Mrs sally mbanefo biography of barack

Sally Mbanefo: I Started Painting at 18, Inspired by Peace of Mind

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Sally Uwechue-Mbanefo, a former Director General of Nigerian Tourism Maturation Corporation (NTDC) is a renaissance woman.

Nothing could be truer for the career woman of today who is charting unknown territories unabashedly and fearlessly. Be it in banking, investing, IT, administration among others, she is proceeding with gumption and unbridled enthusiasm to make a difference with her ideas, seek solutions that have never been sought and give face to a new paradigm in the Anambra Culture and Tourism ministry.

Late Barrister Uwechue who is the stepmother of the Anambra Declare Commissioner for Indigenous Art Works, Tourism and Diaspora Affairs, Mrs Sally Mbanefo, died on the eleventh of May , at the age of fifty-five.

She opened the doors of her home to Omolola Itayemi in a rare interview where she talked about her unknown side as a fine artist among her many callings

She welcomes me warmly to her Ikoyi apartment to the embrace of a Che Guevara painting, which hangs on a mantel.

A waft of songs in peculiar percussions of Afrobeat hits the ear; one can easily hear Fela Anikulapoâ€s furious but mellifluous voice in the background. With various paintings and artistic designs, the house comes alive like a gallery; from stills to silhouettes to landscapes, she says she painted them all over the last three decades and eight years.

A worn-out but robust easel, paint brushes and other art materials with her call engraved on them bear eloquent testimony that she has been there, done that. Her collection of books, proudly displayed on magazine racks placed at various points in the apartment spans the genres of art history to biographies and motivational books.

Besides the books and paintings, delicately sits a bag – her boxing bag – at her reception. She boxes to ease off stress.

 “I started painting since I was 18 years old in England,” she recounts, walking me through her collection.  “Art is a talent.

People will say you are a lawyer, a banker how approach you are in the arts. I began to think about it and said: “look at this gift God has given me. I have been painting since I was I will be 53 years old this year, It is a tribute.

It is when you recognise what God has given you. You canâ€t be a composer unless God has given you the gift. You cannot grasp to be an artist; I enjoy my company.”

Every piece of art in her living room has a story behind it.

Some of them show the trajectory of her sojourn as DG, NTDC in the four years of her tenure and now her new assignment as Commissioner of Indigenous Art, Diaspora Affairs and Culture & Tourism. She has been inspired by her experience travelling through the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria when she was at the NTDC.

Some others feature her romance with nature and affection for undiluted human form while some recent paintings are from close collaborations with artisans in Anambra State.

“What inspires me is peace of mind”, she says, adding, “If I have calm of mind, you can observe the different aspects of art.

Love also inspires me. Harmony of mind. I do landscapes with still life drawing. You can see from my works that it is not just landscapes but my works are also about my life when I was in Europe.”
In her collection are landscapes of Ondo and Anambra States, Badagary landscape of the first story building in Nigeria.

“I include brought my art into tourism,” she adds. “I have painted tourism sites. In addition to what I have, when I am in love, I color it. You can see the whole painting on the subtlety of love.

We Need Leafy Revolution in Nigeria —Sally Mbanefo: She began her career in , as a pioneer staff in the Treasury department of Abacus Merchant Bank Limited (one of the first indigenous banks in Nigeria) and subsequently in joined International Merchant Bank Limited (former First National Bank of Chicago, where she spent 17 years, variously, in Treasury Department, International Trade Dep.

Human build is a form of art. What inspired this is that if you go to an art school, they give you a nude image to pull or paint, because we were born nude. We were not born with clothes on. People have to show themselves.

Having served at the federal level as Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and later in Anambra State as Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, Indigenous Artworks, Culture and Tourism, delectable Sally Uwechue Mbanefo was recently appointed Commissioner, Ministry of Mineral Resources, Tertiary Education, Science.

It is the innocence and simplicity of human being. You are not hiding.”

Mbanefoâ€s love for the arts stems from her calm nature. A nature that involves looking inwards and taking a retrospect on life. “I am a bit of a loner.

Perhaps it was premeditated, or then again, just a mere coincidence that Mrs Sally Mbanefo was removed as Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Growth Corporation, Wednesday, November 30, by a Federal Government circular to that effect, even as she was totally unaware of the goings-on at the Civil Service. Mbanefo, appointed in Maywas expecting a renewal of her tenure and was confident of that happening, hence, she went about her duties at the Garki, Abuja, head office of the NTDC, including official functions. In between when her dismissal letter was hatched and executed, Mbanefo had presented papers at industry-related functions, totally unaware of the happenings around her at the Federal Ministry of Culture and Information. However, while she was on the podium, the letter effecting her sack was making the rounds at the Government Secretariat from the Ministry of Culture and Information.

I am designed like an extrovert but by nature I am joyful in my own quiet small space. I donâ€t drink or smoke. I donâ€t do anything out of the way that some people get into trouble for doing. But I am happy in my own room and I like to achieve out to people if I can be of help to them and add value to their lives.

I would not like to meet people to gossip or to just useless my time because our occasion on earth is short and we must use it judiciously.”

Mbanefoâ€s comes from a close knit family no doubt. She professes her love for family effortlessly.

“I grew up amidst a lot of love. I am from the Uwechue family in Delta State. My father, Owelle George Uwechue, popularly hailed ‘Owelle the Law†by Chief Arthur Mbanefo, is a past chairman of the body of benchers, member of the House of Representatives, a one-time speaker tempore and is the current chief of the Uwechue family.

His immediate elder brother was Dignitary Ralph Uwechue, a former Ohaneze President General of the Igbos. Growing up, all I keep in mind to date is that none of my uncles or aunties ever fights. Every sibling is very caring towards the other; they all grew up in Kano, Sokoto and Kaduna States, so they are very cosmopolitan in their outlook.

