Posted by 9jabook.com on April 21, 2009 at 11:33am
He's a one-season wonder. He's too old for a big move now. He's too expensive. He's not what Arsenal need - another attacking midfielder.
Actually, he's the man who just scored four goals against Liverpool at Anfield. He's Andrey Arshavin.
They don't make good signings. Everyone they snap up is either too young, too old, or too injured. Arsenal can't leap forward again. They need to put their hands in their pockets. What's Wenger up to?
Well, it may be true that Arsenal have had their transfer market scrapes, but in Andrey Arshavin they have, in a sense, unearthed an absolute diamond.
In fact, unearthed is completely the wrong word, for this diamond was on a pedestal in St. Petersburg. Like a Romanov heirloom he was on display for all to see - but not to be touched.
That was until after his UEFA Cup and Euro 2008 campaigns which saw him not only alert Europe's top clubs to his expertise, but also awakened him more than ever to the prospect of the chance at trying his luck at a higher level than the Russian Premier League.
True, one can say that his attempts to secure a transfer undermined his boyhood club and at times were undignified. But from Arsenal's side of things, the Gunners plugged away quietly, without ostentation, until they got their man.
When they did, many of the same pundits who had spent 2008 praising Andrei were quick to cluck their tongues. After all, he was 27 by then, barely had any continental experience, and had been involved in transfer negotiations so Byzantine that he only just beat the extended deadline to head to English. He was a parvenu in every sense.
But in Arshavin's performance on Tuesday night at Anfield, we saw that class, in fact, is not the privelege only of the high-born. Arshavin is every inch a Premier League player - and a Premier League star, to boot.
Witness his showing against Liverpool. To be uncharitable, one would say: four shots, four goals, a fluke. Nonsense. Predatory instinct, and a classy finish, is exactly what you need when you come up against a European-place contender on their own patch. Arshavin had this in spades.
What's more, he also had speed to cope with what we are told is the fastest top-level league in the world. Even though he's been playing summer football for years, even though prior to joining Arsenal he was sitting in the stands, even though he's wrestled with injury, he unleashed pace that was, in the words of my colleague Greg Ptolomey, "terrifying".
In other words, Arshavin has proved beyond doubt that he is the genuine article, and Arsenal have a legitimate claim to having made the best signing of 2009 so far - and possibly of the year to come, too.
As for Arsenal, their softly-softly approach to the transfer market may not have been vindicated this season, but if they can make one other mid-to-high signing, perhaps in defence, it may well be next year. This is one fiscal decision the London club definitely got right. For the sake of their fans, and indeed Premier League viewers the world over, here's to many more.
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Nigerian artists and entertainers are taking advantage of their fame and using it to make money outside the typical entertainment channels. Actresses like Genevieve Nnaji and Omotola Jalade Ekeinde have been the face of various products marketed and sold to Nigerians. And, considering the size of Nigeria's domestic market, there is still room for other entertainers to affiliate their brand and product with various businesses and corporate products. I even believe that one of my favorite rap songs, "Da Finest" by Knighthouse featuring Mo Chedda and others, could be easily manipulated to sell Blackberry phones and equipment to Nigerians and others on the continent (you will have to listen to the song to understand why).
THE 'KOKO' ENTREPRENEUR
REALITY TV SHOW: ‘Koko Mansion’ debuts June 1,2009 on the screen.
12 GIRLS
1 MANSION
1 WINNER
- The Prize -
• A Chris Aires Diamond ring,
• A brand new convertible car
• N5,000,000
• In addition, the winner will be D’Banj's Kokolette for one full year and will be his companion at all public events both within and outside Nigeria.
Despite the growing success enjoyed by Nigerian artists, it seems that no one has managed to create a brand as well as musician D'Banj. An engaging performer with the ability to entertain and sway everyone from young children to old women, D'Banj came onto the music scene and in no time his music was used for everything - even political campaigns. Calling himself the "Koko Master" and his many female fans "Kokolettes", D'Banj has managed to not just cement himself in the Nigerian entertainment industry but he has succeeded in cementing his brand in Nigerian culture. There are talks of him selling 'Koko Garri', 'Koko Water' and even 'Koko Mobile' to anyone that will buy it, and given his popularity, I daresay many will. It is clear that D'Banj doesn't just want to be a musician or producer, he wants to be an entrepreneur.
http://www.bloggersmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/dbanj.jpg
D'Banj
And now, D'Banj will allegedly enter the foray of reality television. Reality television shows are very successful in Nigeria and shows like West African Idol, The Apprentice Nigeria, and Big Brother Africa have been a launching pad for many an individual. One reality contestant even went on to act in Nollywood films. But, D'banj's reality show will not focus on highlighting talented individuals. Well, actually it might focus on certain 'talents' because D'banj's upcoming reality show, The Koko Mansion, will have many women, living together to become his main kokolette, all be it for a short period of time. One can only imagine what talents will be displayed to win the ultimate prize. The show will apparently be based on VH1's Flavor of Love and if that show (all 3 seasons of it) is anything to go by, viewers and D'Banj himself must prepare themselves to expect the unexpected. At the end of the day, however, the Koko Master would have lined his pockets nicely with lots of Koko cash, and the show will be another experience used to further build and market his brand.
Nigeria's entertainment industry highlights how Nigerians can circumvent the failures of the government to create opportunities for themselves. Those who have managed to find success prove that despite the fact that the odds might be against them, enterprising individuals will always find a way to flourish. It will be interesting to watch as more Nigerian entertainers and even average Nigerians choose to brand themselves and market their brands to their personal advantage.These are definitely exciting, and interesting, times.
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The monarch will be spending the day privately at Windsor Castle with the Duke of Edinburgh.
Union flags will be flown above Government buildings until sunset in her honour, while the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery will provide a 41-Gun Salute in central London using six 13 pounder First World War guns drawn by Irish draught horses.
The gun salute tribute takes place in Green Park this year because of refurbishments under way in the usual venue, Hyde Park.
Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born at 2.40am on April 21 1926 - the first child of the then Duke and Duchess of York - at 17 Bruton Street, the Mayfair home of her mother's parents, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore.
She is the great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria, the last female sovereign.
The octogenarian Sovereign carried out 417 engagements in 2008.
Queen Elizabeth II, who is Head of State, the Armed Forces, the Commonwealth and the Church of England, has been married to Prince Philip for more than 61 years, has four children and is grandmother to eight grandchildren.
Her official birthday in June, is celebrated with the Trooping the Colour parade.
The Duke reached his own milestone last week. He became the longest serving consort in British history, overtaking the record of 57 years and 70 days set by Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III.
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Anyone Can Become a Millionaire by Following a Few Simple StepsBecoming a millionaire isn’t all that difficult and there are countless ways to achieve that milestone. Some people do it through real estate, others start their own business, while some simply get lucky by winning the lottery or winning big on a game show. What is even more interesting is that you don’t have to be wealthy to begin with nor do you have to earn six figures to reach this goal.I know some people who earn well over $100,000 and all they have to show for it is a large mortgage payment and a fancy car that depreciates faster than a glass of milk left outside in the summer sun. Anyone can become a millionaire and there are five things you need to do to have the best shot of making that a reality.
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Posted by 9jabook.com on April 20, 2009 at 11:43am
Two corps members serving in Lagos are now guests of the police after they were caught having sex in the open at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Secretariat in Surulere on Thursday.
While their colleagues were busy struggling to get posted to areas where they would do their primary assignment, the two suspects preferred to engage in sexual exercise at a corner around the secretariat in the afternoon from where they attracted the attention of the NYSC authorities.
Saturday Independent learnt on Friday night that the police were immediately invited to pick them up after the male Corps member, who hails form Benue State, studied Psychology and graduated from the Kogi State University in Ayimgba, told the NYSC authorities that he had the right to have sex anywhere with his female lover.
Sources said he told the NYSC authorities that there was no law in the country that indicated where lovers should have sexual intercourse.
Although the female Corps member, a former student of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, who hails from Imo State, was said to have appeared remorseful, this newspaper learnt that her boyfriend told the NYSC Camp Commandant that he could not hold the sexual urge after not seeing his partner in a long while.
Although our correspondent could not confirm how long they have been in the relationship and whether they have got a place for their primary assignment, sources said the NYSC authorities in Lagos are poised to set example with them, hence the police invitation.
Contacted on Friday, the police promised to get back to our reporter, which they were yet to do till press time.
Meanwhile, a Magistrate's Court in Osogbo on Friday sentenced 13 persons comprising 11 women and two men to a two-year jail term each for prostitution.
They are Ebony Osale (29), Sandra Monchi (32), Bola Oni (21), Mercy Obiriki (29), Titilayo Olalere (24) and Blessing Ayo (21).
