Patience Jonathan’s mother dies in crash

THERE was anxiety in Port Harcourt on Monday as news of the death of Mrs. Iwari-Oba, the mother of the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience,  spread in the Rivers State capital. The mother of Mrs. Jonathan was said to have been involved in a ghastly motor accident along Elele Road in Rivers State. It was gathered that the woman, who is from Okrika Local Government Area, was on her way to Bayelsa State when the accident happened. Unconfirmed report indicated that her corpse was taken to Kpaiyama Mortuary by a team of policemen and a member representing Ogu Bolo State Constituency, Mr. Evans Bipi, who is a relative to the deceased. Though, the police and the Federal Road Safety Commission in the state could not confirm the incident, an aide to Bipi said the First Lady’s mother died in a road accident, which occurred at about 4pm.

Bipi’s aide, Mr. Fred Itobo, told The PUNCH that the President’s wife’s mother was involved in the accident while she was on her way to Bayelsa State. “Yes! She was involved in an accident and she died. Her body has been taken to a mortuary. Bipi was among those who took her body to the mortuary,” Itobo said. When contacted, the State Director of FRSC, Dr. Kayode Olagunju, declined comment on the matter, saying, “I cannot say anything on this matter now until I get full details.” Though effort to get reactions from the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Angela Agabe, proved futile, she had already told a journalist on the telephone that she had not been briefed on such crash.

I did not send my mother-in-law, Abigail Igwe, packing-- Joseph Yobo

 (You probably didn't hear it...we didn't either) that Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo sent his mother-in-law, Mrs Abigail Igwe Fashanu packing from his home for being a bad influence on her daughter, his wife, Adaeze Igwe. He tells Maestro Media, it's not true.

''There's is no iota of truth in the report that has gained grounds of recent. There was no encounter of the such that was described to have happened between my mother-in-law and I. We as a family are in the best of place in our lives currently. Someone from some place, just sat down and decided to construct a lie, a total fabrication from their own imagination.                                                                                              

"I love my wife very much, nothing anyone does can bring any division between us and between our families. There was never a time that I sent my Mother-in-Law packing from my home for being a bad influence on her own daughter, who is my wife. How can people just come up with stories about what never happened.

The Yobos and the Fashanus have a great relationship, a fantastic one at that and very good mutual respect for each other, and we thank God for that. 

'We have no problems at all.  We have two great houses next to each other in Istanbul, Turkey that is big enough to accommodate our families, without anyone invading on anyone's privacy. They are just trying to destroy the two families. 

When we first came across the stories, we thought okay it was just one of those silly little gossips and that it would soon fade away and be forgotten. Only for us to read it and found out it was very well orchestrated pack of lies, from the beginning to the end of it: they didn't even know where I am from and claimed I am from Plateau State. 

They constructed lies about my mother-in-law and her family, claiming all that is not true and that they have no proof of. Most definitely, this is just somebody trying to damage these families. I can tell you categorically, I would not swap my wife for anybody in this world, no woman from anywhere can take her place, she means the world to me. 

The number of calls we have received over this falsehood is unbelievable. People calling to find out what was going on.  I tell you now and this is the absolute truth- ''My wife is my best friend, she's my queen, she's my everything, our families are doing great and doing very well together. Anyone thinking otherwise is only wasting his or her time. 

I am not going to allow anyone disrespect my Mother-in-law wrongfully. I am not going to accept this. They have stepped way out of line this time and I am not going to take it lying low. We would definitely seek legal redress.  

An apparition of Mary appeared in Catholic Church in Edo State? Is it true?

Sorry, just waking up. It's morning here (NYC)...:-). So got pics from members of Saint Benedict Catholic Church, Ubiaja, Esan South East LGA of Edo State, claiming that an apparition of Mary appeared on the wall in their church yesterday Sunday July 21st. Church members were able to take photos...do you see it? Is there another explanation for this?

11yr old Nada speaks out, after her parents promised her hand in marriage

The 11 year old Yemen girl, Nada Al-Ahdal (pictured above) who ran away from home after her parents promised her hand in marriage, has spoken out online saying 'she's not an item for sale.'

Nada said she was forced to run away and live with her uncle after she was promised to another man.

