Photography artist, Aize Muhammed Paul is set to hold another art exhibition in Tribal Gallery Loresho Ridge, Nairobi, Kenya. between June 16 and 25.
Titled Erèn oghè okhaza – Èkpo oghè ulè obaba (A safe place to find a purpose for your story), flares of Enthusiasm, Dash Between, Paul described the exhibition as one way to create a sustainable channel for the artist and the market.
He further explained that the ethos of his art as self, a means to navigate one’s life purpose, with a mission to inspire individualism to creatively encourage humanism on a global scale.
“The flares of enthusiasm – represents the uninhibitedness of your soul prior to birth. Clueless, as you drift fragily in forms of the most liberated versions of yourself you will ever witness, just as you precede your unrequested entry into a life-form. The dashing hopes, dreams, and ideal possibilities of 280 days before you get to be introduced to the dash,” said Paul.
“Dash – As your story segues into a whole identity embodied in this life-form. The dash between is you, here, right now. Your life – awareness of it, questions from it, expectations of it. Your hopes, dreams, aspirations, youthfulness, definitive moments, saddest moments, life purpose and your innate fear of the inevitable – death. Aize Muhammed Paul Esq. captures these experiences as a dash in 99 photographs. The 100th photograph is your interpretation of it.“
Speaking on the exhibition, he said “The exhibition talks about life and death; this means we get to be born and we get to die. It is a life purpose kind of exhibition. This exhibition is a five-part series. This is called 99 images. It’s a dash between life and death. The 99 images expresses every form, reaction, action, omission, feelings, hurts we as humans feel while we are here on earth. “The 99 images depicts happy, sad, joyful, mothers, playing kids, a wondering boy, amongst others. These all express every stage you go through as a human here on earth.
Bolatito Puddicombe is CEO and creative director of Fabrikana, who is proud to showcase her love for African culture any day. Her passion started from her Geography classes at Queen’s College and it grew to portray the intricate patterns promoting indigenous fabrics from the six geographical zones in Nigeria. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she talks about how it all started, the influence of her background in chemical engineering, and Nigerian textiles being powerful tools for self-expression and empowerment.
TELL us about your love for Nigerian Culture.
Gradually, I fell in love with Geography and went on to have a distinction in my WAEC and NECO examinations. The cultural events at my graduation celebrations both at my secondary and tertiary institutions also shaped my love for Nigerian textiles and culture because I started becoming more aware of Nigerian tribes and their ways of dressing. I remember wearing a massive boubou in Adire fabric for my cultural day at Queen’s College (which I find amusing in retrospect) because of how small I looked in it even though it still fitted me in a way. Which by the way is the beauty of boubou, how one size can fit all.
When another opportunity for a cultural display showed up at my tertiary institution, I grabbed it. This time I made sure my mum took my exact size and the fit I wanted into consideration. I showed up in a skirt and blouse made with Aso Oke which was unpopular at that time. At the precipice of another opportunity to explore my growing love for Nigerian people and culture, I grabbed it willingly. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) posted me to Northern Nigeria – Jigawa state. My mum almost fainted, but I refused any attempt at seeking redeployment, rather I embraced my journey across the country with everything I could pack, even a fridge, can you imagine? I have no doubt that these enthusiastic efforts to explore the Nigerian people from various works of life, cultures, and places have culminated in the love I now have for the country, Nigeria as is now expressed in my business too.
What was the experience like at the beginning?
I was bored during my NYSC days so I started looking for things to do in addition to my primary assignment of teaching and community development service activities. I wanted something more challenging, so I went for a job interview at a bank in Kano state; a 45-minute drive from my base in Jigawa. I did not get the job but the interviewer felt really bad and consoled me with N3,000. This was the seed with which I started my fabric business. I bought two fabric pieces at the market in Kano before returning to Jigawa.
Now, because I started the business out of boredom I did not give much thought to it until the proceeds from it started to make a lot of economic sense. Upon realizing this, I quickly registered for business training at Fate Foundation under their Aspiring Entrepreneurs Programme (AEP) where my business plan focused on Aso Ebi; A uniform cloth for friends and family to wear at an event and to my surprise, my business plan emerged one of the top three. On seeing this, I started to believe more in the business and continued to delve deeper. As with teething stages, the business was not so clear at the beginning so I had to spend time doing research and trading hand-in-hand with my husband’s support too especially when children started coming and business operations became tough. He also encouraged me to use technology in scaling the business which I found very confusing at first. This brought quite some misunderstanding having to imagine creating a website for selling Aso Ebi which I thought was impossible then but that’s history because I was able to do that and even more as we are seeing with the use of technology today.
