They met on the internet. They fell in love. A spare parts seller, Kunle Bamidele was completely honest in his dealings with his Kentucky, US-based beau, Robin Martins, and their wedding recently in Ibadan was as topical as it was controversial. Nevertheless, the young man will soon jet out of the country to join his wife. Seye Adeniyi reports.
The couple kissing during their wedding.advertisement
He was castigating one of his apprentices for wrong-doing when this reporter got to his shop at Ile-Epo area of Odo-Ona, Abeokuta road, Ibadan, Oyo State.
He was so annoyed with the young male apprentice that he brought out the Sunday Tribune edition of 12th of July, 2009 to butress his admonitions to the boy, on the need for him to be truthful, dedicated to duty, and, above all, say the truth at all times.
“Look at this young man now (pointing at Kunle Bamidele’s picture featured in the Sunday Tribune newspaper of 12th July, 2009), he reaped the reward of being faithful, truthful and sincere, and that was why a white woman, an American for that matter, left her country for Nigeria to marry him, ‘’ he told the apprentice.
Many people thought it was not possible, some tagged it an “arrangeé wedding”, while some are still casting doubts on the unique matrimonial union that took place recently in the city of Ibadan between the duo. Alhaji Laide Eniola, a 70 year-old popular fashion designer at Odo-Ona, along Apata road, Ibadan, was privy to all that transpired during the wedding.
Robin Martin, a 41-yr-old Kentuckian, had travelled to Nigeria, some weeks ago, to wed Kunle Bamidele, a 32-year-old spare parts trader at the popular Gate Market, Ibadan.
According to the tailor, the wedding ceremony actually took place in his house at the Scout-Camp, along Challenge-Molete road, in Ibadan on July 11, 2009, after the registry wedding at the Mapo Registry hall.
On why the wedding festivities were not held at the Bamideles’ house, as was customary, he said Kunle’s father chose the Scout Camp venue to give the American some solace as it was modern and more comfortable than his own, adding that since he and the man were childhood friends, he had to oblige him.
The 41-year-old American woman from Kentucky, USA, arrived in Nigeria on Tuesday, July 8, 2009, and the wedding between her and Kunle took place on Saturday, July 11, 2009. She was accommodated, throughout her stay, at the tailor’s house.
But why the quick arrangement that eventually led to a wedding between the duo, considering the short-days intervals?
Alhaji Eniola has this to say: “Kunle and the American woman had been chatting with each other on the internet for a long time, before the woman agreed to visit him in Nigeria. What really impressed the Kentuckian was Kunle’s sincerity and truthfulness. The woman had used many things to test Kunle’s truthfulness, sincerity, love and faithfulness and, I tell you, the young man is not like other Nigerian youths who are fond of duping Europeans on the internet.’’
He noted that the flight ticket with which the woman travelled to Nigeria was sent to her by Kunle. The bride-to-be had, through the internet, sent the money (foreign currency) to Kunle, instructing him to help her purchase the flight ticket in Nigeria and send it to her, an assignment which Kunle carried out to the letter.
“How many Nigerian youths, especially the so called yahoo boys, can do such a thing? I know what many of these yahoo boys can do, and how they are creating a negative image for the country through their dubious activities on the internet. But Kunle Bamidele, now the legal husband of the Kentuckian, did not do that,” he emphasised.
The tailor also revealed to Nigerian Tribune that the white woman, who is a divorcee and a mother of two children in Kentucky, was also impressed with her Nigerian husband’s truthfulness and sincerity when Kunle showed her all the receipts/invoices he had used in purchasing every material she instructed asked him to get, preparatory to their wedding, including the receipt for the new generating set that was purchased before her arrival in Nigeria. Robin Martins also surprised many people, especially the people living around the Scout-Camp area of Ibadan, when she took delight in eating traditional foods like amala, fufu, eba, even ewedu, gbegiri and okro soups, without developing bowel discomfort during her stay in Ibadan.
He noted that many people had tried to discourage the woman from coming, and yet many others had told the family that the woman would not tolerate the facilities on ground, but she coped admirably well.
Concerning the traditional wedding gown (aso-oke), which the couple used for their wedding, the septuagarian also disclosed to the Nigerian Tribune that Kunle was given money to buy the material by his bride, adding that it was he who designed the attire for the couple.
‘’The newly-wedded coupled enjoyed their honeymoon in my house and, I tell you, she was impressed with Kunle’s “performance,” being a black man. She also confessed to me that what she saw and experienced in Nigeria was the entire opposite of all the negative reports she had heard about the country before coming to Nigeria,” the tailor told the Nigerian Tribune.
He added that the white woman told him that she was very comfortable in her country, as she presently had two or three companies of her own. But she had to divorce her former American husband because the man used to beat, maltreat, and often subjected her to inhuman treatments despite the fact that she had two children by him.
There was a mild drama inside the Mapo Registry hall during the wedding ceremony. The local government officials that conducted the wedding programme were amazed and highly impressed by the woman’s dancing steps. They were pleasantly surprised, especially when the Kentuckian began to lavish dollars on them, when the couple were called to come forward for thanksgiving.
Throughout her stay in Nigeria, Robin Martins Bamidele was able to acclamatize to Nigeria’s weather; she did not complain of any ailment or infections. But she kept abusing the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), for throwing the country into darkness.
Another drama that also ensued during the woman’s short stay in Nigeria, according to Alhaji Eniola, who hails from Ede, Osun State, was between the woman and the Embassy officials when she took her Nigerian husband there to get all the neccessary papers that would facilitate his smooth journey to Kentucky, USA.
The Embassy officials did not want to give Kunle clearance documents for the journey, hinging their excuses on their previous experiences with Nigerians. However, when the new bride shouted at them, Kunle was given all the necessary papers, and will soon be going to America to join his new heart-trob.
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Tomorow it is Roddick Vs the FedererFinals: Serena Williams (2) def Venus Williams (3) 7-6 6-2Semifinals: Andy Roddick (6) def Andy Murray (3) 6-4 4-6 7-6 7-6Semifinals: Roger Federer (2) def Tommy Haas (24) 7-6 7-5 6-3Serena Williams won her third Wimbledon title and first in six years by beating her older sister and defending champion Venus.Serena won 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, on Centre Court at the All England Club in London, preventing her sister from taking a third consecutive title. Only Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova have managed to win three in a row since professionals were admitted in the Open era of tennis in 1968.“It feels so amazing,” Serena said to the spectators. “I feel like I shouldn’t be holding the trophy. It’s named ‘The Venus,” and she always wins.”It was the fourth time the American sisters met in a Wimbledon final. Serena has now beaten Venus in three finals. Today’s win also tipped their all-time head-to-head record in her favor, 11-10. It is the longest rivalry between sisters on the WTA Tour since 1971, according to the women’s circuit. Manuela and Katerina Maleeva of Bulgaria played each other nine times, with Manuela taking the series 8-1.“I feel like going into this final I have nothing to lose,” Serena had told reporters after she beat Elena Dementieva in the semifinals. “I feel like obviously she’s playing the best tennis at this tournament.”Serena now holds three of the four majors -- Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the U.S. Open. Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova won the French Open.Sibling RecordsThe only sisters to have both reached the No. 1 ranking on the WTA Tour, the Williamses have now won a total of 18 Grand Slam singles titles, starting with Serena at the 1999 U.S. Open.In the last decade, they have taken over the grass courts at the All England Club, winning eight championships in singles. They played a riveting final a year ago, with Venus winning her fifth Wimbledon title 7-5, 6-4. Serena previously won in 2002 and 2003.Venus Williams, with the two large strips of medical tape supporting her left knee that she’s worn since her second match of the tournament, won the toss and elected to serve. The sisters traded games until it was 4-3, when Venus got two break points. She lost both, and Serena won the game with an ace down the center.At 5-5, Serena got Venus to deuce on her serve, but couldn’t convert. It went to tiebreakers, with Serena taking it after losing one set point. It was the first time Venus had dropped a set in the tournament, and broke her win streak of 34 consecutive sets.Disappearing ServeIn the second set, Venus couldn’t get her service working, getting less than 50 percent of the first serves in. Still, they traded games until it was 3-2, when Venus double-faulted to go down 4-2.Serena won the next game without giving up a point to go up 5-2. She converted her fourth championship point when Venus dumped a backhand into the net. The sisters hugged at the net.“They probably are the best of their era,” Bud Collins, a broadcaster and tennis historian for more than 40 years, said in an interview at Wimbledon today.“They compare very well,” with nine-time champion Navratilova and seven-time winner Graf, Collins said.“I picked Venus to win the tournament when it started,” Collins said. “She’s got that wing span, she can get up to the net and cover a lot of territory.”Venus and Serena “can both can run like deer. They both have great hearts,” he said.Having the sisters compete at Wimbledon, where they also play in women’s doubles finals today, is important for the tournament.“They are the box-office stars,” Chris Gorringe, who retired as chief executive officer of the All England Club in 2005, said in an interview.Since the retirement of top-ranked Justine Henin in May 2008, five women have held the No. 1 position, two of them -- current leader Dinara Safina of Russia and Jelena Jankovic of Serbia -- without winning a major. The sisters stand out from the rest of the women’s field because of their mental strength, tennis commentator and former player Mary Carillo said.Dominant Women“Look at the great women’s champions, from Martina Navratilova to Chris Evert and Steffi Graf, they were all very strong mentally,” Carillo, a former French Open mixed doubles champion, said in an interview. “Serena, Venus and also Maria Sharapova are the same. When they step on a tennis court, they are saying to themselves, ‘What will it take for me to win the match?’ You don’t see that so much with the other women.”Serena, 27 and seeded second at Wimbledon this year, showed her mental strength in her 2 hour, 49 minute semifinal against Elena Dementieva of Russia.Faced with match point on her serve at 5-4 down in the third set, Williams rushed to the net to finish off the point. Instead of hitting down the sideline or using a lob, the Russian aimed the ball back cross-court at Williams, who met it with a backhand volley that touched the net and landed on Dementieva’s side for a winner.Serena won the match 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 8-6, making her only the second player in the Open era at Wimbledon to come back from match point down on the way to the championship.Record After RecordThe only other player to do so since tennis turned professional in women’s singles was Venus Williams, who won the 2005 final against Lindsay Davenport after saving a match point in the third set.Serena’s fighting spirit always has been there, said Venus, who is two years older and was seeded third. She recalled a match her younger sister won over Davenport at White City in Sydney, Australia, in 1998, after trailing 1-6, 2-5.“That actually had a huge impression on my career, that one incident actually.” Venus told reporters after dropping just one game in her semifinal win over Safina. “We saved the article. It was called ‘White City’s Great Escape.’ Afterwards I would read it with an Australian accent. We’d read it over and over again, about how she overcame all the odds and won that match.”CriticismThe Williamses have been criticized by Navratilova, who watched today’s match from the royal box, and others for not playing a full schedule and spending too much time on other interests, such as interior design and acting. Serena spent almost an entire press conference last week talking about a script she was trying to write.Their longevity and success shows their strategy, and that of their coach and father, Richard, has been the right one.“Their formula is, trying to peak for the majors and play 15 to 18 tournaments a year,” Pam Shriver, a five-time Wimbledon doubles champion and now a tennis commentator who has known the Williamses for 15 years, said in an interview. “It’s not a bad idea. You can’t question it now they are both in their late 20s.”Playing each other in 2009 isn’t the same as when they did it for the first time at the 1998 Australian Open.“It’s different because we’re different players,” Venus said, when asked if it ever got any easier playing a sibling. “We both play such a similar game. We had the same teacher. But what I can tell you, the respect that we have for each other on and off the court is the same.”
