The Nation Newspaper

Category: Celebrity

  • Maryam Abacha regains groove

    Maryam Abacha regains groove

    After a long time away from the social radar, Maryam, the widow of the late former Head of State General Sani Abacha, has resurfaced on the scene. Her re-emergence on the social scene was in relation to the birthday soiree of her daughter, Gumsu.

    Stepping out in luxurious golden lace designed in the traditional Muslim style, Maryam drew the appreciation of all in attendance. She was in high spirits throughout the event and even took pictures with her daughter and a few others.

    The matriarch of the Abacha family turned 70 this year and has mostly stayed out of the public eye. The mother of three daughters and six sons spends most of her time in the family home in Kano, surrounded by scores of her children and grandchildren.

  • Gbenga Elegbeleye’s latest moves

    Gbenga Elegbeleye’s latest moves

    Well-connected Ondo high chief, Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye, is very much at home with the saying that it is better to quit when the ovation is loudest. He has been a witness to many of his peers sitting tight in positions and overstaying their welcome. Thus, with his assignment completed, he swiftly stepped down while his name remains yet the favourite song on everyone’s lips.

    It will be recalled that the former Director General of the National Sports Commission was beseeched by the Ondo State Government to help save the situation as the state’s favourite team Sunshine Stars was sinking into relegation. In response to the call, Elegbeleye swooped in like an avenging spirit, slaying Sunshine’s demons and helping them to a respectable 10th place finish.

    Now that he has stepped down, there are rumours that the former Chairman House Committee on Sports is putting the machinery in motion for another shot at the National Assembly where he represented Akoko East between 2007 and 2011.The Ikare-born dude was one of those who eyed the seat of the number one citizen of Ondo State during the last governorship election. Perhaps the rumoured senatorial ambition is a stepping stone in his plan to become the governor in the future.

  • Senator Soji Akanbi set to celebrate wife at 50

    The senator representing Oyo South, Soji Akanbi, is getting ready to celebrate Folake, his wife of many years, as she waltzes gracefully into the golden age of 50. Come October 13 and 14, the Jogor Events Centre, Ibadan will host the who’s who in the South West, who will be trooping there to pay homage to one of their own.

    The two-pronged event will commence on the 13th with a Walimot. The main celebration and grand reception will take place on Saturday October 14 at Jogor Events Centre and will feature entertainment from some of the hottest acts in the Fuji music scene. King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1) is expected to be on stage to thrill guests.

    Hajia Folake Akanbi is a highly successful woman who has cut her teeth in the business world. She is also a humanitarian as she and her husband have made a habit of putting smiles on the faces of the less privileged for more than a decade.

  • Singer, Kelechi drops debut track, ‘Gini’

    BUDDING singer, Kelechi Ezeigbo, who simply goes by the stage name, Kelechi has made what has been termed a bold entry into the Nigerian music scene with a catchy Afrobeat song titled Gini.

    Produced by Ritzy Beatz, Gini is a slow tempo tune laced with a catchy hook reminding listeners of some of the biggest Nigerian singers from South East, Nigeria.

    Kelechi who hails from Idiato North L.G.A of Imo State holds a Bachelor’s Degree in in History and International Studies from Imo State University.

    The singer revealed that the song is available for download across all major platforms globally to all music lovers within and outside Nigeria.

    “If you love good music, you will love Gini,” enthused Kelechi.

    Born on February 3, 1992, Kelechi started honing his music skills from 2009 and was greatly inspired by acts like 2face, Sound Sultan, Wizkid, and Flavor. His style of music is very eclectic and versatile.

    Speaking further, the budding artiste was very upbeat about what his music will be adding to the creative industry.

    “I’m very confident in myself and I could say that I was born to do this. I don’t just sing but also represent my proud Igbo heritage in my culture. My highlife influenced song, Gini is my first gift to Nigerian music,” he stated.