"They told me that I am engaged, and that my fiancé had already paid them money and brought the engagement ring. They said that I couldn't leave and even threatened to kill me if I went back to my uncle. I'm not an item for sale, I'm a human being and I would rather die than get married at this age. I've decided that I have two choices: to leave or to die. So I chose the first" Nada said in a video that was released online July 8th

Nada's saving grace is her uncle who has refused to let her family marry her off. Continue...


Her uncle told reporters:

When I heard about the groom, I panicked. Nada was not even 11 years old; she was exactly 10 years and 3 months. I could not allow her to be married off and have her future destroyed, especially since her aunt was forced to marry at 13 and burnt herself. I did all I could to prevent that marriage. I called the groom and told him Nada was no good for him. I told him she did not wear the veil and he asked if things were going to remain like that. I said ‘yes, and I agree because she chose it. I also told him that she liked singing and asked if he would remain engaged to her.'

Nada now stays with her uncle, her father's brother, who is against child marriage.

According to a report in 2010 by the Social Affairs Ministry, more than 25% of females in Yemen marry before age 15, and it's mostly because of the poverty level in the country. Parents give their daughters away for profit.

Okorocha sacked Nkiru Sylvanus and others

This is indeed not the best of times for Nollywood actress, Nkiru Sylvanus, as Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, recently fired all commissioners and advisers in his government including the screen diva who has been acting as his SSA on Public Affairs since 2011. 

In a bid to inject new blood into his government, the embattled governor shockingly dissolved his whole cabinet and also directed the affected former government officials to hand over to their permanent secretaries or the Chief of Staff.

It was further gathered that the action had been underground for some weeks, as the governor plans to replace his whole cabinet members with new faces.

According to reliable sources, “The dissolution is long overdue, as most of the commissioners and political aides have not brought new innovations and Governor Okorocha is aware of the complaints of the people over issues of slow pace of policy implementation. The governor wants to inject new blood and competent hands to run the administration in the next two years.”

It also gathered that the Governor’s decision to dissolve the state executive council might not be unconnected to the birth of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the leaders of APC agreed that cabinets in the states governed by the parties that merged should be made up of members across the parties.

Also speaking on the dissolution of the cabinet, one of the affected commissioners, who did not want to be quoted, revealed that he and his former colleagues were stunned by the sudden development, as they had no inkling of the governor’s plan.

 Nkiru Sylvanus, the Abia State-born actress has been battling with several people since she assumed her post as one of the Governor’s cabinet members.

Lots of eyebrows were raised, when she was appointed. Some felt that the appointment was meaningless and unnecessary. Others felt that the actress had a relationship with the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha. An accusation she had out-rightly refuted.

Meanwhile, intense lobbying has commenced, as some of the sacked commissioners and political leaders in the state were seen flocking around the office of the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere and the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Anthony Anwuka, in apparent bid to win their sympathy and support.

Ndi Igbo can bring Nigeria to a halt if… – AmaechI

ELDER Statesman and First Republic Minister of Aviation, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi is the last man standing in Southern Nigeria among the generation of nationalists who fought for the nation’s independence. He is also the only surviving minister from the South that served in the first post-independence cabinet. The quartet in that cabinet still surviving are Shehu Shagari, Shettima Ali Mungono, Inuwa Wada and Maitama Sule all from the North.

Amaechi’s place in history nonetheless, he notes the chasm between the values of the founding fathers and the current generation of leaders who he asserts are engrossed in rapacious looting of the country’s common wealth. In this exclusive interview, Amaechi also raises issues with the place of Ndigbo in the nation’s history noting what he describes as a systematic policy of undermining the presence and place of the Igbo race in the polity. Excerpts:

HOW has life in the village been?
I was born in the village here and then in my early life, I was taken out of the village to pursue secondary and higher education, then the struggle for independence began. I later moved to the public service as a parliamentary secretary and later minister.

Nigerians expect that those of you that fought for the country’s Independence should be consultants of some sort. Are you recognized by those at helm of affairs?

Not at all. Governments in Nigeria now are by-products of the military junta that destroyed the country and destroyed the dreams of the founding fathers of this country and the subsequent regimes have inherited the hostility of the military. The governments are hostile to history and many of them don’t want to know about the history, particularly the political history of the country.

That is why in many places, the politicians who founded the country, particularly from our side of the country, that is, the Igbo side, are not given their due recognition. In places like the North or the West, the nationalists are being honoured.  With a pointer to Anambra State in particular, it is either they are ignorant of the history or something else.