Others are Joy Saji (24), Opeyemi Abioye (25), Linder Akpan (29), Happy Osaji (29) and Peace Uba (25).
The males among them are Olaoluwa Gbuyibo (27) and Oseni Jelili (24).
Police Prosecutor, Taiwo Adegoke, had earlier told the court that on April 11 the convicts paraded themselves for immoral purposes at Morak Hotel, Osogbo.
They all pleaded guilty to the charge and Magistrate Adebayo Ajala gave them an option of N500 fine each.
He, however, rejected their plea that the economic meltdown pushed them into prostitution and advised them to engage themselves in profitable businesses.
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By Ndubuisi Ugah with agency reports, 04.19.2009
Nigerians resident in Switzerland illegally, who are willing to return home, have been offered a financial life-line of nearly $6,500 each.
This was part of a Memorandum of Under-standing (MoU) signed between the federal government and the Swiss counterpart in 2004 on the Voluntary Reparation of Nigerians illegally residing in that country.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Switzerland, Mr Martin Uhomoibhi, said in Abuja, that “Under this agreement, Swiss Government has provided nearly $6,500 as assistance to nearly 1,000 Nigerians who want to voluntarily leave Switzerland to start a new life after their sojourn.”
According to the ambassador, the two countries are currently collaborating to ensure that the process of implementation conforms to the international best practices and standards on agreements.
He added that currently, there are more that 4,000 Nigerians resident in Switzerland.
The ambassador said: “They do not just throw this money at them; they ensure that they have a viable business model or viable initiative. The process of implementing these businesses is being monitored by the Swiss authority in Nigeria and the Ministry officials, and there are success stories. We are trying to encourage the Swiss government to identify these success stories and see how we can popularise them because it will do a great deal of confidence-building for both countries.”Uhomoibhi expressed the hope that Nigerians would not misuse this laudable gesture by migrating en masse illegally to Swiss in order to be given the grant.
He, however, said appropriate measures had been put in place to checkmate possible abuse.
“I hope this would not happen because this gesture has underscored the goodwill of the Swiss government and the swiftness of Nigeria’s diplomacy in entering into such partnership,” he said.
The envoy further noted that migration should not be seen as a negative thing as such an attitude could be counter-productive.
“Human beings have to move from time to time, and from one place to another. What is important is to ensure that such movements are legal, constructive and foster bilateral relations,” he stressed.
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She has a to-die-for figure even after four children, a face to match, talent that stands out in the Nollywood crowd and a marriage that has loads of made-in-heaven trimmings. She was the 12-year-old girl who grew up in a hurry when her father suddenly died and had to resort to a moneylender to keep her brothers in school.
She was also the schoolgirl who watched victims of Kaduna religious crisis stabbed and slaughtered as they scrambled to scale her school walls into safety while helping to deliver babies of female refugees when she hardly knew what to do.
Try and imagine this same girl being thoroughly whipped by her mother for coming home a minute after 5pm which was her curfew time. Do those descriptions sound like Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde? Well, she is the actress who has lived all these parts not in her movie world but in her real life in addition to singing for armed robbers and listening to their eerie confession, and has turned it all into a money-spinning venture.
The ‘A’ Class act dropped by our corporate office and told us things we are sure you haven’t heard and we also learnt a few things from her apart from tips on how to invest in real estate. For instance, if you have had to speak up for yourself since age 12 and watch out for three younger ones and a widowed mother, bullies do not easily cow you. The journey has been long, very long, from the days she sold the family television set to pay urgent family bills to getting married to a pilot in an aircraft 20,000 feet above sea level. It is a no-holds barred story, another promise kept from Sunday Sun
I got into acting while waiting for my JAMB result.
When I left school in 1994, I was waiting for my JAMB result, and I had to wait for about nine months. A friend of mine, Akorede, who was a model told my mum that instead of wasting time at home I should join him in the modeling thing and my mum consented. That was how I started with entertainment. I was going for auditions. It was during one of those auditions that a lady told me about another audition and she asked if I’ll like to go. I said OK. I accompanied her for the movie audition and that was the movie, Nneka Part 2.
She went for the audition but didn’t get the part. She was quite sad and then she said there were still other auditions and would I like to go? I said no, but she said it was not like they would ask for money. I have nothing to lose. So I went and I got the part. That was my first contact with acting in movies. By the time I heard of the following audition, I was bold enough to go for it. That was how I started.
My widowed mother was so scared I would get pregnant before I was 16 and she used to beat me silly if I came home later than 5pm which was my curfew time.
I remember those days when I would finish acting and go back home and I’d be beaten silly. My mum was a disciplinarian and there was this belief that if you are into acting, singing, entertainment you have to be wayward. So, when you mention going for audition for a movie, my mum would say “Acting!”. You didn’t even say you want to go into singing or any such area. My mum just couldn’t understand the difference. She was just being careful and protective.
My dad died when I was twelve and there’s a thing with your dad dying early. As a widow there was so much pressure on her. I’m the only girl and the first child and I understood the pressure on her. Everybody was talking and saying that I was going to become wayward and get pregnant. They told her to her face that they knew I was going to get pregnant before I was sixteen. She was really scared and when all those things were happening it was like I was doing exactly the things they said was going to happen.
Her response was to be really hard on me to prevent me from getting spoilt. I don’t know what propelled me to go on despite my mum’s disciplines because one, they weren’t paying me well in the movies; two, I wasn’t that interested in acting then, and three, there was nothing really to look forward to in terms of success models then. There was no fame then because the only famous people then were the ones on TV. Even those that were on TV then weren’t so admired. I still don’t understand what really kept me going. It had to be God or maybe because I didn’t have a lot of things to do. There was no money in it for me, there was no fame and on top of it I got beaten.
I was always coming home late, there’s no way you can do this job and still be in control of your time. No matter how much you try something is going to hold you back. I used to go home late I had a curfew of five o clock set by my mum, which I thought was unreasonable. Then, I still didn’t get home until nine or ten o clock and there was no GSM to call.
There are so many producers in this country today that will tell you they’ve met Omotola’s mum. Kingsley Ogoro, Emeka Ossai, Zeb Ejiro, Fred Amata, who has not seen my mum? Who? She never came on set. They had to go and meet her in the house to explain to her why they want to use me, and that they’d take care of me and when they were going to bring me back home. Everybody that had used me during that time had to go to her, all of them had to go to her. She had to know you personally, you have to give her your house address and everything about you. It was terrible I was so embarrassed.
In the initial days, you were into movies more like for the love of it and anybody who got on any pedestal at that time was purely on merit. Nollywood was not as wild as it is now. There was not much of the issue of sexual harassment then. I think Nollywood was decent then. It wasn’t as wild as now. Most of the people I met then were like father figures. It was even worse when they got to know your family. They felt they had to watch out for you. Sometimes when I was loitering around Zeb Ejiro’s office then he would shout and order me home and I’d have to immediately take a bus and go home. We weren’t that many, it was a small world. Everybody knew everybody. There wasn’t too much money in the game so nobody was trying so hard to impress anybody. Most of us used to come around in slippers (laughs) and shorts. We were all family and you wouldn’t even find anybody to attract you for affairs then, unlike now when you look at another colleague and he’s all trushed up, rich, clean.
I was still a virgin when I got married.
Given my mum’s stern attitude, it is natural to think I didn’t date anybody before I got married. But, that’s not the case. I had boyfriends before I met my husband but it’s not something too deep as people may think nowadays. You just go out and have lunch together and all the rest of it. As for deep my affairs went before I met my husband, it is just to say that I got married as a virgin, so that answers the rest of the question.
Everybody already knew my husband in the family before I got married to him and he was just like one of those friends. We actually got to know his elder sister before him because he didn’t live here and when he started coming around it was like an extension of the family friend, though my mum was always suspecting that that he had something up his sleeves. She was like hmnnnnnnnnn(laughs) but my husband is a very humble and likeable guy. I think she just naturally fell in love with him and we became like family. And I guess she knew when something started between us but she was doing as if she didn’t want to know what she didn’t want to know! She didn’t want to hear any story.
When I was 18, I felt I was already an adult. We told her what we wanted to do. She found it very difficult because she felt that this is not America, this is Nigeria, nobody sees you as an adult at 18. She thought I should finish my education at the higher institution before getting married. She knew the guy was good and didn’t want me to lose him. She knew the guy would take care of me but because she was thinking of my dad’s family, she didn’t want things to go wrong and get blamed.