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British taxpayers are to provide £1million for a comfortable jail in nig.e.ria to take convicts whose crimes were committed in the UK.
The prison would house 400 nig.e.rian inmates incarcerated in our own packed prisons who cannot be forcibly sent home to complete their punishments.
Jails there are considered so rough that any prisoner the UK tried to deport could oppose their removal on human rights grounds.
But the Government hopes that by spending as much as £1million turning a rundown nig.e.rian prison into something approaching British standards, the convicts could be repatriated.
Lin Homer, the UK Border agency chief, said it would save taxpayers' mone
Lin Homer, the chief executive of the UK Border Agency, told MPs the deal would save taxpayers' money, because the UK would no longer have to pay the £30,000-a-year cost of keeping inmates in our own jails.
'We are in negotiations with nig.e.ria to help them establish better prison conditions,' she said.
'It's about helping them generate a structure that can cope with the prisoners. It would be well worth the money to do so.'
But Matthew Elliott of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'It's an absolute scandal that British taxpayers may foot the bill for a nig.e.rian prison.
'The Government should not even entertain this nonsense proposal, particularly at a time when our own prison service is so desperately in need of funds.
'If nig.e.rians are here illegally and are going to be deported, we should be sending them home immediately.'
Damian Green, the shadow immigration minister, said: 'This should not mean in the long term we build prisons all around the world instead of sorting out our own deportation processes.'
Ministers have been frantically searching for a solution to the UK's chronic prisoner overcrowding crisis since 2005, when the number of foreign criminals soared past 11,000 - the equivalent of more than one in every eight inmates.
Prisoners have been offered cash windfalls - which some say are bribes - if they returned home voluntarily.
Boy?s feet in shackles at a Young Peoples Home in Jos/nig.e.ria
A prisoner's feet at shackled in Jos jail in nig.e.ria
But this is the first time the Government has announced firm plans to provide funding for a jail overseas.
The idea had been suggested in relation to Jamaica, but never got off the ground.
It would require nig.e.ria to change its laws so prisoners could be sent back without their consent.
Human rights groups say current conditions in nig.e.rian prisons are appalling.
Amnesty International said there was severe overcrowding, and more than half of prisoners are awaiting trial - some for up to ten years.
During the same home affairs committee evidence session yesterday, Mrs Homer updated MPs on how the Home Office is dealing with two scandals - the 2006 foreign prisoner fiasco, and the discovery of up to 450,000 outstanding asylum claims.
Three years on from the mistaken release of 1,000 overseas inmates without them even being considered for deportation, almost two-thirds are still in the UK.
Incredibly, 87 of the 1,000 convicts - who included killers and sex attackers - have yet to be even traced. Of those who have been located, only 348 have been deported or removed.
The remainder have either been told they can stay - often because removal back to their homeland would be a breach of human rights law - or are still going through the deportation process.
Mrs Homer also revealed that, so far, 197,500 of the 450,000 asylum 'legacy' cases discovered by the Home Office in 2006 had been processed.
More than 30 per cent have been awarded asylum, in an exercise that has been described an amnesty by opponents. At current rates, more than 100,000 people with claims dating back years will be awarded permission to stay in the UK.
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WANTED leader of the Ijaw Youths Leadership Forum, Government Ekpomupolo, nicknamed Tompolo, who reportedly fled Nigeria to escape arrest by the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) has sneaked into Ukraine, according to latest findings by the Nigerian Tribune.
His escape to the eastern European country was said to have been facilitated by Ukrainians with whom he had been engaging in arms deal in exchange for bunkered crude oil. South Africa was listed among the countries he had planned to escape to the moment military forces began to comb the militants’ hideouts in Niger Delta.
Tompolo’s exit from Nigeria, according to information from the militants’ camp, was made possible through the combined help of Ukrainians and South Africans who trade in arms and crude oil and with whom he had been engaged in business activities for some time.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that the security operatives were still combing the specific locations in the Niger Delta where Tompolo was believed to be hiding, while not foreclosing the possibility that he might still be in the country.
The leader of the militants was said to have vowed to return to Nigeria to relaunch the struggle for the control of the South-South, while he was said to have said that the struggle for the emancipation of the Niger Delta would be more sophisticated and properly coordinated when he returned.
It was learnt also that the JTF, despite being able to contain the excesses of the militants in some Niger Delta states, still had a lot of work to do in breaking the militants’ base of operations following hint that the military men had not been able to recover one-tenth of the arms stockpiled by the militants.
Sources close to the militants told Nigerian Tribune that the inability of the JTF to arrest Tompolo and other major leaders of the militants might leave room for their regrouping since their network of secret operation was said to be intact.
Further investigations revealed that the militants had tactically been retreating towards Brass and Akassa, the coastal fringes of Bayelsa State, with a view to regrouping and relaunching their struggle, this time by disturbing maritime trade along the axis.
Reports indicated that their main links are still within the Niger Delta states, even as they have been noted to be consulting for some of the oil companies on security matters, whereas only a few, according to sources, could suspect that they are agents of the militants.
Meanwhile, the seeming silence on the part of President Umaru Yar’Adua and security operatives on the much-talked- about list of backers of Tompolo further heightened anxiety and suspense as the President on Saturday refused to receive a South-South governor.
This development came as emissaries reportedly sent to the Presidency by the governor to verify the contents of the list of backers made fruitless efforts to get details of the list submitted to the president by the JTF last week.
President Yar’Adua is said to have commenced a process of scrutinising the said list with a view to separating those who had “genuine and official contacts with the militants” from those who actually engaged in illegal deals with them, the Nigerian Tribune learnt.
Nigerian Tribune on Friday exclusively reported that a serving South-South governor, a retired army general, as well as several politicians from the Niger Delta region were among those said to be having links with the wanted militants leader.
Although the report did not mention any particular governor, efforts have been made in the last three days by officials of two core Niger Delta states to confirm whether or not their principals’ names were on the list. The two governors were still in Abuja as at the time of filing this report.
But disturbed by the secrecy surrounding the list and the failure of his team to get meaningful results, the governor was said to have personally attempted to see the president but failed in the bid.
Said a source in the Villa: “I don’t know why your paper is putting these men on a high jump; did you mention anybody’s name in that report? As of Saturday morning, no fewer than two respectable persons had come around to see what the so-called list contained, but little did they know that it was purely a security matter, so not many people can have access to that kind of information here.
But disturbed by the secrecy surrounding the list and the failure of his team to get meaningful results, the governor was said to have personally attempted to see the president but failed in the bid.
Said a source in the Villa: “I don’t know why your paper is putting these men on a high jump; did you mention anybody’s name in that report? As of Saturday morning, no fewer than two respectable persons had come around to see what the so-called list contained, but little did they know that it was purely a security matter, so not many people can have access to that kind of information here.
“For those of them who had genuine and official contacts with the militants, either on behalf of government or oil companies, they should have nothing to worry about; only those who played some fast games on government and oil companies, all in the name of liaising with them to protect their workers or bring about peace have cause to entertain fears.
“For such individuals, most of whom are from the region, the situation in the region before now was an avenue for them to enrich themselves and deceive government agencies to part with so much money; unknown to such persons, government has a list of all such persons parading as go between; funny enough, there is no kobo any oil company parts with that the government does not know.
“So if they claim the region is not developed and they are gaining at the expense of their people, then they should be brought to book; that is Mr. President has instructed a thorough study of the said list so as to know who did what and for what purpose.”
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Segun Adeniyi, could not be reached for comments. Meanwhile, spokesman for the JTF, Colonel Rabe Abubakar, has expressed the readiness of the outfit to continue with the cordon and search operation to dislodge militants in the region, saying, however, that the JTF had no business with any list submitted to any quarters.
“It is not in our character to discuss such things, what we are doing is routine, and in the course of our operations, we stumbled on certain things, it is only appropriate that we defer to the authorities, what is done with such things is not our business; all we are doing is to ensure we do not go beyond the rules of JTF’s engagement; good enough, we have not done.
“The cordon and search will continue until we rid the region of militants and make it free and conducive once again, for economic activities; in the course of doing this, we are alive to our responsibilities, we are alert and we will not lose focus,” he said.
In another development, Niger Delta militants have threatened to blow up a $13 billion (about N1.917 trillion) gas pipeline project being undertaken by Nigeria and Algeria.
