Friday 28 June 2013
Wednesday 26 June 2013
I have no regrets leaving Zambia to marry my Nigerian love – Lolo Nora, wife of Awka monarch
Mrs. Nora Namwinga Nwosu is a Zambian by birth, but love and marriage brought her to Nigeria. She is married to His Majesty Obi Gibson Nwosu, the traditional ruler of Awka, capital city of Anambra State. Interestingly, she is of royal blood too in Zambia and had also worked in the public service as a graduate teacher and caterer.
What does it feel like to be the wife of a prominent Anambra traditional ruler? How does the traditional institution in Nigeria compare with Zambia? In this interview, offers an interesting answer. Excerpts…
You have lived in Nigeria for the past 30 years and married to a Nigerian. What are your impressions about the country?
Nigeria is a big nation with several good qualities and of course its own problems like any other country. The country is great and has potentials of being greater if her resources are harnessed and geared towards greater heights. The nation is blessed with abundance of mineral and human resources that give one hope and satisfaction. I am happy to be part of it.
What were you doing before you got married?
I was a teacher at the time and he was working for the Zambian government. When I met him, he was neither a military man nor a traditional ruler. The Biafra war had ended and he was training Air Force personnel in Zambia. He was the Vice Principal of a flight training school in Zambia. I graduated in 1970 and went back to Lusaka where I was employed as a lecturer and Head of Department of Economics in one of the secondary schools for five years before I was promoted and sent to Hone College Hotel where we prepared people to work in the hospitality Industry. I later became Zambia’s Chief Examiner in GCE Home Economics subject and worked with Inspectorate Headquarters of the Ministry of Education.
How did you and the monarch meet?
I met him in a pharmacy where I went to buy a drug for my elder brother’s daughter. I remember it was raining profusely and he offered to drop me off in our house. After that day, he started coming and became friendly with my elder brother. His relationship with my brother brought him closer to my family and after a long time he proposed marriage to me.
Were you also ‘eyeing’ him before he came up with the proposal?
No. At first, I did not agree, knowing that such a marriage would eventually take me far away from my family and from Zambia. After sometime however, I began to appreciate the qualities in him until I eventually accepted the proposal. As I narrated in his recent biography, if it is really true that after this life, one may come back again as a human I would like to search for His Majesty again and marry him. No Regrets.
Before you finally came to settle in Nigeria with him, were you able to visit the country and on which occasion?
I visited Awka when I had my first child and again when I was delivered of my second child. I came to present the children to his people and they were very happy. He couldn’t come himself as of that time, because as a key figure in the then Nigerian Air Force (from 1963) and later in Biafra Air Force (1967), he dared not return without a confirmed military clearance. He dreaded the possibility of being detained as a rebel.
Do you feel comfortable marrying a royal personality with the apparent social restrictions, regimented practices and protocols?
Some of those practices are not new to me. I also have royal blood because my maternal grandfather was a traditional ruler. They used to call him Kateya i.e. head man in the colonial days. My father was one of the first colonial teachers in Zambia and he taught some of the ministers.
Tell us a bit about your parental background.
Both my father and my mother were teachers. While my father was more at a place, my mother was traveling to many cities teaching home economics. They were not very rich, but had enough to train their eight children – five boys and three girls. I became the second child of my family.
What major thing would you say you lost leaving Zambia your country of birth?
Apart from missing the company of my people, what I felt sad about was leaving my pet project in Zambia. At the time my husband wanted us to come finally to Nigeria, I had already concluded arrangement with my Portuguese partner for her to come down to Zambia so that we could develop our confectionary project. When my husband decided that we would come back to Nigeria I felt bad, but my marriage came first. I left the project with a friend of my husband and eventually lost it.
How have you been managing to assist the monarch, especially when he is overwhelmed by the challenges of his office?
I really feel sorry for him whenever he is overwhelmed by functions of his office. There are times people will either call in or call over the phone even at odd hours and he normally spends time attending to them. At such times, I don’t have any option than to allow him and sympathize with him. The fact however, is that he seems to enjoy what he is doing and when I see that he is enjoying it, I feel happy. I just hope that people will appreciate what he is doing, the devotion or dedication to that work and that God will continue to give him the energy and wisdom to continue serving the people well.
What are the major challenges you encounter as the wife of Eze Uzu?
The challenges are numerous; the major one is receiving numerous and varied visitors to the palace. You see, every visitor to the palace is supposed to be well attended to, and there is the need for capable hands that could attend to some of the dignitaries so that they don’t feel bad. The main problem there is that sometimes, most of the visits are not scheduled and in such cases they come to you when you are not ready for such high caliber personalities and you are overwhelmed.
Are there things you miss by virtue of your position as the wife of the monarch?
Yes, I am a workaholic and I am kind of restricted from doing some of the things I want to do. For example, I would have loved to go out and set up farms where I could be growing crops but I will not be allowed to do such things. As for social relationships I am not and in such cases, they come to you when you are not ready for such high caliber personalities and you are overwhelmed.
What would you say are the major differences between traditional institutions in Nigeria and Zambia?
In Zambia, traditional stools are hereditary but here it rotates and sometimes people even contest for it. It is more political in Nigeria than in Zambia. Secondly, in Zambia, traditional rulers represent government in their locality; they receive salary from government, which enables them to reach their communities more. The people also take care of their traditional rulers and respect them with all their hearts.
Did you anticipate that your husband would be a traditional ruler?
No. I did not think about such thing. When he mentioned it to me before he was selected, I did not take him serious and the day he came to receive the Certificate of Recognition, I just followed him without even knowing that it involves much.
How would you describe Ezeuzu as a husband?
He is a responsible husband and father. He likes his job and is very hardworking man who likes his family so much. He is very kind and very forgiving by nature. However anyone who takes advantage of that faces some risks.
What suggestion do you have that could help traditional rulers function more effectively?
I think traditional rulers could be of more assistance to government if they are funded. They could help in handling the training of youths in their areas. Funds will enable them hire capable hands to teach the youths to acquire technical skills that will enable them be self-employed and self-reliant. But one little observation is that very few Igbo people really show enough respect to their traditional rulers compared with other tribes of Nigeria.
In Zambia, the traditional ruler has the last word in choosing people for elective offices, thereby reducing tension, thuggery and lavishing of funds as is the case in Nigeria. When two or three people wish to contest for one elective office, the traditional ruler takes the final decision. Not even the president, the governor or the Party leader can over-rule that.
Why Obama won’t visit Nigeria – US
The United States on Tuesday hinted on
the reasons why President Barack Obama won’t visit Nigeria during his
upcoming three-nation trip to Africa.
According to US officials, the ongoing
insecurity appeared to be responsible for the exclusion of Nigeria in
Obama’s second visit to the continent.
Obama is scheduled to visit Senegal, Tanzania and South Africa.
The US government said the trip would
focus on trade and investment, democratic institution-building, young
people, and enhancing economic growth.
American Deputy National Security Advisor, Ben Rhodes, made this clarifications at a briefing on Tuesday.
The briefing was addressed jointly with
the Senior Director for African Affairs Grant Harris and Senior Director
for Development and Democracy Gayle Smith, on Obama’s upcoming visit.
The text of the briefing was made
available to journalists in Abuja by the Information Office of the
Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy.
Rhodes said, “With respect to Nigeria,
we certainly believe that Nigeria is a fundamentally important country
to the future of Africa. We’ve put a lot of investment in the
relationship with Nigeria through their leadership of ECOWAS, through
the significant US business investment in Nigeria and through our
security cooperation.
“Obviously, Nigeria is working through
some very challenging security issues right now. And in that process,
they’re going to be a partner of the United States. We certainly believe
we’ll have an opportunity to further engage the Nigerian government
through bilateral meetings going forward. But at this point, we just
were not able to make it to Nigeria on this particular itinerary.
“I will say that we purposefully
designed the itineraries to be able to reach West Africa, South Africa
and East Africa, and in West Africa, to visit Senegal, a
French-speaking, Muslim-majority democracy that is an important partner
of the United States and also provides a platform for the President to
speak to the broader region.
“We are also looking at ways, at the
President’s town hall in South Africa with young African leaders, to
draw in through technology young people in Nigeria and in Kenya, among
other places, so that the President is using this trip to speak to the
broader African audience. We recognize we’d like to go to as many
countries as possible.’’
