This first portrait is now erroneously titled by museum curators “King of Kongo Dom Garcia II”
It was painted c. 1640
*Dom Garcia II
The surname Garcia is commonly associated with Spanish and Hispanic ethnicity…
It’s one of the most common surnames in Spain and is prevalent in Spanish-speaking countries around the world, not Kongo…
Now, the REAL photographs of European nobility and their descendants were / are invariably labeled and identified as “slaves”, or “descendants of slaves”, “born in Africa”, with “exceptional intelligence”, that were “saved”, or “adopted” by [insert any European monarchs name here]
This is historical narrative…
Not historical truth…
An example of this is found in a person they call “Sara Forbes Bonetta”
In other words, the real nobility were given pseudonyms, erroneous slave narratives were concocted, then later, these photographs were digitized…(via The Library of Congress in ‘94 & Google in ‘98)
Their ancestors received the same treatment, portraits of nobility from the dark ages were invariably indentified as slaves, servants, the mythical St. Maurice, St. Balthazar, St. Casper, Olaudah Equiano, Badin, Ignatius Sancho, Zamor, William Ansah Sessarakoo, Ira Aldridge, or most ridiculously, The King of the Congo…
“The King of Kongo” is code for The King of Portugal…
Portugal established contact with the Kongo Kingdom in the late 15th century…
King John II of Portugal, expelled all the Jews or Judeans to the Portugese settlements on the continent of Africa…
“King John II, in 1492, expelled all the Jews to the Island of St. Thomas (Sao Tome), which had been discovered in 1471, and to other Portuguese settlements on the continent of Africa; and from these banished Jews, the black Portuguese, as they are called, and the Jews in Loango [Angola / Kongo] who are despised even by the very negroes, are descended”
SOURCE;
(The Critical Review, Or, Annals of Literature; Volumes 57-58; 1783)
Having portraits painted for significant events like coronations or ascensions to the throne was quite common among the aristocracy and royalty…
It was a way to commemorate and visually document important moments in their lives…
These portraits often served to display power, status, and lineage, and they were sometimes commissioned not only by the individuals themselves but also by the court or other nobles as gifts or displays of loyalty…
This portrait was painted c. 1640…
John IV, nicknamed John the Restorer, was the King of Portugal whose reign, lasting from 1640 until his death, began the Portuguese restoration of independence from Habsburg Spanish rule…
His accession established the House of Braganza on the Portuguese throne, and marked the end of the 60-year-old Iberian Union by which Portugal and Spain shared the same monarch…
The boy in the portrait is his son, at 7 years of age, Don Teodósio, Prince of Brazil, Duke of Braganza.
We are tired of seeing students with A1 in Mathematics but cannot resolve the smallest of fractions. A student with distinctions in Physics and chemistry but knows next to nothing about chemical reactions or energy conversion. Students with distinctions in Literature, Government, and CRS, yet blank on the differences between Drama and Prose Fiction, the forms of Government, and the significance of Religious stories.
I had to ask some year 1 students to look for a tutorial teacher to help them with JS 3 and SS1 mathematics recently. The whole 16 of them in my Engineering class with excellent SSCE results are visibly confused at the sight of any arithmetic work. Their last semester’s performance betrayed the several A1s and B3s on the WAEC they carry about.
These students you help acquire grades they can’t defend are usually frustrated in the ivory tower. Save them a voyage of pain and regrets in the future by ensuring they are well tutored and allowed to prepare and write their examinations unaided.
There is a black woman who led Kushite armies against the Roman Empire in a war that lasted about 5 years (27BC to 22BC). She crushed the Roman ambition to expand the control they had in Egypt further south and so Kush was free from Roman invasion. Her name is Queen Amanirenas.
The Kingdom of Kush was located in the Northeast Africa. Just south of Ancient Egypt. Today, the land of Kush is the country of Sudan.
Queen Amanirenas was described as brave, fearless and she was blind in one eye (which she got from battle). She was Queen from 40BC to 10BC. To show how powerful the Nubian Queen was, she took the statue head of Augustus Caesar and buried it under her temple so her people can symbolically trample over Rome. She protected her people and halted potential invasion of the Romans. (Kush was later referred to as Nubia).
