AS the general election of the Directors Guild of Nigeria, DGN, holds this morning in Asaba, Delta State, expectations are high as pundits are busy, predicting the outcome of the election.
Although many have opined that the major battle for the post of the presidency would obviously be between Fred Amata and Lancelot Imasuen. Kingsley Omo-Efe who is also contesting for the coveted presidential seat may not be a push over after all.
The last few weeks have seen the aspirants being locked in aggressive campaigns, as they reeled out their manifestos to win the support of DGN members. Lancelot Imasuen who celebrated his 20 years in Nollywood last year believes that he has what it takes to become the next president of the Guild.
Popular director
“Judging from the past and present, I see myself as most capable and competent to steer the ship of the directors in Nigeria because film directing has been my life and God has been merciful to me,… You cannot give what you do not have,”the popular director declares.
If elected, the producer of the epic film, Ïnvasion 1897”said, part of his plans is to have three DGN lounges in addition to engaging government and private sector to invest in the industry. “It’s in my character to dream and desire great things, go for heights deemed impossible and climb to its zenith. I want to remake the individual Nigerian film Director for the 21st century challenges of film making, globalise and draw National and international attention to our DGN, engage government and private sector with interests in our craft”.
However, Fred Amata sees no other candidate than himself. Despite contesting for this position for more than three times, the Delta State-born thespian is not giving up the fight for the hot seat of DGN president. According to him, “I am one of the longest serving professional in the industry. I have a product that happened even before the new environment, Nollywood, was born. I have being a director since 1986. “With my threatening records, I feel there is the need for my colleagues on the other side to make me their consensus candidate.” He promised to get the guild a befitting secretariat, a functioning constitution and website in his first three months in office.
On his own, Kingsley Omoefe popularly called “King of soaps” describes himself as director of directors. He said, “Nobody among those contesting have what I have. It’s my prerogative to re-awaken the ailing directors’ guild. It’s been too long in coma. My brothers and sisters in the guild have to put in my hands the future of the DGN if they want that desired change for our dear body. We are intellectuals and know what we want. I am here to serve them.”
“The desire for change and repositioning the profession of movie directing and directors has inspired my resolve to become DGN President. My leadership will be hinged on good and quality leadership based on these four cardinal points; Commitment, Service, Loyalty and Respect for members”, says Mr Omo-Efe. With their intimidating credentials, the question now on everyone’s lips is, “Who emerges the new p
Populations of bees, butterflies and other species important for agricultural pollination are declining, posing potential risks to major world crops, a UN body on biodiversity said Friday.
“Many wild bees and butterflies have been declining in abundance, occurrence and diversity at local and regional scales in Northwest Europe and North America,” said an assessment by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
It said declines had also been detected elsewhere in the world and that possible causes include habitat loss, pesticides, pollution, invasive species, pathogens and climate change.
Bee-venom
The report by the IPBES, which was established under UN auspices in 2012 to assess the state of ecosystems and biodiversity, stopped short of declaring a full-scale threat to food supplies.
But it stressed the importance of protecting pollinators to ensure stable fruit and vegetable output, amid concern over the challenge of feeding the world’s growing population in coming decades.
It said animal pollination is directly responsible for between five and eight percent of global agricultural production by volume, amounting to between $235 billion and $577 billion worth of annual output.
In addition, more than three-quarters of the “leading types of global food crops” rely to some extent on animal pollination for yield and quality.
“Pollinator-dependent species encompass many fruit, vegetable, seed, nut and oil crops, which supply major proportions of micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals in the human diet,” the IPBES said.
Pollination is the transfer of pollen between the male and female parts of flowers to enable reproduction.
The assessment is the work of nearly 80 scientists from around the world and was released at an IPBES meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
It is the first report by the four-year-old group, which is considered the biodiversity equivalent of the UN-organised Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
– Upsetting the apple cart –
In Europe, nine percent of bee and butterfly species are threatened with extinction and populations are declining for 37 percent of bee species and 31 percent of butterfly species for which sufficient data is available, the IPBES said.
In some places in Europe more than 40 percent of bee species may be threatened, it added.
A “data gap” frustrates analysis of the situation in Latin America, Asia, and Africa, but the same drivers are suspected to be at work in those regions, it said.
Data is more solid for non-insect pollinators such as bats and birds, however, with the IPBES saying 16 percent of such species worldwide are threatened with extinction.
Some of the most important world food staples such as rice, wheat and other grains do not rely on animal pollination.
But vulnerable crops could include apples, mangoes, chocolate and many other commonly consumed foods, said Simon Potts, co-chair of the assessment.
“Pretty much nearly all your fruits and many of your vegetables are pollination-dependent,” said Potts, deputy director of the Centre for Agri-Environmental Research at Britain’s Reading University.
Possible policy options include better protection of natural environments and ecosystems, limiting the scope of intensive agriculture, and finding alternatives to pesticides, the IPBES said.
Greater attention to controlling pathogens among species and better regulation of managed populations of bees and other pollinators could also help, it added.
IPBES members stressed that the group does not make specific recommendations, but provides information for policy-makers.
The assessment said pollinator declines could lead to lower crop yields, raising prices for consumers and reducing agricultural profits.
resident of DGN?.”
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