Algeria Mines and Energy Minister, Chakib Kheli, speaking to Reuters in Algiers at the weekend disclosed that the signing of the multibillion pipeline project which will see Nigeria exporting its gas had reached an advanced stage.
“We have reached the deal and we may sign it shortly as all the problems have been solved. Nigerian Oil Minister Rilwan Lukman and myself will sign it,” Chakib Khelil told Algerian state television.
The project, with capital costs estimated at $10 billion for the pipeline and $3 billion for gathering centres, would send up to 30 billion cubic metres a year of gas to Europe via a 4,128 km (2,580 mile) pipeline from Nigeria via Niger and Algeria.
“We would not have any problem to finance the project,” he added. Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, France‘s Total and Anglo-Dutch energy giant Royal Dutch Shell are among the international firms to have expressed interest in taking part in the project.
Despite the advantage of this project, the news agency reported that the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which has shut down more than a fifth of Nigeria’s oil output since launching attacks on the industry three years ago, had warned that the planned project would be a target.
Nigeria has estimated natural gas reserves of 180 trillion cubic feet, the seventh largest in the world. Its liquefied natural gas company, Nigeria LNG, says it already provides 10 per cent of world supply, much of it to Europe and North America.
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Rising from the first Igbo economic summit in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, held from May 29 to 30, 2009, Igbo in diaspora resolved to set up a diaspora fund to fight the Igbo cause in addition to floating a spare parts manufacturing factory in Igboland.
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communique signed by Nze Joe Eto and Dr Anthony Ejiofor, Chairman and Executive Director respectively, noted that the summit also resolved that the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation should at all times champion Igbo unity.
The summit, attended by Managing Director of World Bank, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Professor Pat Utomi and the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Ambassador Raph Uwechue also resolved to encourage Igbo to embrace self-help projects.
"In order to strengthen Igboland economically, education should be promoted aggressively. The great achievements of Ndigbo in the pre-civil war era was attributed to high quality education, the well-known Igbo hard work, competitiveness and ingenuity,” the communique read.
The Summit, therefore, resolved to organise the Igbo Diaspora, to provide necessary support for quality vocational education across Igboland that will afford the unemployed the opportunity to learn valuable skills for the modern economy.
It also resolved "to create a Diaspora Fund built on contributions of $300.00 by all working Igbo man and woman in the diaspora immediately.
"We agreed to immediately put in place efforts to establish a heavy equipment spare part manufacturing factory in Igbo heartland and recognised Ohanaeze Ndigbo as the premier all-Igbo leader and pledged to work with the organisation and its eminent president to tackle all the problems in Igboland.”
The summit pledged to work with Ohanaeze to source international funds to solve environmental problems such as erosion in Igboland, in addition to working with other Igbo groups to implement programmes identified in the Economic Development for the region under SENEC (South Eastern Nigerian Economic Commission).
Among the attendees were prominent Igbos in North America including the founders of the World Igbo Congress from Houston Texas, Dr. JOS Okeke, the Consul General, Honorable Chudi Okfor and prominent Nigerians who flew all the way from home to help shape the economic future of Ndigbo.
Others include Ambassador Raph Uwechue, President General Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, Dr Chukwuka Okonjo, economist, Obi of Ogwashi Uku and Dr Kamene Okonjo, Professor FNC Osuji, former Minister of Education, Professor Anya O Anya, former chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Professor Ebere Onwudiwe, political economist and public intellectual, and Dr. Chii Akporji, Communications in Commerce, The World Bank. among others.
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now and then, tales that Cossy Orjiakor acted in pornography alongside a dog make the rounds. But when the stories emerged again recently, the young woman with the inflatable chest was not only shattered but members of her family were greatly disturbed and distorted.
Cossy's name no doubt rings a bell in the social, entertainment and corporate world for different reasons. This is not because of her wealth or talent, or lack of it, but because of the way she let her massive breasts hang out without a care in the world.
She is, however, quick to justify her often risqu» appearance: "People should understand that I'm an actress and I am meant to be dedicated to my career just like a doctor or lawyer. I would keep playing roles that might require me to be sexy or reveal some parts of my body. I am simply an entertainer and that is what I do for a living.
"I used to be a dancer but few people know that. I was one of the dancers in Shan George's music video and I also sing. Aside that, I am someone with an open and free mind. If I'm called to do any scene that might look somehow, I would take up the role because it's simply make-believe and that's what many people still don't want to accept.
"Unlike what many have decided to believe about me, I am a good person. Most people don't know me and all they do is just choose to believe and judge me because of my profession and what they get to hear about me. But those that are close to me know that I'm a different person. I'm only an entertainer doing what I know and enjoy doing.
"I don't sleep around like many people believe and I'm not any of those things which people paint me to be."
Naturally, we sought her reaction to reports that she was paid $10,000 for a sex scene with a dog in a movie. She obviously expected the question.
"I am still stunned myself and I'm still going to sue the writer of the false story because I never slept with a dog neither did I pose nude with a dog on a set," was her immediate answer.
She continued: "I sincerely don't know where this is coming from because I have started tracing it and I believe I would definitely get to the root of this.
"What I can specifically say about the whole thing is that I acted in a film entitled Itohan sometime between 2001 and 2002 with director Chico Ejiro while the producer of the film is Lucky Ewa. The film is about a prostitute who eventually regretted her trade but died of AIDS. She even slept with a dog in the film. I played the role of the lady, but only acted like a prostitute with clothes on. That was it.
"Shots were taken during the shooting, and I guess that is where they got the pictures that are being circulated. I have called the producers of the flick and they denied giving out the pictures."
She also have words about the producers of the film: "I learnt that Chico Ejiro is saying he can't remember shooting the flick with me in it. It was on the set of that film that his wife just hated my sight and I didn't know why but there was nothing I could do because I was only doing my job and I was a greenhorn then.
"I was later told at the location that she doesn't like my sight because Chico Ejiro loves ladies with big boobs.
"I don't know why they are all making lies out of what is not, it was just a scene playing with a dog and nothing like having sex with a dog or posing nude with the dog. I only acted for one year before I was banned in 2002 when people stopped giving me roles.
"For the records, I don't mess around with people I work with and neither do I just jump into people's bed like it is believed by many. I have never dated any film producer or journalist and I don't know why someone is just out to malign me for no just cause."
When contacted, Chico Ejiro simply said: "I was hired to work on the set of Itohan just like Cossy was hired. I didn't hire her, I 'm not the producer of the movie, the producer is a man called Lucky Ewa and he was the one that hired us for our services. Rachael Oniga, Saheed Balogun, Bukky Wright, Shan George were all on the same set and she should just direct her complaints to the man that hired us both and not me or whosoever is in possession of her pictures. Cossy should just understand this and stop calling my name or attracting undue attention to me."
Confident of her showbiz talent among other things, the young with the squeaky voice, whose whose main acting credential is her breasts, believes that she is just being persecuted for reasons unknown to her.
"I don't know why I am the target of everybody. Before now, I used to think that some of the female folks might not like me or get envious of me because of my boobs, but over time I have come to believe that no one has any reason to dislike me because of my body part.
"Envious ladies don't need to hate me any more because they can also get themselves large boobs or buy them as it is now being made easy. But why some men would now decided to use the fact that my boobs are big and I act to tarnish my image is something I don't just understand," she said.
Cossy still insists that she is a complete entertainer who dances, sings and acts.
"I'm a complete entertainer unlike what many believe. I sing, act and also dance but people would continue to say that I'm not a good actress. All I tell them is that if I'm not a good actress, why are things going well for me?
"If I'm not as good like they claim, why are people talking and going nuts about something I did seven years ago? Why is it that everyone wants to write about me even when some of these things are false?
"My music career would soon become another thing people would talk about because my album is ready. It was delayed as a result of this incident. It's been ready for months and I just decided to keep it low for now, but very soon, I would start promotions because I already have a video for one of the songs."
She told our reporter "I live in my house in Lekki with my family, I also have landed property in Abuja and Aba, so why would I stoop so low to want to have sex with a dog in a film for a paltry sum of $10,000?" Cossy asked.
Counting her earthly treasures, Cossy posted the message to the Internet during the week: "I have landed property of N20million, a house in Lekki, Lagos, 1.2 hecter of land in Kuje, Abuja, a plot in Maraba and a special plate number jeep. So why would I sleep with dog for an equivalent of N1.8million?"
The Anambra-born tease, who claims she prefers shopping to sex, told Klieglights, "my mum and my siblings are so worried because the thing is really getting at the entire family.
"My mother was in the church when the priest was talking about it and everybody was looking at her but she didn't understand until I told her about it and it made her feel so bad leaving the family disturbed and stressed."
We are she has offered to give N10,000 to anybody who can give her original copies of the pictures making the round.
"To be candid, I sincerely wish to see the naked pictures with the dog if truly it would be provided because I know that this is all false," she told our reporter.
Where could this come from if she sincerely feels it's some set of people who are after her?
"I don't know. Like I said, I don't know who the enemy is and who is friend. I have my suspicions and I just want to do my findings before I conclude on what step to take next. But this is just taking it far. Those behind it have taken it too far this time around," Cossy concluded.