Shoot me if you can, Amaechi dares CP
RIVERS State Governor, Mr. Rotimi
Amaechi, has dared the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu, to
shoot him whenever he embarks on a demonstration against him (CP) and
the Federal Government.
Mbu had placed a ban on any form of
demonstration, procession or rally by any person or group of persons in
the state and warned anybody not to dare him on the directive.
But speaking on Tuesday when leaders and
people of Urashi Kingdom paid him a solidarity visit at the Government
House in Port Harcourt, Amaechi vowed that he would be at the forefront
of the protest that would come up soon.
The governor said he had told
traditional leaders in the state to get ready for the demonstration
against Mbu over the police commissioner’s position on rallies and
demonstrations.
Amaechi, who decried Mbu’s attempt to
stop the people of Urashi from paying a solidarity visit to him, said it
was wrong for the police to have harassed his supporters.
He said Rivers was now a police state
following the police attempt to stop people’s movement by blocking the
entire Orashi region.
He said, “Another thing I will tell you
is that we are looking for a date we will demonstrate against what the
Federal Government and what the Commissioner of Police are doing in
Rivers State.
“We have told our chiefs to get ready.
Once we get a date, once we get people from overseas; they are
Nigerians; they will join us and we will give you the date.
“I have told the CP (Mbu) to be ready to
shoot me, I will be in front. I will not seat here and wait for you to
match here and give me letter. Instead, I will keep SSG here and then I
will match down with you people.
“Then I will give the SSG letter to give
to the FG so that if they want to shoot, they can shoot me because we
have a right to express our views. You have the right to criticise me. I
am not particularly a good man. There is nobody that is a perfect man
in the world. Is there any?”
He, however, commended the people of
Urashi Kingdom for braving the odds to get to Port Harcourt in spite of
the attempt by the police to stop them.
Insisting that every Nigerian had the
right to express his or her views, Amaechi argued that the state police
commissioner did not have the powers to ban demonstration since it
(protest) was part of the people’s fundamental human rights.
He said, “You people are by far stronger
than me. I got a report yesterday very late at night that the police
had planned to stop you people. I was thinking that once you see
policemen, everybody will run into his house.
“But you must learn how to use these
things. You should have recorded them so that you can show to the world
how much a tyrant our commissioner of police is.”
Tuesday 25 June 2013
Ayanbirin: Men harass me a lot
For Olakanye Olayemi Oluwatosin, the laboratory is no go area. The artiste, who is popularly known as Ayanbirin, studied Chemical and Polymer Engineering at the Lagos State University but prefers to toe the line of a talking drummer, a feat very rare among women.
She opened up to TS Weekend on why she embraced the drums, her family and her experience in the hands of men among other issues.
Enjoy it:
Who is Ayanbirin?
Ayanbirin simply means female drummer but my real name is Olakanye Olayemi Oluwatosin.
Are you from from a family of drummers?
No, I learnt the art of drumming. I am not from the ‘Ayan’ family.
What were you doing before you started drumming?
I went to school, I studied Chemical and Polymer Engineering at the Lagos State University (LASU) but I grew up singing and I started from the church. The drumming thing came up when I needed to create an identity for myself, and I decided to learn how to play the drum.
How many years did it take you to learn how to play the drums?
It took me about one month because drumming is not what you learn at a go. You have to continue learning it day-in-day-out and the more you practice the better for you.
Is there a myth surrounding the art of drumming?
There are none. It is not compulsory that you must come from a family of drummers.
I wasn’t born into the family of Engineers; I learnt to be an Engineer like I learnt how to play the drums. A man called Alaroye taught me. Though, I also learnt from other people, Alaroye taught me the rudiments of talking drum.
Did you do some sacrifice according to tradition after you finished learning how to play the talking drum?
I learnt that people do things like worshiping the god of drums but as for me, I did not do such a thing because I am a Christian. I play my drums but that does not say that ‘isese o si, isese wa’ (there is tradition, it is what you believe in that matters).
How many years have you been playing the drums and how has it been?
I started in 1999, that is about 13 years and it’s been fun, I am enjoying it.
What are the challenges you have encountered as a female talking drummer?
There are lots of challenges. We have financial challenges, some people also want to have you for themselves, they are of the opinion that as a female artiste you need somebody you have to lean on and they believe that the only way they have to get at you is to come as a friend and later have you to themselves.
You mean dating?
Yes, they want to take advantage of you being a female talking drummer and sleep with you. They will tell you all sorts of stories like ‘you don’t have problem getting there but let’s get down first and other things will follow’, and such other dirty tales.
So, there is sexual harassment in trying to be a talking drummer?
There is, very serious one. I have encountered a lot. It takes the glory of God to get to where I am today.
How do you cope in a male dominated music industry?
It’s no more a male dominated industry because we have lots of female drummers now, it is really fulfilling that as a female drummer I‘m making an impact in an industry where an average person will not venture into, the male drummers are now supporting us.
For example, I now belong to the Professional Drummers Association of Nigeria, we have few women there but the men have been very supportive.
Ara came to the limelight through drumming and there is a belief that others are either copying or competing with her, how true is this?
I’m not in competition or rivalry with anybody because I have my own style of music. I play tra-hiptional music, though we have lots of female drummers, the sky is wide enough for everybody to fly. Ara is a sister because we are both from Ondo and we are colleagues in the business.
So you don’t have a boss?
Yes, I don’t have a boss but that does not mean that I don’t have those I respect in the industry.
I respect the likes of King Sunny Ade, Aunty Ayo Balogun, Asa, and Lagbaja. You have not recorded an album? I am more into stage performance but my first album was released in 2008 entitled, Unveiled, and I’m now working on another album dedicated to God, its suppose to be a double album which will be released this year. The first one is drum praise while the second is a pot pouri of different kind of music.
Why two albums at a time?
It’s to show that Ayanbirin is not only about drums. Ayanbirin plays the drum as well as sings; she is a complete entertainer. My recording company would soon unveil the albums.
Are you talking about Nigerian or foreign recording company?
Foreign but I won’t reveal the name yet. We are coming out with a project that will rebrand Ayanbirin, because I’m an embodiment of talent. I do paintings and I can draw among other things. Is there any health hazard associated with drumming especially for women?
There is none but when I started I used to have pains all over my body but now it has become part of me
Do you experience pains also in the boobs?
No, drumming is a form of exercise for the breast. I discovered that whenever I am playing the drums it relaxes all my sensory organs.
What of performance on bed?
(Laughter) It makes me more fit for that, that is why I rehearse and whenever I rehearse, it makes feel like I’m coming from the gym.
Can you handle all the drums?
No, I have restricted myself to the social drums only, like the gangan (talking drum), I also play the bata and the dundun which comprises of iya ilu and omele.
As the wife of a prince can you play the traditional drums?
There are limitations; the drums in the palace, those used for rituals and other purposes can’t be played anyhow. For instance, Gbedu is not meant for just anybody. Like when I wanted to start drumming, I went to the Aalafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi for tutorials and he told me that if not for civilization women were not allowed to play the drums.
He also educated me on the ‘dos and don’ts’ of drumming. It was a nice experience.
How did you meet the Alaafin?
We visited him as part of the activities towards the launching of my Mother Drum Art Foundation. Through the Foundation, we use the art to promote our cultural values.
How do you cope as a star, wife and mother?
When I am at home, I see myself as wife and mother and not as Ayanbirin because Ayanbirin is the woman on stage. But when I am in my costume, it’s a total transformation from Tosin to Ayanbirin.
How does your husband cope?
It’s God’s doing, my husband is very understanding that was why I stayed off the stage for about three years to have my babies and consolidate the home front.
What are you planning to do now apart from the album launch?
I am planning for my festival, Mother Drum Art Festival and Mother Drum Awards. Last year’s edition was very interesting and this year will not be an exception.
TAHITI GRATEFUL DESPITE LOSING- AWESOME ATTITUDE
The amateurs of Tahiti have won plenty of praise for their efforts in Brazil and there were positives for them to take away from Recife, with striker Steevy Chong-Hue impressing and debutant Gilbert Meriel being able to celebrate his penalty save from Scotti.
