.

Thank you so much, I really appreciate.

Interview Conducted By: Mbuba Chiagozie Tochukwu (@agozieee_)

Photos Credit: @everythingjune_

Publication Design: @agozieee_

Can we get to know you?

My name is Kosisochukwu Joan Nwankwo, with the stage name “JUNE” (Just You Not Everyone).

I am a singer, songwriter, voice over artist, creative director and a set designer. You can add amateur photographer to the list lol.

Can you tell us about your musical background and how you got started in the industry?

I started singing at the age of 5, had a very strong zeal to sing. But, I can’t say I had a good voice so I started to learn via YouTube and getting stuck to my bathroom singing for a while.

Then in 2016,I started to sing at Love garden At The University of Lagos(Unilag) and someone randomly told me to take up music as a career.

I started testing out live performances at comedy clubs with the likes of McAbbey, Omobaba, Klintddrunk. I also started performing at the shows basically. And the entirety of my musical career started from comedy clubs.

Who or what are some of your biggest influences when it comes to creating music?

Billie Eilish, Mereba, Adele. I relate heavily to their songs, genres and tones. They all possess very unique voice tones.

What has been your most memorable performance or gig and why?

Hmmmmmm, my most memorable performance was a show called Alte Party. It felt like family when I was performing and I think it was my first confidence boost.

I mean I’ve been singing on stage for a while but somebody changed that day. Still trying to figure it out but the crowd was very welcoming and I tapped into a different level of confidence

Can you walk us through your songwriting process? Where do you draw inspiration from?

It’s going to be funny but I write my greatest songs in the bathroom.

So where do you then draw your inspiration from?

god of the bathroom?😂

Okay on a more serious note, my inspiration comes from everything. I am a very conscious person, an empath so I feel things on a higher momentum.

My mind is running helterskelter. I got two dogs, I do wonder what they think sometimes and I write about it.

I also listen to kids talk which can also be known as my own inspiration, in which I jolt things down.

I also watch movies so that I listen to the songs they use and I just create my own stories out of the movies.

So I think the sanest reply would be that I tap from nature and the universe entirely.

How has your music evolved over the years and what do you hope to achieve with your upcoming releases?

I think that my personality is a reflection of my music so I have tried to ground myself in my perspective of life. It helps me evolve as a person and automatically my music progresses.

My upcoming releases are nothing like my first body of work. I’ve listened more, absorbed a couple more genres and found a way to fuse them.

So I’m really looking forward to putting things out. I have something coming out next month in fact, I’m eager to hear and see reviews

How do you engage with your fans and build a strong relationship with them?

If I’m being honest, I am yet to do that. But going forward I intend to go on more live streaming, get their feedback, their expectations.

I already know how they feel about my music because I ask those questions from time to time and it’s really amazing how they feel. So the plan is to give them steady contents and talk from time to time.

What advice would you give to up-and-coming musicians who are trying to break into the industry?

Stay true to yourself, know who you are and don’t forget it. It will go a long way.

Okay thank you so much for your time, On Behalf Of Solid Guy Media, we really appreciate your time and commitment to this project

Thank you too very much.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, has written to the Academic Staff Union of Universities asking for a meeting with the union on Tuesday, September 20, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.

In a letter signed by the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Yahaya Danzarta, and addressed to the president of ASUU, the speaker expressed his concern over the failed negotiations between the Federal Government and the union.

The letter which was exclusively sighted by our correspondent in Abuja was titled ‘NASS/HR/LEG/03/11/065’. It was dated September 15, 2022.

The letter partly reads, “The Hon. Speaker House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, hereby invites you to a stakeholders meeting towards finding a lasting solution to the lingering strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities since February 2022.

“The House of Representatives is deeply concerned about the renewed strike which seems to have defied all efforts made to find solution or reach agreement between the Federal Government and the striking university lecturers.

“The House is more worried by the negative consequences of the strike on the future and quality of education of our teeming youths who have been kept at home for the past six months despite the intervention of the House and several well-meaning Nigerians over time to see that the matter was resolved.