What were you doing before this?
After obtaining my bachelor’s degree as a Chemical Engineer from the University of Lagos and then concluding my National Youth Service, I started job hunting, my first job was with an advertising firm where my role was marketing television programs for young people. Afterward, I worked with Mr. Fela Durotoye at Eden; An organization targeted at young people in Nigerian tertiary institutions which gave me the opportunity to travel around Nigeria. My last stint in the corporate space was building capacity for a training organization that focused on empowering young people with life skills. All this time, I was still running my fabric business as a side hustle on weekends and off days. However, when I had my first child, I resigned to focus solely on my business.
You recently celebrated your birthday with 20 unique cultural outfits. What inspired this?
On the nation’s 62nd Independence anniversary celebration (October 2022), we launched the very first Fabric Map of Nigeria and I looked forward to showcasing some of the fabrics I highlighted on the map. As my birthday approached in January 2023, I remembered the fabric map and decided to seize the opportunity of my birthday to showcase Nigeria’s different cultural diversity using the fabrics. The initial plan was for 7 cultural attires but it gradually increased to 22, then we eventually settled for 20. I knew we were looking for trouble because we did not have all the fabric combinations available before D-day.
I gave no thought to impossibilities but rather focused and remained resolute on my decision as some Nigerians now say if you are familiar with social media parlance, I pin there! My husband as with every birthday always has a surprise to celebrate me but when he realized where I had pitched my tent, he asked if the 20 cultural looks were what I really wanted to do for my birthday and I told him to watch it unfold because truth be told, I only had seven days to plan. He aligned with my wishes and supported me in every way. My photographer @stormzo2_photography was contacted immediately and having shared that he had never done a photo shoot of 20 looks before, it was too creative for him to ignore. The makeup artist brought on her dexterity to create 20 different looks in a session. The resolution of the entire team I planned to work with was down with the idea and that was when I knew there was no looking back.
What are some of the things that you have done with African fabrics and how has this influenced you personally?
I like the fact that since I started trading fabrics in 2008, I have never had a brick-and-mortar shop yet the business has grossed yearly turnovers in eight figures. When I started selling fabrics in Northern Nigeria, I targeted bank workers and corps members. In fact, after I received the N3,000 I started with, I saved up my monthly allowance of N9,700 for two months so that I could buy more upon my next business trip to Kano. I must say here that saving for two months was not a small feat, I suffered as a corps member to the extent that I had to use firewood to make pap because I could not afford to buy kerosene for my stove, but that sacrifice was worth it because business boomed in Jigawa until it overwhelmed me. I came back to Lagos one month after passing out from NYSC because I needed a bit more time to wind down business operations over there. On returning to Lagos, I changed my strategy to focus on Aso Ebi concierge services instead of stocking up on fabrics and it was an instant hit! It got to a point where I started asking questions after realizing that all the fabrics I sold were imported, it was heart-breaking because I thought they were all made in my beloved country, Nigeria. Perhaps because of my background in chemical engineering, I assumed that producing fabrics was not so hard based on my understanding of industrial processes. I did not let my heartbreak go in vain, I started my research on what textiles were really made of in Nigeria and it went on for years before deciding to do more than just research. We then created Fabrikana; the arm of my business focused on promoting and distributing indigenous Nigerian and African textiles.
Tell us about Fabrikana and the things you have done in the six geographical zones of the country
Fabrikana is a word that I came up with to represent a meeting point for all the fabrics that are produced in Nigeria and by extension, Africa. May I point out here that popular fabrics such as Ankara which is usually referred to as African fabric are not owned by Africans? With Fabrikana, the spotlight is on the original fabrics that are produced within our shores and owned by Africans whether made by hand or machine. At Fabrikana, we are working with producers of our original fabrics such as Adire, Aso Oke, Akwete and so much more discovered in the South East, South West, North West, North East, North Central, and South-South areas of Nigeria where textile production is going on even though at a cottage level. These are all reflected in the Fabric Map that we talked about earlier. We work with the rural producers who are still involved in these textile crafts. We have been able to help present these fabrics to wider audiences and in so doing increase demand which has enabled them to increase their production capacities and earn more. A lot of these rural producers are struggling to maintain their livelihoods due to competition for imported fabrics. Some of these people are the last custodians of their respective cultural crafts. This knowledge and these skills are under threat of being lost and abandoned. However, the introduction of Fabrikana where these original textile crafts can be showcased to an even larger and global community has created a path to sustainability and growth for these cottage industries.
