The job of a snake charmer is not for the lily livered. Ali Khan Samsudin was a world renowned snake, charmer from Malaysia. Indeed he was featured in the Guinness Book of Records. Throughout his years of practice, he was bitten nearly 100 times. But he remained steadfast; until his last performance a few years ago. After a bite from a large and fearsome king cobra, the performer was unable to recover. He died two days later.
Ali’s son, Amjad Khan, also known throughout Malaysia as ‘The Snake Prince’ is presently the number one brand in this dare-devil snake kissing profession. Just four weeks ago, khan performed a shocking stunt on a TV programme, World’s Most Talented.
He had promised that he would kiss a giant king cobra, the world’s longest venomous snake at a live show in Kuala Lumpur. The same species that killed his father with one bite. Throughout the show, the presenter Laura Jackson was seen cringing as Amjad prepared to step forward for the dangerous act.
‘I’m not going to sleep tonight, that was a whole new level of danger. I was terrified watching,” she said. To say that Khan was courageous would be an understatement. Most Nigerian might not know it but our new President, Mohammadu Buhari revealed in an interview that as a young boy, when others lads were preoccupied with football, his greatest fascinations were snakes. “I will sneak into the bush to play with these deadly reptiles. I will even use them to play pranks
on other kids” he confessed. Snake charmers are very common in northern Nigeria. But it
is never a kid’s game.
We thank God that he survived his deadly pastime to be toughened up in the military. As Nigeria’s new leader, our snake charming President would be stepping into a new level of danger. He is already waiting with great caution like must snake charmers. But he will need a higher dose of courage to crush a lot of snakes on the corridors of power. This is vital if he must establish the change that will liberate the country from decades of maladministration, insecurity, corruption and indiscipline.
Can our snake charmer gather enough courage and wisdom to deliver? Our main story dissects the DNA of our new president, expectations from different segments of the Nigerian society and factors that could affect his plan for “bold, changes”.
In this edition we also have a special interview with a national role model, Chief Biodun Shobanjo. He is a man who has earned for himself the special acknowledgment as an outstanding personality whose actions has revolutionized the face of modern advertising
in Nigeria.
Little wonder he has won numerous awards for integrity, professional excellence as an outstanding entrepreneurship. The encounter between Shobanjo and the BrandiQ prime team is generously served in this special edition.
Still in this edition, we also have other incisive interviews with eminent personalities such as the highly cerebral MTN marketing henchman, Bayo Adekanmbi, and the immediate past provost of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Dr. Elizabeth Ikem. In our usual character, this edition is loaded.
Let me use this medium to thank the Almighty God, all our readers, subscribers and advertisers for the great experiences over the years. Indeed, we have totally rededicated ourselves to the goal of enhancing the packaging and delivery of your premium magazine despite the astronomical increase in the printing cost, no thanks to the free fall in the value of our Naira. This is why we have resolved to hit the stands every quarter. However, website www.brandiqng.com will remain a robust daily news platform.
We will continue to count on your support as we collectively push for a win-win situation for everyone. We will always value and appreciate all your criticisms, commendations and suggestions. We believe they will help us remain focused to serve you better. As we march optimistically towards a better future, we enjoin all stakeholders to remain prayerful to keep hope alive. We believe Nigeria and Africa is on the verge of a special
breakthrough. May God grant us the grace to witness this new dawn.
Enjoy your package.
