STEPHENIE OKEREKE: FOR ME, MARRIAGE HAS BEEN WONDERFUL

AFTER ABOUT ONE YEAR OF A CAREER LULL OCCASIONED BY HER WEDDING STAGED SOMETIME IN APRIL, 2012, AWARD WINNING THESPIAN, STEPHANIE OKEREKE-LINUS IS BACK WITH A BANG. HER NEW FILM TITLED DRY, IS A WAR AGAINST THE MENACE OF CHILD MORTALITY, PREMATURE MARRIAGE AND THE travails of down-trodden WOMEN. THESE AND MORE SHE SHARES WITH LANRE ODUKOYA

ONE YEAR IN MARITAL BLISS…
Marriage has been wonderful. It’s fun and I feel a little different sometimes but I try not to be burdened by my new status as a married person. We’re still a young couple trying to live our lives and have fun, work hard and stay committed to each other and never take each other for granted.

ABOUT THE LULL IN MY CAREER…
Sometimes you say you want to take a back seat for a while because you just got married; you want to settle in to absorb the whole married life as you try to reorganize your life. It’s a different stage in your life and you want to re-strategize properly. But I’ve done a few movies for other people.

MY NEW MOVIE…
What I’m focusing most of my attention on now is my new project. The movie is titled, Dry. I’ve finished the first phase of the film and I’m going to start the second phase soon and I’m working hard to see if I can finish it this year. The movie is shot in different places, Nigeria and abroad. Even in Nigeria, we had to shoot in different cities, Lokoja, Cross River, Abuja, Sokoto and Lagos. The phase one of shooting in Nigeria is done and I’m prepping for the second phase right now.
AN EXPOSE WOMEN’S SILENT AGONIES…
Dry as a movie is going to bring up a lot of the maternal issues that we have in this country and the fact that a lot of less privileged women are dying during childbirth. It also dwells on early marriage and the backlash. It is also going to bring to focus the need for young girls to be allowed to live their lives so that they can fulfill their destiny. And I’m going to be using the project to create awareness about VVF. It’s something I’ve been working on since I was in the university and it has been like a burden to me. It is something that I need to deliver so that I can feel light. And what is the best way to tell the story of the people who cannot express themselves or whose voices cannot be heard? This is why I’m using film as the platform that I have to bring to light the challenges women face and see the different ways we can individually and collectively play our roles to make our society a better place.

LEGION OF STARS IN THE MOVIE…
I’m spotlighting new faces. My little girl who played the role of Halimat is new but she’s wonderful. This is her first time in acting and she played such an intensive role. It’s so difficult to find child actors and this is one of the things we need to focus attention on more these days. We must train young people to know how to act and express themselves. I was so happy when they found this girl for me. Liz Benson now Liz Amai is in the film. She has been away for almost ten years. People have been trying to get her to do films but she has been saying. But after reading the script, she made up her mind to play her role. And her acceptance was wonderful because I’d always looked up to her. She’s such a fabulous actress. Olu Jacob, Hakeem Rahman, Rakiah from the north and some other actors from the north featured in the movie as well.

ABOUT MY NEW BLONDE LOOK…
I’m now on my natural hair because I just felt I should try a new thing. When you’re young, you’re up and doing but later on sometimes you just want to relax. Sometimes, carrying braids and some kinds of hair hurt. You know what it is when you have to be hitting your hair all the time and other time you have hair all over your face. I just felt like trying something new. And the fact that I can wear my natural hair, style it the way I want and change the colour is also fun.

BBA: NO MORE SEX

Betty may have gifted Africa with this season’s first sex romp alongside Bolt but it was not enough to save her from eviction. With her out, viewers are woried the free sex show left with her. Ada Igboanugo writes

Betty left admist kisses, hugs and tears from her beau Bolt, and faced IK on the stage in a not too cheerful manner, obviously wishing she had not been evicted. Meanwhile, Botswanian livewire Motamma, on the other hand was estatic about her eviction. She was not even up for nominations initially but was a victim of Diamond HoH Annabel’s save and replace decision but she went ahead and enjoyed the little spotlight she had gained and used it effectively on the stage.

Love, lust, jealousy and envy!
Love, lust, jealousy and envy get the ball rolling and keep The Chasers in the fast lane with Elikem jumping into bed with Pokello while he bathes with Fatima when it suits him, Sulu crying over spilt milk after Nando ran with his cheese, Selly and Beverly trailing behind Bimp on the other side while Bolt trails behind her.