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We didn't expect Yori Yori to be a bang -BracketEzioko Nwachukwu and Obumneme Ali, who go by the stage name 'Bracket' are easily known for their 'Yori Yori' hit track that is currently making waves within the entertainment circles. The duo, from Enugu State and students of the same school, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, spoke to REPORTER, Ifeoma Meze, on how they started, the philosophy behind the track 'Yori yori,' among other issues. Excerpts: You guys suddenly took the music world by the storm. Even then not much is known by many about your personal details.My name is Ezioko Nwachukwu. I am from Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State. My stage name is Vast. I am still in school. I am studying Mass Communication in University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I am hoping to graduate anytime from next two years.I am Obumneme Ali. I am from Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State. I am known on the stage as Smash. I am also in the same school with him but studying Psychology.How did you guys meet?Vast: We met in university school show. Though we had not gotten into the university then but because we are gifted in the sense that we used to miming other people's songs like R. Kelly, Tupac and other American artistes just for entertainment. Then they used to call us; paid us small amount of money for us to come to mime. That was how we got to meet. We were three before. I met the third guy, Amobi Clement popularly known as Bisstog, who is no longer with the group due to some reasons, before I met Obumneme. When we, Amobi and I, met Obumneme, we asked him to rap for us and we liked his pattern of raping because then the kind of music we did mostly was rap songs but because of Nigerian market we had to switch to singing. So that was how we met.What happened to the third guy?The third guy left. He said that he didn't want to combine education and music. He is in Electrical Electronics Engineering in the same school, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.Is he likely to come back to the group?That is what I don't know for now.How has the group been since he left?As you can see, God has been on our side.Did it ever occur to you guys that 'Yori Yori' track would take you this far?Smash: We have always hoped that we would get to the top one day, starting from the day that we did our first song Happy day. Though it did not go that far, when we went to the studio to do another job we were hopeful that at least we would get to a certain level. But we never expected that Yori Yori will go this far but we had that feeling that it was a bright and good job and that it would sell but not really up to what we are getting now.Is there another track in the album that you think that would be better than Yori Yori?The one that is picking up seriously now is No time. That is the number two track in the album that we did with P-Square. Number four, Ada Owerri, is receiving enough airplay in Lagos. We have other slow songs like wrong thing and leaders of tomorrow. People fall in love with them when they play.What inspired you guys to do the track? Yori Yori?Yori Yori was born out of the love we have for everybody who has been there for us starting from the days of Happy Day. It does not really mean that we sang it for a particular girl or a particular person. The media, which have always been there for us, are involved. It was inspired by anybody who at least contributed in one way or the other during the days of Happy Day. That is why we did that song to appreciate them for all the good things they did for us and also for the support. We had to do it as a love song pattern so that Nigerians would appreciate it easily. A guy can play the song for his girlfriend and likewise a girl too. That was the market that we were looking at but the story behind the song is that it is for everybody that has made us come this far.You guys were once rappers, are you likely to do some rap music?Maybe in our old age after making our money. What we are based on now is singing and making hit tracks that can move the world, fetch us money, shows and endorsements.So, for now, rap is sleeping?Yes, for now rap is sleeping. It is not that rap is bad or that it does not sell in our country but I don't think the kind of rap we do would sell. I believe singing is what we can do better.How did you guys find out that singing is what you can do better?Because of Happy Day, our first single. It was strictly singing with a little rap of eight lines.Why do you think Happy Day did not really sell?It is not that it did not sell but it did not fetch us shows, money. It did not fetch us enough fame but look at Yori Yori just within two months it blew up everywhere.What challenge have you been facing in this career?It has not been very easy especially in the aspect of our education. It is very difficult to combine music and education. For example, you might have an exam to write in Nsukka and a show to attend at Abuja. It is quite tasking and challenging because you cannot be in those two places at the same time. But we still cope well.So aside education, you don't have any challenges again?Smash: I don't think so. Other challenges like getting a sponsor, we sure passed through that when we were starting. But by God's grace, we have passed that stage now. We are very thankful to our sponsor, A-Planet, today he is happy for what he helped us for.So there are no challenges coming from the female fans?For female fans, that one is certain but being the king of people we are, we are in control. We control ourselves when it comes to that side. They are not really a problem because we have back up and that back up is God.What would you say about the kind of music we have these days?Vast: I can give it 70 percent. We are trying though we have a lot of artistes in Nigeria that are not really there. Generally to entertainment in Nigeria, I will give them 70 percent because we have really grown from what we used to be.What about the morals of our younger generation, do you think the kinds of music we have these days are music that can corrupt kid?I don't think so, because any song or video goes through a censor's board and if they are not really good for public consumption, it will be banned from viewing on TV stations. Nigeria is really trying but the only thing I think they cannot control is piracy.Piracy is uncontrollable. Everyday it grows worse. As days pass by, we see new kind of piracy. Once a marketer gets hold of your work, he bargains with the piracy people a huge amount of money. And that is why it is uncontrollable. If only marketers will stand on their feet and say no to piracy then we have taken one step to fighting it.Is there any form of advice or what you think that should be done to help cub piracy?There is one truth that people hide that as a musician, you have to do a tight song, a song that can touch every nooks and crannies of this country. After that, wait for your endorsements and shows. Don't depend on what marketer will give you. But you must give the album to a marketer at any amount of money. In a way, piracy helps to spread your music to places you never imagine your songs can go but the problem is that someone else reaps the fruit of your sweat.This is a kind of advice to up and coming artiste. If you do a very good music, relax, go to any station that you feel can accept you, drop it there for it to be played, before you know it, people will start asking of you. People will give you endorsements, shows and even sponsors. By the time you do your second album, you can sell it any amount you want. They should not look at the faces of D'Banj, P-Square or 9ice. Just focus on doing a masterpiece as a song that would bring you out and you are already there.If your song is not good, they cannot pirate it because they will loose their money. But if it's good they will push your work to any level and in a way it boosts your profile and recognition.Do you guys miss the third guy in your group?Yes. But we have moved on now.What if he comes back to join the group?He will definitely come back to face his music, but I don't think he will come back to join the group. He will be doing his own thing.
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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo may have left judgment in the hands of the almighty God and taken the death of his wife, Stella, as what fate brought, but Spanish authorities have not given up as the doctor who handled the surgery that led to her death will on Friday appear in court on a charge of negligent manslaughter.
The cosmetic surgeon from a Marbella clinic in Spain is being tried on a charge which may earn him two years in prison and a ban from working as a plastic surgeon for five years for the 2005 death of the then Nigerian first lady due to complications allegedly caused by the surgery he carried out, reported euroweeklynews.com yesterday.
The news website quoted the public prosecutor’s office as claiming that in August 2005, the 59-year-old late Mrs Obasanjo attended the exclusive Molding cosmetic surgery clinic in the upmarket town of Puerto Banus to enquire about a cosmetic surgery operation.
She was seen by the accused who, following some tests, gave her an appointment for her to return for more tests on October 20 for the procedure to take place the following day.
According to the prosecution, despite the fact that the accused had carried out more than 300 liposuction procedures in the past, he allegedly made several errors that punctured Stella Obasanjo’s liver and colon.
During the hours following the operation and in the post-operation, the prosecution claimed the injuries caused a massive amount of blood loss that led to several complications that eventually caused the patient septic shock that were not diagnosed by the doctor.
When the doctor allegedly eventually realised there were problems, he caused Stella Obasanjo to be transferred to Marbella’s USP Hospital by a clinic vehicle instead of helicopter despite the clinic having an arrangement with the medical helicopter firm. It is thought that she had suffered a severe asthma attack and lapsed into a coma.
The hospital in Marbella said all efforts to revive her failed because she was in an advanced state of shock.
Mrs. Obasanjo died in the early hours of October 23, 2005 in the hospital. The prosecution considers the action of the doctor as constituting negligent manslaughter.
In addition to the prison sentence, the public prosecutor’s office is seeking 120,000 euros in compensation for the victim’s family.
Stella Obasanjo was born into the Abebe family of Iruekpen, Edo State. Her father, Dr. Christopher Abebe, was the first African chairman of the United African Company (UAC). Her mother, Theresa Abebe, is a graduate of the Pitman College, London.
The paths of the mother of the late first lady and the ex-president first crossed in 1976 in London when the then Stella Abebe was studying in England. Obasanjo, then a colonel and ex-war commander was on a course.
Stella started her education at Our Lady of Apostles Primary School, Yaba, Lagos. Young Stella enrolled at the famous St. Theresa’s College, Ibadan, where she obtained her West African School Certificate.
She completed her education with a certificate as confidential secretary from the Pitman College in 1976. She returned to Nigeria in 1976 and soon after married General Obasanjo, who had become Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, following the assassination of General Murtala Mohammed.
In 1995, during the military dictatorship in Nigeria, when Obasanjo was jailed on trumped up charges of plotting to overthrow the government of the late Gen. Sani Abacha, Stella campaigned for her husband's release
IT was victory for women as the current administrative policy of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) compelling a married Nigerian woman to produce a letter of consent from her husband as a condition for issuance of international passport has been declared unconstitutional by the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.
The presiding Judge, Justice G.K. Olotu, made this declaration in a suit by Dr. Priye Iyalla-Amadi, wife of renowned author, Elechi Amadi, against the director general of the Nigeria Immigration Service (first defendant) (NIS), (second defendant) and the service itself.
Justice Olotu, in his judgment, said this requirement for processing of application for international passport as it concerns married women, is a violation of Section 42 (1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution and Article 18(3) of the West African Charter on the People's Human Rights, being discriminatory on grounds of sex, hence unlawful and unconstitutional.
Following the loss of her international passport, Dr. Iyalla-Amadi had applied to the NIS for the issuance of another passport and the officer who attended to her request gave a list of documents that she would attach to the her formal application, among them a letter of consent from her husband.
Irked by this condition, the plaintiff protested against it on the ground that a mature adult citizen of the country like her should not require the consent of any person before she could be issued a Nigerian passport, but her protest fell on deaf ears, thus the decision to file the suit against the NIS.
The defendants did not really dispute the facts adduced by the plaintiff in their counter-affidavit but sought to justify the requirement of a letter of consent from the husband of a married woman who wants to be issued a Nigerian passport on the basis that Nigerian married women are classified alongside with minors by the government as persons who require consent from the head of the family.
NIS argued that the requirement for consent was put in place to perpetuate the authority of the man over his wife, no matter the status she had attained in society. It also stated that the requirement was set to avoid unnecessary breakdown of marriage institution in the country.
Another argument advanced by the NIS was that obtaining a Nigerian passport from the Federal Government by a Nigerian is a privilege, hence any person applying must fulfil all the conditions laid down by the sole agent of the government, which is the NIS.
