Women
How Rivers Girl Emerged Newcastle Ambassador
Lorraine Ichoku, 26 years old, from Omoku, Rivers State recently emerged an Ambassador for Newcastle City, in the United Kingdom. This was in recognition of her spectacular role in the just concluded London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics games.
In an appointment letter signed by the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, and made available to The Tide, Lorraine was honoured for her inspiring and supportive role in making the London Olympic a huge success. The letter which read in part stated; “As a Newcastle Ambassador, you have ensured that thousands of people have enjoyed the London 2012 experience by the welcome and spirit that you have shown visitors to your local area. You and your fellow volunteers have been an essential ingredient in a remarkable summer that millions of people across the country have shared and will remember for a lifetime.
“You have sent an incredible message about the warmth, friendliness and can-do spirit of the United Kingdom right around the world. Quite simply, the games couldn’t have happened without you,” the letter stated.
In a mark of appreciation, and gratitude, the British Prime Minister added that the experience from the games would encourage the recipient to continue to make a different in life.
Young Lorraine Ichoku, who travelled to the United Kingdom to pursue a masters degree programme in Public Health under the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Scholarship returned back to Nigeria, recently with a distinctive academic laurel.
She came out with a distinction in her Masters Programme in Public Health at the Northumbria University Newcastle City.
Lorraine who spoke with The Tide correspondents, in Port Harcourt, in an interview recently, said she went to the United Kingdom with a determined spirit to make the best use of all available opportunities that came her way.
Recalling her experience in the United Kingdom, she said, contrary to initial fears or racial prejudice, the environment was quite conducive and friendly and that spurred her drive towards academic excellence.
She said the learning culture encourages the spirit of excellence and she developed a firmer grasp of her objective in the foreign land.
Lorraine who was highly grateful to NDDC for giving her the opportunity, said she had to channel her intellectual energies to attain success so as to press home the advantages of a good and functional education. “While in the United Kingdom, I was very conscious of the fact that I would go back to Nigeria someday. I knew that my entire stay in the United Kingdom would be a waste if I didn’t do well, so I took my studies seriously and it paid off, today. I am very happy for making Rivers State and Nigeria proud, I am indeed grateful to NDDC for paying all my tuition and accommodation fees,” she said.
Lorraine who did her first degree in Bio-Chemistry at Bacbok University in Nigeria, said her purpose of studying Public Health at Masters level was to work in Nigeria and help her people in dire health needs.
Her vision is to ensure that Nigerians, especially those living at the grassroots, have access to good health care, adding that she would not hesitate if she has the opportunity of serving the teeming Nigerian masses living at the level of existence.
“Nigerians at the grassroots deserve better medicare, they are people that plants the food we eat, they bear the real burden of our national life, I will be very happy to render services to them if I have the opportunity. I have always longed to work for my people by providing the services that can improve their well-being,” she stressed.
She discarded the wrong impression and perception held about Nigerians by most parts of the world.
According to her, “Nigerians in the United Kingdom are doing quite well their the respective fields of endeavour. At the United Kingdom I met Nigerians who are on top of their careers, in the arts, medicine, law, banking, among others. Nigerians are indeed, great and superlative people.”
However, on return to Nigeria, Lorraine Ichoku was disturbed by the growing level of insecurity in the country, which has resulted in the wanton lost of lives and property. She also regrets that youths are at the roots of the growing insecurity.
She appealed to the Federal Government to address issues of insecurity which has affected the image of the country internationally, while also advising Young Lorraine also advised youths to channel their energies creatively and shun violence and other anti-social activities.
Commenting on her award as a Newcastle Ambassador, Lorraine said she was highly grateful to the British Government for the honour. She said her participation in the London Olympic as a volunteer, provided her with the opportunity of meeting people from all parts of the world and this according to her, enhanced her capacity for self expression and socialisation.
Lorraine Ichoku who also emerged the second best graduating student in her masters programme, said another Nigerian Youth, Kessy from Warri, emerged the overall best. according to her Nigeria youths are endowed with exceptional talents, and such lavishing sense of creativity can best be demonstrated through academic excellence. She sees education as “an ornament that chastise vices, groom the mind and open windows of opportunities for its proud and fulfilled owner”.
Taneh Beemene / Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi
IVY-K Fashion by Igiebor Daddy Lucky, a Nigerian-born designer now based in the UK, has launched the latest menswear line, Dapper Man.
One of the collection’s strengths is its classic, clean aesthetic. Dapper Man delivers sharp, structured suits in a timeless black and white color scheme that exudes a sense of luxury and professionalism. The use of high-quality fabrics like wool and silk ensures that the suits not only look high-end but also feel luxurious to the wearer. The designer’s focus on detail is evident in the meticulous tailoring, with fitted blazers and crisp trousers forming the foundation of the collection.