Barely a week after betty gets booted out and hes already making a choice between her and Dillish. As if that was not enough, Bolt also confessed that he had his eyes on Pokello but Elikem already beat him to it. However, the guys (Elikem and Bolt) have a ‘wise’ plan of playing the confident Zim girl even though Elikem has admitted that he really likes her. Anything to stay in the game I guess. Save for getting caught in the act.

Meanwhile, Selly seems to be having the time of her life with Nando and there’s been talk in the House that she was just stringing Sulu along for The Chase. However, other camps think Sulu got too involved but forgot to act on it until Nando snatched the girl from him. From someone experienced in the rejection department, after getting the elbow from Maria, Angelo said Sulu needs to wake up and smell the coffee.

Then Oneal and Feza. The Tswana Housemate has made it his prerogative to groom his madam into a proper young lady who knows her place. Though the Rubies have their reservations about Feza’s happiness, it looks like things are going well.

Win For Ruby
After an impressive puppet show, the Rubies managed to win their Wager thus being the overall winner for the day. Although their story wasn’t all that together and some of the Housemates didn’t know their character names, they seem to have pulled it off.
As Biggie announced the winner, you could tell that most of them had already known that they had won but it didn’t stop them from shouting and screaming on top of their voices in joy. The sad part was when they opened the store room to find a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne. You could see their happiness and excitement fade from their disappointed faces. Biggie can be so mean.
The Diamonds were also swimming in a pool of such disappointment, although theirs seemed a bit more sad than that of the Rubies. When Biggie announced that they had lost their Wager, you could see that they were seriously disappointed considering the effort they put into it. This marked two consecutive weeks where Diamonds lost their Wager and a huge part of this was due to them losing their Book of Tales. Better luck next time Diamonds.

Strikes for Nando and Sulu
Sulu and Nando have only two Strikes left following less than impressive behaviour in the Big Brother House.
Big Brother came down on Nando like a ton of bricks after he attended the Channel O party with a steak knife in his pocket. Carrying any kind of weapon in the Big Brother House is frowned upon for obvious reasons.
When Big Brother called Nando to the Diary Room to explain why he had a weapon on him, Nando stumbled over his words like a drunk. He finally told Big Brother “I carry knives everywhere I go and I had no intention of using it on anyone” Sulu, on the other hand has also been slapped with a Strike. The Zambian was penalised by Big Brother for trying to forcefully get Selly’s attention after the party. In video footage broadcast in both the Ruby and Diamond Houses, Sulu was seen dragging Selly by the arm as he attempted to talk to her.

Sulu has a crush on Selly and was left reeling after she was swapped to the Diamond House. As soon as Selly walked into the Diamond House, she kicked off a sexy flirtation with Nando.
Whether Nando’s knife carrying is connected to the Sulu and Selly factor is anyone’s guess.
Strike One!

Possible Eviction
Annabel, Bolt, Dillish, Hakeem, Maria, Natasha and Pokello are all up for possible Eviction this week. Stay tuned to find out who leaves.

WIZKID : THERE IS MORE TO ME THAN FLASHY CARS AND WOMEN

 

AYODEJI IBRAHIM BALOGUN A.K.A. WIZKID IS NO DOUBT ONE OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN THE NIGERIAN MUSIC INDUSTRY. OF LATE, HE HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS FOR SOME NEGATIVE THINGS: OBSESSION WITH CARS AND WOMEN, FRAUD PERPETRATED WITH HIS NAME, TROUBLE WITH HIS RECORD LABEL AND SOME OTHERS. IN THIS INTERVIEW WITH LANRE ODUKOYA, WIZKID CLEARS THE AIR ON THESE CONTROVERSIES. HE ALSO SPEAKS ON HIS RECENT AUTO CRASH AND COLLABORATION WITH FEMI KUTI

MY CAR ACCIDENT…

I really don’t like to talk about bad experiences because I believe that it’s like a lesson and stepping stone for everybody in life to learn something at some point. When I had that accident, it was the second time it would happen to me, so it was a reality check on me. What if one’s life ended that day? God forbid! I’m grateful for life and I made a promise never to slow down on what I’m good at.