What are some of the memorable moments in your life and career?
Last year, I watched with so much joy when a Governor of Nigeria at his swearing-in ceremony wore a custom-made indigenous fabric produced by one of our fabric communities, made up of rural women. I could feel the pride in the eyes of the women when they saw the work of their hands on national television, it was so surreal. The other aspect is when I receive phone calls from fabrikana community managers asking for what job is next because they are eager to work, and need to put food on their table. I wake up every day knowing that I need to take my job seriously because there are people depending on me. There have been other memorable moments such as being recognized by organizations such as Flourish Africa (Apostle Folorunsho Alakija) and her team who spotted how my business has moved beyond trading to making a difference, especially in the lives of the rural women I work with.
What lessons has life taught you?
I have learned to make the best use of every opportunity I get. When I look back, I am convinced that everything I experienced was for a reason. I did not take my business very seriously at the beginning, but now I know better than to waste time. I am redeeming the time now. I am grateful that I can still pass for an age that is ten years less than my actual age because that in itself inspires me to try the things I was afraid to do earlier. I will never think that nothing is impossible but rather find a way to start doing instead of overthinking it. I was too careful at the beginning and wanted things to be perfect which is not bad in itself but it has a way of stealing one’s time.
What are the other things that occupy your time?
Family. I am committed to raising my three children and caring for them, especially through their developmental years. Even though business takes my time, it has made things flexible for me. I am at the forefront of operations for the business as well and I keep putting systems and structures in place. As a wife, one of the things I truly enjoy is packing lunch for my husband to work even though I don’t enjoy cooking because it takes a lot of time. It is ten years since my husband and I have been married and I am proud to say I have been a consistent lunch-box packer (laughs out loud)
What were the initial challenges in the sector? Did you feel like quitting at any point?
I had lots of issues with getting access to information about Nigerian fabrics, it was really tough because there was really no organized information to work with. I had to take chances by traveling to unknown places outside of Lagos, where I reside to get the right information which really drained and discouraged me. In the process of trying to get information, I was taken advantage of. In fact, it got to a point where those I asked for information were the ones learning from me. I was open to their proposals and became obliged to do things for them because I was in a dark place and I needed light for where I needed to go in the textile industry. For the times I felt this way, God always showed up to hold me. I must say that I am a child of God and I depend a lot on what God shows and tells me, it was not easy at the beginning but I have developed better staying power.
What are the new areas you are looking at?
I really want to upscale production to ensure that our hubs in at least ten Nigerian states spread around the six geographical areas in Nigeria are constantly producing and funding is a major player here. As a business, we still sell imported fabric products because they are fast-moving and they keep the business running so part of that inflow is channeled towards boosting our local production in Nigeria but it is not enough. I am looking at getting more funding to boost local production to a good degree so that we
can meet up with demand per time and do not keep customers waiting for long because most of our indigenous textiles are what is referred to as slow fabrics since they are mostly made by hand.
A court in Madrid, Spain has ruled that former FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Chelsea striker, Samuel Eto’o is the biological father of a 22-year-old woman.
The woman in question, Erika Do Rosario Nieves, was born in Madrid in 1999, the period Eto’o was on loan at Espanyol, a club in the Spanish elite league, La Liga.
The Cameroonian retired footballer and current President of the country’s football association, was said to have met Erika Do Rosario Nieves’s mother between 1997 and 1998 when he was on loan at Leganés, a Spanish La Liga club based near Madrid, Spain’s capital city. He was 24 years old at the time.
While on loan at Leganés, the Cameroonian football legend decided to go to a nightclub in Madrid where he met Adileusa, the mother of Erika Do Rosario Nieves.
They started dating briefly and the short relationship, which started and ended in 1998, led to the pregnancy of Adileusa.