Amaechi

Then, again, in Nigeria , I am the only surviving nationalist or minister from the First Republic in the whole of Southern Nigeria. With the death of T.O.S Benson, some years ago, Dr. Majekodumi last year and M.T Mbu,  I am the only surviving one in Southern Nigeria, East or West. There are four others in the North namely, Shehu Shagari, Shettima Ali Mungono, Inuwa Wada and Maitama Sule. Whenever  I leave Anambra State to other states, they recognize me a lot, but here in the East, it is only the Abia State Governor that respects me a lot as well as the new Governor of Imo State.

Founding fathers
In the North, it’s something else. Anywhere I go there, they get excited that one of our founding fathers is around.

You talked about how the military destroyed this country. If they had approached you for advice as a nationalist, what would you have told them?

What kind of advice will you give to a criminal? Taking over the rulership of a country by force of arms is the highest form of armed robbery and as far as I am concerned, all military men that took over government either in Nigeria or elsewhere are people who are guilty of treason. They should be killed. They were all killed in Ghana and Ghana found peace.

When an armed robber snatches a hand bag from a lady, he is executed but when somebody takes over a whole government of a country, takes over the whole wealth of a country and plunders it, he is going about freely. The same thing they have transferred to their successors now.  They are looting the country now in a legal way. For example, look at the earnings of the governors, the legislators and ministers. Some people appointed as ministers do not merit it while some do.

In our own time, you will have to have the mandate of the people, you have to win election, be a member of the parliament before you are appointed a minister. But today, any dropout can be appointed a minister and anybody who is a minister at Abuja for six months, you find him owning a house in Asokoro, Maitama or any other high brow area in Abuja. Where did they get the money from?

Dropouts looting the country
They are simply looting the country. The country is fabulously rich and blessed by God but thieves are stealing the country dry. The legislators who make all sorts of laws for themselves have basic salaries or take home allowances, both seen and unseen and go home with up to N10m a month. What do you call that? It’s stealing, they have legalized looting.

Check out the time of the nationalists and the founding fathers of this country, starting from Dr. Azikiwe to Okpara to Dennis Osadebey, to Nwafor Orizu, to Obafemi Awolowo, to Saudauna of Sokoto. Did you find any chain of buildings that they sprawled all over the place?

The same for people like us that were ministers. I was a minister for six years, yet I did not build a house in Lagos which was the capital of the country then. For example, when Dr. Okpara wanted to come back, his wife cried out and myself, the late C.C Onoh, Dr. Walter Eze, Dr. G.C. Mbanugo, we raised money and went and completed a building for him at Umuahia.

This was somebody who was a minister for about eight years and Premier of Eastern Region for six years. He did not build a house but now, even special assistants or advisers build mansions, own private jets and all that. What kind of country is that?

You operated a parliamentary system of government. Do you suggest that we go back to that system?

I don’t think it is the system, it is the people. Any system that runs through democracy is right. The fault is not in the system but in the people operating the system.

As a former minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, are you receiving pensions or any form of stipend?

No, nothing. They don’t even invite us to drink fanta at the Independence celebrations. The other day they celebrated 50 years of independence; they did not invite the nationalists. I have never had any invitation from them.

Another election is underway, what do you make of the struggle for power?
I don’t know. I don’t vote. I am talking about the clamour for power shift in the country. Ideally, the proper thing in a society is for the people to elect somebody of their choice to rule them. It does not matter whether he comes from the East, West, North or South. It doesn’t matter the religion he professes. If he is an honest man, capable and has something to offer as well good leadership, then why not?  But ideally, Nigeria is not an ideal place because there is so much ethnic and religious influences in our public places.

Amaechi

Therefore, it becomes necessary that certain areas should not be marginalized. A good leader should give leadership to all. For example, look at the case of Nigeria, Igbos, because they fought a civil war, have been mapped out for marginalization and reduction to a second or third class status in a country they were part of the founders. There is no ethnic group in Nigeria that produced more nationalists and founding fathers like the Igbo land.

No other section of Nigeria contributed more than the Igbos to the founding of this country, yet since after the civil war, since after the first Republic, the Igbos have been relegated to the status of sub citizenship in their own country. They are neglected in development plans, look at our roads, look at the second Niger Bridge that we have been talking about, old bridge that the Balewa government built in 1965 to 1966 is aging and being over loaded.