WHY I WAS INVITED BY THE POLICE…
Some unsuspecting guys have been chatting with some fake Wizkid and we can’t readily give full details. We were invited by the Police which we granted. We gave our statements, the other party made their statements as well, but I cannot really say anything about that until the Police go further with their investigations. Though, we know that with the details that have been given, they must have been talking to a fake Wizkid or fake Wizkid management. So, this is really not from me, my management or label. If you have contacted anybody regarding Wizkid and you have paid, provide the bank details and email correspondences. If there was a contract, provide it and it’s as simple as that. We’re not fighting anyone. In fact, we sympathize with anyone who has been duped.  For a while now, we’ve been having cases of people reporting that they’ve been chatting or planning business with a fake Wizkid’s manager or they booked Wizkid for shows. Some even go to the extent of creating fake accounts in my name and collecting money from people. I just want to re-emphasize that there’s a process of booking Wizkid for shows which is just like the normal standard most of us are familiar with. Everybody knows that if you want to book Wizkid, it’s either you go to Empire Music Entertainment (EME) which is my label or you connect with my manager, Godwin Tom. These are the main ways to book me for a show or whatever form of service you need me to handle. Chatting with a Wizkid that has promised to do something for you or charging you some money are fake and I never charge anything with anybody directly. I don’t discuss fees. I allow my management and label handle my business. So, nobody talks directly to me concerning business.

WHAT I’VE DONE TO CURTAIL FRAUD PERPETRATED IN MY NAME…
I’ve tried as much as possible to create more awareness about this on the social media and shared it with as much people as I can access and I’m just sharing this with the press. My management is coming up with details and phone numbers to reach if you want to do a business with Wizkid. It’s either you contact my manager of EME directly, but even when you contact me, it’s the normal procedure that I direct you to the booking office as well. The process is simple. You’d send us your request via email, the booking office will contact you from the email address you provided with a booking questionnaire. The questionnaire will have information about your event as well as your publicity plans and other special requests you need.

EME/STARBOI EVOLUTION…
We’re doing very well, it’s been fantastic and we’ve been have meetings and going back and forth devising new plans for making EME one of the best record labels in Africa, not just Nigeria. We’re putting in works, everyone is currently in the studio and Banky W has shot a couple of videos. We were at the video shoot two days ago and we’re still working to be the best we can. I’ve set the record straight not just from this medium, but everything I’ve released like in JayeJaye song. That record was put out by Starboi, my new company in collaboration with EME. EME is definitely still Wizkid’s record label, Starboi is a record label that I run and I have a couple of producers that I’m working with. So, we’re expanding the business. When Banky W and I started, the dream has always been to build an empire to help more people and give them that platform to excel too. And it cannot just happen through one person, we had to branch out. The industry is very big with about five million talented kids out there looking for channel to hone their skills and become stars. And now that there’s Starboi, everyone can start something like that to help somebody become who he or she wants to be. It’s been a great evolution because I’ve worked with legends and it’s still a learning process.

MY FORTHCOMING ALBUM…
I tweeted my track list which has Olamide, Don Jazzy, D’Banj and Banky W. The album is ready; we are just putting the final touches to it and right now we’re just mixing and mastering. In a few days, the album will be out and we’re going to be having a listening party pretty soon too and we will be announcing the venue, date and other details. The album is coming out really good and I’m very happy with everything I recorded on it and I believe that this will be better than the last one I did.

RELATIONSHIP WITH MALEEK BERRY
I’ve known Maleek for about a year and a couple of months now. From the first day we met, we’ve been talking about business. We took our time to plan something properly and we’ve been executing our plans right now. This is what I said about branching out and giving other people the platform. Someone gave me that platform when I was coming up too.

COLLABORATION WITH FEMI KUTI…
Many people didn’t expect that and it was to show that sometimes people don’t understand that it’s all about music. Some people think that all Wizkid talks about is girls, flashy cars and all that. All I speak about in my music are my true life experiences. If I’d not been through it, I wouldn’t talk about it. So, when I decided to do JayeJaye featuring Femi Kuti, I wanted to pass a message across to all the kids aspiring to be like me that you’d have to continue to learn. The song was to build the gap between the old and the young people. And I really appreciate Uncle Femi Kuti for doing that song with me because I called him a day before we recorded the song and he obliged me.

PENCHANT FOR HIGH END CARS…
I don’t think I have a penchant for flashy cars. A lot of people in Lagos drive more expensive cars than mine in Lagos. I don’t think I’m about the cars as against what many think of me. I just like to live comfortably. It is part of the work, I need car as tool to do my business. How about people in government spending so much money on automobiles? If someone works hard for his money, I don’t think anything is wrong with what he likes to buy with the money. I work hard, why would I not live well?

ENTERTAINERS JOSTLE FOR CITY PEOPLE AWARDS
Plans are in top gear for one of Nigeria’s most glamorous entertainment events, City People Entertainment Awards billed to hold on Sunday, July 14 at the Haven Events Centre, G.R.A. Ikeja, Lagos. The coveted rendezvous of stars will be attracting entertainers across all genres; music, movie and comedy with some of the most enchanting features. Some of the finest acts jostling for different categories of awards are Genevieve Nnaji, Odunlade Adekola, Sanyeri, Nadia Buari, Yvonne Nelson, Yemi Alade, Olamide, Tiwa Savage, Sean Tizzle, Davido, Wizkid among a host of others. Being the 4th in its series, veterans are going to be honoured and a horde of entertainment personalities from Ghana are prepping to storm the show in grand style.