Reports claimed that Eto’o promised to act responsibly as far as the pregnancy was concerned. Other reports claimed that the Cameroonian football icon wanted to get rid of the baby.
When the retired footballer could not convince the woman to abort the baby, he allegedly cut all means of communication between him and the woman.
Adileusa tried different means to get in touch with Samuel Eto’o but was not able to do so. She only got to see him on television and newspaper pages.
Adileusa gave birth to Erika in 1999 even without being able to contact the supposed father of the lady. Hence, she was the only one that took care of the lady to date.
In 2018, she decided to drag Samuel Eto’o to court even though the footballer had never admitted that he has a child with her.
Adileusa wanted the court to confirm that the 22-year-old woman is the daughter of the retired footballer.
In the court proceedings that lasted for almost four years (2018 to 2022), Samuel Eto’o, who is currently the president of the Cameroon football association, did not deem it fit to attend the court hearing and never mentioned it by any means.
After a series of back and forth, the court confirmed that the 22-year-old woman is the daughter of Eto’o. Hence, the court ordered the three times UEFA Champions League winner to pay his Spanish daughter the sum of €1,400 per month from the year (2018) that the lawsuit was filed.
The judge, while delivering judgment, held that the woman provided biological evidence that supported her testimony that Erika was the daughter of the former striker.
Eto’o was yet to make any official or public reaction to the court ruling at the time of publishing this report.
Eto’o’s other children
Apart from Erika Do Rosario Nieves, who a Madrid court ruled to be the daughter of Samuel Eto’o, the four times Africa player of the year and three times Spanish La Liga winner has four biological children – Maelle, Étienne, Siena and Lynn.
In 2007, the retired Cameroonian footballer married his childhood sweetheart Georgette, the mother of Siena and Lynn, who both live with her in Paris.
Eto’o scored his first goal at the Africa Cup of Nations for Cameroon 22 years ago.
He went on to become the competition’s all-time leading goal scorer with 18 goals.
Grace Oluwabukunmi Akinwale is the current Queen Moremi Ajasoro. In this encounter with Yetunde Oladeinde, she takes you into her world and talks about her beauty routine.
TALL, slim and beautiful, the first thing that catches your fancy is her captivating figure. How does she keep the shape you ask and the queen burst into infectious laughter? “I must say that the shape is natural. It runs in the family and I don’t do anything extra to sustain it or keep it in shape”.
However, Oluwabukunmi tells you that she pays more attention to her skin and that takes her to the Spa where the skin gets pampered from time to time. “I visit the Spa at least twice a month and I enjoy the attention and treatment that I get. In addition to that, I take good care of my skin at home myself and the results have been amazing. Even though I am not so keen about exercise I also visit the gym at least once a month”.
She added: “I drink a lot of water, sports, jumping and other forms of exercise “.
Apart from pampering and doing the needful as far as her skincare is concerned, she also talks about her diet.
“Fruits are a delight. I do take apples and yoghurt parfait. Interestingly, I eat a lot of fatty foods, protein and food that contains calories. I consume a lot of stuff. I don’t avoid anything”.
Using good cosmetics and makeup that enhances the look, she opined is very important. “Currently, I use Kiss Beauty products. It’s a range that contains my Foundation, powders, eyeshadow and others.”
For hairdo, her preference is the Africa style which she said looks good on her. “I like shuku style done in a variety of ways. This includes weaving, didi and Ghana weaving styles”.
Now, she goes on to talk about her transformation from just a contestant to a beauty queen. “My dressing has changed a lot since I became the queen. In the past, I was more of a Jean person but all that has changed now. Now, I wear more of adire and I love it. I must say that I am adapting nicely and I love my new look and style”.
Oluwabukunmi continued: “Life as a queen is busy. My schedules are now tight compared to what it used to be. But it’s been wonderful, it’s been nice. I have been exploring, been to new places and trying new things”.
Just before she leaves, Oluwabukunmi advised young people this way: “My advice is don’t get too comfortable. Try to move out of your comfort zone and stay positive no matter what you are going through”.
They are sisters of Nigerian descent in the United Kingdom: Shay, Annamay and Kay. Shay and Annamay are twins, while Kay is their younger sister. They belong to a fast rising singing group known as SHiiKANE. In this interview with YETUNDE OLADEINDE, they open up on their journey to fame, memorable moments and losing their mom.