We have been crying and they said the contract has been awarded and it is contractor financed in which they say the contractor should organize a toll and collect the money.  It is only here they are doing it. It is only in this part of the country that electricity is locked off.  There were two powerful power stations in Igbo land but after the civil war, the Gowon government decided that electricity should not be generated in Igbo land again and so they closed the Oji River power generating station in Enugu which was utilizing coal.

Succeeding generation
Then the Afam power station which was in Aba division, they transferred the town to Rivers State so that it will not be in Igbo land because of the government policy that there should not be any power generating point in Igbo land, all because of the civil war. Afam power station was useful to Biafra.  Then the Igbo politicians themselves, that is the succeeding generation of politicians from Igbo land cannot even come and sit down and plan on how they can save themselves, how they can go back again to belong to Nigeria because there is no ethnic group in Nigeria that is superior to the Igbos.

In any town in Nigeria, take away the indigenous natives, the next highest population are the Igbos.  There is no town in Nigeria you don’t find the Igbos. In every hamlet in Nigeria, they are there. It is said that if you go to any place in Nigeria and you don’t find an Igbo man, go away because that place is not habitable.

They are always there, as wine tappers, vulcanisers, traders and all that but the political leaders of this era have not learnt to galvanize and mobilize them.  Ndi Igbo, if they decide to bring this country to a halt for 24 hours, they can do that.  If we say, let every Igbo man close his shop, let every Igbo transporter take his vehicles off the road,   let every Igbo teacher withdraw from the classroom, this country will come to a halt.

Why then do you think the Igbos do not maximize their power in the Nigerian project?
Because the political atmosphere is dominated more by opportunists and careerists than thinking people and once an Igbo man finds himself in a comfortable position, he wants to enjoy that position to the fullest. They are not thinking of tomorrow.

National conference
Alright, Nigeria at a national conference some seven years ago decided that Igbo land has been cheated amongst all the geo- political zones, that all the geo-political zones in the country have minimum of six states and that it is only Igbo land that has five states. So they passed a resolution that there should be one more state in Igbo land. Now, it has been impossible for the present generation of politicians to agree on one state.

They are demanding Urashi State, Adada State, Egbema, all sorts of things. We tried to use the Ohaneze and the governors to get them together, but it has not happened. In our own time, it won’t happen.  If such challenge is thrown to us, over night, the leaders will meet and say this is what is going to happen and it stays and it ends there.

Video: Rita-Dominic-gets-stained-by-Banky W

Don’t you just love pay back? Well Banky W sure does.

In this edition of “Stained“, Rita Dominic throws a fit over her ruined clothes while Banky W (stains accomplice) tries to calm her down.

watch video after cut  

COSON Board Declares War On Copyright Royalty Defaulters

The full Board of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), the nation’s sole approved collective management organization for musical works and sound recordings held a strategic meeting on Tuesday, July 16 in Lagos at which several critical decisions were taken.

Rising from the meeting which took place at the Board room of the society in Opebi, Ikeja, a key member of the Board, Mr. Efe Omorogbe said, “we reviewed the compliance level with respect to music copyright royalty payments in Nigeria and came to the conclusion that while there are several users who have shown that they want to play by the rules, there are those who are playing games. They erroneously believe that they can conspire, delay and successfully confront COSON and continue the era of free music. They are badly mistaken and clearly do not understand the passion, total determination and zeal that drives the work of COSON.”

Mr. Omorogbe, CEO of Nowmuzik and manager of several top Nigerian artistes such as 2Face Idibia, J. Martins, Sheyi Shay, Tunde & Wunmi Obe, Sunny Neji, etc., went on to say, “those who are ready to work with COSON will find out that we are very reasonable and friendly. I however assure those who want a fight that they will badly regret the day they decided to engage COSON in a fight.”

Another member of the Board, Hon John Ewelukwa Udegbunam, National President, Music Label Owners & Recording Industries Association of Nigeria (MORAN) said “the Board has instructed that we immediately begin a nationwide mobilization of the members and supporters of COSON for a historic show down with those who have shown no respect for the law and the rights of musicians and investors in the music industry. If they think we are joking, they will be shocked. We will implement the directive of the Board to the letter. There will be no retreat and no surrender.”