Growing Up Without A Father
I wish I don’t have to answer this question. My father died when I was 12. My younger brother was four while the one after him was just two years old. My mum did not see it coming because my father was so full of life. It was my father’s club Ekimomi Social Club that paid my school fees throughout my secondary school. He was working at Ikoyi Club. I remembered that lots of meetings were done after he passed on so that we can keep up with our lifestyle. I was attending Chrisland, (an elite private school in Lagos) and that was not a cheap school. My mum was like a full time housewife though she had a store where she was selling drinks. Lots of people were telling her about all sorts and incisions were made on our bodies to keep away evil. You can see the one they put on my chest. It was a very terrible period.
The most interesting thing was that everybody would be with you within a few weeks when the incident happened and all of a sudden everybody leaves. It is the worst feeling in the world because you feel confused and alone. That was where I started developing independence. I had two options at that time, it was either I went down the drain or up the ladder. I did a lot crying in private but I never cried in front of my mother. She would cry and I was always telling her everything would be alright. But anytime I left her for my room, I would cry. My brothers had to move to another school because Chrisland was too expensive and by then I had gained admission into Command Secondary School, Kaduna. My mum had to struggle. There were times when we did not have food to eat.
I went to a money lender, sold our TV and Video sets to pay my brother’s school fees.
I tried to keep busy and even though my mum was not in approval of what I was doing it was helping. The modeling and acting helped. And I’ve always been a shrewd person. Though my mum was not willing to take the money I was making but there was no where else money was coming from. I remembered a particular experience. There was this particular actor that was called Black. I used to go to Zeb Ejiro’s office and he knew about my struggles. My brother’s school fees was due and there was no money.
The people that were supposed to pay couldn’t come up with the money. I was at Zeb’s office crying when the Black guy saw me and asked what the problem was. I told him and he promised to help. He took me to one man who did Visa for people to travel out. I met lots of people in the man’s sitting room seeking help. When we met him he asked what my problem was and everybody’s attention shifted to me. I just started crying considering the background I came from. He loaned me some money and I was supposed to pay the Black guy the money from a job I did. Unfortunately, they didn’t pay me on time. The Black guy turned my life into a living misery. It got to a point where I had to sell personal effects from my house. I had to sell our TV and video to pay him which were the only consolation my younger brothers had. My mother cried during that period and it was then that my mother told me never to borrow money again. Yet, I didn’t take it against Black because he was there for me when I needed help. It got to a point where he was threatening my life because the guy was threatening his too. That was the peak of our suffering.
Mortal Inheritance was my fifth movie but it shot me into limelight
A lot of people thought Mortal Inheritance is my first movie because it shot me into limelight. It was officially my fifth but it came out as my fourth, coming out before Abused. Then, unlike now, you first have to be a local star in the movie circle before you’ll now be projected to the world. There was still a measure of formality then unlike now where you come from nowhere, do one movie and you’ll start feeling like a star and they start calling you top actress. In those days you came on set and you see the people that are older than you in the industry and you have to show them respect because you know that these same people are the ones that would recommend you.
I was one of the first to earn N150,000 per movie
The defining period for Nollywood came with Onome and Rattlesnake in 1995/1996. People started turning to it. I was one of the people that started earning good money like N150,000, N200,000 but before that time it was just between N30,000—N70,000. And even the first time, they were telling me I was overpaid and the guy is still owing me N5000 (laughs). That was when the traders started trading with the Nigerian movie industry and later became marketers. It was that period that they came in that it now moved into home video the way it is now.
Stories were very balanced then, not written to project any particular region but towards 1997 things changed. I don’t blame them (the Igbos) for doing what they did, naturally I think you will want to project where you are from. I don’t think the Igbos necessarily buy more movies. Till date, the people that still goes to the theater to watch cinemas are Yorubas. I don’t think Igbos are still buying more movies than Yorubas but I think the bone of contention is that people think they should have been doing the movies in Igbo language so that we’ll know that they are doing Igbo movies. A filmmaker will not do a film based on a belief but because they were not film makers they projected their belief and I don’t blame them.
The Igbos took over Nollywood because they are better businessmen while people like the late Hubert Ogunde made great, in-depth pictures just for the love of the arts.
The theater started in the west with the likes of Hubert Ogunde but somehow the Igbos seems to have taken over especially when you are talking about home videos not cinema. I think it’s because they are business men. When Hubert Ogunde and the rest of them started it wasn’t because of business it was for the love of the game. I’ve watched some of these movies that were done back in those days and you could see the depth of art and you could tell that most of these people weren’t paid in millions but they enjoyed what they were doing, pictures that could live to any standard. These days a lot of people are more interested in doing movies for the gains. The first Igbo people that joined then were traders but now we have people who have transcended from traders to producers and marketers but in the beginning they just came in as business men.
I once heard that there was a gang-up to get me out of Nollywood because I was getting too powerful for an outsider.
When I started in the movie industry, we had a lot of independent producers then who just wanted to work. You didn’t have to be Igbo, Hausa ,Yoruba then to be in Nollywood. We had people from every tribe in Nollywood but as time went on I remember a notable producer whom I don’t want to name but I’m sure if he’s reading this interview he’ll know I’m talking about him and he’ll probably be laughing. He called me and sat me down because he was like a godfather to me. He said you are a very bright act but there is a gang-up against you and you really have to be careful because some people have vowed to get you out of Nollywood. And I said what did they say I did wrong? He said because I’m not from their place and I’m becoming too powerful as an outsider. Actually, there were two of us that he talked about. The other person was a lead actor and I don’t want to mention his name as well. He is also not Igbo. They said both of us were becoming too powerful and we were outsiders and that there was a gang up to move us out of Nollywood.
He was really scared because the people that they were talking about were powerful. I laughed and said I was not going to bow at anybody’s feet just to win their admiration or anything. I believe I got to where I am on merit and by God’s grace I believe those two things should sustain me and if they don’t I’ll just fall back to business and in the mean time I have a man taking care of me so I won’t suffer. I remember him bursting out laughing and saying he should be discussing with the guy and not me. After that discussion I looked out for the signs of the gang-up. Maybe they came but I didn’t notice. Most of the people that have employed me are actually Igbos. To me there is no balance in that story. Maybe it happened and I didn’t notice, maybe people tried and they gave up or maybe they are still trying.
I don’t know what they mean by I was getting powerful but I think if you comport yourself in a certain way in an industry that was beginning to employ a lot of people with many suffering from poverty syndrome and people talk a lot to curry favour and some people do other things to get work and stuff. When you don’t fall into those categories, don’t greet anybody specially or call them any special name, you don’t attend their naming ceremony if you don’t feel obliged to so that they can count you worthy; at that point they start to feel who the hell do you think you are. Maybe when they meet with their friends they talk about it and end up saying ‘but we need am sha’.
Yeas, I’ve heard those things like producers telling people to change to Igbo names. I don’t think anybody will risk telling me that to my face because they know that I might talk. I might say we have talked about it because we joke about it. People say I look like an Igbo girl. They gave me names like Ugonma. Instead of calling me Omotola they call me Ugonma in the movies. I don’t have any problems with it because my husband is half Igbo. I don’t see it as a slight on my person but as a continuation of who I am. I understand also that people think I’m Igbo because when I went to the market in those days people used to speak Igbo to me.
Top actors and actresses were banned to drive down our fees and pave way for new actors and actresses.
Actually before the one-year ban happened I was told it was going to happen. There were so many things some of us heard and then when it happened there were so many other things that you now saw on the news and we were like are they trying to confuse us. The people that we heard were going to be banned were a certain kind of people (I don’t want to say more than that) and then we felt if it was because of this why is this person there or what am I doing there. It was one event that was confusing in a lot of ways. What we arrived at as the reason is that they were probably doing it to push down our fees.
Some people were not from a particular region, also that they wanted to launch some new faces into the industry at a cheaper cost. Obviously, they’d been struggling to do it because of us. There were some personal things also like somebody insulted one person, also that some people came on set with big cars. That was the most ridiculous of it all, and that some people tell the producers to pay their fees into their accounts. But we’ve come to agree that the reason was simply because of the pay because most of the people on that list are the highest earners.
I think initially it worked because they had to bring up a lot of propaganda to justify their actions and to get the whole public to lose respect for us. Things like Omotola is a snob, she’s very troublesome on set and people are like why is she like that now? There were all kinds of rumours about those on that list just to get us on the wrong side of public opinion and tilt goodwill towards the new person that they were bringing. Even journalists helped them hype it a bit but after a while the whole thing just died down.
I invest in real estate
I’m comfortable. I invest. I’m a business woman even before the so called boom in Nollywood. I was making money from other things. The only thing I don’t do is buy and sell because I feel I’m not cut out for that. I don’t think I have the temperament for that. I’ll lose money.