Queen Amanirenas would send arrows to the ruler of Rome and say, “Keep it as a sign of peace or use it during war if you want to go to war against my army, until the Romans surrendered and signed a peace treaty.
She defended a whole empire & took them to more wealth & success.
Queen👑 Idia of Benin Kingdom was a notable historical figure who played a significant role in the pre-colonial era of Africa. She was the mother of the great Oba of Benin, Oba Esigie, who ruled the kingdom from 1504 to 1550. Her contribution to the development of the Benin Kingdom is still celebrated today, over 500 years after her reign.
Queen Idia was born in the 16th century, in what is now known as Edo State in Nigeria. She was married to Oba Ozolua, the Oba of Benin at the time, and was the mother of his heir, Esigie. As a queen, Idia was not only a political figure but also a spiritual one. She was a powerful priestess of the West African religion, which was the dominant religion in the Benin Kingdom at the time. Her role in the Benin Kingdom was crucial, as she helped to unify the kingdom and bring about political stability. During her husband’s reign, the kingdom was facing external threats from neighboring tribes, and internal conflicts among the nobility. Idia played a key role in helping her husband overcome these challenges, using her political and spiritual influence to support him.
She also accompanied her husband on military campaigns, providing strategic counsel and inspiration to the troops. After her husband’s death, she continued to be a powerful figure in the kingdom, serving as a regent for her son Esigie until he came of age to rule. During her regency, she helped to establish trade routes with neighboring kingdoms, further strengthening the economic and political power of the Benin Kingdom.
*A bronze Plaque depicting Queen Idia
Queen Idia’s most enduring legacy, however, was her contribution to the cultural and artistic heritage of the Benin Kingdom. She was a patron of the arts, and it was under her patronage that some of the most iconic works of Benin art were created. The most famous of these works is the ivory mask of Queen Idia, which is now housed in the British Museum in London. The mask depicts Queen Idia with intricate details and elaborate headdress, symbolizing her political and spiritual power. Her legacy continues to inspire people today, not only in Nigeria but across the world.
Her story is a testament to the important role that women have played in shaping African history and culture, despite the patriarchal structures that have often sought to marginalize them. She is a symbol of strength, courage, and resilience, and a reminder that women have always been leaders and innovators in their communities.
Two banners hang in the media center at the Rodgers Middle Magnet School in Riverview, Fla., one of which reads: “We’re not here to figure out the smell of the color nine.” Adam Lane, the principal at Rodgers, says it’s a reminder to teachers that they don’t have a minute to waste in their 30-minute meeting every Tuesday morning, especially since he slimmed it down from an hour to just 30 minutes.
“If we are reducing the meeting time, it has to be powerful and productive. You can’t walk in five minutes late,” Lane said.
Now, all 75 teachers meet in the media center instead of separately, splitting off by subjects and grade levels in the four corners. Teachers who are can’t make it in person can connect via Microsoft Teams. Using this setup, Lane said he’s managed to give teachers back at least two hours every month, that they can use to plan their lessons, meet parents, or invest in their own development. Here’s How Many Hours a Week Teachers Work. The seemingly simple work to reduce meetings belies how it can help teachers, who spend a lot of time in meetings—and by and large, say it’s too much.
In a nationally representative survey conducted by the EdWeek Research Center as part of its new project, The State of Teaching, over 1,400 teachers said they spend close to 6 hours a week on meetings or administrative tasks—an hour more than the time they spend on grading, and four more than what they spend on their professional development.
062023 teacherpoliticssurvey chart ly When asked what activities they would spend less time on, the largest percentage—33 percent—said meetings, followed by 17 percent of respondents who want to do less administra In survey’s open-ended responses, teachers detailed why they wanted to reduce the number of meetings.
“We seem to be using meetings as a stage to disseminate information, rather than allow us to share concerns and problems,” said one teacher.
Another teacher, in response to an EdWeek social media post, said that the mounting burden of administrative tasks impacts her teaching:
“I’m ‘meetinged’ OUT! I’m also ‘tested’ out. When shall I teach? How should I prioritize all the things I SHALL DO?” —Sammi H
“I suspect if you asked principals the same question, they would also want to spend less time in meetings. No one went to college to train as a teacher only to sit in these meetings. We must let teachers do what their best at,” said Matt Haney, principal at Mount Desert Island High School in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Haney has also tried to bring down meetings times to under an hour in his school.