  • My hubby is CRAZY about my food —Nollywood actress cum producer Foluke Daramola-Salako

    My hubby is CRAZY about my food —Nollywood actress cum producer Foluke Daramola-Salako

    Popular Nollywood actress and producer, Foluke Daramola-Salako, is also the wife of an activist Kayode Salako. In this interview with KEHINDE OLULEYE, she speaks on love, family, life and style. 

    On growing up

    I grew up in a close knit family. My mum is a widow; we lost my father when I was a child but my mum filled both roles of father and mother with love and so I was not lacking in either. She taught us contentment and love and true values which are what we all stand for till now. She taught us to place more value on impacting humanity than chasing things that you won’t be remembered for.

    How we met

    I met my hubby on the social advocacy platform.  I do a lot of that, so he was looking for a public face to use for his initiative; the change agents of Nigeria and so he contacted me and I was meant to be a face for the initiative.

    Being both in the limelight, how does the relationship affect the people around you?

    I don’t know how you mean people around us but we are just normal a couple that live our lives the normal way. We try as much as possible to take the paraphilia and paparazzi away from our home and union. That is, we live our normal lives the way we know best.

    Due to the nature of your work, how do you balance your personal life and home?

    I balance my home and work by placing it in order of priority. My family comes first in everything I do. I don’t compromise my hubby and children for anything. If I have to drop a job for them, I do that without thinking twice.

    Any challenges as a popular person and wife of a popular figure?

    Of course we are both popular. And that makes our marriage always on hot seat. But we know we are role models that a lot of people look up to. And we know we don’t have a choice than to keep our marriage. Aside the fact that we are both convinced about what we feel for one another, we have a perfect understanding between us.

    How will you describe your hubby?

    I will describe my hubby as a very understanding person. One that knows and trusts me so perfectly.

    He’s one person that’s so confident of himself and believes that if you love a woman, you don’t have to cage her but allow her to fly that no matter what, she will always come back home. That is one fact I cannot help but appreciate him for.

    What is your take on love, marriage and relationship?

    Love is key but it’s not what sustains marriage and marriage is not love in relationship. Just because someone is married to you doesn’t make that person in love with you and it’s not every relationship that leads to marriage.

    How do the family cope in his absence?

    Because we have perfect understanding between us and we are both upwardly mobile, we just work and synchronize our movements. When I am not around he will be and when he’s not, I will be. But all the time someone will be on ground.

    How will you describe his style?

    I will say my hubby’s stylish in his own way. But one thing that describes him that you can’t take from him is his choice of shoes, wrist watch and his hat.

    How do you relax as a couple?

    We talk on politics, current affairs or sometimes we take holidays for weekends when we feel we need to spend time together.

    What is your advice to women that are married to celebrities?

    I don’t see it as any big deal. Maybe because I also appear on screen as well but it’s what we have together that’s most important to us and not the popularity from either of us.

    Who apologies first?

    It depends on what we are apologising for.

    What is his favourite food and can you prepare it very well?

    He’s a swallow person. He has Ijesha blood, so he loves pounded yam and one of the best things I love doing is cooking. My hubby loves my food like crazy. Those are the things he loves about me. And I pound very well. My mum wanted us to pound yam every Sunday before I got married, and I still maintain my cooking skills.

  • Heart Beats hits cinema October 13

    WITH a projection of making N50m at the box office, distributors of a new Nollywood film, Heart Beats are set to release the film in cinemas on October 13, 2017.

    Directed by Moses Eskor and produced by Favour Puskas, the film features some of Nollywood’s finest role interpreters: Ruth kadiri, Frederick Leonard, Sedater Saviour, Fajo and Becky Odungide.

    In ‘Heart Beats’, Mr. Michael (played by Frederick Leonard), a brutally heartless husband reduces his wife, Thelma (Ruth Kadiri) to nothing in an open show of violence; Rosslyn (Sedater Saviour), Thelma’s younger sister will always be that moral foil thickening each plot to its warm as Nancy (Favour Puskas) becomes handy as the deus ex machina.