BETWEEN SAHEED OSUPA AND GOV. AREGBESOLA
When you walk into the office of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Executive Governor of State of Osun, chances are that you would meet him doing one of the following: attending one meeting or the other with stakeholders in the state; his head bowed studying mountainous files jostling for his attention; his bespectacled eyes fixed on his personal computer; or found listening to the music of Saheed Osupa when yearning for relaxation after a hard-day’s job. While it has been reported that Ogbeni Aregbesola has a broad musical taste, so evident is the governor’s love for Saheed Osupa that he mostly choruses his songs anywhere they are being played.
And indications are rife that the governor would have much more of the talented Osupa’s songs to sing in coming days. A very reliable source close to the award-winning musician reveals that he is in the studio waxing an album in celebration of Aregbesola’s exploits. Reminiscent of the album he did for Governor Babatunde Fashola in the run-up to 2011 gubernatorial election in which he eulogised his achievements in the first term and also campaigned for his second term. Osupa is reportedly releasing a full album in 2014 for Aregbesola’s re-election bid while he would be dropping a promotional tape on ‘Opon Imo’ any time soon. ‘Opon Imo’ also known as ‘Tablet of Knowledge’ is Ogbeni Aregbesola’s recent initiative geared towards improving educational standard of Osun State and fostering computer literacy amongst the students and teachers of the State.

ERIC EGHIMIEN’S A MILE FROM HOME PREMIERES IN LAGOS
Lovers of good acting, sounds and cinematography graced the much talked about premier of A Mile From Home, Eric Eghimien’s first shot at movie production and directing. The event held last Sunday at the Silverbird Galleria, Lagos. Hills Pictures in Association with Brooks+Blake presented the premier with the most refreshing features Nollywood has seen recently as the cinema was filled to capacity. The storyline which rests on the quest for revenge and ultimately culminated in loss of life essence is a tale of many morals. Unique in its cinematography, casting and sounds, A Mile From Home, though a light budget movie, cannot compare with the plethora of half-baked theatrics we see lately. According to the director, Aghimien, “this is just a lesson that a good film doesn’t necessarily require huge capital as often misconceived. This work is a proof. We had to work with a cast of budding actors throughout the shoot which had all its locations in different parts of Lagos, but we hope to feature A-list stars in our subsequent works when our budget can accommodate that. One thing I’d never relent from doing is to employ the medium of filmmaking to spotlight fresh talents as we churn out more fascinating films”

IK OGBONNA, YVONNE NELSON PREACH CHARITY WORK
When Williams Shakespeare made the quote; “there is flattery in friendship”, he definitely wasn’t referring to the kind of relationship that exists between the trio of fair-complexioned Nigerian actor and model, IK Ogbonna, sensational and one of Nigeria’s sexiest singer Adokiye and sassy Ghanaian actress, Yvonne Nelson.

Though all entertainers, their relationship seems far from anything that can be likened to flattery and this was what saw them defying all challenges when they recently visited pupils of Courage Primary School, Ikota Village, Lekki, Lagos for a charity work.

Defying torrential rains and muddy roads, the group sauntered in gutters as they made to reach the pupils of the school. The day turned out to be one of mixed feelings as the guests encouraged the children with their charity work giving out stationeries such as Eraser, Pencil, Biros, Rulers and many more.

One of the high points of the day was a photo session involving the pupils, their guests IK, Adokiye and Yvonne followed by handsome cash donation. Over the years, the trio have excelled in their individual careers with IK emerging one of the most sought after and revered models in the Nigeria with a large clientele base and Adokiye rising above every musical target she has set for herself.

As an artiste, Adokiye wields tremendous influence and one of her credits is for recognizing the talent of wave making rapper, Olamide. She subsequently featured him in her song titled, Baby Baby which became widely acclaimed and rubbed off positively on her towering career. The song was accompanied by an exciting video which equally enjoyed massive airplay.

Currently, Adokiye is in the studio blending sounds as she gets set to release a new single in preparation for her forthcoming album.
WAP DEBUTS WITH KID/YOUTH TALENT HUNT

Wale Adenuga Productions is earnestly staging a unique Talent Hunt dubbed, the Nnenna & Friends and wapTV Talent Hunt for kids and adults in four specific categories; singing, dancing, playing musical instruments and stand-up comedy.
The talent hunt gives participants an opportunity to win up to N200,000 cash prize and nationwide fame while exhibiting their talents to a discerning public.