“It’s the worst thing [for a teacher] to leave a long meeting and think … that could’ve been an email.”
Reduce the quantity, improve the quality Haney laid out some rules around how meetings should be held in his school. Meetings should have a clear purpose, with defined start and end times. They should also be predictable, so that teachers can plan around them. And he cancels them when there’s nothing in particular to go over.
“If we don’t need a meeting, we won’t have it just because it’s on the schedule,” said Haney.
Last year, he noticed that that the number of meetings had shot up to four per week. In response to a growing number of district mandates like testing requirements, Haney said, the knee-jerk reaction would be to set up a meeting.
Mike Randolph, principal of Leesburg High School in Leesburg, Fla., faced a similar situation four years ago. In a mid-year survey conducted with teachers, the demand to reduce meeting time was right at the top, Randolph said.
“Teachers clearly wanted more time for professional development and wanted to be celebrated.”
In response, Randolph created a new timetable centered on Wednesdays, when his school has an early release.
“Out of the four Wednesdays, we only use one to hold a staff meeting or group PD. Teachers spend the three other Wednesdays in their professional learning communities,” said Randolph.
Meetings at Leesburg are strictly for learning. Randolph sends out a weekly newsletter on Sundays to share informational updates, like an upcoming testing schedule or the school’s graduation tracker.
Like Lane, Randolph had to impress on his teachers that it’s a two-way street: To get more time away from meetings, teachers committed to reading the Sunday newsletter.
Striking a fine balance Principals must still ensure they don’t lose touch with what’s expected of their teachers. Haney said instead of calling all the teachers into a meeting, he walks up to individual classrooms, and meets with smaller groups of teachers about an upcoming school assessment or a field trip. “It’s a great way to build trust and make sure teachers are collaborating with each other,” he added.
It’s a fine balance to strike, though. Some large meetings are unavoidable because of district or state-specific mandates. School safety alone Lane said, comes with several new required trainings.
“There is so much documentation we have to show to check boxes. Teachers have to sign up for meetings to learn about fire, lockdown and evacuation drills. We have to cross the Ts,” said Lane.
By Sunny Idowu Sado,( B.Sc, M.Sc, MNIM, CPFA, FCTI, FCA)
ECONOMICS
Introduction
The Nigerian economy is jointly managed by the Fiscal and Monetary Authorities. The Federal Ministry of Finance is the Fiscal Authority responsible for fiscal policies, while the Central Bank of Nigeria is the Monetary Authority responsible for monetary policies. Generally, monetary authorities use monetary policy measures and instruments to control the value, supply, and cost of money in an economy. On the other hand, the Fiscal Authority uses taxes and government expenditure as the primary tools of fiscal policy for economic growth and stabilization.
*Folashodun Shonubi, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria
The fiscal and monetary authorities are both independent, but for effective/ optimum economic performance, there must of necessity be a collaboration between the two, as both fiscal and monetary policies play a large role in managing the economy and both have direct and indirect impacts on personal and household finances. In addition to regulating the demand side of the economy, fiscal policy influences aggregate output and employment by raising the level of infrastructure spending. Similarly, monetary policy by the central bank boosts consumer spending through lower interest, inflation and exchange rates.
Government Revenue
The major sources of government revenue in Nigeria are taxes (including levies) and borrowing. Borrowings are the more expensive source of revenue because they are repayable with interest and they have a negative impact on a country’s global economic rating. On the other hand, the major cost associated with taxes is the cost of collections. In spite of the nation’s rising debt profile, some people in government are of the opinion (deliberately or ignorantly) that having regard to the Nation’s Debt to GDP ratio, Nigeria’s debt level is still within a tolerable level.
They fail to realize or admit that the debt servicing to revenue ratio is excessively high and will not allow for any real development. Arising from the high debt profile and limited opportunity for more debts, the governments both at national and sun-national levels are now focusing more on taxation as their major source of revenue. In fact, states that boast of high Internally-Generated-Revenue (IGR) generate such from taxes, as they are unable to think out of the box to identify other sources of revenue. They do not have a broad revenue base. This has led to incidences of multiple taxation in the country.