    In the film, not only is the subjected matter of domestic violence and “home abuse” in sub-Saharan Africa done justice in such unprecedented manner, it also does good to wake up victims of the menace to speak out and seek help in time in such a way almost never told before.

    Based in California-USA, FAJO Productions, headed by Favour Puskas, is the production company for the film. They believe that the film will make huge box office success as Cinema Screens, Silverbird, FilmOne, Metro among others warm up to the screening of the film from October 13, 2017 across Nigeria.

    On the other hand, Eskor, the director of the film is popular for his previous efforts, including ‘Bridge of No Return’, ‘My Love My Fate’, ‘Broken Scepter’, ‘Banana Girl’, ‘German Husband’, ‘The Missing Princess’, ‘Iso Joeover’, ‘Asari’, ‘Landlord’.

  • Mary Akpobome still out in the cold

    Mary Akpobome still out in the cold

    Those who think the top of the mountain is an easy place to be should have a chat with Mary Akpobome.  It is a place of danger, of steep slopes and banana peels, of strong winds that can blow away the unwitting in an eye-blink. The higher the height, the greater the fall and the longer the return climb as Mary would be happy to tell.

    The estranged executive director at Heritage Bank has not been finding things easy since she was temporarily shown the door back in March. She is allegedly looking for a way back into the fold but the door remains closed to her by the recalcitrant management of the bank.

    The pretty wife of ace comedian, Alibaba, was one of the happening girls in the banking sector with a fine reputation built over the years. She even helped her bank to take over the defunct Societe Generale Bank as well as Enterprise Bank. However, her fortunes seemed set on a downward trajectory. Mary was reportedly accused of anti-bank activities and placed on suspension back in March. Since then things have gone quiet for the beautiful Ibibio lady who has since been lying low.

  • D’banj doles out millions of naira as CREAM clocks one

    D’banj doles out millions of naira as CREAM clocks one

    IT was a successful entrepreneur that met with the press on Wednesday, outside of his personal musical accomplishment.

    Dapo Oyebanjo, otherwise called D’banj, oozes benevolence, grinning from ear to ear, ready to dole out millions of naira at the Renaissance Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, last Wednesday, as the next set of beneficiaries await their rewards for participating in the Creative Reality Entertainment Arts Music (CREAM).

    It was the one year anniversary event of CREAM, his innovative digital talent hunt platform, in partnership with MTN.

    His excitement is understandable. Not only is he succeeding in the project that has boycotted the usual ‘godfatherism’ chain and lifted the talents of several youths across the country, who may not have the opportunity of being heard, D’banj took a loan of N50 million from the Bank of Industry, and paid back in less than one year. This was a record-setting feat to the DFI among other beneficiaries of its creative industry fund scheme.

    D’banj said he conceived the CREAM idea because “I was being inundated right, left and centre by people who wanted to ‘blow’. It was a time too that I wanted to reach out to those talents in Ogbomoso, Langtang and everywhere else who could not come to Lagos to achieve their dreams but have the talent and passion to do music.” He added, “I wanted a platform that can help find creative talent from anywhere in Africa and give them a fair chance of making their creative dreams come true, from the comfort of their homes.”

    CREAM, thus, started with a mission to offer a veritable platform for uncut musical talents across the country to have their songs recorded and released, shoot musical videos for deserving up and comers and help unknowns secure collaboration with established acts. At the outset in September 2016, there were only a few hundreds of tentative subscribers on the platform.

    By July 2017, D’banj sensationally revealed that the CREAM platform had grown into a staggering 2million subscriber base and is now worth an estimated $100million. While the first set of beneficiaries on the platform were Rayce, TK Swag, MKJ, Leke Benson and Legend Courage, the lives of many other subscribers have altered dramatically with cash prizes ranging from N50, 000 to N1million during the monthly draws.