I think a lot of us have seen what happens all over the world and are wise. We don’t want to end up being famous and then ending up in poverty. If you are from my generation of actors and that happens to you then they are following you from the village because you should have known better. I think a lot of my colleagues are money-wise.
I invest in estate. As a matter of fact, I studied estate management. To invest in estate you have to check out the history of the property and that’s a major mistake a lot of people make. They forget that all that glitters is not gold. You go to buy a property in a place and you forget that it is dry and that there is something called raining season. And then the property that you bought and thought should increase in value at a point starts to depreciate, the area has a long standing history of increasing and then depreciating because of the condition of that environment. That explains the reason why some places are always vacant. When a place is questionably vacant, that’s why you should do extra check. Ask questions.
Don’t feel like you are the luckiest person in the world. To make money in real estate business, at times, you don’t need to go for the most expensive property, sometimes you can project what the place will look like in the next 10 years. I remember my aunty and uncle then who own Chrisland Schools, they told me that when they bought the place they built Chrisland in Opebi, the place was in the bush and they almost didn’t take it. You also have to project and check with the government to see what the area plan of that place is. Some of them have ten year- plan. The value of a place goes up based on the type of houses that are around it. Other people don’t have that kind of information and they wonder why you buy acres upon acres and later when they see it they want to buy that same place from you or beg you to take that place. You don’t have to sit down and go for high-end property if you don’t have millions. You can actually buy a place, refurbish it, and then lease it out or sell it. A lot of people don’t think like that, they want to buy a property just because they want to live there but you can actually buy a property, refurbish it, bring up the value and sell it.
If you are a star, nobody wants to see you looking very ordinary but don’t borrow money to service the show. The show has to come before business but don’t forget the business.
Yes, you can’t be in showbiz and not be glamorous. It’s called show business, the show has to come before business but then don’t forget the business. I think a lot of people get it wrong when they do the show and they forget the business and some do too much of the business and they forget about the show. You have to find a balance between two of them. People like Puff Daddy became who they are today because they put up an image. If you are a star and you are worth being celebrated nobody wants to see you looking very ordinary, they want to see something about you that they feel like waoh otherwise you are not worth being talked about. That’s what you are there for.
Give them things to talk about, that’s why you shouldn’t be too upset when people gossip about you. If they don’t talk about you, who are they going to gossip about? It’s your cross, so carry it. The moment you sign up to be an entertainer you sign your life out for people to sit down and use. Some people will use you to make themselves feel better which might hurt you. In showbiz you have to be glamorous as much as you can but you must not forget about the business that is what keeps the show.
There were times that I started out that I was not using cars that were very glamorous. I was driving then a jalopy BMW three series but I knew then that I had to be glamorous but I couldn’t afford anything better. Those were the times I had just started and I knew that I had to plan. I was driving that and taking the shame but I was planning. If you are just starting out don’t do more than yourself, don’t borrow money to service the show, and don’t run into trouble to service the show. Take it one step at a time and be focused, know that this is where I want to get to, this is what I’m supposed to be like. So the business can now propel the show and make enough money to do the show.
The day I sang ‘Naija l’o wa’ for armed robbers
I’ve had brushes with armed robbers. The one that stole my car wasn’t an armed robber. He was my driver. The one that took my own laptop was the armed robber. The guy took my laptop by mistake. I was in the Lincoln Navigator that had Omo- Sexy on its number plate. I was coming back from a set and it was very late. I was with my make-up artist and driver. They stopped us, about eight of them.
They had first offloaded everything from the car into their own bus and later said they wanted to take the car away. They made all of us lie down on the floor. It was at night and they didn’t even see me. They were shooting into the air and they were asking us if we had guns and they were checking because my car windows were tinted. My driver kept arguing with them, so they hit him with the gun because he was even speaking Igbo with them and they were like how dare you start speaking our language with us. They grabbed me by the collar to come show them where the security of the car was. I kept saying there was no security and they were like it’s a lie there must be security in this kind car. I was looking down all the while and I now turned to him and told him there was no security, why would I be lying? Would I be lying and let you shoot me?
As I turned they now saw my face and shouted, Omo Sexy. I think they know that my cars are always branded so he went to look at my number plate and he saw Omo Sexy. They said I should sing ‘Naija lo wa’ for them. That was how they returned everything back to the car. Actually the guy that recognized me actually had a long battle with their boss on the phone who was somewhere else because one of the guys that was there did not want to agree, he kept saying ‘oga said we should bring the car’. I think they wanted to use the car for another operation. While I was there they argued a lot about the car.
…The leader of the gang’s wife wanted to be an actress.
That guy really fought for me, I think he was a leader of that gang. He just stood and asked them to return everything. He said he didn’t want any money, they returned all the money they collected from us to the last N20 and that’s why I said that laptop had to be a mistake. He checked and asked if everything was back with us and I said yes. Till today I have his number. After they returned everything he told me that his wife is my fan and she wanted to be an actress. He asked for my number. I wanted to give him the wrong number but my make-up artist said if I give him the wrong number they might hunt me down. So, I gave him my right number and that day before we got home they called me more than three times because they told us to start driving home. When we got to the gate we sat on the floor and started crying. They called and asked if we were at home now and I said yes, they asked if we have locked the gate we said yes and they asked why are you crying? And, I said no, I’m not crying o (laughs). He said did anybody beat you, did any of my boys slap you, I said no. So why are you crying, you are upsetting me with the way you are crying, so I said we are not crying, we are not crying, so I started cleaning my face, Go inside your house and go and sleep.
…They told me they were going to rob the Marina Branch of a bank
They told me they were going to the Marina branch of a bank (name of the first generation bank withheld) to operate and they would call me if it was successful or not and I was like ehhhhhh, there is trouble today. I was asking my people if I should call the police and they were like which police do you want to call. I was terrified when he told me where they wanted to go and rob. For a long time he kept calling and texting me that if I have any problem I should call him.
I’ve thought about making a movie about the experience and I will someday. The guy actually told me some things that night and subsequently he sent a text that ‘does it mean that when I was telling you my story you weren’t listening?’ He told me some things about his private life, his wife, about how he wanted to leave the job and that was going to be his last operation. I thought he could be lying because most of them say all those same things. He sent me a text that is it that I don’t believe what he said that day and that he wants to meet with me but I refused.
There was another incident before that one, I was coming from location again and my husband was coming back from his flight. He called me to ask where I was. I was in Festac and I told him to you come over since I was on my last scene and we could drive home together. He came over and when I finished we started driving through that express road. He was in front of me, he was driving a BMW seven series, I was driving seven series also behind. They had robbed him and then they came to me and knocked on my window and I wound down and he said give me your bag. I turned to give him my bag and then the other one just opened the door and sat in and said give me your bag and I said I just gave the other guy my bag. He just pushed my head and said why did I give him my bag, they were in a hurry and when my husband saw that there was one in my car and was staying long he came down from the car and he started walking towards my car. The guy in my car came down and pointed the gun at him and all his other colleagues did the same and they told him that if he didn’t go back they were going to shoot him and I started pleading with him to go back into his car. That was another terrifying moment for me.
I play with my phone when my husband is watching me in a romantic scene.
Sometimes when my husband is watching a movie where I’m playing a romance role, he’s like ahh, Omo Sexy, the guy’s hand was going too far o or when it’s a kissing scene I just starts looking at my phone and he will say leave the phone, watch, you are the one that did it. We play about it. It’s not a comfortable thing but I think he’s just matured about it.
As my in-laws, my mother in law is extremely psychedelic. She’s like a white woman.
But, playing a romantic role is not always romantic when you have to do it with somebody with mouth odour and so on. I have had to deal with a romantic scene with somebody who has a mouth or body odour and it’s not a pleasant situation. You have to smile and do the kissing and just try to make it as convincing as possible. You can go and cry afterwards.
Yes, I get tempted when playing romantic scenes but it does not go beyond the set.
As for whether it is possible to get stimulated while playing romantic role, it is possible. I’ll be lying if I say once or twice it had not crossed my mind that I should transfer what’s on scene to real life. Once or twice I’d thought that this guy is not so bad but if you have experience it’ll just be like a flash. You know when you get to work with a person for like two weeks or more than that, naturally you get fond of the person. If you are wise you will understand that this is just a periodic thing. Why didn’t I like this person all this while, why now? And the minute you are not with this person it begins to fall off your eyes, no more getting fond of each other. I think that’s the biggest risk that actors go through psychologically.
