The Nation Newspaper

Category: Entertainment

  • Manchester fan carps AY Show

    Manchester fan carps AY Show

    In a short piece, titled: ‘show up or shut up!’ Gbolahan Macjob, an ardent follower of The Nation online, is bothered about the production qualities of some of Nigerian produced TV programmes in the Diaspora. In what looks like a critique of the popular AY Show on TV, Gbolahan, who resides in Manchester, United Kingdom expressed disdain for what he described as a work unsuitable for the international audience.

    “If you have watched a Nigerian comedy variety show recently on TV, then you might understand of what I’m talking about,” he began.” This is not a personal attack, but a plea to the makers of the numerous half-baked, badly presented, poorly filmed, shallow and humiliating materials that has flooded the Nigerian airwaves to please keep these ‘filth’ away from International Television for the love of God.”

    What exactly could be wrong with these productions by his countrymen? Gbolahan’s argument portrays that of a man who has some ideas about film or television production. “With all due respect, these shows are amateurish at best, and need a lot of professional help, ranging from plot to camera work, lighting, costume…oh and the ability to ‘ACTually’ ACT!” he stated.

    Giving a clue, he said: “Recently, I saw the AY Show on OHTV and it beggars belief how much rubbish I had to endure for 30minutes. It started with an unpleasant Vox Pop… “My pikin fall inside jongolova” I mean really? What a way to kick-off a show that’s supposedly the best comedy show in Nigeria. I dare say such material is an insult to the country.

    “AY and his creative crew should offer better materials if they want to be on TV. It takes more than buffoonery or foolhardiness to make a comedy material suitable for TV. It takes talent first, which I will admit AY does possess, but you need to know about TV production before you muscle in and not feed crap to the audience.

    “The moral of this story, according to this Nigerian “is stop dishing out half-baked materials, put some work into your craft, hire professionals and writers to develop your materials before coming anywhere near the TV and for God’s sake, your materials are not good enough for International Television, so take it off until you are ready.”

    He said doing a public live show is a different thing entirely from television. “Make no mistake; doing shows at O2 Arena in London for Nigerian audience does not necessary mean that you can put the sort of ‘filth’ like “my pikin fall for jangolofa” on the air. It’s lazy and it’s an insult to professionalism and that’s where my grievance lies.”

  • Nollywood marks 20 years of entertainment

    AFTER months of preparation for the grand celebration of Nollywood@20, the golden moment finally came last Saturday, November 2.

    The event, tagged: Nollywood Celebrity Glam Night, saw actors, actresses, government officials, and captains of industry converge on the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, to celebrate an industry that has grown from a humble beginning to a global phenomenon.

    The dazzling moment started on the red carpet. From beautiful to bold, the stars came out to show off their ensembles for the night and the paparazzi had a field day.

    Inside the expansive hall, it was not just for popping champagne. It was a night when Nollywood engaged corporate Nigeria on how companies can contribute to the growth of the industry.

    In his opening remarks, President of the Association of Movie Practitioners (AMP) Mr. Zik Zulu Okafor said the occasion was historic, as Nollywood is a brand worth celebrating in its 20 years of existence.

    He added that the celebration was an occasion to discuss the destiny and destination of the industry and called on Nigerians to invest in the industry to move it forward after 20 years of creativity.

    Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke commended the industry for its resilience in projecting the distinctive Nigerian identity to the world and documenting its cultural heritage, stating that celebrating Nollywood at 20 was a national event that eulogises the nation’s common values and spirit of excellence.

    He urged the industry and its practitioners to continue to enhance inter-cultural and ethnic understanding and foster unity. He also noted that Nollywood had a greater role to play in the nation’s socio-cultural change in enhancing the Federal Government’s transformation agenda.

    Duke called for unity and cohesion among practitioners, urging them to speak with one voice. He noted that there were epic stories yet to be told, and enjoined film makers to expand the frontiers of films and Nigeria’s vast cultural space.

    He further called on the private sector to invest in the industry, describing it as one sector without diminishing returns but rather a jewel in the nation’s economic crown yet unexplored.

    Commissioner for Tourism and Inter-Governmental Relations Mr. Disu Holloway, who represented Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, said the creative industry can alleviate unemployment in the country.