“In the light of the foregoing, the House hereby requests for another opportunity to come together with stakeholders and leadership of ASUU to seek an amicable resolution without prejudice to the fact that the matter is already in the Industrial Court.”

The letter also asked ASUU to submit a written presentation of its perspective on the matter to the House before the day of the meeting.

Students threaten protest

Meanwhile, the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students has vowed to take its protest to the international airports across the country and ground their activities.

Speaking in Akure , the Ondo State capital, the Chairman, NANS National Task Force on ‘End ASUU Strike Now’, Ojo Olumide, said students were already tired of pleading with both parties over the need to end the strike.

According to him, the four-day shutdown of busy highways and expressways had been a success, hence the move to disrupt international travels as from September 19, 2022 in order for “the bourgeois and the government to feel the pains the students have been passing through in the past seven months.”

He said, “We shall begin another round of protest next week by storming the airspaces on Monday, September 19, 2022 to #OccupyTheAirports#. We want to let the world know about the pains and anguish students are going through.

“Nigerian students whose parents create the commonwealth cannot continue to be suffering at home alongside our lecturers while the few who gain from our sweats and blood have their kids abroad enjoying.

“We call on students to rise and join us as we take our destinies into our hands. Our demands remain consistently clear and simple. We call on ASUU leadership fora meeting as soon as possible to discuss solidarity actions and plan for the next phase of the struggles.

“Nigerian students are not subjected to security agencies and we haven’t seen any step from them to avert ASUU strike.

“Being on the road for the past four days and had garnered a lot of solidarity, grounding the airport is for us to get solidarity and we will keep on grounding the local and international airports and they know the effect of us grounding the airport.

“The only thing we request for them is to open our campuses back. They should give enough budgetary allocation, we are not asking for 26 percent we are asking for 22 percent. We pass a vote of no confidence on the Ministers of Labour and Education.

“We call on the Buhari government to pay all outstanding arrears and salaries of the lecturers. The policy of “No Work No Pay” is a fascist one; it is, therefore, condemnable and unacceptable to all the millions of students in Nigeria.

“We will, by this statement, not beg again. We shall be mobilising all students to shut down the country. No Education! No Movement!

Slamming the Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, over his purported comment on the barricade of federal roads by the students, Olumide noted that the strike had continued to linger due to the absence of children of the political class in public universities.

CREDIT: THE OSUN POSITIVE

The raging dispute between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that has kept many universities shut for more than seven months will shift to the Industrial court next Monday.

ASUU had embarked on strike since February 15 to protest alleged decay of infrastructure at the various institutions, as well as neglect of the welfare of its members.

A reliable source at the Federal Ministry of Labour told THISDAY last night that the ministry’s Trade Dispute Department had filed a case before the Industrial Arbitration Court in Abuja and that the hearing would commence next Monday.

According to the source, “The federal government has filed a case at the Industrial Court challenging the continued strike by the university teachers. This is in conformity with Section 17 of the Trade Dispute Act.”

There have been series of negotiations between the federal government and the ASUU leadership but all ended in stalemate without a tangible outcome.

However, talks between the federal government and ASUU finally hit the rocks last Tuesday after both sides met at the National University Commission’s office in Abuja.

The federal government had said that it would not sign any other agreement it cannot implement.

Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, disclosed this during a meeting of Pro-Chancellors and Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities, held at the NUC’s office.

Adamu said President Muhammadu Buhari had warned the government’s team involved in the negotiation with ASUU against signing an agreement that the government would not be able to fulfil.

The minister said the government had offered the union a 23.5 per cent salary increase “for all categories of the workforce in federal universities, except for the professorial cadre which will enjoy a 35 per cent upward review. He said the government had also promised that N150 billion “shall be provided for in the 2023 Budget as funds for the revitalisation of federal universities, to be disbursed to the Institutions in the First Quarter of the year.”