But their prospects of claiming any more than flashes of pride were over after just one minute and 19 seconds, when Hernandez scored the quickest goal in the history of the competition.
Lodeiro's corner was glanced on by Scotti and Hernandez had a simple finish at the far post and the striker showed similar composure when he raced on to a Lodeiro pass and beat Meriel.
Perez scored a third - his second in 85 internationals - when he ran on to a Walter Gargano lob and tapped in from close range after his initial header was stopped by the post.
Chong Hue gave Uruguay a scare when he coasted around goalkeeper Martin Silva but could only hit the side-netting from a narrow angle.
Six-year single term is certificate to loot nation blind –Waku -Do you Agree?
One of the founding fathers of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Joseph Waku has said the proposed six-year single term for president-elect is a certificate to steal and loot the country’s resources, including stealing all the bedsheets in Aso Rock within the tenure in office.
Waku, who represented Benue North/West Senatorial District between 1999 and 2003, told Daily Sun in an exclusive interview that the single term would also make the senators to tolerate a corrupt president since they would be party to stealing and looting.
He added that since the single term would not give the president the opportunity to go back to the electorate for re-election, the electorates would be denied the chance to checkmate such erring president who did not perform in his first term.
Waku said: “Many Nigerians have this view to express on six-year single term for the president, and the view is that it is very dangerous for any country, particularly in a country that corruption is being celebrated, when you give somebody one term in office, you are giving him an absolute stealing certificate to steal to the maximum.
He cannot get another opportunity to go back to the electorate for re-election, and by so doing you have done injustice to the electorate because you denied them the opportunity to checkmate such erring president who did not perform in his first term.
“Nigeria is not yet matured for six-year single term arrangement. It may sound that it will reduce the tension of our politicking, it will not, it will rather heat the corruption mechanism in a manner that you cannot control.
We have not yet put in place the instrument at the National Assembly to remove a corrupt president, so you are giving that man a certificate to steal, as soon as he gets to that office, he is not accountable to you any more, he is not going to seek your re-election any more, if he is not God-fearing man, may God help us, the man will steal, including the bed sheets in the villa, and he will take everything away, and you will not have anything to say because he is not going to seek for any re-election again. Nigerians have a prize to pay.
So I reject that clause in as much as it may sound brilliant. You cannot manufacture instruments of stealing, and even if you will bring an angel, there is so much temptation.”
Monday 24 June 2013
Me, act in sex movies? No way –Desmond Elliot
Popular Nollywood actor, Desmond Elliot talks about his films, his lifestyle and more with Ademola Olonilua and Kemi Vaughan
Why did you bet on your new movie, The Place?
I was not joking when I said if fans did
not enjoy my movie, I would return their money. Someone tweeted at me
and said he did not like it. I said to him, ‘Okay, tell me which areas
you don’t like and I will refund your money’. So I’m waiting for his
reply. Instead, he retweeted what I said to him. I just feel we have got
to where we should be able to say, ‘this is good, you guys can watch
it’. We just thought that the movie, The Place, which is a comedy flick
would lighten your mood. I decided to make a comedy flick because comedy
sells if it is good. Trying to be funny is probably one of the worst
things. You must differentiate between humour and comedy. It is one
thing to be humorous and another thing to add a comic feel to whatever
it is you are doing. These are two separate things. Comedy sells.
Sex also sells, can you do a sex movie?
I can’t do sex movie. I feel that for
the kind of society we are in, understanding will be difficult. Again,
because of my faith, I will have to be very careful. I can imply, but I
can’t do the graphic things or either shoot them as a director; but I
can imply. I can do kiss scenes or romance scenes but I probably will
not do the actual thing.
Why do you frequently change your looks?
First, what I always tell people is that
life is short, so let us try a bit of everything. Again, I do it for
roles that I play, just to have something different. Sometimes I try to
do it for a character.
What influences your fashion style?
Honestly, I don’t know, but when I am stepping out, I try to look okay. Not the best but okay.
How have you been able to stay scandal-free?
I come on set and try not to make
anything look too difficult. I respect my wife and family a lot. I’m
very playful. I just think I’m motivating too many people, family,
church, so many things. It is not by power. Many people who ‘mess up’
don’t do it because they want to, but because it just unfortunately
happened. And you just hope it doesn’t happen to you someday. I always
say I’m not a saint. I can say the wrong things and do the wrong things
but I try to make sure that my priorities are right and the stakeholders
are not disappointed. They are my church, my faith, my family, my wife.
How religious are you?
I’m just someone who believes so much in
God, I believe in Jesus so much. If you want to call it born again,
call it. Everyone is born again. I’m just one who believes strongly in
the Christian faith.
Is there a clear cut difference between Desmond on set and Desmond the family man?
I should think so. As a family man, I
play the role of the daddy, husband, man who has to take responsibility.
On set, it is work, like you are going to the office. You have staff,
people who take orders from you and those you take orders from. It is
distinctively different.
How I met my wife?
She is pretty much my best friend. She
was schooling in the University of Jos, in the early 90s. She was
studying mathematics and we were in the same church. We were in the same
drama group and choir as well. I have always known her, not for
anything but as Sister Victoria.
What attracted you to Sister Victoria?
You would not believe it, but it was
because she was totally different from me. I’m an extrovert, the very
outgoing, talkative kind of person, while she was very calm and
different. She was very ‘I must enquire from the Holy Spirit before I do
anything’.That gave me a kind of spooky feeling; and maybe that was the
attraction. I was totally different from her and she gave me a hard
time. When I asked her out, she did not think I was the one. I want to
believe I wasn’t spiritual enough for her. But eventually, we dated for
eight years and have been married for 10 years.
How long did it take you to get her to your side?
It took a while. I remember one time
after vigil in school, we were going home. She used to live close to
where I stayed. On that day, she said, about that thing you said, I
don’t think it will work. It was heart-breaking then. I was pretty
young. It is fun looking back at it.
Do you tease her for being like that to you?
We haven’t done that in a while. I tease
more about the animals I gave during the wedding – the goats and cows. I
did something really funny that day, I sewed a dress for the goats and
dressed the animals in them. So the goats had something to wear, like a
monkey jacket with buttons. We tease about that a lot.
What is the craziest thing a fan has done to you?
Kiss me. That to me was crazy. She came
to me, asked me to smile, I did and she saw my broken tooth. She then
said, ‘he is the one’ and kissed me. I pulled her off. That was a while
ago.
If you were not an actor, what would you have been?
I’d probably be in the bank. I love counting money. I love money too much.
What do you dread the most?
I dread a lot of things but among the
top ones, I dread disappointing people. I dread being a failure. I can’t
fail. You might stumble many times but always rise again. I always take
a cue from the guy who discovered the electric bulb. He tried a
thousand times over and failed but when he tried again, he got it right.
I really hate to fail. Circumstances around me sometimes look vague and
difficult but I take it up as challenges. I really hate failing.
Which of your kids would you say reminds you of yourself while growing?
Denzel. He has my fingers, these ugly
fingers. He has my lips, he is very unsettled. Of the twins, he came out
first. He is the older one. People tell me he is just like me. He is
the impatient one. He is that character.
What were you like growing up?
I was quite calm. I have a very strict
mum. She is a mum that if you were that stubborn, she would take you to
the police station, up North in Jos. My mother did not care who you are.
She was very tough. There are five of us by my mother and I was the
first child while my father has 11 children. I’m the sixth for my dad
and the first from my mother. I was calm because of the training. You
could not hear my mum’s voice and not shut up. Things have changed these
days. Now you would be talking and a four-year-old would talk back; you
couldn’t do that in those days, not with my mother. She has a lot of
influence even in the way I ‘train’ my kids, which is different from the
way my wife does. My wife is more of the talking to the kids type, I’m
more of the ‘I would spank you’ type. A bit hard, the stick and carrot
kind of training, but she is more of ‘don’t touch the child’. I’m not
that patient.
Comparing how your mother trained you and how she is training your kids, would you say she is calmer now?
She is calm but some days back, they
went to visit and my mum had this long cane right in the living room. I
asked her what it was for, and she said, ‘this is it, let me see them
misbehave’. It is still the same thing but she is way calmer. There is
no much stress like before. I have an awesome relationship with my
mother.
What’s the last fashion gift your wife got you?