    He said Nollywood deserved to be applauded, saying Lagos has been trying to develop a film city, which would be a pride to practitioners, when completed.

    The event featured performances by some Nollywood stars, the National Troupe of Nigeria and Ibadan, Oyo State-based X-plicit Dance Company.

     

  • Fans back Mercy Johnson over blacklisting

    Fans back Mercy Johnson over blacklisting

    •Film marketers’ boss: we didn’t ban her

    It all turned out to be a false alarm, but fans had already ‘gone to town’ with the news that curvy actress Mercy Johnson-Osagie was banned by the leadership of Film, Video Producers and Markers Association of Nigeria (FVPMAN) for insisting on charging between N1.8 million and N2 million per movie.

    They described the actress as the highest paid thespian in Nollywood, arguing that she deserves to be paid more. Most of the actress’ fans, who took to the social media platforms to vent their anger, describe her in glowing terms while condemning the film marketers for the alleged blacklisting.

    But Chairman of FVPMAN Mr. Norbert Ajaegbu, in a chat with The Nation, debunked the reports, stating that it is not only false but embarrassing.

    He said although a complaint was received from the Onitsha branch of the association in which some filmmakers alleged that Johnson-Osagie exhibited acts of indiscipline by walking out of a set, his association is addressing the issue with a meeting already fixed for Thursday.

    “We did not ban Mercy, and this is authoritative. Let me tell you what happened; we had a National Working Committee meeting which I presided over. The leadership of the Onitsha branch came up with an issue that most of the artistes are charging exceedingly high. On that issue I ruled that such is the function of a competitive market; arguing that if an artiste is charging for example, N5 million, they are free to pick another artiste, who may charge N500, 000, if that is what they can afford.

    ‘’I also made them to understand that we are gunning for the day an artiste in Nigeria would be paid N100 million or sign N100 million as a contract fee, because that is the way to show that we are progressing. We can’t afford to remain in one spot for years. I think they understood that, but they also brought a complaint against Mercy that she sometimes walks out on set. They said sometimes, people would pay her for a job but she would prefer to give priority to those that are paying higher. On that issue, I said we cannot take a decision because there is no formal petition.

    ‘’I tod them to go back to their zone, discuss it and come out with a formal decision. We have fixed another meeting for Thursday, November 6, to see if there will be any petition. That was all that was said, so I am surprised that there is false news flying around that Mercy has been banned. If action would be taken, we would call her personally and inform her primary guild.”

    Asked if the actress is the highest paid in Nollywood as stated in some reports, Ajaegbu said while it may be difficult to say precisely what any artiste gets for their job as there are no fixed fees for any category of actors, one of the highest paid is Nkem Owoh.

    “It was very indicting and embarrassing when I heard on AIT that she was banned because she asked to be paid N2 million. Nkem Owoh collects more than that. Genevieve would take that much. Omotola too would not take anything less. We are not even bothered about what anybody charges as artiste fee. If you want to shoot a movie and you are not comfortable with what an artiste is charging, you go for another person,” he said curtly.

    The false report had fixed January 2014 as possible period the face of the actress will cease to appear in any new film, for which Johnson-Osagie’s fans have been chanting a ‘no Mercy, no Nollywood’ song on social media.

     

  • Kim Kardashian, Kanye West sue YouTube man

    Kim Kardashian, Kanye West sue YouTube man

    Trending couple Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, whose romance story heightened two weeks ago with the former’s marriage proposal to his baby’s mama, are in for another round of controversy in the media.

    The pair has sued Chad Hurley, the YouTube co-founder, who uploaded grainy footage of their proposal to the Internet two days after the event. Hurley uploaded the footage via his new online venture, MixBit, and quickly issued a press statement trumpeting both the video and his new collaborative-video app.

    Kanye West had proposed to Kim Kardashian in a stadium-size ceremony. The pair had planned to keep the event private;only sharing it with a select few millions through a heavily promoted Keeping Up with the Kardashians special and countless magazine cover stories.

    The lawsuit claims Chad Hurley violated a confidentiality agreement when he posted the two-and-a-half minute fuzzy footage of the lavish proposal on MixBit.

    The proposal at San Francisco’s AT&T Park on October 21 was being filmed for possible broadcast on E! Entertainment Television, home to Kim’s hit show Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

    The couple, who have a young child, are seeking unspecified damages from Mr Hurley and his company, Avos Systems Inc.