But counsel to the plaintiff urged the court to declare the requirement unlawful and unconstitutional on the ground that it discriminates between Nigerian citizens on grounds of sex, contrary to Section 42 of the constitution.
She added that the requirement offends the equality of citizens' principle enshrined in Section 17 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution.
Iyalla-Amadi' s counsel argued that the condition for issuance of passport to married women violates internationally- accepted standards of non-discrimination against women, which to Nigeria is a signatory.
Justice Olotu explained that he had directed the plaintiff and the defendants to present the facts they wished to rely on for and against the plaintiff's action.
According to him, while the plaintiff complied with the order of the court, the defendants did not. He also stated that the defendants did not challenge the averments in the affidavits of the plaintiff.
He observed that the defendants seemed to have thrown in their towel after filing what he called their spurious and sociological dissertation in the name of counter-affidavit.
The judge observed from the wordings of the constitutional provisions in Sections 17 (1) (2) and 42 of the 1999 Constitution that all citizens of Nigeria are put on the same pedestal irrespective of sex and status.
Olotu declared that the policy is obnoxious, repugnant and unconstitutional, stating that the defence of the defendants merely showed that the policy was a cunning, surreptitious and high-powered calculated attempt to subjugate women as if they are still in the medieval times.
According to him, "this kind of policy has no place in the 21st Century Nigeria."
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From a poll carried out on 9jabook "If corruption was the Number One problem in Nigeria what is number Two ?"
As of today out of 441votes electricity took 217 votes roughly 49percent !
9jabook :"We are hoping such a move would be well represented on the Nigerian power scene and if Yaradua can swing this into an Oil/ Gas for Power Exchange solution then maybe we have seen the end of NEPA. Just what MTN did to Nitel and the revamping of Telecoms maybe this will be the saviour of our Power needs.Actually It is amazing that the powers that be notably diesel and petrol sellers for Generators and generator Maintenance and Sales Companies are still DISRUPTING Energy PROGRESS because of their Selfish needs"
IF CellPhone Technology could come after a long wait and turn Naija into the top Market in Africa WHY IS POWER TECHNOLOGY still taking such a long time to come.THERE IS A HUGE MARKET IN NIGERIA ! WHY ?
To power Lekki Peninsula alone you just need Wind Energy abundant on the Beach line !
READ ON !
President Dmitry Medvedev currently stated Russian investments in Nigeria’s energy sector could attain “billions of dollars” as Moscow signed a raft of energy deals with the African oil giant. Medvedev, the primary Kremlin leader to visit the West African powerhouse, stated he desired the signing of a cooperation agreement amongst Russian natural gas monopoly Gazprom and Nigeria’s state oil firm will result in joint projects.
“The basis for such work for years to come has been put in place today,” Medvedev announced to the reporters after talks with President Umaru Yar’adua.
“The prospects are very good,” he stated, adding that potential Russian investment in Nigerian energy sector could be worth “billions of dollars”.
Yar’adua stated that the ratifying the agreement “enables a great opportunity” for numerous energy projects, including the ambitious Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline targeted at sending Nigerian gas to Europe.
Gazprom wants a stake in Nigeria’s vast gas deposits and is prepared to invest in energy infrastructure to get that access, officials said.
Gazprom has complained it is lacking behind its foreign competitors, saying it is prepared to mount a challenge to companies like Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron and ExxonMobil in Nigeria.
The Nigerian economy is heavily dependent on the oil sector which, according to the World Bank, accounts for over 95 percent of export earnings and about 85 percent of government revenues. The oil industry is primarily located in the Niger Delta where it has been a source of conflict. The industry has been blamed for pollution that has damaged air, soil and water leading to losses in arable land and decreasing fish stocks. Local groups seeking a share of the oil wealth often attack the oil infrastructure and staff, forcing companies to declare force majeure on oil shipments. At the same time, oil theft, commonly referred to as “bunkering” leads to pipeline damage that is often severe, causing loss of production, pollution, and forcing companies to shut-in production.
In addition to oil, Nigeria holds the largest natural gas reserves in Africa but has limited infrastructure in place to develop the sector. Natural gas that is associated with oil production is mostly flared but the development of regional pipelines, the expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure and policies to ban gas flaring are expected to accelerate growth in the sector, both for export and domestic use in electricity generation.
The country’s energy consumption mix is dominated by oil (53 percent), followed by natural gas (39 percent) and hydroelectricity (7 percent). Coal, nuclear and other renewables are currently not part of Nigeria’s energy consumption mix, with the exception of biomass often used to meet rural heating and cooking needs.
LONDON, England (CNN) — Nigeria’s huge film industry, Nollywood, may have overtaken Hollywood as the world’s second largest producer of films, but piracy is threatening to cut off the industry in its prime.Nollywood insiders estimate that up to 50 percent of the industry’s profits are currently being lost to Nigeria’s endemic piracy and corruption problems.“Piracy has dealt a big blow to the industry,” Emmanuel Isikaku, a Nollywood producer of 13 years and president of the Film & Video Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria told CNN.Isikaku, 42, claims he lost so much money on his 2007 movie “Plane Crash” through piracy that he failed to recover his costs, despite the film’s popularity with audiences.“I couldn’t make anything from it,” Isikaku told CNN. “Because of piracy I didn’t even break even.“A lot of people watched the film, but unfortunately they watched pirated copies,” he said.Nigeria’s huge, mostly unregulated film industry is based in Lagos, the sprawling, frenetic financial capital of west Africa’s largest country.your advert can be here for free !
Made with a spirit of grassroots entrepreneurship, Nollywood’s video-format B movies are vibrant and inventive, fusing traditional voodoo and magic with urban romance stories.They are films that speak about modern life from an African perspective, driven by a narrative that is strongly rooted in the African oral storytelling tradition. Nollywood films are wildly popular across the continent and with the African diaspora all over the world.Nollywood recently overtook Hollywood as the world’s second biggest producer of movies behind India’s Bollywood.In 2006 it produced 872 movies compared with 485 major feature films in the U.S. (although for a fraction of the cost), according to a global cinema survey conducted by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS).Hollywood has started tapping into Nollywood’s global popularity: Earlier this year, “Close Enemies,” the first crossover film, was produced in LA by Prince Ade Bamiro using major Nollywood stars. It was made for $300,000 — about 10 times the average Nollywood budget — and was screened in the Nigerian Pavilion at Cannes.But improvements in piracy technology are making the problem more acute, draining Nollywood’s coffers and confidence and stopping the industry from making the improvements in quality it needs to cross over into the global mainstream.Nigeria’s independent producers self-fund hundreds of movies each year. The average budget is around N3.5 million ($25,000). They make their money back by selling DVDs of their movies, which they burn themselves, on stalls in markets or in shops.While Nigerians are wild about watching films, Nigeria has virtually no formal cinemas with 99 percent of screenings using DVDs held in informal settings, according to UNESCO.Producers have only one distribution route compared with, for example, Hollywood where studios recoup production costs through cinematic exhibition — an arena currently safe from piracy — and make a profit from DVD sales and TV rights.Most pirated movies are a victim of their own success: Pirates take the fastest-selling DVDs to China to be mass-produced and bring them back to Africa to sell.According to Isikaku, piracy was eating into his profits back in 2005, when he estimates he lost N10,000,000 ($68,000) because of illegally copied DVDs. But, he says, the problem became “alarming” in 2007 when pirates started to use video compression technology.Video compression digital technology allows from five to 20 films (both Nollywood and Hollywood) to be squeezed onto one disk and then sold for around N590 ($4).When a legitimate Nollywood DVD is sold for the equivalent of $7 to $10, it’s hard for producers to compete.“This new development in piracy has the potential to kill the industry off completely,” Dr. Sylvester Ogbechie, President of the LA-based Nollywood Foundation told CNN.Although no official figures exist, Ogbechie estimates from his conversations with some of the industry’s top producers that up to 50 percent of profits are currently being lost to piracy.Isikaku claims the problem is so endemic in Nigerian culture that some cable TV channels will air Nollywood movies without the permission of the producer, or that if they do pay, they pay “peanuts.”“And the moment people are watching on TV, they are discouraged from buying DVDs at the market,” he said.All this has had a knock-on effect on the confidence of the industry.“You think twice before you invest in film productions now,” says Isikaku. “Investors are being discouraged.”This feeling is endemic, and producers are trying to bring down production costs: “The quality of our productions is going down every day,” he explained.This is a blow to an industry known for low production values and whose practitioners are mostly self-taught.Criticisms of the industry’s films include poor sound quality, inadequate lighting, ill thought-out camera angles and the repetitive nature of many of its storylines.Insiders know that improving the quality of their films is crucial if their young industry is to make the leap into the global mainstream.They say Nigerian government must tighten up border controls and seize pirated DVDs as they re-enter the country from China.“Some of these movies come in through our airports, our ports,” says Isikaku. “Much depends on the government agencies.”Hope may come from the direction of Nigeria’s National Film & Video Censors Board led by Director-General Emeka Mba, who is making moves to restructure and formalize the industry.“There has to be some process of formalizing the industry — giving the industry depth and that’s where the government can come in through regulation, through incentives and create that process of empowerment for the industry,” Mba told CNN.“Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians are in this industry, especially young men and women.”Despite the setbacks, Isikaku also remains hopeful for the industry. “Pirates have stopped us working hard because we don’t get what we are due but all hope is not last because we are passionate.“Nollywood can come together to take action to help this industry to survive,” he said.your advert can be here for free !
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by Danladi Usuman
News Adapted from Wikipedia, Daily Sun & http://www.9jawiki.com The Encycleopedia Nig.er.ian.ica
Obviously as a Gift on Father's Day Mohammed has decided to continue where is father stopped .
Mohammed Abacha, the eldest son of the former Nigeria Head of State, late General Sani Abacha, is set to join one of the existing political parties in the country, a declaration that would symbolically mark the beginning of the family’s quest to return public life. The Abachas had abruptly been cut off the national leadership scene when their patriarch, Gen. Abacha, suddenly died some 11 years ago, while still serving as the Military Head of State.