The music industry can be brutal and you learn pretty quickly that it is every man for himself,” Annamay, one of the twins in the UK musical group, ShiiKANE, began, as the trio settled for this interview on their experience in the world of music and more.
“Our experience with music has been a journey of ups and downs. If not for the passion we have for music, we would’ve quit a long time ago.”
The crux of the matter, she explained, is getting dedicated people to work with and fulfill their dreams: “It’s hard to find loyal people in the industry. So, when you do, you have to hold them tight. We are lucky that we have each other to lean on during the hard times”.
On her part, Shay takes you down memory lane to how it all started. “Annamay and I are twins. Right from primary school, we always used to sing. We went to school in London in a small predominantly white town. We were the only Black family on our street and one of three other Black families in the school. During school recitals, plays or concerts, they would always ask the Black kids to sing or dance because they assumed all Black kids could sing or dance.”
Luckily, the trio already had a love for music, “Our parents were always playing music in the house, so it came naturally to us. From a young age, we wanted to be Janet Jackson or Whitney Houston. Every weekend, our parents would take us to Nigerian parties; so we would hear all the latest Nigerian music and we loved it. We loved the way the music made us feel. We didn’t understand Igbo or Yoruba but we loved the music”.
Annamay takes over from her twin sister and takes you further into their world. “Whilst at secondary school and university, Shay and I joined bands and singing groups but eventually decided to be a duo. We would always ask Kay to join us but she refused”.
However, they just didn’t let go because they badly wanted their sister to be part of the big dream.
“I wasn’t really interested in being a musician. I really wanted to be an actor. So, I went to university to study for a degree in Theatre and Performing Arts,” Kay chipped in.
To be or not to be? Annamay and Shay didn’t give up on Kay; and along the line, they won her over to their singing side.
“At some point, our mom persuaded me to join my sisters’ group and that’s how we started singing together and became SHiiKANE,” Kay enthused.
Obviously, their parents who never forgot home in Asaba, Delta State, also gave them Nigerian names. Shay goes by the name Ifeanyichukwu, Annamay’s is Uchechukwu, while Kay’s Nigerian name is Nkemdilim.
Kay revealed that coming together as a brand and making waves was fun but it also came with some challenges.
“The initial challenges were learning how to work together as siblings. We argued a lot! And our mom had to settle a lot of our arguments. Shay and Annamay would always argue and I would be in the middle; but we would always fix things quickly because we wanted it to work and we had a lot of people waiting for us to fail.”
Determination, dedication and passion have kept them bonded together whilst they have also kept their eyes constantly on the bigger picture, and carving a niche for themselves.
Kay continued: “People didn’t believe in our dream at all. The only person that never doubted us was our mom. She was our biggest fan. She used to work for the Nigerian High Commission in London and would always sell our mix tapes and CDs to her colleagues. She always told us to stay focused and believe that we could do all things through Christ who strengthens us”.
Their most challenging moment, however, was working out how to finance their music: “Recording studio sessions, photo-shoots, paying producers, shooting music videos and then paying to promote the work once it’s all done. It’s been hard financing it all because we’ve never been signed to a label, and we’ve never had an investor”, Shay informed.
Instead, they have had to work day jobs to finance this passion and they all confess that it’s hard to do both at the same time.
“As an artist, you want to focus on the art and not worry about the business side of things; but since we don’t have an investor backing us, we don’t have that privilege. Sometimes, it’s hard to be in a creative zone if you’ve just finished working a corporate job for 8 hours”, Shay explained.
Happily, they also let you in on some of their memorable experiences in the entertainment sector as well as the things that inspire them.
For Annamay, a moment that stands out was meeting 2Face at the MAMA’s in South Africa.
“He was so humble and welcoming. He told us he knew our music. He actually sang our first single to us to prove it! He said he could see the effort we were putting into our careers and told us we must keep going and never give up. We were star-struck; we couldn’t believe he actually knew who we were. Meeting other musicians we’ve looked up to is always memorable, especially when they’re humble and open, because we’ve definitely met a few rude ones too”.
On her part, Kay says she gets inspired by hard working people. “It’s always inspiring to see artistes that work hard because it pushes us to work harder. We have always admired artistes like Olamide. He’s always reinventing himself and always keeps his projects interesting. He works very hard and we pray to stay consistent like him. We get our inspirations from movies, from life; we see art everywhere”.