    Besides being angered by what the couple described as Hurley’s stealing of their spotlight, they also see his intention as trying to turn the event into one starring himself broadcasting the images he knew were the exclusive property rights of someone else.

     

  • Ban of ‘Aki’, ‘Pawpaw’ in Ghana opens old wound

    Ban of ‘Aki’, ‘Pawpaw’ in Ghana opens old wound

    The recurring tussle between film makers in Nigeria and their Ghanaian counterparts took a new twist weekend when Nigerian diminutive ‘twin’ actors, Chinedu Okedieze (Aki) and Osita Iheme (Pawpaw) were prevented from taking part in a movie production in Kumasi, Ghana.

    The situation, which is creating disaffection between authorities of both countries, stemmed from the absence of a proper bilateral film policy, which Nigeria and Ghana have initiated to no avail.

    Although officials of the Film Producers’ Association of Ghana (FIPAG) debunked rumour of a ban, outburst by fans of the comic actors appears to be overwhelming.

    FIPAG’s Public Relations Officer Mr. Michael Ola, who tried to douse possible tension, said the decision to stop the actors was because the director of the movie breached the association’s regulations, by not letting the actors know that they need a work permit to be part of any production in Ghana.

    They were,therefore, advised to return to Nigeria to obtain an official work permit, and be ready to make payments for the continuation of the shoot.

    Ola explained that FIPAG had no problem with the Nigerian duo, but feels the right procedure had to be followed, especially when the new executives of the association had laid out new strategies to make the industry better.

    The Nation gathered that the actors are not bothered by the development, dismissing the issue when people tried to raise it at the funeral of President Goodluck Jonathan’s mother-in-law at the weekend in Okrika, Rivers State.

    In June, the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) of Nigeria met with officials of the Ghana Cinematograph Exhibition Board of Control (GCEBC) on how to foster cooperation between their’ film industries. The Nigerian delegation, which was led by NFVCB’s Director-General Ms. Patricia Bala spoke with the Ghanaian Deputy Minister of Information, Murtala Mohammed, but it appears nothing is yet to come out of the communiqué, which is expected to guide the proposed bilateral relationship for future business dispensation.

    A similar uproar occurred when Ghanaian movie industry allegedly issued a directive that no Nigerian actor would be allowed to work on any of its movies unless they pay a fee of $1,000 each.

    In retaliation, the Film, Video Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (FVPMAN) placed an embargo on Ghanaian films, halting the distribution of movies by independent producers, and maintaining that if such films must be distributed, its right of ownership should be transferred to the FVPMAN on negotiation.

    At that time, a delegation from Ghana, led by the Chief Executive Officer of A.A Productions Limited, Mr. Mustapha Adams, sought peace with its host.

    FVPMAN Chairman Mr. Norbert Ajaegbu told his visitors that the decision to ban Ghanaian movies was without prejudice. He said there was need to streamline the distribution of movies in Nigeria, especially when Nigeria is becoming a dumping ground for second-rate movies with nudity content.

    The meeting ended mutually, with both parties agreeing that Nigeria will no longer accept Ghanaian films that are not approved by the NFVCB, and that any foreign film being released in the country must follow proper channels, compete under the market forces in consonance with existing laws.

    It was also resolved that possible areas of collaboration should be worked out for further talks between the two sides.

    But the relationship between the two countries on film matters has been unstable; the crisis, usually resulting from imposition of levies by one country on the other.

    Critics believe that collaboration by both countries, which are the leading film producing entities in West Africa, is expected to set an agenda for the exportation of appreciable cultural values that could be regarded as truly African.

  • Akpabio hikes ‘Ultimate Searchers’ prize money

    Akpabio hikes ‘Ultimate Searchers’ prize money

    The 28-day quest for what organisers called The 10th Symbol, in the popular Gulder Ultimate Search (GUS), came to an end last week, with the prize-giving ceremony witnessed by the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Barr. Godswill Akpabio, in Uyo, the State capital. The programme, a television adventure show, held in the Usaka forest, Obot Akara, Akwa Ibom state, same venue where it was staged last year.