Mohammed Abacha before we forget
In 1999, Mohammed Abacha was arrested and charged with the murder of Kudirat Abiola (wife of MKO Abiola) and the attempted murder of Alex Ibru (head of Guardian Newspaper - an opposition newspaper).
In 2002 same moHommed Abacha was ultimately acquitted and released by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
a supposed secret admirer of the abacha Family from the long standing Military relationship with Abacha the elder This was after an agreement was reached between the government and the Abacha family that they would hand over the balance of funds embezzled during his father's rule, Which obviously The balance of that HUGE amount of Stolen funds Mohammed wants to use As the Comeback Kid of A DESPOT !
The Audacity of the Plan shows he his his fathers Son .Decisively Stupid and Ruthless.
Musa Umar Kazaure of The Weekly Trust said that the move was politically motivated.[3] The prison did not immediately release Mohammed Abacha after Obasanjo acquitted him.
ON April 18, 2005 Justice Amina Adamu Augie of the Court of Appeal in Abuja said that Mohammed Abacha would undergo a trial at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory due to offenses related to the stealing of public funds. Mohammed Abacha filed an appeal to fight the judgment.[4]
As of 2008 he is married with two children, a son named after his father and a daughter. ( SO BE CERTAIN HE LOVES HIS FATHER LIKE ANY GOOD SON BUT IS HE A GOOD PERSON OR GOING TO BE A GOOD LEADER ?)
This is the question mark The people in KANO and the REST of Nigeria have to Answer
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A very credible source told 9jabook sources in Kano that Alhaji Mohammed Abacha, when he eventually steps out into the political fray in the days ahead, is most likely going to pitch his tent with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) adding that so far, discussions between him and some of the stakeholders of the party, both in Kano State and in Abuja, have reached an advanced stage.
It is speculated that the younger Abacha, upon his admission into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would immediately set his eyes on the Kano State Government House, hoping to emerge as the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP and eventually, the governor of the state by 2011. Incidentally, the Abacha Abachas are believed to have had a long-standing romance with the All Nigerian Peoples Party Party (ANPP), especially in Kano, where the party, at some stage, even road on the seeming popularity of the Abachas with the common Kano folks. It is still not clear what brought about the u-turn to PDP.
A new power equation
At the helm of the coordination of the highly guarded proposal is Alhaji Umar Gano Bayero (not directly related to the emirate). Alhaji Bayero, a former gubernatorial candidate of the Action Congress in the 2007 polls is a close confidant of the family and one of the associates of the former governor of the old Kano State, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi.
His central role in the entire project has since led to the belief that, should the proposal work out as projected, Alhaji Abacha might not be joining the Kwankwaso’s faction of the party, which sources told the 9jabook is frightened by the prospect of this new factor to the political balance of the party in the state and yet hopeful, the young man might join the faction in the end.
Already, a proposal for the formation of an eight- man Central Working Committee that would manage this ambition is in the offing. Sources said the names of the members of the committee were carefully selected to represent the seriousness of the new deal, adding however that their initial meeting, which should have taken place by now, was placed on suspension pending the fresh registration exercise of the party in the state which is billed for next week. It was also gathered that the meeting was caused to slow down with a view to allowing the CWC have a glimpse of the nature of the party’s congresses and the shape of the incoming executive of the state.
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) offers the young Abacha a number of benefits, including the fact that it is the party in government at the national level and a party that stands an average chance to win the next gubernatorial election in the state, if the right candidate and the right leadership is put to work,” said the source.
The source opined that a character from the Abacha’s family would invariably excite the top notchers of the PDP in the country, arguing that Alhaji Mohammed Abacha fits into the kind of personality the party and those sympathetic to the interest of president Yar Adua need to balance the power equation in the party in the state.
2011 guber in the mix
In reference to the 2011 battle in the state and for the survival of the president, the source added: “You see Alhaji Mohammed is very, very rich. PDP and indeed, Yar’Adua would be interested in such a person who can spend his own money for the sake of the party. This is typical of the Yar’Adua we now know, that is, getting others to do his work for him while staying aloof and watching from a distance”
A number of investigations carried out by the 9jabook in Kano State recently confirmed that the relationship between the family of the former head of state and the incumbent President, Alhaji Umar Yar Adua, has been on the upward swing since the president was sworn into power, some two years ago. It was discovered that the pressure mounted on several fronts against the Abachas by the previous administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has been gradually relaxed for the family, if not totally suspended.
Notably among them is the easing on the tight security around the matron of the family, Hajia Mariam Abacha, who, it was gathered, has since had an ease in the restrictions placed on her movement. A security source told the 9jabook that she can now travel to any part of the world so long as she can get their visa. This new development is a sharp contrast from the restricted nature of her freedom during the eight-year rule of the past administration.
It is also on record that the former First Lady was one of the very first few jubilant Nigerians to rush to the Yar’Aduas in Kastina to celebrate their son’s election as the president of the country and on that occasion, she was well received by the then incoming First Lady, Hajia Turia Yar’Adua.
A burning ambition
9jabook also was gathered from another competent source that this is definitely not the first time that Alhaji Mohammed Abacha had plotted to join the politics of the state, adding that much as he was not in a hurry to stage a come back given the hostile climate against his family under Obasanjo, he had always kept an eye on the political development of the state, waiting for the right time to strike.
The source, a long time relation of the Abachas, recalled that the last time Mohammed had tried his hand on this long nurtured pet project, was some two and a half years ago, when the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) had tried to wreck the ambition of some serving governors, including the second term ambition of the governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau.
The source stated emphatically that the Abacha son, sensing that the coast was clear, immediately flew to the Eastern part of the country to try to persuade the Chairman of the All Nigerian Peoples Party, Chief Edwin Umezeoke, to consider him for the gubernatorial ticket of the party in state in the event the incumbent governor was barred by the authorities. He observed that the move suffered a major set back when a court ruled against the barring of the governors by the EFCC.
On the chances of the young man in a complex political terrain like Kano State, the source noted that it is one thing to want to declare oneself for political service and another game all together when one is inside the political fray with all its ups and downs. He added that for now, many people are urging on Mohammed Abacha to join politics and based on this, it seems he is a popular choice of the people. He, however, expressed pains that some of these persons singing his praise worthiness are not singing it out of genuine concerns but are simply out to milk his purse.
DO YOU WANT AN ABACHA BACK IN POWER IN KANO ? obviosuly most kano people do
He stated that in the political equation of Kano state, the family of the Abachas, no doubt, enjoy some form of love and respect, despite their demonization by a section of the media in the country, but he feared that Mohammed Abacha might be his own undoing, given that he is seen as a character that does not mingle with others outside his class of select friends, adding that he rarely steps out to visit people when they are bereaved and is hardly available for other kinds of social engagements in the community. This character trait, he stated, means a lot to the people of the north and Muslims generally. Efforts to reach out Alhaji Mohammed Abacha for comment were unsuccessful.
Babangidas ,Obasanjo,, Over to your Sons & Daughters
SOON ALL THE GOVERNORS OF NIGERIA WILL BE THE SONS OF FORMER PRESIDENTS AND THEN ALL WE NEED IS THEIR KING ?
Dan Usman writes from Kano City
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It is indeed true that the truth sets one free and ushers in many blessings.This actress is set to wed her dream man in a matter of months revealed sources ''remember that mercy granted an interview to the sunday sun some months back where she talked about her poor background and how much she suffered and used to hawk pure water on the streets.Well her husband to-be read that interview and made frantic efforts to contact her,he eventually did and the two hit it off after they met in abuja for the first time.now they are set to formalise their union''.Mercys prince is a prince from the delta region of nigeria,he is from ughelli and is named prince ibrahim dumuje,he is in his early fourties,was once married but is dvorced.my sources also squeal that the home of the johnsons at iba estate was agog in the first week of may when ibrahim and his people visited and began traditional wedding rites.''they were warmly received and the whole family is excited and have accpeted ibrahim as their own because of his kind heart.hehas also spoilt mercys family silly with gifts''Mercy and her prince were spotted enroute to south africa on sunday june 7,2009 and the olofofo friend of this actress affirms both were on their way to shop for rings for the wedding coming up soon, also whispered is that the traditioonal and church weddings will be completed in a matter of months as loverboy does not want to waste anytime at all.The prince who has captured mercys heart is..(wait for this)v-e-r-y rich and insiders whom were sworn to secrecy swear the actress has been enveloped in expensive gifts since she met him.''please the next time you see mercy,take a good look at her engagement finger and you would be sure to spot the diamond ring purchased in south africa. loverboy works with the presidency and has been introducing the actress to everyone as his wife''.The lovebirds should be back in the country if the whispers are correct.theres no need for denials,please congratulate this actress if you see her,shes about to become mrs mercy johnson-dumuje!