Speaking after the meeting, star artiste and COSON Board member, Azeezat Allen said, ‘the Board identified some in the broadcast industry who believe that they can employ divide and rule tactics and break the unity of the music industry. They obviously do not understand that this is a revolution. COSON has revealed to Nigerian musicians what is possible. The rapid growth of COSON has shown that we can successfully run a positive, professional, transparent and accountable organization in our industry. I know some musicians who have received over a million naira each as royalty from COSON in the last six months. Before COSON, they were getting nothing. This is therefore personal. Nobody wants to go back to the days of old. Those who may have decided to fight COSON surely miscalculated.”

At the meeting, the Board thanked the thousands of Nigerians and persons from other lands who participated in the historic events of the COSON Week. The society’s Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji, General Manager, Mr. Chinedu Chukwuji and Chairman of the Board of the COSON Music Foundation, Evangelist (Dr.) Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi were commended for the exemplary leadership that successfully drove the seven historic events. The Board also singled out for special commendation, the Nigerian media and the many partners of COSON who successfully made COSON Week talk of the nation. It was also decided that arrangements be made to widely broadcast some of the events so that those who may have missed them can enjoy the thrills and frills of the unforgettable COSON Week.

Amongst the several other decisions taken by the Board was the convocation of one day digital licensing summit under the banner of the Nigerian Music Industry Coalition to critically assess the digital exploitations of musical works and sound recordings in Nigeria.

Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa shares her thoughts on the child bride issue

Mrs Abike Dabiri is a former broadcaster and now a member of the Nigeria Federal House of Reps representing Ikorodu Constituency in Lagos State.

Tonto Dikeh replies Iyanya

When asked who he would have dinner with, die for and dust off on Rubbing Minds yesterday, singer Iyanya said he would have dinner with Genevieve, die for Yvonne Nelson and dust off Tonto Dikeh. Trust Tonto Dikeh to reply...but she went easy on Iyanya, only writing 'Nigga sounds pained'. Guess she still has a soft spot for him..:-)

See the video where Iyanya made the comment after the cut...

Is Nigeria The Most Stressful Country In The World? According To Bloomberg, Yes

Nigeria is pretty stressful. We all know that, and those of us that live there have to deal with daily stresses that wouldn’t exist in other parts of the world at all.

Bloomberg scored 74 countries around the world for their “stressed-out” factor, and has seen Nigeria coming up at the top, followed by South Africa & El Salvador. Mongolia & Guatemala wrap up the top 5.

At the bottom of the list is Norway, listed at the least stressful country with Luxemburg, Switzerland, Sweden & Australia rounding up the top 5 least stressful countries in the world.

The United States ranked at 54th, and the UK at 51.

See full chart below:

…

The question now is, do you believe Nigeria is the most stressful country in the world? Do you agree with Bloomberg’s rankings?

Nigeria is pretty stressful, but I’m sure there’s worse, but we’ll let you decide. Let’s discuss.

Anna Ebiere Banner (Miss Bayelsa) Wins Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria, MBGN 2013

The pageants in done, and we now have a new Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria this year.

The 26th edition of the beauty pageant took place in Yenogoa, Bayelsa tonight the 20th of July, 2013 and Anna Ebiere Banner representing Bayelsa State was crowned the winner of the Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria – MBGN 2013. She is the most beautiful girl in Nigeria and with this win, will represent Nigeria at the Miss World pageant in Jakarta, Indonesia later this year.

At 18 years of age, she will be one of the youngest winners of the MBGN crown. The winner of MBGN 2012 Isabella Ayuk presented her with the crown.

The top 5 finalists along with Anna Ebiere were Miss Imo (Stephanie Okwu) as first runner up, Miss Adamawa (Powede Lawrence) as second runner up, Miss Kaduna(Enoma Agboniko) as third runner up & Miss Abuja (Melissa Devidal) as fourth runner up. The first runner up, Miss Imo (Stephanie Okwu) will be representing Nigeria at the Miss Universe pageant.

Other winners include, Miss Photogenic – Miss Kano, Miss Amity – Miss Bayelsa, Miss Charismatic – Tomilayo Salami (Miss Kwara) & Best Traditional Costume – Miss Bayelsa.

Big Congrats Anna Ebiere, the MBGN 2013 winner! The Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria 2013 winner.