Also, the government said N50 billion would be provided “for in the 2023 Budget for the payment of outstanding arrears of earned academic allowances, to be paid in the first quarter of the year.”

However, ASUU and three other university unions have rejected the offer, describing it's as unsatisfying

Credit: The Osun Positive

The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, on Tuesday, slammed the Federal Government for failing to prioritise education in Nigeria, stating that the woes bedevilling the sector will not end until the ruling elite are forced to train their children in public schools.

Osodeke, while dismissing the two-week ultimatum issued to ministers by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to end the strike, stated that ASUU had concluded negotiations with the government and was only waiting for the ministers to sign the agreement reached with the university lecturers.

The ASUU President, while decrying the brain drain in the education sector, noted that Nigeria is also losing its professionals in the medical line to other countries.

Osodeke, while featuring on Today Today, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, said the lecturers were ready to return to the classrooms as long as the government fulfils its part of the bargain.

On Buhari’s ultimatum, he said, “As a union, we also look at history – look at past precedents, until the issues are resolved, I don’t believe we…this will not even make any difference because this is not the first ultimatum given on this strike. Remember, when the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council met with the President on the 1st of February, they also set up a three-man committee to quickly resolve this issue within one month; and that was the Chief of Staff (to the President), the Minister of Labour (Employment and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige) and the Minister of Education (Adamu Adamu). That committee didn’t invite us for a meeting until we rolled over the strike in May, that was when they invited us for a meeting. The NLC issued an ultimatum and that committee called a meeting.”

Osodeke recalled that after the negotiation, ASUU gave the government six weeks. “That was 22nd of May, we are (now) in July. We agreed on six weeks. That has expired, nothing happened. Now, (it is) another two weeks. Where we are, if we are serious, if we really want to resolve these problems, it should not take two days,” he stated.

The ASUU President went on the list other instances where the government side failed to report back or invite the union to scheduled meetings in the ongoing talks.

Reacting to Buhari’s “enough is enough” declaration on ASUU strike when governors in the ruling All Progressives Congress paid Sallah homage to the President in his Daura country home, Osodeke alleged that Buhari was being misled by those briefing him on the issue. “When people go to misinform the President, you (will) get what he is saying. When the Minister of Labour goes to misinform the President, you will see what he is saying,” he said.

The ASUU President recalled the government kept on setting up committees after committees, with their recommendations becoming inconclusive.

According to him, the lecturers are out to ensure improvement in the welfare and working condition in the academia, noting that what is happening in Nigeria is not recorded in other countries. “That is why a new professor earns less than N300,000,” he stated.

When asked about the average salary of a professor, Osodeke said, “The average salary of a professor at the bar today is about N400,000 a month – the highest rank, after you have spent about 10 years as a professor. When you are starting, it is about N300,000 as a professor. At the end, you earn N400,000.”

Related News

ASUU adamant, says govt must meet all demands

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Strike: Varsity students back NLC, mobilise for protest

He added, “But when you compare it to other areas – the high impact areas, the most high-impact area in the whole world is academics, not NNPC, not Central Bank (of Nigeria). It is academics, where you take your best brains to; those who make First Class. For you to be a Lecturer 1, you must have Second Class Upper. That is your best brain and that is what they look out for in the world. And in this country, when you look at our history in the 60s, 70s, 80s, the only public servants that earned more than a professor was the Chief Justice of the Federation. A professor earned more than a minister, even more than a permanent secretary. You can check the records. Today, they have been relegated. They are not even earning anything. Check what a senator earns.

“We are not even talking about the Nigerian system, university is universal. When you go to universities in Ghana, you will see Nigerians working there, Indians, Asians. In Nigeria, like I said, in the 60s when they were well paid, when you went to Nigerian universities you would see people from Europe, America working in Nigerian universities. There was pay parity. But today, they have all left. Even Ghanaians, they used to be here; they have left. Today, you don’t see Africans coming to Nigerian universities.”