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THE Hackney Citizen asked the little guy with the big DVD stall in Ridley Road Market for the four best-selling Nollywood films that are keeping Hackney’s Nigerian community glued to their sofas. Patrick Pringle and Josh Loeb review these Lagos epicsONCE you get over the fact that the pregnant woman in the opening scenes of Royal Messengers quite obviously has a lumpy pillow shoved down the front of her dress, the film settles into a plot that would have most right-thinking people shooting steam out of their ears. Royal Messengers is a tale of an ageing prince called Igwe (Leo Mezie) who has 21 daughters but not a single son to take over his kingdom.When the woman with the pillow down her dress shamefully gives birth to another girl, Igwe gives up any hope of having a young prince. But fear not: the local witchdoctor foresees that Igwe has a son that he does not know about, who lives in a slum in Lagos. The mystery son, played by child sensation Chinedu Ikedieze (think Macaulay Culkin, Lagos style) is accompanied by his sidekick played by Osita Iheme. These kids are easily the best actors in this film, possessing comic timing and precocious delivery.De Prof, starring Nkem Owoh and Clem Ohamezie, is an interminable film. Equipped with the somewhat incoherent tagline, “Will one scheme against the other? Maybe the younger one will or vice versa”, De Prof is a tragic Cain and Abel-style drama about two brothers who jealously vie for leadership of their community.De Prof is hampered by atrocious production. At a cost to any reasonable narrative structure early in the film, the cameraman develops an unhealthy obsession with a dwarf who inexplicably appears at various points throughout the film. In addition the same epileptic keyboard loop provides the soundtrack for the entire two hours. Owoh and Ohamzie - both able actors - are lassoed by the most hackneyed of scripts that simply goes nowhere. In spite of the actors’ best efforts, De Prof is a very difficult film to watch.Village Destroyer, starring Kenneth Okonkwo, is easily the pick of the bunch, with the best acting and tightest script. This is another film preoccupied with male fertility problems, only this time, poor Nwabueze seems to be infertile and has become the laughing stock of his village. Then one day his wife gives birth to a baby girl. After initial elation, Nwabueze inexplicably goes mad. At this stage the film slightly falls apart, becoming a confusing mush of screaming women and voodoo ceremonies. It is nevertheless highly entertaining: you don’t really need to understand it to enjoy the emotional uproar. This film is worth watching for the star turns by Okonkwo and Emeka Ani alone.When You Are Mine is a hilarious (though perhaps not intentionally so) take on adultery and disability. Joyce (Queen Nwaokoye) marries Ken, a slimeball who mysteriously bleeds from his forehead and has a bloated mother called ‘Madam’.When buxom maneater Chessy (Patience Ozokwor) arrives in town, ‘Madam’, who lives vicariously through her son, encourages her to seduce him with the immortal words: “A man can be made to commit adultery, even against his will.”There is clearly some sort of reverse Oedipus complex in operation in this film: ‘Madam’ exults in Chessy’s unwanted affection towards Ken and the pregnancy that results. Meanwhile, Joyce is wheelchair-bound after a car accident. Eventually, Ken and Chessy get their comeuppance when they both die on their way to the registry office.
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Cause lets face it there is only so much ‘benefit of the doubt’ to go round!* 1. Quality: I’m just saying my phone shoots better movies; even youtube weeps because nollywood is yet to achieve youtube standards. For a $250 million industry you’d expect someone to own some real equipment. Is it so hard to avoid (unintentionally) shaky/grainy pictures and the bad sound OMg the white noise.* 2. Skill: An almost accent should not be the some total of anyone’s acting arsenal.* 3. View: No creative angles, no interesting scenery and the general compositions are not even considered before anything is shot. I know I did not go to film school and neither did anyone in Nollywood. The room composition adds nothing to the story. It is not a metaphor for internal torment, or a foreshadowing of impending doom. It is all just blah and circumstantial. That’s why we just get the stationary overview of the room where people are talking, one-sided close-ups, fade to black and my favourite focus on unrelated inanimate object in the room. Classy.* 4. Character development: What is this character development of which you speak? You see in Nolly all stereotypes hold true. All stepmothers are evil, stepfathers are rich, uncles are all molesters, the poor are uneducated and anyone who has travelled abroad is not only wealthy, but also smart and good-looking. That why the only motivation for a character is the story in spite of everything that happed before. Forget past experiences, education and just be good or evil.* 5. Names: I guess Jessica and Sylvia are exotic names at least on this end and we appreciate their use and abuse. But seriously Beyonce, Rihanna, what are the odds? Even the actresses seem startled to addressed by these names. Please! Ignore the Bard, a Funmi by any other name is … well, not quite the same. Return to Adas and Mariams and lets get on with it. BTW as an added bonus, if you want to butcher any pronunciation you can get help from Nolly. Do they even do takes?* 6. Child stars: Sorry child bleeps [‘b’ words are such fun] they are never age appropriate. Is casting that difficult? Freaking read the script and then try to not hire your child or the children of anyone you know unless they actually fit the bill and can ACT. It is revolting to watch an overgrown child speaking in a fake sulky baby voice. To avoid this simply ask the auditioning bleeps to say the line and gage by how much you want to slap them, how appropriate they are for the part. It is also not cute when a small child stumbles (badly) through words she/he has never heard in a way that is meant to come across as innocent insight. A child would never use the word granule to describe the specks in her toothpaste. Closeup toothpaste, I’m looking at you.* 7. Use of words: On the rear occasion where you come across a worthwhile script it falls down to the actors to destroy it. Every other day of the week destruction begins with writers who make George Lucas’ romantic scenes less robotic. Sometimes they write as if they are actually translating from another language. This explains the reoccurrence of words that aren’t common in everyday use and the tendency for kids to sprout words only popular in medical journals.* 8. Sets, costumes and other disasters: Since acting is out of the question, a character must rely on his props to explain to the audience, who he really is. Luckily, Nolly is yet to run out of houses to parade in order to depict a just how vast a person’s wealth is. This is also unfortunate as the subtle art of styling a person according to their status is magic to dark even for Africa Magic. Just look at the décor and the clothes. No one seems capable of dressing the part. If they are so smart /travelled /rich /etc why are they dressed like idiots. NOBODY wears fishnet tops anymore, (well except for your average cross dressing stripper who prostitutes) ehm! Here’s an idea maybe you should hire someone to consult with on clothing decisions. Someone not already in the industry.* 9. Time: Time is Nollywood movie is measured by hair. You have your standard old man/women with powdered hairs that change from scene to scene. You have you standard extra with unchanging attachment [so your hair has remained the same for the past 6 years]. Then you have your main character with her treasure-trove of wigs.* 10. Prayer: Finally prayer is the answer to everything from possession, to lost persons and property. It can make even liars and murders forthcoming and force the materialization of whatever is needed, but only at the very last moment. The only unanswered prayers are mine; for better movies.The Nolly inner circle is more difficult to break into than Fort Knox and more pointless than a waterproof teabags. It’s the same set of people who write, star and direct. You can’t really fault them for making an easy living. Wait I guess I just did.excerpted from yamikas blog
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Armed robbers appear to have developed a novel idea of attacking unsuspecting victims at bus stops, using exotic cars.Their latest victims were two young men and a woman who were waiting for a bus at Mangoro Bus Stop on the Lagos/Abeokuta expressway.Our correspondent learnt that at about 10.15pm on Sunday, a fairly new lemon colour Peugeot 406 car pulled up about 20 metres away from some commuters at the bus stop.Immediately, three men alighted from the car, giving the impression that the driver was just dropping them off.However, the men, it was gathered, turned out to be armed robbers.One of the victims, Emmanuel (surname withheld), who spoke with our correspondent on Wednesday about his ordeal, said he lost everything on him on that night to the "corporate" bandits.He said, "I closed for work at about 9.50pm and when I discovered that my colleague who usually drops me on his way home was still busy in the office, I decided to find my way home."I was the first person to get to the bus stop. Afterwards, a woman joined me and some minutes later, another man met us their."As we were waiting for a bus, this car stopped a few metres away from us and three men came out of it."Ordinarily, I thought they were just alighting from the car to go to their different homes, but suddenly, I discovered that the three of them had surrounded us."They pulled pistols and asked us to sit on the ground."The victim said his Sony Ericsson W800i phone, two United Bank for Africa ATM cards, N5, 000, and an ID card were lost to the bandits, who later zoomed off towards Iyana Ipaja.When contacted, police spokesman in Lagos, Mr. Frank Mba, said he was not aware of the incident.
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Yar’Adua supporters attack Barack Obama for planned meeting coup plotters in Ghana
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said the United States government and its embassy in 9geria of conspiracy and plotting with opposition groups to destabilise the country.
Specifically, the party said that part of the plot is for the US Embassy to organise a meeting between the pro-democracy groups in 9geria and President Barack Obama in Ghana, where the groups would seek to persuade the US President that the administration of President Umaru Yar’Adua is “illegitimate“.
President Obama is expected in Ghana on July 11.
The statement also said the masterminds of the “conspiracy and plot” include a “failed” presidential candidate, two former Speakers, a former Senate President and “a sprinkling of political hangers-on”.
In a statement signed by the Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Bello Harilu Mohammed, the party said: “Incontrovertible information available to us also revealed that after their meeting in Kaduna, they approached the American Embassy to facilitate their plans to meet with President Obama in Ghana but they were advised to include civil society organisations in their proposed diabolical delegation as a way of portraying themselves as credible elder statesmen.”
PDP also said the aim of the visit to see Obama is to disrupt the existing trade relations between the United States and 9geria, thereby worsening the already precarious state of the economy in the face of dwindling oil revenue and the global financial meltdown.
PDP urged the US “not to, by any acts of omission or commission, promote the evil plans of these unpatriotic politicians against a democratically elected government :D as such would raise questions about its respect for the sovereignty of other countries and the international doctrine of non-interference in the internal affairs of other sovereign nations.”
The party said President Obama knows that due process and the rule of law are cardinal tenets of democracy and acceptable political behaviour anywhere in the world.
“President Obama is a product of an electoral process that evolved over time just as our President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has kick-started enduring electoral reforms in 9geria, a process which his Administration is fully committed to fulfil (fulifilling) in the shortest possible time. The advent of the Obama era is therefore a necessary tonic to our on-going electoral reforms and the development of strong democracies in 9geria, Africa and other developing countries,” PDP said.
The party also said the attempt by 9geria’s political leaders to cause “incalculable damage” to the 9gerian economy and its peace-loving people at this critical time is “a disservice” to a country from which most of them who have held one political office or another in the immediate past and have immensely benefited.
“It is indeed shameful that these dishonourable politicians did not realise that the advice given to them by the American Embassy to include civil society organisations in their team was actually exposing their irrelevance to the political process as such views are only worthy of consideration if expressed through a respectable forum as a civil society organisation,” the statement stated.
PDP described as disturbing that “the American Embassy in 9geria has chosen to lend itself to such a high-level political conspiracy against the Government and people of 9geria while at the same time enjoying the hospitality of its host.