Where IVY-K Fashion shines is in the subtle yet elegant touches. The inclusion of beads as embellishments on lapels and cuffs adds a unique flair, blending traditional craft with modern tailoring. This nod to African heritage gives the collection a distinct identity, offering something more personal and culturally significant than your standard menswear line.
However, despite the elegance of the Dapper Man collection, there is a lingering sense of missed opportunity. The black-and-white color palette, while classic, feels overly safe. In a fashion landscape where bold colors and daring patterns often make the strongest impact, the collection could benefit from incorporating more vibrant hues or experimenting with unconventional fabrics. Pushing the envelope with color or texture could elevate these designs from simply elegant to truly memorable.
In addition, while the tailoring of the blazers and trousers is immaculate, the collection lacks a sense of playfulness or modern edge that many contemporary menswear lines are embracing. The suits are undoubtedly stylish, but the collection as a whole leans heavily on tradition. Experimenting with asymmetrical cuts, bold patterns, or even layering could add an exciting dimension to Dapper Man. The challenge is to maintain the sleek sophistication of the collection while infusing it with a fresh, innovative spirit.
Another area that could use improvement is the overall cohesion of the collection. While the suits are well-crafted, there is a feeling of repetition across the pieces. More variation in design, such as different lapel styles, pocket configurations, or even bolder accessories, would give the collection greater diversity and visual interest.
In conclusion, Dapper Man by Igiebor Daddy Lucky showcases the designer’s strong grasp of classic tailoring and elegant design, but to truly capture the attention of a broader audience, IVY-K Fashion would benefit from more daring choices. By infusing the collection with bold colors, unexpected textures, and a more modern edge, Dapper Man could move from a well-crafted line to a trendsetting force in men’s fashion. With such a solid foundation, there’s no doubt that Igiebor Daddy Lucky has the potential to lead his brand toward greater heights
The trend of indecent dressing all in the name of fashion is fast becoming a norm in our generation and society at large. Most married women embrace this fashion as competition with single ladies.
Different scholars have given an in depth insight about dressing as a tool of communication. Non-verbal communication has been asserted as the communication between people by the means of signs or symbols. It conveys what we wish to disseminate to the public as either intentionally or not.
According to Paul Ekman and Michael Argyle, communication is carried out through what has been classified as “Presentational Code”. He listed nine codes of non-verbal communication, as body contact, facial expression, gestures, postures, eye movement, proximity, orientation, head nods and appearance.
This, being stated, married and single ladies should understand that their mode of dressing is communicative be it directly or indirectly as such body parts we call “private” are now being made public because of the trends or wearing of transparent dresses and this in turn calls on the attention of men who are weak and prone to illicit thoughts thus, resulting to most rape cases in our society.
This indecent dressing by most ladies has denied many their future husbands. The truth is that a man is attracted to his kind; his desires in marriage. It is often asserted that decency and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder, yet, in trending times of this 21st century, dress code and fashion in nudity form is gaining popularity.
This has become complicated as most men tend to toggle between their emotions (lust) and sanity (rationality) in terms of marriage, thereby setting a wrong foundation upon which most marriages are consummated.
On the other hand, most married women have embraced the trend of indecent dressing nipping it on the state of it being the choice dressing, approved by their spouses, leaving society with the question of what “responsible” man would prefer that the secrecy of the benefit of his marital vow has become the centre of attraction and viewership by the general public.
Hence, communicating with their dressing gas given licence to every male gender who is interested or attracted to what they see to make unsolicited sexual passes at them, which might be considered embarrassing.
At this juncture, it is important to state that ladies should dress decently knowing that they are the epitome of nation-building, they are nation-builders, character moulders and pacesetters not just in the lives of their families but to the society at large.
In most occasions, there are no clear border lines between the married women and the single ladies because of the rate of scanty dressing which has close the gap of differences.
Women and girls should embrace this call awakening to decent mode of dressing. Dresses that are meant to be worn indoors should remain indoors.
It is worrisome to see ladies wear shorts that are supposed to be worn in the living room on the streets without shame. This is an awakening call to our ladies, married and singles that the opposite sex do not expose their private body parts for the public. Sometimes, the ladies go about in the streets without wearing brazziers as to showcase their nipples.
The society should be sanitised of the menace of indecent dressing that is lurking and taking over the entire nooks and crannies of the society and the nation at large.
Let it be known that he or she is addressed in the manner he or she is dressed. There may be no room for a second impression. To the single ladies, your dressing decently will not stop you from meeting your Mr Right rather, it will increase your stake and place you on the list of most valued women in the society.
Dressing speaks louder than words.
Kate Chisom Isiocha
Isiocha is an OND final year student of Temple Gate Polytechnic.