    He also used the occasion of the anniversary to dispel insinuations that CREAM is a scam. “I have a great team of judges and A n R which includes Godwin Tom and Harrysongs, Ice Prince, Wande Coal, to help mentor the artistes we are bringing on board. So, it’s not a lottery platform, the lottery part of it is just an added incentive. The winners are usually chosen by judges so even if I help the artistes shoot a video, they still need to make money, look good and move around, and for those who have already received their money, they know it is not a scam.”

    Speaking on the challenge of the initiative, he said the widespread distrust in the country makes some winners doubt even their own winnings.

    “Some people have been registering on the CREAM platform and winning prizes ranging from a million naira to N50, 000, but I noticed that whenever we call the artistes to inform them of winning huge amounts of money, they become scared and don’t bother coming to claim their prizes, it is understandable because of the present situation of the country. They think it is a scam, they think it’s unreal, but I am here to tell you that it is not a scam, I have invited them here for you to see.”

  • Peter Okoye, brother at war again?

    Peter Okoye, brother at war again?

    AT times, familiarity breeds communion. At other times, it breeds contempt. That, in a nutshell, is the picture of the relationship between the R&B duo called Psquare. Theirs have been periods of progress interrupted by those of strife. The latest gist in town is that the relationship between the enterprising double acts is once again headed for the rocks, following a sequence of exchanges on the social media which seemed to hint that all is not well between them.

    It will be recalled that Paul Okoye and Peter, his brother who burst onto the music scene as Psquare with their hit album, Get Squared, in 2005, fell out with each other in 2015, leading them to briefly embark on solo careers as “Rude Boy” and Mr P”. Mediation from their brother, Jude, as well as pressure from fans and good old common sense, however, prevailed and the two reunited.

    News that the two are once again at each other’s throat has spread like wildfire through the entertainment scene. Paul, whose wife recently gave birth to a set of twins in the USA, had posted a message directed at an unnamed woman to steer clear of the group, only for Peter to swiftly respond with what some consider an oblique defence of the said woman. It is no news that Peter’s wife, Lola Omotayo, was a factor in their earlier fallout.

    Psquare, whose best-selling album, Game Over, has sold eight million copies, have since cancelled their much-anticipated tour of Canada, fuelling speculations of a cold war between the two.

  • Glo Laffta Fest excites Lokoja residents

    IT was a weekend of excitement for Glo subscribers in Lokoja, as the Kogi State edition of Glo Laffta Fest brought together some of the continent’s finest comedians for a spectacular performance.

    Held at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja, the show paraded top humour merchants from different parts of Africa including Bovi Ugboma, Godwin ‘Gordons’ Komone, Salvador from Uganda, Basketmouth, Bash and Senator.

    It was also attended by a mammoth crowd comprising fun lovers from Lokoja and other neighbouring towns including Okene, Kotonkarfe, Obajana and Kabba alongside top officials of Kogi state Government, serving and retired military officers as well as captains of industries operating in the state.

    The show kicked-off with a delightful performance by Bash whose funny jokes revolved around his growing years. He later handed over the baton to Senator who held the audience spellbound with stage swag and perfect delivery of his jokes.

    Next was the outstanding performance by the Ugandan top comedian, Salvador who is not popular in Kogi State. It was however his funny jokes which the crowd enjoyed thoroughly that endeared him to their hearts and he was roundly applauded for a good stage performance.

    The evening of fun continued after Salvador, as Dan D’Humorous took the show to a higher level after which Bovi, Gordons and Basketmouth performed one after the other. There was no dull moment as they all put up spectacular performances in an unforgettable night of fun and laughter.

    The show which was anchored by Kogi-born Mercy Johnson-Okojie, and her Nollywood colleague, Ebube Nwagbo also witnessed celebrity attendance by Kannywood’s star, Sani Danja and Nollywood legend, Kanayo O. Kanayo.

    The Garden city of Port Harcourt will host the Glo Laffta Fest for the second time before the train will move to Onitsha, Makurdi and Ajah in the weeks ahead.