    It was the 10th anniversary of the show and Akpabio, apart from being the helmsman of the host state, appeared to have joined Nigerian Breweries plc, organisers of the reality in thanking God for a crisis-free edition. The Governor, who gave N500, 000 each to the 12 contestants, noted that the monetary gift was for the successful return of the participants from the Usaka forest. The 2007 edition of the Ultimate Search was marred by death of a contestant; Anthony Ogadje, who drowned in Jos, Plateau State.

    A wholly local content event, it was celebration galore at the luxurious Le’ Meridien Ibom Hotel and Golf resort, Uyo where friends and family members of the contestants felicitated with ‘the warriors’ on Saturday night, as the contestants recalled the painstaking experiences in the hostile jungle.

    Akpabio said he had come to the ceremony conscious of the fact that mankind was always in search of one thing or the other. He related the GUS 10 contestants’ search for the ultimate treasure to Nigeria’s search for peace.

    He congratulated the contestants for demonstrating resilience during their tasks in the jungle, describing ‘the search’ as a youth development platform which all companies should emulate. He congratulated Dennis Okike, the winner of the contest for his resilience during tasks, and advised him to put his N10 million prize money into a productive venture. Okike’s prize also included a fully automatic drive Mitsubishi Pajero 3.0 GLX MT.

    It was not a winner-takes-all situation, as other contestants got prizes according to the stage of their eviction from the show. Etido Ema Ebong who was the first to be shown the door in the competition received N1 million. He was followed by Peter Ijeh who received N1.1 million as second evictee. Others were for Mary Adeboye, N1.2 million; Halima Onozare, N1.3 million; Martha Adeboye and Brosu Anthony (jointly evicted), N1, 450,000 each; Tracy Chapelle, N1.6 million; Kunle Salako, N1.7 million; and Bobby Nzube, N1.8 million.

    Dr. Edmond Chukwubuike and Ifunaya Onike, both first runners-up received N2, 750,000, while Onike got an additional N1 million for being the last female contestant standing.

    The side attraction in this year’s edition is a Fans Edition which produced Kalu Kalu Nwalugwe as winner. Nwalugwe received a manual drive Mitsubishi Pajero 3.0 GLX MT.

    GUS is a survival type reality programme that highlights the multidimensional struggle of contestants, their struggles against themselves and nature; a search for hidden treasures, solving riddles and puzzles, crossing obstacles and challenges, mustering physical and mental strength, exercising team spirit and promoting qualities of confidence and courage.

    Other notable personalities at the show were Dame Valerie Ebi, Deputy Governor of the State, Chairman DAAR Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, NBL’s Marketing Director, Mr. Walter Drenth, Corporate Affairs Adviser, Mr. Kufre Ekanem and Marketing Manager, Gulder, Mr. Emmanuel Agu.

  • D’banj booed off stage in Zimbabwe

    D’banj booed off stage in Zimbabwe

    Dapo Oyebanjo aka D’banj was a victim of an unfamiliar terrain recently, where he was one of the acts at the Lion Lager Summer Beer Festival dubbed the “Battle of Africa” in Zimbabwe.

    The festival featured Ugandan reggae musician Bebe Cool, representing East Africa, local dancehall artistes Winky D, Guspy Warrior and King Shaddy, while D’Banj represented West Africa.

    Unimpressed by his usual showmanship, music buffs sent him out of the stage, shouting at the top of their voices, as the singer displayed what was perceived as an indecent act with some female dancers he called Kokoletes.

    Sources from Zimbabwe say D’banj gave the crowd a lacklustre performance that got them even angrier when he introduced a seeming erotic act. He had opened his performance singing Fall in Love, followed by Oliver Twist, Kukere remix, Don’t Tell Me Nonsense, Igwe and Why Me, after which he was said to lost the plot.

    “He ran out of steam after exhausting his familiar songs in less than an hour and went into what many revelers described as hogwash,” said a witness.

    “Let me see all my Kokoletes on stage, now shake your boom boom and do the catwalk,” D’banj was quoted to have said before plunging into the act that sent him packing.

    It was said that P-Square performed at the same festival last year and left fans asking for more.

    Only recently, there were murmurs of D’banj’s performance at the just concluded Felabration where did the same with a girl on stage.

    “Nigerian musicians are really losing it on stage especially during Felabration,” said an online report. “The other day we saw Burma Boy almost going nude while performing, Vector, the rapper kissing a girl on stage and now the kokomaster himself showing he is the ultimate entertainer by doing this.”