For the Nnena & Friends talent hunt, participants are expected to be between ages 6 and 15 while the talent hunt takes place by 8am on Saturday, 20th July. On the other hand, the wapTV Talent Hunt for participants between ages of 16 and 30 comes up July 27.

CPC Demands Implementation of FG, ASUU Agreement

The leadership of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has asked the federal government to implement without further delay the 2009 agreement entered into with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), as means of ending the ongoing strike.

The party said the disruption of academic calendar in the nation’s universities at this time of its national development was very disheartening indeed.

In a statement issued Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashskin, the party said the cause of ASUU’s face-off with the federal government was traceable to the latter’s unwillingness in keeping faith with the 2009 agreement, which it merely did by honouring only two out of the demands.

The party stated that the major demand of the university lecturers was the increased yearly sectoral allocation to education in the annual budget to meet the minimum standard of 26 per cent, as enunciated by UNESCO.

The CPC stated: “Between 2000 and 2010, the average sectoral allocation to education by the successive Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regimes was 8.12 per cent.  It is, therefore, not surprising that in 2010, there was a meteoric rise in fees in tertiary institutions across the country and that no Nigerian university could be found among the first 5,000 in the world or the first 50 in Africa and over 12 million children of school age were out of school.

“Furthermore, there were 98 per cent and 74 per cent mass failure in the 2009 National Examination Council (NECO) November/December Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) examination and 2010 May/June WAEC examination respectively! As a party, we have noted that even the military regime before the infestation of PDP rule in Nigeria had an average of 12.87 per cent in sectoral allocation to education between 1994 and 1996.

“This, we believe, should be a no-brainer for any regime that seeks to radically improve the national educational standard. But we have seen that, over the years, the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has shown a consistency in exacerbating the falling standard of Education in the Country.

“As a party, we are appalled by the fact that, under Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s watch, being a former university teacher, Nigeria’s tertiary education infrastructure has consistently degraded. Among the retinue of advisers milling around the President is Dr. Reuben Abati, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, who started his working career as a university teacher.

“It seems to us that the Presidential team is bereft of the needed direction and patriotism to turn things around in the Education sector, more so that the regime has other priorities like the N4 billion voted for the First Lady’s pet-project and the unconscionable jerking up of cost of the new home for the Vice-President from N9 billion to N16 billion.

“It is unfortunate that the scourge of PDP rule on Nigeria is having its toll on the future of Nigerians.  We hereby call on Nigerians, found anywhere on this slab of earth, to demand that the federal government implement the agreement reached with ASUU in 2009 without further delay.”