Pain of losing mom
Shay, however, says losing their mom is a memory that will never go away.
“It was so unexpected because she wasn’t sick at all. She collapsed in the office at work one morning and that was it. She had a sudden heart attack; till today, they don’t know the cause. It still affects us because we are too young not to have her in our lives.”
That remains a major setback and turning point in their lives; but they decided they just had to move on.
“It made it harder to stay focused on our dreams; not having our number one fan cheer us on has been difficult.”
Moving on with the pieces, it has been a learning curve with lots of memories.”Going on tour with Tekno and again with Kizz Daniels was an interesting experience. It was our first time going on a tour and it was hard being on the road as supporting artistes without all our comforts. We learnt a lot and were grateful for the opportunity”, Annamay recounts.
ShiiKANE
Another great opportunity was performing at Felabration at the o2. Kay captured it this way: “It was an amazing experience and an honour to be on the stage. Fela Kuti is the backbone and genesis of the international community being interested in Nigerian music, so it’s an honour to pay homage to him and his legacy”.
Kay also talked about some of the other things that occupy their time.
“We started a YouTube channel in 2018 called SHiiKANETv, once we realised that we needed to find a way to grow our fan base that wouldn’t cost us too much money. We needed another way to connect with our fans and gain some new ones. Once the pandemic hit in 2020, we decided to add another channel called ‘SHiiKANEReacts,’ reacting to music videos. Both channels combined, have nearly 60,000 subscribers, with nearly 10million views”.
To relax, they go to the gym. Before the pandemic they used to travel a lot to unwind. “We would love to see women included a lot more in all aspects of the music industry, not just artistes – more women behind and in front of the cameras. From A&R to management to photographers, the list goes on and on. We try to hire 90% female on video and photo-shoots, as we know how important it is to be proactive about making a change”, Shay said.
Annamay added: “We would love to see more female music collaborations too. We often reach out to female artistes to work with but haven’t been that successful yet. We hope that changes in the future”.
The ladies are currently recording their debut album and one could practically feel their passion as they talked about it.
“We have taken over two years away and not released any music since our N.W.A EP in 2019; so we’re ready to release new music. The album should be ready by the third quarter of 2021”.
Sound Sultan, a huge inspiration
Inspiration come from mentors and the girls have so many mentors and role models, many of whom they admire at close range and from a far.
“The late Sound Sultan was a huge one. We met him so many times and he was always so nice to us. Always had our time and never made us feel unseen. He invited us to a video shoot he was doing in London and made sure he included us so much in the final edit. It was an honour to know him. He worked so hard right up until the end and we’ll forever be in awe of his strength and courage”.
Other role models would be people like Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Niniola, CardiB, Wajé and particularly Tiwa Savage, because of what she represents in the industry.
“For a woman to be a mother, wife and still be one of the biggest artistes in Africa is a huge accomplishment in a society that doesn’t allow women to be great. All their accomplishments are amazing”.
Next, Annamay gives a shout-out to St @NigeriaMusic, who has been very instrumental in their career.
“He has supported us from the beginning of our journey into pursuing our music in Africa and has always seen the global vision. Another amazing mentor has been Latasha Ngwube aka Latasha Lagos”.
Should they have to change something in the industry, what would it be?
Kay is the first to respond: “Misogyny!! The double standards between men and women are alarming. This needs to change in order for the industry to grow. More female managers and executives will help this change”.
For young people who want to come into the sector, she has this piece of advice: “Make sure you have a budget! Nobody will tell you that this industry is a business first before anything else. Talent comes after business. If there is no money to push the product just like any other business, it will fail. The financial backing is what keeps the business consistent”.
Annamay adds: “Keep all enjoyment in moderation- e.g. partying. It’s part of the lifestyle but too much of anything is danger ous!”
Relaxation
They all agree that relaxation is important and that they indeed relax by watching reality TV.
“We don’t have BBNaija in the UK, so we used to watch it on the Africa Magic App or keep up on Instagram. It is very entertaining. We also go to the gym and spa a lot.”
Travelling is part of the fun and they love going to Spain, France, Tanzania and Atlanta GA.
“We really want to visit the Maldives and Thailand soon.”