She got me some lovely African fabrics
for Fathers’ Day and I’m taking it to Yomi Casual. She also has a good
eye for watches and bracelets. Good watches.
I DONT BUY CLOTHES
She is the widow of the founder, Church of God Mission, Archbishop Benson Idahosa, who died in March 1998. Margaret Idahosa, relives his memory
How did you pull through the last 15 years of widowhood?
I have learnt that people are bound to talk about us. My husband made me realise that as long as I am alive, people will talk about me and if I talk back to them, it means I am on the same level with them. God has not put me on the same level with them. Therefore, whenever they talk, I remind God that I did not put myself in this position but He put me there. When my husband died, I had my own agenda. I have four biological children and three that I have adopted into my family. Then, I decided that after the period of mourning, I would go and spend time with my four children abroad and maybe come to Nigeria once a year to see my mother. The ministry was not on my mind. When I was ordained to take over, I told God that I live in a man’s world and I am timid. But God told me that if my faith said yes, He would not say no. He assured me that if He appointed me, He would give me the ability to perform.
Do you feel fulfilled?
I feel fulfilled. I am doing what God asked me to do and I am not copying anybody. My children are all in the ministry. My children did not discover God because of who I am or what their father was while he was on earth. They discovered God by themselves.
Did you see your husband’s death as the will of God?
I did not say it was the will of God.
Did you entertain some suspicions that he must have been poisoned?
We both left Nigeria for a programme in the US and when we finished, he asked me to go and attend to the children’s school fees and welfare. I had already decided that I would not stay behind on that particular trip but he assured me that we would go back to Nigeria together. I could not say no. He eventually left me behind in the US. Two days after, I was called that he had died. I was shocked. I flew back home. Before this happened, he had told me in January, that he now lived for posterity not for prosperity. I told him that he must have stayed too long in the house, and that he needed to travel abroad. On February, the month marking his 40th ordination into the ministry, he called me aside and informed me that he may have finished everything God asked him to do. I told him that God’s work is never finished but he insisted that he had finished. He repeated the statement in late February and I told him he was making me worried with the statement. He was supposed to be celebrating his 60th birthday in September of that year. I told him he could not go at 60 because God gives us old age.
You understood he was talking of death then?
Yes. But I did not want to believe it; I was discarding it from my mind. It was when he died that I understood what he had been saying all along. It is still painful but there is nothing I can do. I miss everything about him.
How did you meet him?
It is a long story, but we got married eight years after we met.
What was the attraction?
I was not attracted to him. I was an only child and quite rough. I fought on the streets and he was always there to defend me. He had nothing except for a bicycle and he lived in a rented room so there was nothing attractive. Over the years, I had come to regard him as my brother and I brought women for him to choose one of them as his wife. When he told me he wanted to marry me, I protested because he knew me too much.
What do understand as style?
I believe since we carry the God of heaven and earth inside us, everything we put on is to the glory of the father. But if we wear something that is not appropriate, the spirit of God in us would alert us. As a woman of God, I should look good and presentable. I should not borrow clothes. But I can’t remember the last time I went out to buy clothes, people bring clothes to me. I wear them and realise that they fit me and I look good in them.
How does it feel to be 70?
I feel the same, there is no difference. I may not be as strong as when I was younger. Now, I can’t jog, I dance or move as I used to do. God has blessed me so much and I give all the praise and glory to Him. It is not by my power or might but by the spirit of the living God. One thing I know is that I don’t hold grudges against anybody. Forgiveness is not a loss of memory, it is memory without vengeance and that is what I have on the inside of me.
I am preparing myself for heaven. I have passed through too much to go to hell. Many people have offended me and I have forgiven them all. I am focused on what I am doing. If you hold people in your mind, you are not harming them, you are harming yourself because the moment you see them, your mind becomes disturbed. That is giving the person too much chance to hold you to ransom. Why should I be angry, full of unforgiveness on the inside of me when I would have used that time to do better things? There are widows like me out there who have become shadows of themselves because their husbands are no more.
How have you been reaching out to widows?
There is an organisation called Christian Women Fellowship International. We gather them and create small businesses for them and help them with rents. Imagine a woman who lived in a three-bedroom flat with her husband and children, when he dies, she is thrown into the streets. I remember that I would have been like them but God prevented it.
Man commits suicide inside Ogun stadium
An unidentified man on Sunday committed suicide inside the MKO Abiola International stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The man, whose identity had yet to be ascertained as at press time was said to have hung himself on the tree by the cricket pitch of the stadium.
Our correspondent learnt that the body of the man, suspected to be between 28 and 30 years, was brought down from the tree by policemen from the Ibara Division .
He was confirmed dead by the management of the state Hospital, Ijaye, where he was taken to shortly after he was brought down from the tree.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the incident, stated that neither a suicide note nor any form of identity was found on the man.
Adejobi, a deputy superintendent of police, said, “A trader whose shop was close to the pitch where the young man hung himself alerted the police about the incident.
“The command has started an investigation into the incident and that steps are already being taken to identify the deceased.”
He added that the corpse of the man had been deposited at the state hospital for autopsy.
Ex-soldiers attacked, brutalised us –Ekiti monarch’s wife
Wife
of the Apeju of Ilupeju Ekiti in Ekiti State, Mrs. Tolu Oniyelu, has
accused one of the claimants to the title of Olugbosu of leading
ex-soldiers to the palace where they allegedly brutalised her and other
residents before vandalising the palace.
The monarch’s wife said this while speaking with our correspondent in Ado Ekiti on the telephone on Saturday.
Oniyelu said she had been treated and she was now okay.
Violence erupted in Ilupeju Ekiti on
Friday over the chieftaincy title of Olugbosu which is said to be the
third in rank to the Kabiyesi. Five persons were shot, while some houses
were said to have been torched and the palace destroyed by hoodlums.
Oniyelu said it was not true that her
husband, the monarch, imposed Mr. Israel Ojo on the town. She explained
that the Traditional Council set up a committee which asked the next
ruling house to produce a candidate to be installed as the new Olugbosu.
She added that Ojo was confirmed as the rightful candidate by the panel and the traditional rites had been performed on him.
The monarch’s wife, however, said trouble started on Friday as a chief in the town installed another Olugbosu at 3am.
She added that the “illegal Olugbosu,”
after his installation mobilised some ex-soldiers, armed them with guns
and danced round the town with the ex-soldiers following him.
Oniyelu said the man later danced to the palace with his followers and met the monarch and chiefs holding a meeting.
According to her, The man asked the king
to “bless him, which is a great insult. The monarch refused and the
ex-soldiers, who followed him to the palace, started shooting into the
air” and destroyed parts of the palace.
She said, “One of them held me and hit
my nose with the butt of his gun and I started bleeding. They destroyed
window panes and other things. Later the police came. Kabiyesi did not
cause the crisis and he didn’t impose anybody on the town. The
traditional council confirmed the candidate and he was installed.”
Although the other Olugbosu could not be
reached for his comment, some residents, who were loyal to him insisted
that he did not go about with thugs as claimed.
The Police Public Relations Officer in
the state, Mr. Victor Babayemi, said although normalcy had been restored
to the town, policemen were still there to ensure that there was no
trouble again.
LASTMA arrests ex-employee for impersonation
A dismissed official of Lagos State
Traffic Management Authority has been arrested by the provost unit of
the agency for operating illegally and parading himself as an official
of LASTMA.
A statement by the agency’s
spokesperson, Bola Ajao, said the 40-year-old Muhamed Ibrahim, a native
of Abeokuta, Ogun State, who was dismissed on the grounds of misconduct
in March, 2013, was arrested on Sunday by the provost unit of the agency
at Mile 2.
Aja said, “Following his dismissal and
his refusal to collect and sign for the dismissed letter, the
management, in accordance with international practice, sent the letter
through DHL to his known and registered address at number 17, Egan road,
Igando.
However, Ajao said the letter was returned to the agency because the courier could not locate the address.
She said shortly after Ibrahim’s
dismissal, the agency started receiving several complaints about a
LASTMA official, who extort money from innocent motorists at different
locations in the state.
She said, “The provost received a
tip-off from motorists on a LASTMA official, who operates in mufti and
arrests indiscriminately. Surveillance flash was placed on him and he
was eventually arrested wearing the crested vest of the agency.