HOW I LOST MY VIRGINITY: DONA DIVA

Fast rising singer, Dona Diva, never planned being a singer. When she left her native Delta State a couple of years ago, her dreams had been to pursue a career in Nollywood. However, she ended up a singer and aside performing live at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, she also has two singles on air.
In this chat with The Entertainer, she talks about how her passion for music made her run away from home at 18, the day a white man sexually harassed her and what it felt like being deflowered among other interesting issues.
Excerpts:
Who is Dona Diva?
My real name is Dona Adjah and my stage name is Dona Diva. I’m from the Urhobo speaking part of Delta State. I am into music and fashion.
Tell us about your romance with music?
I started music from church like everyone else but when I came to Lagos, the idea was to act. But for some reasons I had to fall back to my music. Ever since I have been doing studio recordings, back-up singing and I also do live band music. It was getting so interesting and people started encouraging me to start my own thing so the whole world could see me and appreciate me. That’s why I came out with a single.
For how long have you been doing back-up and live band?
About six years.
Who are the artistes you have backed-up?
I have done back-up for a number of artistes but Duncan Mighty remains the biggest. Talking about live band, I have performed for ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan. I have also travelled out of the country to do a lot of shows.
How would you describe your experience as a singer?
It’s a bitter-sweet experience but I have chosen the sweet part of it. In everything you do, there are bound to be ups and downs. I combine fashion and music together and it’s quite exciting because I appear on stage with my own hand made costumes and people are like, ‘nice dress’ even before I start performing. It’s not really been easy but I’m having fun.
As an up-and-coming act, how do you cope financially. And do your fans appreciate you?
I am into other businesses including fashion and real estate so I don’t depend on music alone to cater for my needs. Regarding my fans appreciating me, they package whatever they want to give me into an envelope. Sometimes, some people spray me but I tell them, ‘no, we don’t do that.’
How do you now combine music, fashion and real estate?
It’s not easy but man must wack. I make very meticulous plans which I follow religiously. It’s all about time management. If you travel abroad, you see people doing three or four jobs just to get good cash. Maybe, I am doing all these because I don’t want to lack on any side.
What’s your childhood like?
My growing up was a normal one. I am from an average home. I have a strict but supportive father and my family is in support of what I do. As a child, I was always by myself but I like facing challenges and coming out with results; my family is proud of me because of that.
Tell us about the single you have on air?
The single I initially dropped was Shut Up. I did it because of people who tried to run me down. I am saying Shut Up to these negative people because I know you can achieve anything as long as you believe in your dreams, in yourself and in God.  The new single is New Gaga; I am dropping its video any time soon. It’s all about music and dance. The message is, just enjoy the music, feel the rhythm and let go off your sorrows.
Who did you work with on the track?
I actually featured my brother, GoldCruz. He also produced the song.
When are you dropping your album? And what message do you want to pass across?
Dropping the album depends on how well the single does because I want people to feel the single. I hope to drop two more singles before releasing the album. As for the message,. it’s inspirational.
What’s your take on the Nigerian music industry?
I am grateful to God because our music is being appreciated. Those days you can’t go to the club and hear our music. But now our music is spreading all over the world. That shows we are progressing but at the same time, I believe we still have a lot of work to do. I think we should do more of meaningful songs.
Is there any female singer you look up to?
The female singer that I look up to is Asa. I like her because her lyrics are meaningful and her style is different.
Are your parents supportive?
My father did everything to make me quit but my mind was made up. But it later got to a point where he became proud of me.
Your father actually kicked against it?
Yes, he was angry and wanted me back home. He was like ‘no, she cannot go, she can’t run away from home.’ But I knew what I wanted and I knew I was not coming back.
At what age did you run away from home?
I was like 18 or 19.
At that age, one is prone to being harassed sexually. How did you cope with that?
You are right. I just tried to be polite. I never fought but always passed my message politely.
Can you recall a particular incident?
Yes, it was on New Year’s Eve at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja. I was singing when this white guy tapped my butt. I walked up to him with a smile and admonished him, saying ‘don’t ever try that again!’ And he apologized.
Could we say you’re not married because you’re distracted by the loads of rich guys hanging around you? Do you believe in love?
Love does exist. I don’t know whether it is true love but it does exist. But the fact that I mingle with rich boys doesn’t mean I wouldn’t know who to choose when the time comes. I can’t replace love with material things or riches.
Isn’t your boyfriend scared you might dump him for a richer guy?
I don’t know how he feels but he supports my career.
Isn’t he sometimes worried?
Yes, sometimes I see it in him but he supports me.
When are you getting married?
That’s in the hand of God
Have you ever had a crush on any of your fans before?
Yes, I was having this crush on a guy (laughs) but I found out he’s married so I had to let go.
What was it like the first time you had sex?
You say wetin? (laughter) It was a lot of crying because it was painful. The same thing I think for every girl.
What was it like performing for Obasanjo and Jonathan?
I performed with Sugar Band at Obasanjo’s birthday and I was excited. I also performed for President Jonathan. I saw him smiling as he watched me. I felt so special that my president appreciates what I am doing; it was a great experience for me.
Where do you see yourself a few years from now?
By God’s grace, I will be everywhere. I want to be known all over the world. I know my exploits won’t stop here.