ShiiKANE
Reading is another thing that keeps the girls going. “At the moment, we’re trying to read more books by African writers. Currently I’m reading ‘Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe and ‘I am a girl from Africa’ by Elizabeth Nyamayaro,” Annamay informed.
Trendy and good looking, the SHiiKANE girls are quite experimental when it comes to fashion. You actually wonder if there is anything they won’t do in the name of fashion.
“We can never say never o! Maybe we can never wear raw animal skin with blood, or human blood etc, but we are quite experimental with fashion. So nothing is off limits”, Kay replied.
New wave of COVID-19 brings back memories of the lockdown last year and keeping safe and as far as they are concerned, “The rules in the UK were pretty strict; so we just spent most of 2020 in the house. We only go out to get groceries; and tried to always wear a mask and sanitise our hands. It was pretty tough not travelling anywhere for so long but slowly things are getting back to normal.”
Their heart goes out to Nigerian youths in the country and all over the world.
“It was so hard watching the protests, then watching the Lekki Massacre live as it was happening. It was so traumatic but we we’re inspired by the Nigerian youths’ resilience and their desire to make Nigeria a better country for all. We advise all Nigerians, especially the youths to register to vote and make sure they organise themselves. Get behind one candidate and vote.”
Last line
Life is full of lessons, but the hardest, they insist is the loss of their wonderful mom. “After losing our mom, we learnt that nothing is promised and we learnt quickly that we only have each other. We are family and whether we like it or not, we are stuck together and we must always stick together. It’s what our mom wanted and we will never let her sweat be in vain”.
Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is not a rookie in the Nigerian political terrain. He is one of the leading lights in the nation’s political class. Despite his youthfulness, he has served the nation in different capacities playing an excellent role as a seasoned democrat, who believes in the unity of Nigeria. Under his watch as speaker of the House of Representatives in 2011-2015, he commanded immense respect. Anytime he speaks, he is given rapt attention. He is intelligent, brilliant, blessed with great human relation skills, and also a man of many interesting parts.
The Governor of Sokoto has proved himself to possess distinguishable qualities that make a good leader. Despite throwing his hat in the ring to contest for the presidency at the 2019 general elections under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, losing the ticket to former Vice president Atiku Abubakar, he is not relenting on his quest to fulfill one of his childhood dreams. Those close to him have often disclosed that all his life, he has always believed and stayed true to his dreams. His close associates often averred that if there is one thing left for him to achieve in his political career, it’s to clinch the Aso-rock top job as the President of Nigeria. “At a time when the country is on the precipice, the searchlight should be beamed on individuals who can give the nation positive vibes. Therefore, ahead of the 2023 general elections, I am sure he will contest again. Although he has not made his intention known but from his body language and political moves he is likely to join the race of those who succeed President Buhari in 2023.” A source close to him disclosed.
Tambuwal is embedded with the innate skills to take very urgent decisions and solve impending issues confronting the nation. Under his governance, Sokoto state has witnessed tremendous development. With his age, he has been confronted by hardships brought on us by the destructive actions of former leaders, the highly cerebral seasoned politician is prepared to create a perfect environment to turn the situation around by get it to work for his generation and those yet unborn. He is devoid of religious and cultural bigotry and mixes freely with all sundry.
His foray into the murky waters of politics has seen him moving from the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) back to the ANPP to PDP and then to APC and back to PDP. His fans maintain that despite his moving from one party to the other he never dumped his beliefs in the ideology of one Nigeria. According to them, the moves essentially got him close to more people from the different parts of Nigeria and prepared him for the roles ahead.
Against all odds, Innocent C. Ike, the acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Bank, is succeeding beyond the imagination of his enemies. To the chagrin of naysayers, the best graduating accounting student of the 1988 set of the University of Lagos, has raised the bar high at a time when many thought he was going to fail due to the effects of the Covid-19 virus and its impact on the world economy and businesses.
Innocent’s appointment came at a period when the Bank needed someone that would step into the shoes of former MD now Senator representing Lagos East, Tokunbo Abiru, who resigned his position to obey the clarion call of his people.
After taking over, he bonded well with staff from all levels. He continued the repositioning journey of his predecessor unabated in the bank by making sure that all channels of the online transaction were functioning excellently, paying special attention to the information technology section of the bank to enable customers to make and experience seamless transactions without needing to visit the banking hall to avoid clustering together in a bid to curb the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus. With all the parameters put in place by the former Executive Director (Technology & Services), the bank recorded a massive turnover in revenue.