  • GLORIA ESTEFAN :The studio’s my happy place

    GLORIA ESTEFAN :The studio’s my happy place

    Gloria Estefan is one of the biggest artists in history. With multiple top-selling hits and albums under her belt, as well as roles in television and film, including ‘Glee’, and writing credits for children’s books and a cook book, it seems she’s the woman who can do no wrong. She spoke with DANIEL FALCONER about her latest album ‘The Standards’, how she feels about music after so long in the industry and what we can expect from her in coming months.

    Can you tell us a little bit about your latest album ‘The Standards’?

    But of course. It’s a labour of love that I’ve been planning to do for decades but obviously you have to focus on your career first before you can cover someone elses. (laughs) So, I was waiting for the right musical idea and that came along with Shelly Berg one night at a trustee dinner for the University of Miami – I’m a trustee and an alumni – and he’s the Dean of the School of Music. I sat at the piano with him to do ‘Good Morning Heartache’ – he asked me to sit in – and what he was playing really just gave me the entire idea for this album – it unfolded as I was singing the song with him – and I asked him if he was interested in doing it, he loved the idea and I poured over like 1,000 of ‘The Standards’. The ones that jumped out at me – the list was 50 – so then I met with him and we actually played the songs and saw what fit the best, and I picked songs that were very personal to me so that I could bring something of myself, and he did an amazing job on all the arrangements and conducted the orchestra as well. We tried to do it musically economical – I wanted it to be a very intimate feeling and have a mood throughout. Something that you could put on either maybe cooking a meal or sharing some wine with a loved one – really to set a romantic mood and hopefully we achieved that. I love strings and we have a lot of very lush violin arrangements. We only used bigger sound when we thought it warranted it in the song, so we really tried to stay true to each thing.

    How did you find that process of putting together the record?

    You know what? That’s my favourite process of all. I had to get used being on stage because I don’t have the personality that likes being the centre of attention – believe it or not (laughs) – but when I joined the band it was such fun and I enjoyed more the rehearsals and the arranging of the things and then, when we got into the studios – the writing and the recording – the studio’s my happy place so anytime that I’m preparing something creatively it’s just so rich for me having that experience, and I truly enjoy it, it’s probably my favourite part of everything.

    You’ve had such a massive career to-date, do you still feel the same sense of excitement today releasing music after this long in the business?

    Very much so. I would not do it if it were not the case because your fans can see through that a mile away. They can feel when your heart and soul is in something but honestly, for the amount of work that it takes, it would not be worthwhile to me just to do it as a job. It never has been, I’ve sang since I talked and I have a deep respect for music – the way it communicates and joins people throughout the world – so I would never do anything unless I felt that excitement.

    Do you have any further plans to tour with the album?

    We just did Royal Albert Hall last night – it was amazing, it was incredible, really really lovely and I’m gonna be doing a show in Basel, Switzerland. My last tour was in 2004 – I’m gonna do some Night of the Proms, which is four different artists and I headline 12 I think – or 14 of those shows – so that kind of thing I love. I did my last world tour in 2004 and that’s probably the way it’ll stay because, I toured for many, many years and we were out for a long time and life changes. We’ve got a lot more responsibilities on our plate, aside from the music we have seven restaurants and two hotels and we’re very hands-on running all this. But I do love getting out there and being with the fans again and so I’ll always do that here and there.

    Well aside from music you’re also an actress – is acting something you’re going to continue to pursue?

    I am. In fact I got a really, really great offer that I said yes to from Eva Longoria – I can’t really talk about it right now – but it’s gonna be such fun and again, acting is quite a craft. I really love doing it and imagine – my very first scene ever shot for film was one-on-one with Meryl Streep! (laughs) Which was a bit daunting! She was the nicest, most incredible person and a masterclass in acting just watching her do what she did, and I really love it. They’ve sent me many scripts but unless it’s something that’s gonna either forward my acting chops or is worthwhile, I’m not just gonna do anything because it also takes a lot of time and preperation. I loved being on ‘Glee’ because I’m a big ‘Gleek’ – love the show – it was a lot of fun to be Naya’s mother. I would have hoped that we could do more – you never know – Ryan Murphy keeps things under wraps until the bitter end but I quite enjoyed that too.