Marriage not a must for me–Funke Adesiyan

Sexy and beautiful actress, Funke Adesiyan may not be one of the most celebrated in the movie world but she sure belongs to the league of the most talked about and especially in a  controversial manner. The tall and fashionable popular face in the course of this interview with The Entertainer opened up on a couple of interesting issues. Among the issues  are  her breast implant tale, her romance with socialite, Salawe and why she feels it’s not compulsory to get married.
How has Funke Adesiyan faired so far as an actress ?
I am grateful to God. God has been good to me. He has always been good to me and He has not ceased to be good to me. I thank God and everything is fine. I have not been an everyday actress, I am choosy with what I do,so that’s it.
What’s  your projection for the year and how far have you gone in fulfilling it?
I  like to do things properly and I scrutinize myself a lot. I am my own critic and it’s difficult for people to criticize me because before I bring anything out I would have checked it out to see where it’s lacking or lagging behind. So, there is something we are working on.
It sounds like  the project is  your project for the year. Is it?
It may not be for the year, it may be for the decade. Who knows? We are working on something and we are still talking to some parties we need to talk to.
It’s like you are trying to do something different from what others are doing. Correct?
Well, you bite yourself and shoot yourself in the leg a lot of times when you try to do something different from what every other person is doing.  I  do what every other person is doing in a different way. So, I am doing what every other person is doing in a different way.
How exactly did you become an actor?
Probably I have been acting from  the womb, I don’t know (laughs). I grew up acting. There was a game we played when we were  children. You play mummy, I play daddy and all that and while I was in primary school and   secondary school, I was in the drama group. We actually had a group in secondary school and  we took  plays to other schools and people pay to watch. So, acting for me started professionally in secondary school. I also studied Theatre Arts and  maybe that gave me a little credibility in the industry.
Tell us about making it a more serious thing?
I think that started with my movie which I shot in 2007. I wrote the story and produced it. That was my first major production.
On that note , what was your mission because some act for fame?
If you ask those who know me very well, they will tell you I am  very playful. Whatever I do in life, I catch fun along the way. I think I came to the industry to have fun. I just wanted to produce.  I had this fantastic story and I wanted to tell it. Maybe it’s funny.  I did not play the major role in the movie and I was the one producing the movie. I just wanted to tell my story,  so, I just live my life. If I like , I take a walk. The day I decided to ride on a BRT bus, I had fun and all that, so I don’t believe in money because a pauper in the morning could be the richest in the night. Money is just a means to an end not an end in itself. For me, happiness is an end, so, whatever I do I try to be happy. I also think fame just came, I never wanted to be famous. I think people saw through me. A lot of fans saw through me, they saw how I interpreted roles and they felt  “she’s an actress”.
You seldom appear in movies but people would have expected to see you move in movies like they read about you on pages of newspapers . Why?
Maybe you guys (journalists) are in love with me (laughs) . What’s your definition of a good actress? Is it about how many movies you appear in? One of the people I like in the industry is Aunty Tina Mba. Her interpretation is impeccable and you do not see her everywhere. Another person like that is Aunty Joke Muyiwa who  does not act everyday. To me, acting is more of a hobby than a job. I act when I feel like, I do not allow people to push me around. If I do not fit a role I am being offered, I say sorry I do not fit that role. I am not an everyday actress.  I have never wanted to be a face on every movie jacket. I don’t want to do that; I just want to be remembered for being good at what I do.
Is there any particular role you have longed to play that you have not ?
Is there a particular role?  I don’t know. I think I am one of the lucky few who have been able to do a lot. I have played the role of a ninety year old woman which was extremely challenging but basically whatever that comes my way, I take it as my best.
What would you say distinguishes  you among your peers?
Probably being real. I am a realistic person. I try to distinguish between the character I am playing and  Funke Adeshiyan. I tend not to lose who I am to the character or one of the characters I played. I still find a way to break it, I don’t get stuck on a role.
Can you let us into what you consider  the plus or minus of the movie sector?
Well,  one of the things we need to work on is not in the movie industry. It’s outside the movie industry , but it’s  affecting the movie industry. It’s finance. We are extremely unlucky when it comes to finance. We hear about figures and you’re  like where did the money disappear to? It was said that government gave $200 million  to the industry. I feel it should circulate but it’s invisible. It’s funny. Even the producers who manage to work with their sweat and money  still get cheated and that is why I am slowing down on production. I think we should be able to walk  into the banks to seek   loans but how can you do that when in a country of 140million,  marketers  tell you a movie did not sell one million copies. It’s very frustrating.
Tell us about the story that was all over town that you did breast implant… 
I wouldn’t know where and why the story was all over. Maybe we need to ask those who started it.
Could be it that you dressed in a way that made your boobs look bigger or something?
I would not know, but I guess I dress appropriately. I am not expected to wear Iro and Buba to a night club, so I don’t  know where the story came from. I don’t know why people enjoy putting others down and I think we should cultivate the habit of celebrating ourselves. We should celebrate good things in other people and stop digging what is not meant to be dug.
I try to live my normal life. I try to remain myself .  I try not to let my freedom be taken away from me. If I feel like eating Amala at a buketaria, I walk in and I eat. One million people could stare at me and that is because they want to stare; what I want to do is eat. If I feel like buying corn on the roadside, I park and I buy. I try as much as possible not to let fame get into my head and I try to live a normal life.
Are you not thinking of marriage  at your age?
Like I have always said and believed, marriage is not a must for me. Everybody wants to get married but everybody is not meant to be married. There are people who are not meant to be married but they  forced themselves into marriage , because a brother or sister  is married. You discover that you opt out in a  few months and divorced. Why did you get married in the first place knowing you are not meant to be married? Firstly, I think you should understand your nature. That  said, I wouldn’t say expect the marriage by next week or next year and it also does not mean I can not call you in the evening that I am not married. What’s most important is finding a great person. You could fall in love with the person but it’s about finding someone that you are compatible with , someone you could cohabitate together, someone you could stay with and be happy together.
Are you searching for the right person?
I am not searching  for the right person, I am in a relationship with a great man. It does not mean that we will be married tomorrow or we cannot get married today. That is not what matters to me. Marriage is the last thing, what matters is being happy together. He’s happy with me and I am happy with him, so, that’s fantastic and fine.
For how long would you want to have the cards open?
Forever! I think one should live a life of being open. I think life is too short to say I am going to love you forever when you don’t know what happens tomorrow. Why don’t you leave it open?
You are believed to be dating socialite Sati Ramoni.  What’s the attraction?
I am not going to say anything and as a journalist you are supposed to know that it’s not everything that is being said that’s true will end up on the pages of newspaper.
There have been a couple of controversial matters in which you have been fingered. Don’t you mind  being talked about in that light?
I think a lot of journalists are in love with me (laughs) and I think you cannot dictate what’s  being written about you , so some who are not journalists but mere writers do all that  stuff. I could remember a lady journalist published something I never said and she never interviewed me, so you can imagine that. In that case, how many people would know what actually happened… that she never spoke with me?
Some             actresses, especially the young ones are always well-to-do than their male counterparts. What’s your take on that?
I have not noticed that, but I know of  men  who are rich and doing well as the ladies but that does not mean there wouldn’t be some who would lack. It’s natural that there will be a leader and a follower.