To further prove his critics wrong, on May 11, 2021, under his watch, Polaris Bank launched an innovation regarded as Vulte, the best omnichannel platform accessible with the same credentials and consistent user experience on both web and mobile platforms in banking history within Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.
Senator Ifeanyi Ubah might be confident of defeating APGA, PDP, and APC at the Anambra state governorship election but that’s not all he has his eyes on. The billionaire politician is also looking at making a grand entry into the Lagos political scene.
The Capital Oil boss has thrown his political and financial weight behind young and vibrant Lagos politician, Omotayo Abayomi. According to sources, Ubah has identified with Omotayo, who is vying for a political office in the Ifako Ijaiye area of Lagos under the Young Progressives Party (YPP). It was further revealed that Ubah had been meeting with Omotayo after he won the primaries to contest for the seat of the councilor representing Ward B of the Ifako Ijaiye Local Government. Omotayo is a certified synthetic turf entrepreneur and Microsoft excel expert.
Armed with a humane demeanor and uncommon poise, one would wonder how a man of valour, poise, and aura like Kogi State Deputy Governor, Edward David Onoja got involved with politics presumed to be a dirty game. Questions that often arise will be what is this man looking for in politics owing to his background as a boardroom guru, successful banker, and technocrat. On several occasions, he has said his incursion into active politics is divine coupled with his love for humanity. For Onoja, humanity comes first and those close to him have often confirmed that one thing the Igala man loathes is the sight of those around him in dire need of anything as he strives to put smiles on people’s faces. This and many more, we gathered, pushed him into full-fledged politics after his union days at the University of Jos.
Onoja’s name will go down in history as a man who is all about progress, loyalty, support, calculative, sincerity, love, and passion. During the first tenure of his principal, Governor Yahaya Bello, Onoja – as the Chief of Staff – was regarded as the proverbial multipurpose swiss knife and support system of the regime. He ensured that no lapses occurred, with his vast knowledge in board room politics, he ensured projects were supervised with an eye for quality. He also ensured that appointees key into the vision and mission of the governor to remodel Kogi, unifying everybody with the common goal of making Kogi State great.
Many were amazed at his emergence after the impeachment of ex-Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Simon Achuba. Onoja’s loyalty and trust have earned him so much that his principal can go to sleep and the government will function smoothly. He is a workaholic blessed with native intelligence. Lately, he was singled out and targeted with several campaigns of calumny and unfounded claims on the media space. Each time his detractor runs out of concept in their pull him down campaign, they resolve to create unrest, putting unverified information to mislead the public and also try to create a dichotomy between him and his boss.
When you think of a woman who would always defend children against the invasion of the proverbial hungry hawk, Senator Daisy Danjuma comes to the mind most especially for the role she played in the protection of children as the Chairman ECOWAS Parliament’s Women and Children’s Rights Committee and Senate Committee Chairman on Women Affairs and Youth Development at the senate. She was fierce, outspoken, intelligent, and glamorous.
In a few months, she will turn 65, it can be said that being advanced in age has not taken a toll on her beauty as she is gliding to the septuagenarian club with such impeccable finesse.
Interestingly, Danjuma, the Executive Vice Chairman, South Atlantic Petroleum, who still commands deep respect from young and old, tells whoever cares to listen that she is still in tune with the modern trends in the fashion world. She is a showstopper any day, any time. Danjuma, a Law graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, began her career as a State Counsel in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice (Department of Public Prosecutions).
Her numerous political followers and her admirers are quite worried about why she has recoiled into her shell leaving the social scene. She rarely attends social events again even before COVID-19, and she has slowed down on her public appearance. Sources said she is taking things easy. ‘She has attended enough social events in the past it’s time to retire and channel that energy on some other productive things. She spends more time at her home facing business and other things. She might celebrate her 69th birthday in August. If she does not because of the pandemic, she will be throwing a grand soiree when she clocks 70 next year. She is not silent, she just channeled her energy into other things.’
In the court proceedings that lasted for almost four years (2018 to 2022), Samuel Eto’o, who is currently the president of the Cameroon football association, did not deem it fit to attend the court hearing and never mentioned it by any means.