“Ibrahim, who incited the mob against the provost team before he was overpowered, later collected his dismissal letter.
“The agency has however mandated him to
hand over other kits belonging to the agency. He was eventually handed
over to the police for further investigation.”
The spokesperson said the agency said it
had put a lot of measures in place to counter any act of impersonation
or sabotage and ensure the interests of the citizenry are protected.
Ajao said, “LASTMA does not operate in
mufti and members of the public should be wary of such persons and
quickly call the attention of the agency. As LASTMA respects your
rights, Lagos motorists must also respect law and the rights of other
road users.”
Timilehin, boy slain by police, buried amid tears
Tears flowed freely at Ijede Cemetery,
Ikorodu, Lagos as family members and sympathisers gathered to bury the
remains of Timilehin Ebun, a nine-year-old boy killed by a police
bullet.
PUNCH Metro had reported that the
boy and members of his immediate family were on their way to their
Ikorodu home when a stray bullet pierced through his father’s vehicle
and killed him.
Our correspondent, who was present at
the funeral, observed that the deceased’s siblings were not at the
cemetery. However, cousins and friends of his parents were present.
Earlier, the relatives had collected
Timilehin’s corpse at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, where an
autopsy was performed on it.
Symapthisers at the funeral, which started around 3pm burst into tears when the deceased’s coffin was opened for them to see.
The corpse was clothed in a white and blue shirt and a pair of jeans.
The presiding minister, Pastor Banjo
Lawrence, said although the incident was tragic, it was pertinent that
people should see it as proof that anyone could die at anytime.
He therefore urged all to live right
before God because both old and young would die. He however prayed that
such a tragedy would not befall the family again.
He said, “It is most unfortunate that
the boy was killed so suddenly and at such a young age. I pray that God
will console the family and none of the remaining children shall die
young.
“We all need to remember every day that we shall all die one day. We should therefore endeavour to live right before God.”
The most emotional aspect of the event
was the lowering of the coffin into the grave, after which cousins of
the deceased were called upon to perform the dust-to-dust rites.
One of the cousins, Abiodun Ebun, cried
profusely. Abiodun said he never imagined that he would be the one to
bury Timilehin, who was many years younger than him.
He said, “This is very unfortunate.
Timilehin was just too young. How could I be pouring sand on his coffin?
God, why? The boy was not sick; he just went to pick up his brother
from the airport and was killed in the process? I hope Jide, who just
came back from Canada does not start blaming himself over the incident?
“This death was completely avoidable and yet it happened, just like that.”
Employees of Timilehin’s father, described the deceased as a pleasant boy who always followed his father to work.
One of the employees, who did not
identify himself, said, “Timilehin was such a good boy, it is hard to
believe that he is gone. He usually came to the office with his dad and
they were inseparable. I wonder how the man will survive without him. It
is just too sad.”
A copy of the death certificate made available to PUNCH Metro reads
in part, “Timilehin died of exsanguination (bloodlessness), disruption
of facial vessels and gunshot injuries to the face.”
Friday 21 June 2013
PARENTS CORNER: I CAUGHT MY 8-YEAR -OLD-SENDING NAKED PICS OF HERSELF- A MUM'S SEXTING NIGHTMARE: A TREND THAT MUST BE CHECKMATED QUICKLY
Watching her eight-year-old daughter’s fingers furiously tapping out a series of texts, Jenna Taylor realised how obsessed she’d become with her mobile.
Jade never let it out of sight and when it beeped with a message, she shielded it from her parents. And now, she was giggling at something.
Deciding to check up on her, Jenna seized the phone. But not even in her worst nightmares could she imagine what she was about to discover.
Her little girl had taken naked pictures of herself and sent them to her classmates asking them to do the same.
“I felt sick to my stomach,” shudders mum-of-two Jenna, 31.
“She was so young, she probably didn’t realise what she was doing was wrong, so I couldn’t punish her.
"I’d never heard of this happening so I didn’t know how to deal with it.”
Jenna is not alone in discovering that sexting – sending sexually explicit messages – is an epidemic sweeping primary schools across the country leaving children open to bullying and blackmail, or worse.
Earlier this week, new figures showed 15 children a week are now kicked out of schools, including primary schools, for sex bullying and harassment.
And according to a recent survey by myfamilyclub.co.uk, a shocking 71% of kids between 12 and 14 are using phones or social networks to sext.
And 15% are children aged six to 11.
The poll of more than 1,000 mums and dads revealed that over 55% of people who caught their child sexting, found the messages on their mobile phones, as opposed to social networking sites.
Jenna and her husband, David, gave Jade one of their old pay-as-you-go phones, a Nokia Lumia, for her eighth birthday.
“All her friends had one and she’d been begging us for ages,” says Jenna from Basingstoke, Hants.
They topped it up with £10 a week, thinking she was texting her mates about TV and days at school.
“We told her the usual things, not to lose it or ring foreign countries, but it didn’t cross our minds something more sinister could be happening.”
Jade had owned the phone for six months when Jenna found the naked photos of boys and girls from her class.
In the ‘sent’ items, there were four pictures of her daughter – posing nude in front of her bedroom mirror.
Other messages between the classmates were full of crude words, detailing what they’d like to do to each other, and asking for more photos.
“When David got home from work and I told him, the colour drained from his face,” Jenna recalls.
“He couldn’t bear to see the messages, so I had the job of telling him what was in them.”
Composing themselves, Jenna and David, spoke to Jade, determined to help her see how wrong it was, without scaring her.
“Like all parents, we’d told our girls not to speak to strangers, but we felt she was too young to hear that sick men and women could have got hold of her photos and sent them all over the world on the internet.
"Instead, we explained her body was special and she had to keep it private. She said it was just a game and that she understood.”
But after tucking her daughter into bed, shaken Jenna broke down sobbing.
“In the messages were things you wouldn’t expect an eight-year-old to know about. We have child safety measures on our computer, but we didn’t think to tell her not to take naked photos of herself and send them on. What if they’d fallen into the wrong hands?”
Desperate to warn other parents, Jenna phoned some of the mums she knew from the school.
“They were just as shocked,” Jenna says. “We met up the next day and went to the school. The headmistress was really supportive and sent a letter out to parents.”
Jenna and David have now banned their daughter from having a phone. “We’ve learnt a valuable lesson and would urge other parents to check their children’s phones – or not give them one at all.”
Mandy Saligari, clinical director of Charter Day Care on Harley Street, and an expert on parenting, adolescents and sex, believes children under 11 do not need mobile phones.
“Parents prefer to live in denial and turn a blind eye to how their children are communicating virtually because once they realise the responsibility they have, they become overwhelmed,” she says. “If they don’t set boundaries, though, their children will never be motivated to communicate naturally and we’ll end up with an entire population who can’t interact socially.”
Mum-of-two Kelly Mason, from Hereford, didn’t allow her 10-year-old daughter, Amy, to have a phone, but she still fell victim to sexting.
“It was a Monday when I got a call from her school, saying there had been an incident with Amy. I thought she’d had an accident, but when I got there her teacher said there were naked pictures of her going around.
“She’d had a friend over for a sleepover on the Friday and she’d posed for the mobile phone pictures.”
The girls then texted them to boys in their class.
“I was horrified,” says Kelly, 47. “Amy didn’t realise the severity of what she’d done. Once I’d calmed down, I said the pictures could have ended up on the net where perverts can see them.”
Mandy adds: “Children this young think it’s hilarious to show their private parts. It’s nothing nobody hasn’t done before, but it’s when it falls into an adult forum that it changes into something sexualised.”
Kelly, who had no idea sexting existed among primary schoolchildren, now hopes to make other parents aware. “There needs to be a national campaign to warn every parent in the country about this. People have to be vigilant before something really terrible happens to their child.”
But Mandy also warns against snooping on your child’s phone.
“You need to monitor your children and note what they’re sending, but be upfront about it from the beginning and don’t go behind their backs. Otherwise you’re teaching your child to be devious.”
Kate Thomas, 41, discovered her daughter, Sarah, 13, was sexting when she got a phone bill for hundreds of pounds.
“I called her downstairs and took the phone out of her hands. She asked if she could clear it, and when I said no, she burst into tears and locked herself in her room.”