You can imagine the Mbanefo family came twice into the Uwechue family to marry our women because of our pedigree. My father worked with the colonial masters.

Since the beautiful lady, who was appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan, was relieved of her duties by the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari retdlittle or nothing has been heard from her. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected] Isaac Oguntoye.

He was next in line. My parents all went to school in the north. My uncles went to Raimi St. Johns including Ralph Uwechue who was a prefect every year. They grew up not thinking I am Igbo, I am this. They grew up in an environment where everybody was somebody not necessarily where you come from.”

Mbanefo is passionate about the arts.

Therefore, her appointment as the Commissioner of Indigenous Art, Diaspora Affairs and Culture & Tourism was not by accident. She has put in some tries to promote Nigeria as a tourists†destination, something she is very ecstatic about.
She speaks about Anambra as a tourism destination, highlighting features like security, infrastructure, natural tourist sites and agriculture as magnets for tourists to Anambra state.

But first speaks for the warm hospitality she has received.
“Anambra is fabulous and treating me very well. I have been given a lovely green home and I am being pampered and looked after very well. I am popularly known as the ‘Oyibo†commissioner ‘ so itâ€s fun all the way and of course work.

I dare utter our cabinet is the most sophisticated and achieving a gigantic success in bringing back so many disapora from out of the country to serve.

Our governor is the only governor who has created a ministry for diaspora affairs and we are taking it seriously.
He has appointed SSA on diaspora affairs based in the USA and we are currently recruiting diaspora ambassadors all over the world. This government is taking Diasporaâ€s Affairs, culture and Tourism to higher places.

Itâ€s a homecoming call to serve.  Other commissioners are just very civilized and gentlemanly really have no choice but to emulate their governor who is a gentleman himself and lives his wife so much, professes his adoration for her publicly anytime he makes a speech.

Like goldfish that has no hiding place, Sally Mbanefo has recently been endowed with a new portfolio as the Commissioner of Mineral Resources, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology in Anambra State. She recently spoke with me in her new office in Awka, Anambra State. Honourable Commissioner, you used to operate at the federal level but now you are in Anambra State. The different departments of the ministry had their challenges, the Tourism Department, for instance, has the responsibility of handling all tourism activities for the state.

The cabinet is full of juvenile enlightened and vibrant people. He has empowered so many immature people and women.
What I love about his government is the transparency and professionalism and I know this comes from his discipline as a banker.

We are all workaholics, he inspects projects every day. Your mails are responded to instantly and he always encourages us to think outside the box.

“Anambra has rich tourist attractions love Owere Ezukala Waterfall and Cave, Ogbunike Cave, Aguve Trinity Trunk at Enugwu Agulueri, Agulu Lake and Ojukwu bunker.

Our mention is also known for bronze works, we have many artistically talented youths, we are creating platforms to showcase these talents; we have been engaged in wow-factor exhibitions. As part of our days plans we have  been working in alignment with the governorâ€s directives.

So complete force upgrade has begun with our first two major tourism site is Owerre Izukala caves and Ogbunike caves. Being an artist and painter and sculptor the artist community has been excited to have me as the HC because I perceive their language and their needs.

In addition to all this we are transforming our Minsitry of four ministries into a walk in exhibition Centre. For hotels, we plan to launch hotel grading and classification in the next days and will launch a new hotel solely owned by the govt Golden Tulip right by the crocodile lake to be launched by His Excellency.
That we include artistic youths from Anambra is not surprising; remember it is from this our same articulate that we have the likes of Ben Enwonwu, Professor Uche Okeke, Professor Chinua Achebe, Alex Ekwueme, Laz Ekwueme, Chukwuma Soludo and Dora Akunyili,â€â€ she explains.

Anambra boasts talents all over the world.

“You can see that Anambra State is the only state that has created a Ministry of Diaspora. This is to make sure that we keep all our talents in a loop. Right now, we are going around the planet identifying Diaspora ambassadors. We own Diaspora desks in the USA and we are now productive with other parts of the world to ensure that Ndi (people of) Anambra are all connected to us.â€â€
Speaking on her ministryâ€s focus, she says, “we are focusing on creating and promoting the Anambra tourism brand; making celebrities from Anambra ambassadors, hosting Anambra talent shows, establishing a dance school, creating the Anambra portal, creating a painting club, training and sensitising tourism service providers and sensitising the tourism host communities.â€â€

Sheâ€s quite liberal about her passions.

“The best book I have ever read is, ‘The Road Less Travelled†by M. Scott Peck. It echoes my life philosophy, which imbibes values like discipline, delayed gratification and love for others in my daily experience.

Discipline has ruled my whole life; if you look at my CV, if you donâ€t have discipline, you canâ€t continue the types of jobs I have done. Iâ€ve chosen, for example, not to wear luxurious jewellery, except earrings, therefore, if I wear a rope around my neck, I will tote it more elegantly than a lady wearing chopard worth thousands of dollars or a karat gold necklace.

Psalm 24 verse 4, captures this very aptly in saying, ‘Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord? The man with clean hands and a pure heart, who does not desire worthless thingsâ€.

Post a Comment. Sally Mbanefo. Sally Mbanefo, is no question a woman of many parts. Mama, as she is fondly called, speaks on the challenges of promoting tourism in Nigeria, her love for painting and many other sundry issues.

Itâ€s very important that when one is in abundant resources, one does not spend foolishly forgetting that there are others who have nothing. When God blesses you, it is for a purpose. It is not the jewellery and diamond we wear that make us what we are but our actions and how we treat our fellow human beings.”