I’m a thinker. I have learnt and understudied Hollywood, at some point in my career I sat down and studied how it works. By the time it started happening I already knew how to detach. All you naturally need at that period was to stay away from the person as much as possible. It’s nothing absurd or something to be ashamed of but you just need to control yourself till you finish shooting. The truth of the matter is that once you finish shooting, just like a door was left open it just gets shut and that’s it. The problem is when you start feeling like that about something, you should know that it’s going to end. It’s like couples that are divorced and every other person saw it coming but them, before they got married. Every other person saw that it will never work but they wouldn’t see it because they are so engrossed in their feeling, in their thought. I think the wise thing to do at that period is to know that everybody can’t be wrong.
I have never fought my husband over a girl
Before you get married, there are so many things you wouldn’t take ordinarily because you don’t have to answer to anybody or tolerate anybody. When you are angry you could close your room and not talk to anybody but when you are married and you are angry you can’t close your room
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By Sam Akpe Deputy Editor, Abuja
Austin Ometuruwa, former Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) Managing Director, was last week arrested by the police in London over lodgement in his bank account in excess of one million British pounds.
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The amount was impounded during bank transfer.
British police have petitioned Abuja to investigate the source of the money so they could decide on the next line of action.
Ometuruwa informed the police that the amount is his severance package for being relieved of his appointment by the AFC, a claim that could not be confirmed immediately.
However, the police said they are in possession of a document signed by two AFC officials, Solomon Asamoah and Adesegun Akin-Olugbade, confirming that Ometuruwa is entitled to severance benefits.
Seemingly unruffled, he reportedly appeared for the interrogation with his lawyer; but doubtful about the source of the money, the police last week obtained a court order "which allows us to keep the funds whilst the origin is being investigated."
They want Abuja to confirm whether Ometuruwa is entitled to the money "as it appears it was definitely paid to him" by the AFC.
Dissatisfied with the procedure, however, his lawyer said he would go to the City of Westminster Magistrate's Court, saying his client "is clearly entitled to his severance package and wants the funds returned."
The money was transferred to Ometuruwa's Citibank account through Deutsche Bank, which the AFC operate accounts with.
The AFC also has accounts with Citibank, Standard, and UBS.
It came under public scrutiny last year when President Umaru Yar'Adua raised a panel to probe its operations and establish its funding and legality under Nigerian law.
The committee in its report questioned the modalities for the AFC's establishment and funding, and recommended that Nigeria should withdraw its share of $462 million and the interest generated.
It also submitted that Ometuruwa was signatory to all bank accounts held by the AFC, and was, therefore, instrumental to the alleged illegal movement of AFC funds across various markets.
He reportedly told the British police that the AFC "is still operational and is now a private investment bank."
Ometuruwa's arrest may trigger another investigation as to why AFC should continue to operate an account more or less frozen by Nigeria, even though he has countered that he never received any court papers freezing any AFC account, let alone the JP Morgan account.
He told the British police that JP Morgan was involved with AFC money but that several short term investments were made in blue chip banks, and that after Nigeria withdrew its $462 million, the AFC continued in its private capacity and operated other accounts.
It was learnt that British police are demanding information that would either contradict or authenticate his claims.
They said it appears from the face of it that the payment Ometuruwa received is his entitlement as per the terms of his employment.
The investigators said they may return the money to him unless the government acts fast and presents proof that it is the proceeds of crime.
So, as a source confirmed, the committee that investigated the AFC had by last weekend sent documents to London to prove that the money is illegal.
He noted that the committee may be handicapped in prosecuting the matter as the Federal Government has not issued a White Paper on its report.
Since the report was submitted "no statement has been made by the government, neither has any of the recommendations been acted upon, an indication that some officials have been compromised," the source added.
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Ahmadinejad says Israel leading cause of racism; U.S., Australia boycott racism conference
Massive walkouts by Western Delegates ensues during The conference just now at about 2.33pm gmt Lagos 3.33pm after two protesters were walked out of the Conference hall one even threw objects at The Iranian leader .
US, Australia Shuns UN Racism Conference
By 9jabook News
The United States announced Saturday it will not attend a United Nations conference on racism set to start Monday in Geneva and have kept heir word.
State Department spokesman Robert Wood says the U.S. will boycott the conference "with regret" because of objectionable language in the meeting's draft declaration.
Wood said that despite some improvements, it seemed clear the declaration will not address U.S. concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression.
Still, he said the United States "will work with all people and nations" to put an end to racism and discrimination.
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said in a statement Sunday that Canberra has also decided to boycott the conference, because Australia is concerned that the meeting will be used as a platform to air offensive views, including anti-Semitic views.
Smith said Canada will also skip the conference. European Union members have yet to decide whether they will attend.
The five-day meeting is a follow-up to a 2001 conference in Durban, South Africa. The United States and Israel walked out of those talks over an attempt by some participants to link Zionism with racism.
Press TV - Iran lambastes Zionist Israelis for sowing the seeds of racism, which has led to a leap in heinous hate crimes committed throughout the world.
"Wars, aggression, unfair political and economic relations, terror and occupation are the outcomes of racist theology -- the frontrunner of which is Israel," Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told reporters in Tehran on Sunday ahead of his departure for Geneva where he plans to take part in a UN anti-racism summit.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The president described Zionism as a clear manifestation of racism and said that "Zionists seek to take control of the world's political and media centers in order to loot and belittle nations."
The scheduled attendance of Ahmadinejad at the UN-backed "Durban II" conference and his planned talks with Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz has sparked fury in Tel Aviv, which views the Iranian chief executive as "a holocaust denier."
Israeli officials, in recent weeks, have stepped up efforts to persuade European countries to follow in the footsteps of Canada, Israel, Italy, Australia and the United States, and boycott the meeting.
The US, which had initially announced that it would take part in the conference, revealed it final stance on Saturday. "With regret, the United States will not join the review conference," said State Department spokesman Robert Wood, citing objectionable language in the meeting's draft declaration.
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Breaking NewsA British man who has been freed by a Nigerian militant group is undergoing a debriefing by local authorities after being held captive for more than seven months. Skip related contentRobin Hughes has been freed by Nigerian militantsShip captain Robin Hughes, 59, originally from St Margaret's Bay, near Dover, Kent, was among 27 oil workers kidnapped when their oil supply vessel was hijacked on September 9.The majority of the crew were later released but Mr Hughes and fellow Briton Matthew Maguire remained hostages of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend).Mr Hughes, whose wife, Adina, and 16-year-old daughter, Elenice, live in Brazil, was handed over to military officials in Nigeria's southern oil region on Sunday on health grounds.His younger brother, Simon Hughes, 48, from Blackstone, West Sussex, said he had been suffering from a foot infection and was on antibiotics.He said: "He is undergoing a debriefing interview today with the Nigerian authorities. He sounded very much like the brother I know when I spoke to him on the phone, which was a great relief because we were concerned how this would affect him."He was in good spirits. I asked him whether he felt OK and he said 'Not really' because of the infection he is suffering from in his foot."Mr Hughes was also able to relay some positive news to the family of Mr Maguire, from Birkenhead, Merseyside, who remains the sole British captive of the militants."My brother said Matthew was fit and well and doing OK," said Mr Hughes. The good news is that we have been able to give that information to Matthew's family, which is important because information is so hard to come by over there."He is still being held captive. We haven't heard anything to say he will be released but we are hoping he will be."
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The duel of the Oligarchs reached a denouement Thursday, April 16, 2009 when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), absolved Alhaji Aliko Dangote of any wrong-doing over the recent shares scam that pitted him against his erstwhile friend and business mogul, Mr. Femi Otedola; with the latter accusing the former of colluding with Lagos stock broking firm, Nova Finance and Securities Ltd and its Managing Director, Mr. Eugene Anenih, to perpetrate the fraud.
Following a meeting with the stakeholders - AP Plc, Nova, Dangote, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Central Securities Clearing System Ltd (CSCS) and Afribank Registrars Ltd, the SEC said in a statement Thursday that: “Nova Finance and its managing director employed manipulative and deceptive devices and contrivances in its transactions on AP Plc shares between February 11 and March 20, 2009 contrary to rule 110(1) (d) of the Rules and Regulations of the Commission,” adding that: “Nova Finance and its managing director manipulated the market by engaging in transactions, which had the effects of lowering the price of AP shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, contrary to Section 106 of the ISA 2007.”
Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola: when the going was good… The statement signed by its Media Head, Mr. Lanre Oloyi suspended Nova from all capital market activities for one year, with effect from April 16, 2009. Besides, Nova and its Managing Director, Eugene Anenih were fined N190,000, - N5,000 per day for 38 days - for violating Rule 177 and the code of conduct for market operators. Anenih has also been disqualified from being employed in any arm of the securities industry for five years, until April 16, 2014. In addition, he has been referred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Although the SEC report acknowledged that “the managing director of Nova Finance had, within the period of eight weeks, consistently consummated cross-deals involving 50,000 units of AP shares per transaction between its company and Dangote’s accounts,” it concluded that it "did not find any evidence" to show that Dangote, a client of Nova, instructed the stock broking firm and its Managing Director, Anenih "to carry out any of the transactions in AP Plc, purportedly done on his behalf."