It was then mum-of-four Kate, from Manchester, decided to look through the messages.
“Several boys from school had texted asking Sarah for oral sex, describing in detail what they wanted her to do,” Kate says. “I felt sick.”
But that wasn’t all. Sarah had posed for pictures with her top down, exposing her cleavage. After warning her daughter about the dangers of sexting, Kate cut up Sarah’s SIM card and confiscated her phone. But she’ll always regret not talking to her sooner.
“I thought she was too young for me to worry about things like that,” Kate says. “But I was wrong.”
Dr Richard Graham, who founded the UK’s first dedicated Young Person Technology Addiction Service at Capio Nightingale Hospital, in London, says there is an ever-growing need for support for parents like Kate, Kelly and Jenna.
“One of the reasons children of primary school age are found to be participating in ‘adult’ activities, such as sexting, is due to the ease with which material can be disseminated.
"Data-sharing is possible at the click of a button and the in-built cameras mean that the generation of material is equally effortless.”
But many organisations within the public sector, such as counsellors and GPs, have already responded to this disturbing new craze and can offer help to parents, teachers and any other adults involved.
Dr Graham adds: “As we celebrate new technology it is essential that we analyse the risks as well as the rewards.
CEO of myfamilyclub.co.uk, Gemma Johnson, adds: “We all know that it’s crucial that the innocence of childhood is maintained.
"I would urge any parent who fears that their kids or their peers might be involved in sending or receiving such messages to chat to the school, their GP or a close friend for support and advice.”
ALL NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT IDENTITIES.
Sexting: Poll stats
25% of parents who discovered sexually explicit messages on their child’s mobile phone, secretly snooped.30% were alerted by a sibling or friend of their child.
75% of parents did not ban the use of mobiles or social networks after their child had been caught sexting.
85% of parents did not seek support or help.
Sexting: How to deal with the issue
Children need to understand that sharing sexual messages and photographs may make them vulnerable (for example, would they put them up on the school noticeboard?)Here’s what to do if you suspect your child is a victim of sexting:
1 Explain to your child how sexting poses a risk to them.
2 If you are worried that your child has been affected by sexting, question them gently, expressing your concern. Be prepared to listen calmly to their story.
3 Set out what action needs to be taken. Be clear that this must be taken in order to ensure the sexting is stopped and then agree with your child what you are both going to do.
4Do not attempt to tackle the perpetrators directly. Instead, report the situation to the school, your local social services, police or the NSPCC.
5 Seek emotional support or treatment for your child to minimise the impact of the experience.
SOURCE: NSPCC
See how 75-yr-old disarmed four kidnappers
Chief Olabanji Akingbule, 75, the Odunwo of Ondo, Ondo State, has narrated how he disarmed and captured four kidnappers who attempted to abduct him.
The septuagenarian speaking said “I was inside my house on the fateful day and dressing up to go out when my wife informed me that policemen had arrested my son. When I peeped through the veranda and saw the people, I told my wife that they might not be policemen, but kidnappers. “
They were four in number. Two of them were inside a Golf car parked at the front of my house, while the rest came upstairs to meet me. They introduced themselves as kidnappers. The two that came upstairs held a gun each.
One of them made attempt at dragging me downstairs, while the other one was with my wife who was shouting on top of her voice. An attempt was made to drag her inside the house by the one that was close to her.
However, as luck would have it, the noise she made attracted people in the neighborhood. “Although, they made spirited effort to carry me, but by the special grace of God, I insisted that I was not going to follow them.
In the process, the one close to me brought a white substance that was kept inside a bottle and asked me to inhale it. When I refused, he wanted to pour it on my head.
“I summoned courage and used my right hand to block it. As a result, both the bottle and the gun fell off his hands downstairs. When they noted the presence of people, the two men ran out of the house to join their colleagues.
”When I saw that he took another direction where he would not be in position to find the gun and the white substance, I moved to the place and picked up the two items.
I called the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Funbi-Fagun division, Mrs. Joyce Maiyaki-Matthew, who responded immediately.
“I thank God for saving my life, and my late mother, Madam Esther Ogunhinmola Akingbule, who trained me on how to be courageous. If I was not courageous enough, I might not be able to disarm the kidnappers who came with gun and very giant in height,” he told Daily Sun.
Thursday 20 June 2013
Messi summoned over Spain Tax fraUd
A Spanish judge has summoned Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi to appear in court on 17 September over tax fraud allegations.
The 25-year-old Argentine, who has four times been named World Player of the Year, and his father are accused of defrauding the Spanish authorities of more than 4m euros (£3.4m).
They are suspected of using companies abroad - in Belize and Uruguay - to sell the rights to use Messi's image.
They both deny the allegations.
Messi's net salary from Barcelona is said to be about 16m euros a year, making him one of the world's most highly-paid sportspeople.
He has also signed multi-million-dollar endorsements with commercial sponsors around the world.
The player and his father, Jorge, are accused of three times defrauding the Spanish state of taxes.
The income related to his image rights included contracts with Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Proctor and Gamble and the Kuwait Food Company.
If he is convicted, Messi could face up to six years in prison and a big fine, according to Spain's Efe news agency.
He wrote on his Facebook page, after the allegations became known last week: "We have never committed any infringement. We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations."
Messi's achievements on the field have made him one of the most marketable in the business.
He came from a modest background and has overcome a serious health issue, joining Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000 and making his first-team debut only three years later.
He was ranked 10th among Forbes' list of sports stars' incomes this month.
The president of Barcelona FC, Sandro Rosell, has said the club has no doubt that the superstar is innocent of tax avoidance.
Messi is due to play a prominent role in the Adidas World Cup marketing campaign.
Adidas CEO Herbert Hainer told reporters that the company "will continue to work with Lionel. He's the best football player in the world and we are happy that we have him".
But the allegations are a big blow to the prestige of Messi, who has long been seen as a more humble figure than most top-class footballers.
First Lady Kicks off Re-election Campaign for Jonathan
The First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, has used her stay in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital to seek the support of traditional rulers for President Goodluck Jonathan in his undeclared bid for re-election in 2015.
Jonathan’s undeclared second term bid has been one of the issues
fingered as the source of the friction between the state Governor, Hon.
Chibuike Amaechi, and the president.
It is also believed that contrary to the statement from the presidency
that the first lady’s visit has nothing to do with the frosty
relationship between Amaechi and Jonathan, the long visit to her home
state was being used to solicit support for her husband, just as she
was said to have held some clandestine meetings with some anti-Amaechi
groups in the state.
Mrs. Jonathan yesterday visited the palace of the Nye-nwe-eli Rumueme
Kingdom, Eze Omunakwe Nsirim, where she solicited the support of the
traditional ruler and people of Obio/Akpor for her husband in the 2015
presidential election.
She also inaugurated the South-south zonal secretariat of the Women for
Change and Development Initiative, her pet project, and event that was
boycotted by the governor, his wife and other top government officials
from the state.
Mrs. Jonathan, at the palace, expressed appreciation for the support
Jonathan got from the area in the last election and said such support
should be repeated in 2015 to ensure his re-election.
“I am here to thank and appreciate the role you and my people of Rivers
State played in voting for my husband in the 2011 presidential
election. Rivers people voted massively for my husband. I am your
daughter and my husband is your son. I want you to support him when the
time comes. I know you will not disappoint us. We, on our part, will
never forget you,” she said.
She also called on the people to maintain peace and harmony and obey the laws of the land in all their endeavours.
Responding, Nsirim assured Mrs. Jonathan of the massive support of
Rivers people for Jonathan in the quest for re-election in 2015.
The traditional ruler, who is also the father of the suspended chairman
of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Timothy Nsirim, said anybody
from the state, who is opposed to Jonathan’s second tenure did not have
the interest of the people at heart.
He also described those opposed to Jonathan as people who wished to sell the state to the north.
He also described those opposed to Jonathan as people who wished to sell the state to the north.
“No Rivers man should join those who want to sell Rivers State to the
north because we know that they do not have the interest of our people
at heart,” he added.
However, Amaechi and his wife, Judith, yesterday shunned the
inauguration of the South-south zonal secretariat of the Women for
Change and Development Initiative.
Also, other top government officials in the state were absent at the event, which took place in Port Harcourt.