“This, to us, is hair-raising and we urge the relevant authorities in the United States to commence investigations although we are mindful that the Embassy may have been misguided by the calibre of the people involved in this plot. But we hasten to note that we do not expect the Embassy to be involved willy-nilly in such an organised conspiracy against the political and economic well-being of the 9gerian nation.”
PDP also appealed to organisers of the meeting with President Obama to shun acts capable of undermining the nation’s democracy which could endanger the collective destiny of 9gerians.
According to the statement, “this time in our history calls for total dedication to the growth and development of our nation. All divisive tendencies should be discouraged. Promoters of chaos and violence should be taken from our midst and handed over to security agencies. This is the only way to go.”
PDP called on security agencies in the country to wade in immediately and commence necessary investigation into the matter and several others “which we have exposed in the past”.
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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says Rio Ferdinand has not cracked a rib and is hopeful the defender will be available for the Champions League semi-final second leg away to Arsenal on Tuesday.
The European champions go into next week’s second-leg with a one-goal advantage following John O’Shea’s first-half match-winner at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
United’s failure to convert a host of first-half chances prompted Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to claim Ferguson's team would live to regret their profligacy once the dust has settled at the Emirates, yet United remain bullish about their prospects of reaching a second successive final. On their three previous visits to the Emirates, United have managed four goals and each result to date - a 2-2 draw and two 2-1 defeats - would prove sufficient to earn a trip to Rome.
Just one goal next Tuesday for the Premier League leaders would leave Arsenal needing to score three times and Cristiano Ronaldo is confident that United have the firepower to progress.
Ronaldo said: “It’s going to be difficult against Arsenal but I’m dreaming of Rome and I am very confident. The Olympic Stadium is a great stadium. I believe we can go to Arsenal and score a goal or two.
“We should have scored more in the first game, but Manuel Almunia made some great saves – 1-0 is still a good result for us, though.” Had a dipping volley from Ronaldo not struck the crossbar late in the second half, United could have emerged from the first leg with a more commanding advantage.
But Wayne Rooney, who goes into the second leg knowing that a yellow card would rule him out of the final should United win through, echoed Ronaldo’s assertion that Ferguson’s team would up the ante by scoring in London.
Rooney said: “If we get a goal, Arsenal will need to score three so we’re in a good position. We have to go there and try to score. If we do that, it will give us a great opportunity to get to the final.
“I don’t know how Arsenal will be feeling but they know what a difficult game they’ll be in for next week. They know they can’t really afford to concede a goal. We limited Arsenal to very few chances at Old Trafford and, if we do that next week, we’ll fancy our chances.”
Rooney’s recent return to his best form was evident again against Arsenal, despite his deployment out of position on the left flank.
The tactical move by Ferguson enabled Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez to flourish in central roles and Ronaldo, whose 42 goals last season provided the foundations of United’s success, believes he is now hitting his best form at the perfect stage.
Stress & Strain
MAN UNITED
Injury concerns: Rio Ferdinand (rib), Owen Hargreaves (knee), Gary Neville (ankle)
One booking from missing Champions League final: Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra, Carlos Tevez
ARSENAL
Injury concerns: Gael Clichy (back), William Gallas (knee), Robin van Persie, Mikael Silvestre, Eduardo (all groin), Tomas Rosicky (hamstring)
One booking from missing final: Abou Diaby, Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie, Alex Song
CHELSEA
Injury concerns: Deco (hamstring), Joe Cole (knee), Ricardo Carvalho (hamstring), Paulo Ferreira (knee)
One booking from missing final: Michael Ballack, Alex, Nicolas Anelka
BARCELONA
Injury concerns: Gabriel Milito (knee), Martin Caceres (tonsillitis)
One booking from missing final: Daniel Alves, Sergio Busquets
Suspended for semi-final second leg: Carles Puyol
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WE ALL WANT HIM OUT !
Friday, Sep. 20, 1963 Time magazine
Our Reporter pimpmynaija Frank Adeche The conscience of 9geria http://www.pimpmynaija.com
Have you joined the 9gerian Online Political party ?
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HOW EASY CAN IT BE TODAY ! As governor oshiomole was recently arranged to take an all expense paid trip to heaven .Word is out that President Yardy is planning a security shakeup as the Revolution looms within the Nigerian Airwaves and the internet ! REVOLUTION NIGERIA !
It was shock enough to learn of the conspiracy to overthrow the government of Nigeria by violence, for Nigeria has been one of the most stable of Africa's new nations. But it seemed almost incredible that the ringleader could have been the bespectacled chief prisoner in the dock of a Lagos courtroom last week—the respected Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Educated by Protestant missionaries and still a nonsmoking teetotaler, Awolowo worked his way to a London University law degree, served five years as the solid, efficient Prime Minister of his native Western Region and headed Nigeria's opposition party, the Action Group. Before independence in 1960, he was influential in drawing up Nigeria's constitution. Would Awolowo, a masterful organizer, really get mixed up in a half-baked, amateurish plot to wipe out his nation's top leadership with a handful of explosives, arms, and rebels trained in nearby Ghana?
Winks from the Dock. Indeed he would—and did—insisted Nigeria's federal prosecutor in the marathon, ten-month trial that filled 1,400 pages of testimony. Witness after witness—53 in all—came into court to testify that Awolowo planned to topple federal Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa last Sept. 21 with the help of 200 trained men, on the eve of a state visit by India's Jawaharlal Nehru.
A government witness testified that on Awolowo's instructions he had carried a check to purchase arms in Ghana. Police claimed that they had dug up four cartridges hidden in Awolowo's backyard. Although conducted with grave decorum, the trial had its interruptions. One prosecution witness complained that some of the accused in the dock were giving him the juju version of the evil eye—a wink.
Awolowo, denying all the accusations, said there was insufficient evidence to prove the case, and declared that some of the testimony was obtained under duress. In a half-hour closing oration, Awolowo frankly lamented that "the invaluable services which . . . I can still render will be lost to the country." The judge, George Sowemimo, who was openly distressed by the entire proceeding, said he had no choice but to convict. In a nine-hour decision delivered last week, he gave Awolowo ten years in prison for treasonable felony, just a bit milder than the 15-year prison term meted out to Awolowo's crony, Politico Tony Enahoro, a few days earlier.
Headless Opposition. With the convictions of Awolowo and Enahoro, the opposition Action Group is virtually decapitated. But the party still enjoys the loyal backing of Western Nigeria's predominant, advanced Yoruba tribe. The clannish Yorubas will almost certainly reorganize to challenge the North and East once more. At week's end many a Nigerian was wondering how long his country's delicate balance of regional rivalries, which has been the key to Africa's most admired democracy, could last.
Unperturbed, Sir Abubakar, a Moslem from the North, went ahead with plans to convert Nigeria on Oct. 1 from a British dominion to a republic within the British Commonwealth. Sir Abubakar will remain the real boss. The changeover will merely install a ceremonial President as head of state to replace Queen Elizabeth, who is now sovereign.
Accusations and Fingers pointing everywhere that Yaradua is to be toppled soon by a conspiracy being planned by the Nations Brightest politicians.Speculations are increasing about this unpopular democracy that has reeked of corruption military pomposity and a indiscriminate disregard for Human Life by the political 300 over ruling the persian hordes We decry this outrage and ask for Yaradua to step down !
Signed NOPP HQ
Imagine a country where the word (N.IG.ERI.A) is treated by spam by most of the spam filters on the internet today !
STOP SLEEPING AND WAKE UP !
Have you joined the 9gerian Online Political party ? (NOPP)
Join now !http://www.9jabook.com/group/nigerianonlinepoliticalparty
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=78710613258&ref=ts
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,870529,00.html
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IN line with the vision to improve the transport system in Lagos State, Governor Babatunde Fashola has commissioned 1,255 modern taxi cabs for the second phase of his administration' s Modern Taxi Scheme.Commissioning the cabs yesterday at the State House, Alausa, Ikeja, Fashola noted that the feat, which was in partnership with the private sector, is the actualisation of one of the many campaign promises made by him during his pre-governorship election campaign to boost employment and change the face of the state.He said: "Our strategic partnership with the private sector has yielded yet another positive result. It is evident in our waste management, our security management, road transportation and construction, among other sectors of the economy that the success of the private partnership has recorded."This partnership has brought about 1,255 taxi cabs and by immediate consequence, 1,255 direct jobs. It also confirms that the private sector is the engine of growth and that government policies and actions are the fuel that are necessary to guide this engine of growth."The occasion, the governor said, afforded the state government opportunity to open a new sector of democratic development and dividend, applauding the involvement of I-Trans Logistics and other taxi cab operators as encouraging.Managing Director of I-Trans Logistics, Adebayo Ajakaye, who disclosed that his company was the second to be licensed in the state, took up the challenge to support the state government's development projects "because we see the genuine desire by the governor and his team to move the state forward by laying the beautiful future foundation for Lagosians now and those unborn."The management of the I-Trans Logistics further explained that the feat would boost and repackage taxi operations in the state.Noting that I-Trans' 200 black I-Tec Honda cabs were sponsored by the South African-based GROFIN, the Executive Director, Corporate Service, Segun Omoworare, stated that the 200 cars in the taxi fleet cost about N500 million, adding that "they were duly insured by the state Assurance Company (LASACO)."In another development, Fashola has reiterated the commitment of his administration to making a difference by improving the wellbeing of the largest number of people in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).He spoke at the South-West Zonal Conference on Deepening Women's Understanding and Participation in the Implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)/African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) - National Programme of Action (NPOA) organised by the Office of the Secretary to the State Government in conjunction with Equity Advocates and NEPAD - Nigeria held at Eko FM Hall, LTV 8, Agidingbi.Fashola, whose speech was delivered by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs, Mr. Rotimi Agunloye, emphasised his desire to ensure eradication of extreme poverty and inequality, empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, as well as other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability and develop the global partnership for development.
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