However, anomalies fortify the doubt that greeted the SEC final report. Close sources to Otedola told 9jabook that Dangote played hardball and muzzled Anenih to retract earlier statements he had made to the SEC. Anenih, according to the SEC report claimed that he got oral mandate through telephone calls from Dangote to effect the transactions. But Dangote's representative, told the SEC neither Dangote nor any one acting on his behalf have any recollection of such conversations, arguing that Dangote, did not, at anytime, give any mandate to Nova to carry out the transactions.
Following this rebuttal, Anenih retracted his earlier statement that he received Alhaji Dangote's mandate to carry out the transactions. “The managing director of Nova Finance agreed that he did not have any mandate from Alhaji Aliko Dangote to carry out those transactions, contrary to Sections 98 and 99 of the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2007 and Rules 100(4) and 177 of the Commission’s Rules and Regulations, which required all capital market operators to maintain proper and adequate records of transactions,” the SEC report said. The unexplained volte face by Eugene Anenih has prompted speculation of foul play by Dangote. Sources close to Anenih who elected anonymity told 9jabook that Anenih has just been made to pay the price as a scapegoat.
Little wonder, Otedola’s supporters dismissed Eugene Anenih’s roundabout turn and mea culpas as tele-guided by Dangote, saying the SEC should have subpoena Anenih’s phone records as part of the investigation of Dangote’s involvement in the share scam. They dismissed the SEC verdict absolving Dangote of wrong doing as a slap on the wrist, and wondered why the SEC found nothing wrong with the apparent conflict of interest involving Nova and Dangote (who also doubles as the NSE vice-president), besides, advising the NSE to “review its rules and procedures for appointing or electing its council members in order to ensure good corporate governance and avoid conflict of interest situations”.
If anyone had thought the bitter rivalry between the two tycoons will be over, then think again. The AP Plc shares scam cost Otedola an estimated $700 million. Otedola; hitherto Nigeria's only other billionaire in the Forbes list, has seen his net worth dropped from $1.2 billion to $500. Aliko Dangote is now the only Nigerian in this prestigious billionaires club. 9jabook has learnt that Otedola has vowed to exact his revenge, blaming Dangote for the breaking a gentleman's agreement that claimed AP shareholders as victims, including Otedola himself. This potential clash of egos; what Forbes magazine qualified as a "settlement of personal scores" between the former friends has set the stage for the next chapter in the unfolding saga.
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1. You can enjoy a beer all month long.2. Beer stains wash out.3. You don't have to wine and dine beer.4. Your beer will always wait patiently in the car while you play football.5. When your beer goes flat, you toss it out.6. Beer is never late.7. A beer doesn't get jealous when you grab another beer.8. Hangovers go away.9. Beer labels come off without a fight.10. When you go to a bar, you know you can always pick up a beer.11. Beer never has a headache.12. After you've had a beer, the bottle is still worth 5 cents.13. A beer won't get upset if you come home with another beer.14. If you pour a beer right, you'll always get good head.15. A beer always goes down easy.16. You can have more than one beer in a night, and not feel guilty.17. You can share a beer with your friends.18. You always know when you're the first one to pop a beer.19. Beer is always wet.20. Beer doesn't demand equality.21. You can have a beer in public.22. A beer doesn't care when you come.23. A frigid beer is a good beer.24. If you change beers you don't have to pay alimony.25. You don't have to wash a beer before it tastes good.26. You can't catch social diseases from a beer.27. When you're interrupted by a beer, it's for a good reason.28. A beer is always satisfying.29. A beer gets lighter the longer you hold it.30. A beer won't tell you it's pregnant for fun.31. A beer doesn't have in-laws.32. No matter what the package, a beer still looks good.33. To cool off a beer, all you have to do is put it in the ice box.34. All you have to do to get over a beer is take a leak.35. Beer doesn't complain about farting.36. The only thing a beer tells you is when it's time to go to the bathroom.37. You are never embarrassed about the beer you bring to a party.38. It's okay to leave a party with a different beer than you arrived with.39. Beer won't drive you to drink.40. You can shoot a beer.41. A beer chaser is easy to catch.42. You don't need a license to live with a beer.43. A tree is good enough for a beer.44. Beer doesn't grow hair where it shouldn't.45. Beer doesn't care how much you earn.46. Beer and Ice don't mix.47. Beer won't complain about your choice of vacation.48. Beer doesn't care if you go to sleep right after you've had it.49. Beer is happy to ride in the trunk of your car.50. You never have to promise to respect a beer in the morning.51. Beer never complains about the wet spot.52. You can put all your old beers in one room, and they won't fight
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Posted by Samuel Great on April 18, 2009 at 1:57am
How to Start a Free MagazineIt's possible to make a free magazine by selling advertising space to cover the costs of producing your magazine. It's even possible to earn a profit from making a free magazine if your publication has enough readers to command higher advertising rates. Advertisers will pay premium rates to have ads in publications that have a widespread readership or that are highly targeted to their ideal customer.Step1Decide on the topic of your free magazine. You could make a free local or regional publication focusing on local news and information, or you could make a free niche content publication related to a specific area, such as craftmaking or boating. Even though your magazine is free, you want to choose a topic that will attract a lot of readers so that you can charge premium rates for advertising space.Step2Determine who your target reader will be. If you are making a boating publication, your target reader will be those interested in boating or those who own boats. If your publication is related to a geographic region, your target reader will be those who live in or would be interested in visiting the area. Keep your potential advertisers in mind when determining your target reader. If you can't think of a business that would want to market to your target reader, you may want to consider choosing a different topic. Since your magazine is free, the revenue you earn through advertising must pay for all of your operating costs, therefore you must be able to attract quality advertisers.Step3Estimate your budget. Keep in mind all of your operating costs plus any additional income you wish to earn by publishing a free magazine. This is the amount you will need to earn through advertising. Use this number to break down the costs of advertising space in your free publication that you will sell to advertisers.Step4Make a list of potential advertisers. Your advertisers should make sense with your target reader. For example, local businesses would want to advertise in a local publication, and any business selling boats or boating supplies would be an ideal advertiser for a boating publication. Think of enough potential advertisers that you would be able to meet your budget to cover the costs of producing your free magazine even if only a few of them purchase advertising.Step5Create your content. Write your own content, if you choose, or hire freelance writers or volunteer contributors to write articles. Since your magazine is free, you will want to keep your costs as low as possible.Step6Lay out the visual appearance of your magazine. You can do this using a number of programs, such as Microsoft Publisher, Adobe PageMaker, or even Microsoft Word. Some of these programs have templates that you can use to aid you in creating the layout for your magazine. Be sure to leave space available for advertisements in several different sizes. Completing this process yourself on your home computer will help to keep the costs of producing your free publication down. Be sure to display the word "free" clearly on the cover of your publication, so people can see at a glance that the magazine is free of charge.Step7Sell your advertising space to your advertisers. You may want to have a sample copy of your first issue printed out so you can show your advertisers the visual ad space that is available. They may also want to read your content to decide if the topics covered in your publication are in line with their advertising objectives. The fact that your magazine is free is encouraging to advertisers, because it means more readers are likely to see their ads.Step8Place the ads you've sold in the layout of your free magazine. Some advertisers will have their own ads they want to use, while others may want you to create ads for them. If you're not skilled in graphic design, you may need to enlist the help of a graphic designer. Encourage your advertisers to provide their own ads, because hiring a graphic designer can be expensive.Step9Take your magazine to a printer to have a test run of several hundred copies printed. Start with a low number to keep your costs down until you determine how many copies you will need. If your free magazine will be a monthly publication, it is better to run out of copies a few days before the next issue is out than to have hundreds of copies left over at the end of the month.Step10Approach your advertisers and other businesses to place your free magazine in their physical locations. Many businesses have racks in the front of their buildings to hold free publications.Your free magazine will probably gain popularity as it gains more exposure. Starting with a low number of copies and gradually increasing the number of copies you make with each issue is the best way to keep your costs down while you build your business.An alternative to traditional publishing is to host your magazine on the Internet. Instead of laying out your magazine in Microsoft Publisher or another program, you would use web design software. You can sell advertising space on the Internet the same as in a print publication, and your only additional expense would be the cost of your domain name and hosting. Your magazine would be free to anyone to access from the internet. www.digitalproductsolution.blogspot.comRead more…
Re: Soludo: Decision time for Yar’adua - by Garba Deen Muhammad
DEENGARBA@GMAIL.COM
published here in August of last year under the title: “Soludo: Why the North would miss him”.