Also, other top government officials in the state were absent at the event, which took place in Port Harcourt.
A source in Mrs. Jonathan's entourage, who did not want to be named,
said Amaechi and his wife were invited for the ceremony which saw to the
empowerment of over 1,000 women in the state.
The source said: “We sent a letter of invitation to the governor and
his wife, one week to the event, but as you can see, no single
government official was present at the occasion.
“The truth is that government deliberately refused to attend the event. Enough publicity was done for the occasion. Besides, invitation was extended to the state government.”
“The truth is that government deliberately refused to attend the event. Enough publicity was done for the occasion. Besides, invitation was extended to the state government.”
But officials of the state said they were not invited. Mrs. Amaechi’s
Press Secretary, Mr. Dike Bekwele, denied knowledge of the event, saying
that the governor’s wife was not invited to the occasion.
He said the governor or his wife would have sent a representative if
they would not be in the state during the occasion, recalling that the
wife of the governor attended the launch of the scheme in Rivers.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs. Jonathan, charged Nigerian women to
train their children so that they will be useful to the society.
The first lady distributed sewing , cassava, pepper and tomato grinding machines to women across the 23 local government areas of the state.
The first lady distributed sewing , cassava, pepper and tomato grinding machines to women across the 23 local government areas of the state.
Meanwhile, a former Chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the
Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Apostle Eugene Ogu, has advised
the president to withdraw his wife from circulation as her utterances
in the political crisis in Rivers State were becoming inflammatory.
Ogu said the first lady should be reminded to see herself as a true
mother of the nation who should not support one citizen against the
other.
He said it was unbecoming of “a mother of the nation” like Mrs Jonathan
to be making “inflammatory” public utterances in the Rivers crisis.
“Jonathan should withdraw his wife from circulation. She is making a
lot of inflammatory statements that can further ignite the problem that
two brothers are having presently. Patience Jonathan is not helping the
PDP in its current peace effort," he said.
Wednesday 19 June 2013
ROLLING DOLLAR'S LAST MOMENT
The music industry was thrown into deep mourning on Wednesday as the news broke of the passing away of the oldest Nigerian musician, Pa. Abdulfatai Olayiwola Olagunju popularly known as Fatai Rolling Dollar.
The 86-year-old highlife legend finally succumbed to the cold hands of death after a serious battle with lung cancer. Rolling Dollar had embarked on a tour of the United States in May. According to a source, the Wokere Si Number Wa singer actually did not want to travel because of ill health.
But he had to travel at all cost after learning that the US-based show promoter, Samson Ajibod of Classic International Promotions had already booked a number of shows for him at the Nigerian Carnival in Maryland and New York. However, Rolling Dollar managed to play a few shows before he seriously fell sick and had to be rushed to a hospital in the United States.
TS Weekend further learnt that after the musician was discharged from the hospital he asked for permission to return home so he could treat himself with herbs.
On his arrival in Nigeria two weeks ago, the octogenarian took ill again, his legs became swollen and was rushed to Ahmadiya Hospital, Ijaiye, Lagos by his wife. After spending about five days in the hospital, he was discharged but confined to bed rest and was barred from attending to guests.
But rather than recuperate, a few days later, Fatai Rolling Dollar’s health deteriorated and was rushed to a private hospital in Surulere, Lagos where he finally passed away in the early hours of Wednesday June 12, 2013.
He was buried yesterday amidst fanfare at his home in Ikorodu, Lagos State. Born on July 22, 1926 in Ede, Osun State, Rolling Dollar is survived by wives and many children. Talented singer Fatai Rolling Dollar was a talented singer who inspired many younger musicians and whose footprints would remain indelible for many years to come.
According to Kunle Tejuosho, Lagos-based music promoter whose label, Jazzhole Records, released and popularized the deceased’s hit album, Won Kere Si Number Wa, Rolling Dollar was a great musician who lived the life of a true musician.
“He was always happy to perform. He was a good guy. He enjoyed his life. He had a second chance, which he used very well,” he said. Tejuosho further stated that Rolling Dollar would be missed because he brought the past forward to the present. “He also re-lived the music of the 1950s, aside being a great music historian and a great music custodian.”
In the same manner, Yomi Opakunle, Rolling Dollar’s former manager, paid glowing tributes to his boss, describing him as “a highly creative, humble but restless musician.” Although, widely reputed as a great singer and composer, Rolling Dollar was equally known for his verve and dexterity on the guitar. He was highly respected and admired for his enormous energy, even in old age.
He was particularly noted for being able to modulate his voice in diverse tones and textures to reveal his rare talent as a gifted singer. He was generally a marvel to his fans who loved to watch and dance to his music while performing. Unlike many of his colleagues who went into extinction after enjoying popularity for several years, Rolling Dollar bounced back to reckoning after decades of struggling to make ends meet.
He was said to have worked as a security guard when his musical career suffered a long lull. But Rolling Dollar got a new lease of life after the French Cultural Centre brought him back into public consciousness, sequel to the efforts of veteran music critic and former manager to Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Mr. Benson Idonije. A few years after bouncing back to reckoning, Rolling Dollar later got a higher lift through Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu while he was the governor of Lagos State.
He it was who gave the late musician a house in one of the low cost housing estates in New Oko Oba area of Agege, Lagos.
While reacting to Rolling Dollar’s death, Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola described the late musician as one of the frontrunners of juju/highlife music and whose death would remain a huge loss to the Nigerian entertainment industry. Aregbesola, in a statement issued by Semiu Okanlawon, Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, described the octogenarian highlife maestro who hailed from Ede, Osun State, as testimony in perseverance and hope.
The governor said Rolling Dollar’s life sojourn demonstrated that no time is too late for man to have a breakthrough in life. He added that the star of the old artiste, who trained Ebenezer Obey in his heydays, shone at his old age when nobody ever taught of a musical success for him again after his initial popularity at the beginning of his career.
“The ace musician’s ultimate comeback is a testimony that no time is late in the life of human being. Pa Fatai Rolling Dollar’s story of a meteoric rise to fame is a confirmation that success can come at any time in a man’s life.
“Rolling Dollar was a force to reckon with in highlife music and he would stand tall in the nation’s music hall of fame and counted among musical genii like Cardinal Rex Lawson, Bobby Benson, and Adeolu Akinsanya among others. The nation’s entertainment industry as well as his fans and Nigerians generally will miss the great musician and his exit will create a big vacuum in highlife music.
“The government and people of the State of Osun, where the music legend hailed from, send our heartfelt condolences to the immediate and extended families of the late musician, his band members, fans and the government of Lagos,” the governor said.
SOMETIMES I REGRET BEING AN ACTOR- EMEKA IKE
He is one of the most popular actors in Nigeria. This is because he’s probably one actor who has kissed all the ladies who ever acted love roles in Nollywood films featuring him . Emeka Ike is a role model to youths too. Ike has acted in a good number of classic movies like Leap of faith, Love doctor amongst others. In spite of the glamour and fame of being an actor, Ike said he sometimes regrets being a celebrity. In this encounter with The Entertainer, Ike explains why he regrets being a celebrity and bares his mind on other issues. Excerpts:
You seem to be taking a break from acting. Why ?
It’s not only me you don’t see in movies these days. You don’t see other big names as well. You don’t see all of us the way you used to see us then. We aren’t that current and regular as before. This is because lately, a problem I have been lamenting over has sent everybody back to the drawing board. So, we are all making one movie in a year now. I just made my own movie recently. What they are doing now isn’t the Nollywood l know. Now, they are making a movie and cutting it into 10 parts.
I have so many detractors in the industry and this resulted from my many grouses with some stakeholders. Another problem I have stems from my opposition to the international cable system. I questioned why they should be showing many of our movies without paying us, which is against the UNESCO charter. Contract or no contract, there is a UNESCO charter that mandates them to pay us and we are signatories to it. I’ve been complaining about it before 2009. I have been warning that Nollywood was dying. Now, is Nollywood not dead? Is Idumota open? There’s crisis in the Actors Guild. Why are Pound road and Ebinpejo lane shut down? Where are all those marketing places in Aba where we used to make noises, they are all shut down.
(cuts in) Isn’t that as a result of piracy?