    You’ve also written two children’s books and co-written a cook book – can we expect anymore books from you?

    I actually want to complete that Noelle the bulldog series. I lost her this year, she was an amazing pet and really like a human that dog, and she left me a lot of inspiration. I was actually already working on the third book which is ‘Noelle and Lulu’, because Lulu my tiny chihuahua came in after, and she gave me this whole idea of a sibling rivalry, because I try to focus each book on some kind of moral or lesson and I try to make them very educational even though it’s being told through entertainment which kids don’t notice then. But even the ‘Treasure Tale’ book – all the details on those sea turtles and those galleons really did – everything really happened – I just take it to more fantasy. So I would love to do more in that series in her honour. They use it in schools in the United States in first and second grade – my mom was a teacher – so it was really a dream that it would happen that way and I get letters from school children all over the nation – they send fan letters to Noelle and it’s really cute. I really love that and I did – I wrote every word of that book, both languages.

    Do you have anything else you can share with us about what to expect from you in the next few months?

    Well, I’m going to be in Europe for the Night of the Proms in Antwerp and Rotterdam, and I’m working on – as a matter of fact last night, the writer that wrote ‘The Bodyguard’ that’s now in London on Broadway, is working on our life story, autobiographical and that’s hopefully – we’ve been working on it for almost a year – we hope to have the book by January and I’m very excited about that. That creative process is so incredible that I’m enjoying every second, and we’ve been working on it over a decade just honing what story to tell and how to synthesise it, and use the music as part of the storyline and not like jukebox musicals. We’re really trying to weave a story. He was here watching the performance of our age last night because he’d never seen me live. I’m very excited about that project.

    Courtesy: Female First

  • Brown Shuga set to rock the scene with new singles

    Brown Shuga set to rock the scene with new singles

    NEW kid on the block, Aliu Oshiomale, aka Brown Shuga, is poised to light up the Nigerian music scene as he unleashes his singles, In My and Have Mercy. An indigene of Edo State and an undergraduate of Mechanical Engineering, Auchi Polytechnic, Brown Shuga speaks on his new singles.

    “This is exciting for me. For so long we have been in the studio working and now we are ready to hit the Nigerian music scene. Music lovers should watch out for my singles, In My and Have Mercy,” the singer said.

    Brown Shuga started doing music at the age of 10 and although his parents were not in support of it initially, when he got admission into school, he was given the go-ahead to follow his heart.

    “I look forward to working with Ice Prince, M.I, 2face and Black Face. On the international scene, Beenie Man, Vybz kartel and Sean Paul are my role models,” he reveals.

    Brown Shuga has performed at Wave Ur Banner Concert, Abuja All Stars Show and a home-coming concert held in his honour in Auchi. He recently shot the video of one of his hit singles, In My ft Tekno, which was directed by award-winning cinematographer, Patrick Elis. He is currently signed on to Blaque Ox County Records and has done collabos with the likes of Pupayanis, Pheroshaws, Terry Da Rapman and Tekno.

    “With three singles currently rocking the air waves and over 50 recorded and unreleased materials in the kitty, I am guaranteeing my fans hit after hit. I’m addicted to good beats and dropping freestyles. I’m currently working on my debut album entitled Stories Untold and I hope to release it next year.”

  • How Dennis won the Ultimate race

    How Dennis won the Ultimate race

    …as Kalu relishes Ultimate Conquest

    HAVING outsmarted his fellow contestants in the waters of Usaka River, Dennis Okike brought the Gulder Ultimate Search full circle as he emerged the 10th champion. In the final battle among the warriors, Dennis got the better of Dr. Edmund Umeabuani and Ifunanya Onike as he sought out the 10th symbol.

    For his feat, Dennis won N10 million and a brand new Mitsubishi Pajero 3.0L GLS AT (full Option) courtesy of CFAO Motors Nigeria, the official automotive partners of Gulder Ultimate Search 10. Being the last female contestant standing, Ifunanya is already guaranteed N1 million in addition to her prize money.

    In the same vein, Kalu Kalu, a final year student of Industrial Mathematics in the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, became the winner of the first-ever fans’ edition of Gulder Ultimate Search.