But I do affirm that whereas Soludo is not and could not have been the cause of poverty, ignorance and other social problems in the North, some of the policies he pursued tended to aggravate those problems. Among such policies were his banks’ consolidation policy; his recruitment policy and, lately, his decision to redefine the operations of Bureau de Change that places the impoverished region in even greater disadvantage.
It is also necessary to state that it is of no consequence to me who replaces Soludo; that is President Yar’adua’s problem. Nothing our leaders do would shock us any more. Like millions of Nigerians, I am oppressed by micro issues such as how to pay my children’s school fees, how to get out of my mortgage, how not to fall sick, and which number to call should armed robbers visit my neighbourhood in the middle of the night. These are supposed to be government’s concern too, but where is the government? I oppose a renewed tenure for Soludo because I believe he’s become too controversial (a very charitable choice of word) to continue to head a sensitive institution like the central bank.
As for the tragic situation in the North, there is absolutely no ambiguity about who is responsible. It is the northern military establishment, the northern political class and the northern traditional institution, in that order, that have conspired to turn a once vibrant, promising region into a bastion of squalor and despair. Even the ‘ignorant and illiterate’ ever-suffering people of the North have become aware who their oppressors are; which means that a climax and a change might be just a sunset or a sunrise away.
Re: Soludo: Decision time for Yar’adua
I read your above captioned article and felt depressed. For God’s sake what is the problem with us northerners? What is new that our leaders will need to learn from? You only learn from your mistakes and ignorance. They know everything, from the reasons for our backwardness to the solutions. The simple explanation is that we celebrate poverty in the north.
Northerners derive joy in the misery of their neighbours. Check out most of our leaders’ relations and neighbours and see whether you will not see abject poverty and illiteracy there. I am not talking about their G.R.A. neighbours; no, I am talking about people that helped in their upbringing in one way or the other.
Let each and every northerner search within him or her to see whether we are doing the right thing to our brethren. Thank you and keep up the good work.
Halima Idris < htaurean@yahoo.com>
Let me start by saying that it is normal to have the kind of sentiments you have about the situation in the North since you are a Northerner. But what I find unsettling is how you managed to bring the blame to Soludo’s court.
First of all, for ideological reasons, I’m not a fan of Soludo and his policies. However, if the issue you are raising is poverty in the North, you have been quite unbalanced in the blame you apportioned to Soludo in causing it. Although, you highlighted rightly in your article the poor leadership in the North, you did not apportion to it the weight it deserved.
I’m a bit surprised also that you are crying foul with respect to marginalisation. Even though recruitment in Nigeria that seeks to make equal representation of ethnic groups rather than merit is one of the problems we have (I strongly support that fields such as ‘state of origin’ should be completely removed from admission and employment forms), I think what Soludo did (if your accusation is right at all) is fair to the North. In other ministries and parastatals where northerners have been in charge, southerners have also been marginalised.
Chibueze < junijustin@yahoo.com>
Your grouse with Mr Soludo is summarised as follows: a) Recapitalisation and restructuring Nigerian banks; b) Failure to recognise federal character in the employment of central bank staff; c) The allegation that he enriched himself and d) patronising the North by recognising its unprecedented level of poverty and illiteracy.
The question is, how many times have you written any articles about individuals like Mr Ibrahim Babangida, Mr Abdulsalam Abubakar, Ibrahim Tahir, Sani Abacha, President Yar’adua and many others who have consistently raped and plundered the fortunes of your people?
You have not spoken or written about the unparalleled level of illiteracy and its corresponding effects in the North, yet you criticise other people who are doing their best to highlight the deliberate injustice engineered and perpetuated by the so-called northern elites in order that the people would remain as primitive as ever.
Ikem Onyia < Stage65049@aol.com>
From the content of your write-up, it appears you do not like Professor Soludo and you do not want him appointed for second term. Let me say here that I am not a fan of Soludo either but it will be wrong to insinuate that the CBN governor brought poverty to the northern states of Nigeria. It will also be wrong to say he aggravated the level of poverty in the North.
I served Nigeria as a ‘youth corper’ in 1987 in the then Kano state and I saw poverty at its highest level in the town where I served—Gumel. Soludo was not known in Nigeria during those periods, so why should we blame him now? Mallam Garba, sometimes the problem lies with us and not outsiders. You northerners will then need to search yourself and find a solution.
Gbenga < fgafolabi@aim.com>
I was quite impressed with your write up on the above and how the North is being made to suffer from backwardness, thanks to our so-called leaders. Even with the emergence of the Yar’adua government which we thought might bring us back to the lime light, the reverse is the case: the North has really been marginalised.
Ibrahim Sheik < ibrahimpizzo@yahoo.com>
Parks, alcohol and the right to revel
Your response to Professor Okello’s write-up appears anything but an aggregation of self-centred piety. The parks are not the only place criminals hide; indeed, most young people that go into crime these days are well educated and sophisticated enough to hatch their nefarious plans in the comfort of any luxurious hotel in town. Does that mean all the five star hotels or the first class restaurants where they eat in the FCT should also be demolished?
Why can’t the minister look at the more pressing issues affecting residents of the FCT like perennial power failure, incessant accidents, poor water supply, access to satellite towns, nepotism and high corruption in FCDA and its components, among others?
Udendeh Gabriel < gudendeh@cenbank.org>
We talk about Abuja as a mega city deserving foreign investment and yet keep implementing inhibitive and backward policies that are divisive and border on lack of sensitivity to other people’s rights. For goodness sake, Abuja is not a local government headquarter; it is a modern capital city for an emerging nation and must be allowed to thrive in civility.
Dr Maaki, Abuja
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Media reports that Pastor Kenneth Oyakhilome, currently pastor of Christ Embassy (CE) Church in Houston, Texas, USA was convicted in a South African court in 2007 for fraud and corruption have provoked a minor public storm amongst members of the faithful, with clarion calls for him to step aside. Court records made available to huhuonline, revealed that on September 11, 2007, Kenneth Imo Obome Oyakhilome, a.k.a Pastor Ken was convicted of fraud; fined R20,000.00 and received a two-year suspended sentence for three years with choice of imprisonment .
“We are shocked by this revelation that Ken is a convicted criminal. He is a fraudster and this is not a matter that is subject to any debate. We cannot have the Gospel of Jesus Christ besmirched by such people, who hide behind the innocence of genuine believers to commit fraud”, exclaimed Pastor Javed Masih of the Jesus Fellowship International Society in Randburg, South Africa.
Chris Oyakhilome
When Pastor Ken left his family in South Africa and boarded a plane back to Houston, Texas, where he currently serves as Pastor of the Christ Embassy Church, CE officials in South Africa, qualified the move as a spiritual sabbatical. But it is now emerging that the decision to transfer Pastor Ken from South Africa to the USA was a well contrived attempt to douse the smoldering inferno that was threatening to consume Ken’s pastoral career and that of his elder brother, Pastor Christian Oyakhilome, who founded the Ministry and himself is now locked in a huge public relations battle to salvage his own battered credibility.
The moral questions hovering over the head of Pastor Ken, has cast a huge shadow of doubt over his elder brother, Pastor Christian, who has refused to take the blame for any problems associated with his brother’s profligacy and lack of moral character. The Christ Embassy Church in Houston, Texas, scorned requests for explanations from huhuonline while Pastor Ken continues to defy public criticisms of official misconduct, and still retains his high profile position as Pastor of the Houston Church. Yet the Pastor Brothers have been pushing to make sure that the public remembers them -- or rather, remembers what they want them to remember.
Pastor Ken is a troubled man. As long as allegations of official misconduct continue to swirl around him, the Pastor will forever be distracted from his official pastoral duties. The distraction will come chiefly from a scandal that threatens to weaken his capacity to function as an effective Spiritual guide and leader of the Houston church. At a time when the Pastor ought to be preoccupied with issues that affect the welfare of his congregation, he has been busy rehearsing how he would defend himself against serious allegations of financial impropriety and abuse of trust. Some Christ Embassy Church members have expressed genuine alarmed at the way in which Pastor Ken is reported to have run riot in South Africa and questioned whether he still has the moral high ground to continue working in Houston as “God’s Messenger.” If religiosity in general comes with the capacity to numb the intellect, and defraud and exploit the innocent faithful, the brand of Christianity that has been on the ascendance in Christ Embassy for the past decade fosters a certain incuriousness that borders on total intellectual surrender.