According to the ASUU President, when comparing the salary of a lecturer in Nigeria it should be done with the African average. He said of lecturers could not be attracted with the pay in Nigeria, it should attract First Class graduates to teaching in the universities and not “go to the banks or the NNPC.”

Osodeke noted, “It was the idea in those days. If you had First Class, no company would take you, you would want to work in the university. To ensure that those are already on ground…I can tell you…look at the history, as we are speaking now there is no year we don’t lose 400 to 500 lecturers going abroad. We call it brain drain. And none is coming (to Nigeria). Just like the doctors, they are leaving and none is coming in, which means you use your money to train your doctor here and he (or she) leaves the country. The nation is losing. You train your academics here, they leave the country to other countries where they know the value of education.”

The ASUU President also faulted the claim by the government that it had paid all workers in the universities the consequential minimum wage adjustment since 2019. “As I am speaking to you, all the universities of agriculture, nobody has been paid a dime. The payment was made in May but till now, they have not paid anybody in the universities of agriculture. In the universities where they paid, they selectively paid people: they paid some and left some, paid some half and paid some double.”

He stated that it was part of the irregularities that were recorded with the payment of lecturers under the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, which ASUU has condemned.

Osodeke also faulted the claim that a faction had broken out of ASUU and decided to discontinue the strike. “There is none. They should name them. Which university? We are together,” he noted.

The ASUU President stated, “Our stand today is that this system has to change…change in such a way that we will get to a stage where the child of a school teacher, a driver, a photographer will enter a classroom and sit next to the child of a minister or a governor – in the same classroom in a Nigerian university. Even in the hostel, a child of Okinbaloye (the presenter) sleep with the child of the President in the same hostel, in the same bed. That is our idea.

“What we have right now is a class struggle and we should know it. You have a group who ensure that their children, with our resources, are paid, go to good environments, good hostels and classrooms where you have access to laboratory equipment, and then you leave the ones to rotten so that the children of the other people who are about 90 per cent will just be there, taking lecturers across the windows, sitting on bare floors; so that when their children come back to the country with good education, they take the juicy jobs.”

Osodeke pointed out that public servants and others in the ruling elite must be restricted to public schools for education to develop in the country. “It is the priority that you place on education. When you check the world today…go to Ghana; Ghanaians were here before and we said ‘Ghana must go,’ but now they are telling us ‘Nigerians must go.’ Why? Because they funded their education. In Ghana, they give 16 to 20 per cent of their budget to education on a yearly basis. In South Africa, it is the same thing. That is why today, Nigerians pay not less than N200bn to Ghanaian universities as school fees,” he said.

On the way forward, The ASUU President stated, “The government should prioritise education – as the Number 1 priority in the country because all of us here, we must pass through the schools. Now that you have killed it, we are now wasting our money on foreign countries. Last year, as claimed by the CBN, Nigerians spent N1.6tn as school fees in other countries in the world. That would have turned around all the universities in Nigeria and bring them to standard, where people will be coming from outside the country. But now, people go outside but nobody comes in.

“This strike that universities have shut down, those who run the affairs of Nigeria – the National Assembly, the Executive arm (of the government), they don’t have any problem. Their children are not here; their families are not here. If they were here; if the children of all the ministers and all the senators are all here in our public universities, this strike would not last two days. When the aviation people wanted to shut down the country, the National Assembly called them immediately and settled them immediately overnight because they all fly; they cannot pass the roads again. They fly so they quickly resolved it. But the universities are closed.”

CREDIT: THE PUNCH

S/N	EVENTS	DATES
1	Sanitation of hostels, awareness and marathon race	12th of June 2023
2	Health and care talk, tech talk and financial programme, tungba block party.	13th of June 2023
3	Talent hunt and cooking competition	14th of June 2023
4	Sport competition, indoor games/Agbaya day(Back to childhood) and car wash	15th of June 2023
5	Grand finale, artist performances, red carpet and awards.	16th of June 2023.

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