    On the final day of the search, the warriors got a message from the Council of Elders ordering them to pack their bags and make their way to where they draw water as host, Chidi awaited them and gave them the next set of instructions.

    The final task was to search for the 10th symbol. To do that, each of them would make use of a clue which would take them to two different locations to retrieve two pieces of the map that would lead to where the 10th symbol was buried. Another clue at their first locations would direct them to the next location. It was a race against time and the last man to the next location was evicted.

    Edmund and Ifunanya’s first clue led them to the Place of the Talking Drum to retrieve the first map piece; while Bobby and Dennis went to the Mud Field. Subsequently, Bobby and Dennis headed to the Place of the Talking Drum for their second piece while Edmund and Ifunanya raced to the Mud Field. Edmund returned first, followed by Ifunanya. Dennis edged Bobby out of the quest when he beat him to the finish line. Bobby was instantly evicted.

    With their maps pieced together, the remaining warriors had all they needed to proceed to find the Sceptre. On their maps three spots were marked ‘X’ as possible places the 10thsymbol was buried. Ifunanya was in the lead, having figured out the direction first. However, her first attempt at crossing the river with the aid of a rope saw her falling into the water while Edmund and Dennis moved on.

    Edmund arrived first and headed straight to one of the spots marked on the map and began his search. Dennis joined shortly. Ifunanya had barely stepped in the river when Dennis raised what turned out to be a false alarm. All he had was a piece of debris lying under the river. The protracted search had the warriors glancing at their maps intermittently as Dennis kept digging up dirt after dirt from the river.

    After many futile efforts, Dennis eventually dug up the Sceptre from under a slant palm tree in the river and thereby ended the long search for the 10th symbol. He was instantly inducted into the Order of Heroes as the 10th Ultimate Man by Chidi Mokeme, the Anchor-man.

    The fans’ edition of Gulder Ultimate Search was hosted by Bob Manuel Udokwu. Gulder gave fans and viewers of the show a chance to compete in the show from the comfort of their homes.

    To qualify, contestants bought bottles of Gulder beer and looked under the crown corks for unique codes. The codes were then sent to a short code along with the consumer’s name, age and state. The consumers receive SMS with questions from clues related to the GUS 10 transmitted on TV.

    Consumers who correctly answered six questions got the opportunity to answer the Anchor man’s challenge which was released on the seventh day by 11pm. Mouth-watering prizes such as Gulder gift packs, units of DSTV Walkas, 300 Dual-Sim Android Phones, 50 Tablets and millions worth of recharge cards were won by viewers that successfully answered the Anchor man’s challenge.

    By the fourth week, the first 12 that correctly answered the Anchorman’s Challenge were invited to participate in the one-day Final Search. For winning the first ever fans’ edition, Kalu, got a brand new Mitsubishi Pajero 3.0L GLX MT, courtesy CFAO motors.

    Commenting on his victory, Kalu said: “I feel very happy to be the winner of the first GUS fans’ edition; the first Ultimate Conqueror. It is a dream-come-true. My friends started calling me Ultimate Conqueror when I told them I was coming for the search. I took the risk of a night journey to get here for the search and it was very stressful. I can’t explain how I feel right now.”

    Kalu remarked that he had fervently participated in the promo from its inception. He explained: “Right from the first week of the promo I’ve been winning. I won the Gulder pack in the first week. In the second week, I won a DSTV walka and now in the final week I have won the jeep; I think this first fans’ edition was just for me. When I got the call that I made it into the final 12, I was so excited that I didn’t realise when I threw my phone away.”

    On whether he thought he was going to win at the inception, he said: “I did not have any strategy for winning per se. It was just God. At the final stage where I had to search for the treasure with two other people, I had to go back to the starting line three good times. At a point I even used sand to cover where I eventually found the box.”

    On how he’ll make use of the car, he said: “I intend to use the car. The lodge where I live in Owerri is very far from school and I spend a lot on transportation. Even my parents were considering getting me a car but now they don’t have to bother again. Besides, I want to drive it and let people see that this is real. I thank Gulder for this opportunity. And to everyone out there, this is real, there is no gimmick.”

    Kalu is an indigene of Ohafia in Abia State and also the President of FUTO chapter of National Association of Mathematics Student of Nigeria. His father is a Civil Engineer while his mother is a trader. He is the third son of eight children.