SHOCKER: police recover 20 skulls at Aba dump site

A dumpsite has been discovered near Aba, Abia State, where over 20 human skulls and decomposing bodies, including those of school children were found. The site, which was a horror to behold was located, at about kilometre 15 on the Aba/Azumini Highway at an area called “No man’s land” after Akpaa village in Obingwa Local Government of the state.
The discovery followed the arrest of four policemen attached to the Federal Highway Patrol unit of the Nigeria Police, Aba Section, who allegedly killed a 26-year-old man in Aba.
The policemen led by their officer-in-charge, Hyginus Omeze, who were ordered to be detained by the Area Commander for Aba, Rabiu Dayi were alleged to have murdered one Onyekachi Chukwu, 26 and dumped his body at the site.
it was gathered that on Sunday June 23 Onyekachi, who hailed from Ahaba Imenyi in Isuikwuato Local Government and lived at No. 47 Ukaegbu Road, went out with his friends to drink in a hotel located on Ekenna Avenue. After spending the day, Onyekachi was said to have decided to pass the night in the house of one of his friends residing also in Ogbor hill.
According to a source, as he made to knock at the gate, the policemen came from nowhere and after beating him, got him arrested. The cops, who were said to have refused all pleas by people residing in the neighbourhood, arrested Onyekachi together with the gate man of the friend’s house and the caretaker and took them to a hotel on Opobo Road, Ogbor hill, which also served as their base.
On getting to the hotel, Daily Sun learnt the policemen left the other two men behind in the hotel and took Onyekachi out in their Toyota Prado SUV and drove towards Azumini. After about one hour, the policemen were said to have come back to the hotel without the young man.
On getting back to the hotel, the policemen took the men they earlier left behind and took them back to where they were earlier arrested and ordered the occupants of the house to wash their vehicle and contribute money for them to replace the bullets, which they claimed they had wasted and the people complied without knowing what the policemen did.
The bubble, however, busted when the relations of Onyekachi, after days of searching for him without success made formal complaint to the police, who swung into action immediately and traced their colleagues, who allegedly committed the dastardly acts to the hotel, where four of them were arrested.
According to Uchechi Chukwu, an elder brother to the deceased, who believed the young man was killed for rituals, going by the way his body was dismembered; it was through the effort of the area commander that the policemen were arrested.
Then the arrested policemen, who were said to have admitted to the crime, took their colleagues to the borrow-pit along the Aba/Azumini Highway, where they dumped the dismembered body of Onyekachi. When  visited the borrow-pit at “no man’s land,” where Onyekachi’s body was buried in a shallow grave, the site was a horror to behold, as several human skulls and decomposing bodies, including that of school children.
Also found in the place included a piece of iron zinc which surroundings were splattered with blood and believed to been where Onyekachi was slaughtered and his vital organs removed, according to his relations.
There was equally a human organ believed to be a bladder left on the ground, where the slain man’s body was found and also hand gloves believed to have been worn by those who murdered the man. When contacted on phone, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abia Command, Geoffrey Ogbonna, while confirming the incident, denied that the young man was killed for ritual purposes.