Wale Edun, Minister of Finance
Multiple Taxation
Multiple taxation refers to the situation where taxable persons (individuals and
business concerns) are subject to various taxes and levies imposed by different levels of government (Local, State and Federal Governments) resulting in a significant burden on their financial resources. In some cases, there are duplication of some taxes at the different levels. In fact, the National Tax Policy Document describes multiplicity of taxation further as a situation where a particular tax is levied on the same person in respect of the same liability by more than one state or local government.
Some states and local government deploy the use of crude unorthodox means such as mounting of roadblocks and forceful closure of shops as some of the ways such taxes are collected. In some other cases, the federal, state and local government agencies, and ministries, among others, come up with different names for the same tax. This is despite clear legislation that outlined lists of taxes and levies to be collected by the three tiers of government.
In broad terms, the following are the major taxes in Nigeria:
✓ Personal Income Tax (PIT)
✓ Company Income Tax (CIT)
✓ Value Added Tax (VAT)
✓ Withholding Tax (WHT)
✓ Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT)
✓ Capital Gain Tax (CGT)
✓ Capital Transfer Tax (CTT)
✓ Stamp Duties
✓ Education Tax
✓ Property Tax
Impact of Multiple Taxation on Fiscal Growth
The impact of multiple taxation on businesses in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized.
They include:
1. Sharp reduction in the country’s GDP. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
businesses are the backbone of the Nigerian economy as they are the highest
employer of labour. Unfortunately, they are particularly vulnerable to the
incidences of multiple taxes which increase their cost of operations, because
they are the most easily accessible by the agents of government at various
levels. It is therefore not surprising that most SMEs in Nigeria do not survive
beyond their first three years of operations. Ultimately, there is sharp drop
in taxes accruable to the governments as more businesses go out of operation
and many people are thrown into the unemployment market.
2. Generally, multiple taxes increase the cost of doing business. When businesses are required to pay various taxes and levies to different levels of government, it results in increases in their operating costs and subsequently, reduction in their profits. This makes it challenging for such businesses to thrive or even survive, particularly during tough economic times like we are currently experiencing in Nigeria.
3. Multiple taxation has negative impacts on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
The taxes and their unorthodox mode of collection worsen the ease of doing
business which is a major disincentive to foreign investors. It creates an unfavorable business environment, stifles investment, and ultimately impedes
fiscal growth.
4. Aside the impact of profitability, multiple taxation creates a burden on the
cash flow of businesses. Paying multiple taxes and levies at different times of
the year can be challenging for businesses, especially in an era when cost of
credit is high. This can lead to cash flow problems, ultimately affecting their
ability to meet their obligations to their employees, suppliers, and creditors.
If left unchecked, this could result in the closure of businesses with its
negative impact on fiscal growth.
5. Multiple taxation which increases cost of doing business locally in Nigeria
leads to reduced competitiveness. When businesses are subject to multiple
taxes and levies, it reduces their ability to compete with businesses operating
in other countries as the cost of doing business in Nigeria will be higher than
those in other countries. This could result in businesses relocating to other
countries with more favorable tax regimes, leading to loss of jobs and revenue
for the Nigerian economy. Examples are the relocation of several businesses
from Nigeria to neighbouring Ghana.
6. Disincentives to pay tax. Imposition of multiple taxations on citizens and
businesses discourages those that should willingly pay from paying especially
when they have suffered multiple ones in the past.
7. Inefficiency in tax collections. There is inefficiency in the tax collection
process when different agencies/ levels of governments are involved in
multiple tax collections. This leads to arbitrage and incidences of tax evasion.
Conclusion
Government Tax Policies is one of two most widely used means of affecting fiscal policy, the second being Government Spending Policies. It is therefore an offence under the law for anybody entitled to pay tax, to fail to pay or evade taxes. Tax evasion is the illegal practice of not paying taxes, by not reporting income, reporting expenses not legally allowed, or by not paying taxes owed.
On the other hand, Tax avoidance is the legitimate reduction of taxes, using methods approved by the tax authority. Businesses avoid taxes by taking legitimate deductions and/or by sheltering income from taxes. For example, this can be done by setting up employee retirement plans and other means.
Important as taxation is to governments at different levels, multiple taxation must be avoided because of its negative impacts highlighted above, if its full benefits are to be harvested.
Afro-Global Education Deliveries 