No. Were you not there when the former Censors Board chairman, Emeka Mba, which you have made your NBC chairman now, stood up and said if you don’t pay me N5.5m don’t release any movie? The marketers supported him and arrested everybody and that pushed everybody out of the market. DSTV and HI TV were reigning and they were pushing for these television stations to be the most watched, so that Nollywood could go under and everyone watching Nollywood could then watch the movies on the cable. That was the trick, the game plan, but I stood up against that and they went around and started using divide and rule. Some actors would talk both left and right. “Emeka Ike says T.V stations are not honoring our rights” and some actors would go behind to the stations to say “no you are the best. These T.V stations are doing us proud”, when the stations have not been paying them entitlements. Such entitlements should be enjoyed by their children’s children even when they are gone. That’s the crisis and they began to turn other colleagues against me. Anyone that is fighting Emeka Ike among other actors would be given free publicity. They would sponsor the person and give him or her heavy money, because Emeka Ike wants them out of business and they don’t want to stop the multi-billion Naira business. It’s like I’m carrying the whole Nigerian problem on my head. Everyone is saying “oh! Nollywood is going to the next level. We are doing the best and the next level is now we are doing three movies in a month!” What happens to the job of those who employed hundred people. They say those are bad movies but I ask, what happens to progressive rise, what happens to competition? Do your good movies let me do my bad one? Does your celluloid let me do my HD 1?. Let me go and shoot for CDs. All the scandals about Emeka Ike today are just attacks on my person for daring to be outstanding.
How can government resolve the crisis?
The government can only address the situation by calling on all the aggrieved parties. If they can invite my guild, the Actors’ Guild, every other guild would fall in. If they can unify the various factions in the guild, every other guild would come together. Other guilds or associations come second, but they are using the producers to cause havoc. They are causing divisions, tribal divisions and segregating us and because many of us do not really think of the future of the Nigerian movie, they go and collect the $10,000 or $5,000 they’re offered. This is just part payment for showing our movies once on their channel , but they accept these peanuts and the T.V stations show the movies everyday. I have the statistics. Ambassador Chris Chukwu once said that a certain entertainment firm wanted to buy our movies for $120,000 back then, but then we were just struggling to make quality movies that could pass through. Now we are making such movies, yet our movies are selling to cables for N40,000 and even less. Who does that take care of? No wonder many of my colleagues are dying. An actor who used to land five or ten jobs in a month now can’t even boast of a job in six months. The ones he did before have become a problem. He has become too popular for his pockets. He can’t even take care of himself. There’s no piracy anywhere. Television stations are the pirates because they show our movies with impunity. The boys in Alaba are the ones now doing parts 1 to 20 movies. So, they can’t pirate themselves. Then television stations can afford to shun Emeka Ike’s noise because they know all the government functionaries. So, who is Emeka Ike to stop them? My colleagues have kept quiet about it and I sometimes wonder why I should stand alone. My wife sometimes tells me that even the people I am fighting for don’t even know the importance of the fight. They are moving on as if nothing is at stake and they are even playing with these stations. But I usually say that the fight is for our children. That is what l keep telling her. But sometimes I get tired of it all. This is because the people I am fighting for are even against me. That’s a man that has not been paid royalties for years.
If you were to come again to this earth, would you still tread same path?
No, I won’t. In fact, to tell you the truth, I sometimes regret being an actor and a celebrity. I don’t have privacy. Sometimes, people embarrass me by addressing me rudely on the streets. Some say, hey! O’ boy how now? No be you we dey call? So, because you don become star you dey do Shakara?
I am also unhappy about the way we handle things in this part of the world. We don’t like people who say the truth. There are so many sycophants out there and they only want to pull others down to rise. People that even got up riding on your back, now try to pull you down in order to be relevant.
What’s your driving force in your career?
Apart from working with God, my ability to formally attend school and wanting to obtain a better degree makes me strive for excellence in all I do. This helped me to acquire more skills and I read engineering. I am sure if you go to campuses they would tell you that engineering students are brilliant .
How about the training of 40 Niger Delta ex-militants we learned you were doing?
We trained Niger Delta militants at the Youths Academy ,West Africa in Ghana (MY Academy). It was pleasant working with them. We found out how innocent and sincere they were to know the truth and learn . It was a pleasure to be used by God to relay their next phase in life to them. Our aim was to train and empower them and we have trained them now. I worked with them at the National Institute for Film (NAFTI) in Ghana and we’re impressed about the results of their projects. When we came back to Nigeria for the market place experience, we were able to make a more fantastic discovery. It was fun working with them, we were able to shoot and edit a film in five days with HD 1 camera. We were able to realize a fantastic project. They served as both the cast and production crew of the production. They watched me shoot and edit the film on set. It was just a relaxing experience for them. The film we shot is about malaria and it has been nominated by the American Embassy for this year’s World Malaria Day. It would be screened at the World Intellectual Property/ Anti-counterfeit Day. We edited and shot the film in less than one month. You are going to see a showcase of rare talents and if these boys were able to make such quality films in such a short time, less than a month, it shows we have a lot to offer.
Ordinarily, it was something we would have gone to South Africa to shoot and make it look like the ones we have in Nigeria to look like they didn’t know what they were doing. So, what my company did was to relate with people at the grassroots and relate with the very core professionals and we jointly trained them to shoot the movie.
Tell us about your love life?
As a man, your parents would have trained you to know the qualities to look for in a lady you could have as yours. When I met her, she was down to earth. She was very humble. She was not over assuming, assertive or arrogant . She wasn’t putting on an act, and l like someone who is very natural. That was the attraction.
She is an educationist and her first degree was in English. She also holds a Masters Degree in Education Management. She upgraded her studies in my home and soon became an educationist but she had been an organized person and well-groomed before we met. She was a young girl when we met.
Outside the glamour of a screen god, who really is Emeka Ike?
I cherish my privacy so much. I have not been to a beer parlor in a very long time. I am a highly organized person. Emeka Ike is not out there where it is loud. I don’t do clubs. You don’t see me in functions all the time. I appear in places where my business interests would be protected. You find me in a serene and private place.
What’s your take on drinking and smoking?
When we attained stardom, we were so excited and we wanted to celebrate it. We took beer, Hennessey and all that. But now, I am grown-up, I don’t drink beer or any alcohol anymore. The doctor has warned me against drinking and l am adhering to his warning . I have grown up and I am now a father. I am a married man. I hope I haven’t painted an angelic image of an Emeka Ike. I’m just a human being. I am just a young man striving for excellence in my career, not a saint. My detractors should mind their business and allow me to be focused on my career.
What values did you learn from your parents?
My father is mostly responsible for the kind of personality l have grown to be over the years. I always protect my integrity. He wasn’t a cleric but he sheltered many worshippers, people from lowly backgrounds. Many who never even met him. Their welfare meant a lot to him.
What pranks did you play as a boy?
Ah! in those days, I remember we ate from rituals placed at three-way junctions. We reasoned that those who placed those eggs there were fools. We ate and enjoyed the eggs and nothing happened to us, because we never believed anything evil could happen to us.
A popular actor in the United States, Arnold Schwazeneggar, once campaigned for political office and became a governor of California. Do you nurse a political ambition later in life?
The humanitarian work I am doing is not for political purposes, but if I am invited to lead, if Nigerians or people in my state see the leadership traits in me, my integrity , I can offer myself for service. I have been a leader all along. I have led the actors’ guild, I have led several youths organizations in Nigeria too . I have led Nollywood actors even without being their leader. I have given inspirational speeches on many campuses in Nigeria. I am a motivational speaker. I was at the national youth summit at the National Arts Theatre to give a motivational speech to millions of Nigerian youths. So, it’s not something l can’t do. I think the elite in Nigeria should now get involved in politics. This is because it’s when the sane people say no to politics that the insane ones took to it and have taken over. Christians say this world is not my home, I am just passing through, then some people heard that and said so, this world is not your own, and took guns and started killing people. Anyone can go into politics. That’s part of what I have preached in my forthcoming movie; a sister who became aware of malaria took the campaign to the villages to enlighten the people about it and succeeded in educating her people on how to prevent malaria. The movie ended on a note that anywhere you are and whatever you are, take your civility to your village and see how you can assist the dying ones. It was a movie ex-militants produced and acted in.
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