For the truth of the matter is that in its practices and dynamics, the Christ Embassy Church itself has become an expression of the character of its founders. In the current configuration, the Christ Embassy Church operates more or less like a business enterprise out to make profit. It was no coincidence that Pastor Ken was more to be seen mixing it with the South African political elite (governors, ministers,), than with ordinary members of his Congregation. Such was the social proximity between the Christ Embassy Church officials and the South African elite that rumors were floated that the Christ Embassy Church and Pastor Ken had the political benediction of the ruling ANC party in South Africa. Pastor Ken, in a dynamic that works quite well for the Church and serves the ends of holders of political power, attends their (office holders') birthday ceremonies, blesses their respective families, and, at the end of each year, unfailingly prophesies positive things for the country they so spectacularly misgovern. In return, he reinforced public perceptions of being a handmaiden of political power in a country where the majority of the population (including most of his own congregation) continues to wallows in absolute immiseration?
Shell-shocked Christ Embassy Church members in South Africa are still at a loss to understand a situation where Pastor Ken who was (and in some quarters, still is) widely respected for his preachings on austerity and moral rectitude, has now abandoned Christ’s gospel of austere pietism to embrace material aggrandizement and conspicuous consumption. Before his sojourn in South Africa, the Christ Embassy Church was renowned for its emphasis on a rigorous, no frills personal regime for its members. Such unflattering apothegm was a testament to the perceived doctrinal severity of the Christ Embassy Church. This image was to change with the ascendance of Pastor Ken - and the Church's rapid transition into a new era, marked by a departure from this somber model and the development of a new, less abstemious, theological outlook whose modus operandi was primitive material accumulation. Court records showed that Pastor Ken owned a fleet of luxury cars including: a Red Chrysler; a Silver Mercedes Benz; a Gold-pleated Peugeot 407 and a Black Audi 8-cylinder series. And although married with three children, Pastor Ken paraded a harem of wivelets and mistresses drawn mostly from the congregation, including married women, who share his bedroom under the euphemistic guise of “serving the man of God.”
For emphasis, the point now is not about the criminal conviction of Pastor Ken or his material possessions, including his harem of girlfriends. The central nexus of the unraveling scandal raises fundamental questions about whether it is morally ethical for Pastor Ken to continue as Spiritual Guardian of the Christ Embassy Church in Houston, Texas. In the interest of full disclosure, if Pastor Christian, the founder of the Christ Embassy Ministry is certain about his junior brother’s innocence; if he is concerned about the impact of this salacious affair on the integrity of the Christ Embassy Ministry (not to forget his own patchy morality), he should advise his junior brother to step aside in order to facilitate an independent inquiry. An independent inquiry is guaranteed to produce one of two outcomes: a moral acquittal that should help to cleanse Pastor Ken of the stench that began to gush out since the scandal broke; or an indictment that would shred forever his name, his honor and his status in society. If he refuses to step aside, he can expect to preside over a disorderly Congregation for the rest of his tenure as Pastor of the Christ Embassy Church in Houston, Texas.
In proceeding, it is only fair to state that in taking its message to the world, the Christ Embassy Church has also, almost predictably, taken in a considerable part of the world. Today's Christ Embassy Ministry, with churches worldwide, is no doubt a successful religious brand, but like all brands, it has had to forge all sorts of shabby accommodations with sponsors and politicians, including even fraudsters and criminals. Obvious material success and a fatal conflation of ethos with criminal enterprise mean that the Christ Embassy Church that redefined Biblical economics is now in clear danger of being consumed by its creation. It is certainly not a good evidence of moral leadership for a Pastor to be confronted with daunting revelations of criminal conviction. With or without Pastor Ken, the Christ Embassy Church in Houston will still continue to exist. But whether it would be an effective Church or a disorderly House of worship would be determined by current and future events.
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Standing tall, feeling confident, believing in yourself -- these are all important ways to feel your best. But as any woman who's ever stood in front of a mirror can tell you, beauty secrets count too!While the way we look may be only one part of who we are, it is still a part of us. And feeling that you look your best can be a real confidence booster.Looking your best doesn't have to be complicated or expensive, either. Experts say most of us really only need to pay attention to a few basic beauty secrets - essentials that can help you look and feel great without spending a lot of time or money.To help you find the beauty tips that really work, WebMD talked to top skin care and beauty experts, who parted with their personal tips for looking great:Beauty Tip 1: Never Underestimate the Power of MoisturizerWhether your skin is dry, normal, or even oily, if you can only afford one skin care product, experts say, your dollars will be well spent on a good moisturizer."Sometimes, all you really need is a good moisturizer and a mild cleanser, and you can take years off your face," says New York University professor Rhoda Narins, MD, president of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery. When skin is dry, says Narins, every wrinkle is accentuated, making you look older.If you're in your 20s or 30s, doctors say, moisturizers will give you some of the protection you need to keep skin from prematurely aging."In your 20s and early 30s, a good moisturizer can take the place of a lot of products," says Park Avenue plastic surgeon Darrick Antell, MD.So what exactly is a "good" moisturizer? Dermatologist Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD, describes it this way: "It's a product that will do anything from gently adding moisture, to sealing in the moisture you've achieved, to helping your skin produce more moisture -- and which type you choose should be based on your skin's individual needs."If skin is normal to dry, look for moisturizers containing alpha hydroxy acids. They can help skin produce more moisture on its own, Crutchfield says. Such products include Neutrogena Advanced Solutions Daily Moisturizerand Anew Advanced All In One Cream by Avon.Products such as AmLactin XL - the over-the-counter version of the prescription cream Lac-Hydrin - not only contain alpha hydroxy acids, but also a new ceramide technology to seal in moisture."You put on when you skin is slightly damp, and it locks in all the water," says Crutchfield, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School.If skin is very dry, he also suggests products using a technology called vesicular emulsion."This technology uses microscopic spheres that are alternating layers of moisture and water that slowly release throughout the day, so you get continual moisturization," says Crutchfield. Products using this type of technology include Atopalm and Curel.If skin is oily, look for a light, gentle moisturizer - but don't skip this step, cautions Crutchfield."Oil is not moisture, and even if you have excess oil you still need moisture," he says. Recommended products include Aveeno with Colloidal Oatmeal, Vanicream Light, Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer, or Cetaphil Moisturizer.Get the 5 Beauty Tips and Secrets Every Woman Should Know at the link belowhttp://tinyurl.com/5mzova
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(The blogs of the major character of FEDDIE GIRL, the international adventure/thriller set in Nigerian Federal school.)Umm…yeah, I’m sure it’s no secret anymore that I was born in San Francisco, in August of 1995. That should make me like what…? Yep, 13 years old as of 2008 when I featured in the novel, FEDDIE GIRL.Being from California and all, you all would think that I’m all flashy, bitchy, snooty and bratty, right? Well, you’re right… Okay, no, I used to be like a total bitch before I went to school in Nigeria. I had like a ‘don’t mess with me’ attitude which got totally worse when my parents bundled us all to Oklahoma. But that was then — I’m totally mellowed-out and cool now, something I learned from my boarding school experiences (more on that later!).Anyways, back to me. Just so you know what I look like beyond what is visible from my profile pix, I am like 5′4″ tall and weigh about 105 pounds! Okay, I lied, it’s actually more like 105.57 pounds but who cares about what comes after the dot? Lol! So, I totally have like, blue eyes and long wavy brown hair (got me in a lotta trouble too! You’ll see! Lol!)My mom is from Los Angeles, while my dad is from both Goergia, USA and Anambra State, Nigeria. You ask, “Where on earth is that?” Lol! I asked the same question myself last year. But I’ll let you find out by yourself. One hint though — West Africa!!!Okay, so my dad’s a half-breed! Cool, huh? Well that makes me a three-quarter breed, even though you can’t tell by just looking at me. People tell me I look totally like my mom, which is good — I guess! Actually, it’s rockin’!!!So why did I get parceled-off to boarding school in Africa? Well to tell you that, I gotta start at the very beginning. You see, you’ve got to understand a few things about my parents to be able to grasp why they would do a thing like that. Not that I’m blaming them for what they did — I’m just sayin’.So in answer to your question of, ‘Why Nigeria for goddsakes?” I will begin my next post by telling you all about my parents… Lol! It’s such juicy gossip too!Oh, and did I tell you my Dad is tall and handsome and a medical doctor? No? I didn’t? Sorry! My bad.And yes, my mom is an English Professor at a local University in Oklahoma and she’s the type that likes to dot her i’s and cross her t’s. You know, the type of mom that corrects your sentences and makes you repeat them after her! Hahahaha… Now you know why I never wanna have parties at home! Lol!If you’ve stuck with me so far, you may wanna stick around for the upcoming gist!Just watch out… I’ll be revealing the story of my parents next! And soon!!!Lotta luv,CarlottaRead excerpts of the novel at Bernard Books Publishing. Read more blogs at WordPressRead more…
