The Nation Newspaper

Category: Glamour

  • ‘We are the kindest people on earth’

    ‘We are the kindest people on earth’

    Foremost actor and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Actors Guild of Nigeria Prince Ifeanyi Dike speaks with Gboyega Alaka on his travail and recovery from a life-threatening kidney illness, Nollywood, the Ibinabo Fiberesima/Clarion Chukwura rift and the values that make Nigeria a unique country.

    IT’S good to see you looking so hale and hearty, what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt coming out of your illness?

    Actually nobody is above sickness and I thank God that I have a very wonderful wife who took care of me while I was down. I tell you, it was not easy. Of course you know the Nigerian mentality, where when celebrities are sick, they don’t want people to know. But it got to a stage when my wife said, “No, you can’t keep quiet anymore.”  The truth is that you will eventually get poor if you have loads of money and have to spend a minimum of N250,000 every week on dialysis, because you don’t even have the strength to make more money. So I struggled with my situation for about one year until my wife picked up her phone one day and started calling people. She could not understand why I, who had always been caring and ever ready to help others, would now choose to suffer and die in silence. The news got to Segun Arinze, a former chairman of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, who immediately rallied round and got the support of Mr. Babatunde Fashola, the action governor of Lagos State. In fact, his reaction time was so quick that before I knew it, the cheque was in my hand, and written in my name! I must say that even the president also responded at some point. But again, that might be because I am an actor, and popular; and my heart goes to other people who are suffering from the same ailment and have to go through dialysis without the help I got.

    We hear you’re planning a foundation in that regard.

    Yes. I’m working on establishing the Ifeanyi Dike Kidney Foundation to assist people suffering from kidney failure. The problem is not just about the money or even the kidney transplant. People are scared of organ donation. And you need another human being, whose organ matches yours to agree to willingly donate his kidney. Some people look at me today and wonder if I really went through a kidney transplant. But the truth is that I went through kidney transplant twice. The first one failed. Yes. But I didn’t want to make any noise about it and had to go about the second transplant quietly. That was why I was away for one year. Besides I was wary of Nigerians, who might easily conclude that I was using it to raise money.

    People might even say that you got careless with your health

    Yeah. But let me tell you, it is not only smoking or drinking. These may be factors that contribute to it, but one thing that causes it especially in Nigeria is too much self medication to suppress pain. Too much use of analgesics.  I think that was what knocked my kidneys down, because I used to work very hard; and every time I came back home, I’d just swallow two tablets to quell the pains, without giving my body the chance to rest and reinvigorates itself.

    So how are you adhering to the regiment that comes with such transplant?

    After the transplant, the doctors in India would tell you to go back to your normal life. But the reality is that they’re probably assuming that we eat the same kind of food as they do. So when we come back here, we start swallowing wraps of pounded yam, eating loads of meat and all those heavy food. Would you believe that eating animal skin is dangerous to our health? And this includes cow legs, where unfortunately the illnesses in the animals settle. So I eat right, and that is probably why people say that I’m looking finer than even they who hadn’t been ill.

    Now to Nollywood; you’ve been reacting to the Clarion Chukwura /Ibinabo Fiberesima imbroglio. What exactly do you think is the way out?

    But for the fact that I am also a journalist, that is a question I would ordinarily not respond to. You see, you don’t poke your nose into what you are not a part of. I keep telling people, it’s not all actors and actresses that are part of the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria, irrespective of how popular they are. It’s like the Guild of Editors. You have editors of publications who don’t belong there. Can somebody in such publication come and be saying that Femi Adeshina is not qualified to be president? So I think she made a big mistake in taking her on in such a manner. It is possible that some people might have been inciting her to go after the lady based on her popularity, but as a senior person in the industry, I think the right approach would have been to call her and register her displeasure. Do you know this whole quarrel began when the young lady took some actors to meet the president?

    Part of her grouse was that she is not qualified for the position and that she is an ex-convict.

    The issue of ex-convict does not arise. And regarding her qualification, Ibinabo has been the chairman of Rivers State Actors’ Guild. And that was after participating as a member and as an executive. Tell me the chapter Clarion Chukwura has headed. It was after this that she decided to go for the presidency of the national body. So she graduated. In fact her election was held twice. Rachael Oniga was the chairman of the commission that brought her in. I was not even around then.

    We hear that it has been near impossible to access the fund the president promised the industry.

    If the bank says it is going to give you money and at the end of the day, you are not able to fulfill the requirement, do you blame the bank? Jonathan is not going to give anybody free money. The truth is that people have been accessing the money. The trip to Abuja was to make the president understand the problem the industry was facing; and also make him our grand patron. Do you know that the Nigerian Actors Guild is a member of the International Film Federation? And that foreign visitors come to meet us in Nigeria and we receive them in our little flat office in Surulere? Ibinabo presented this problem to the president during that visit and he immediately promised us a plot of land in Abuja and also promised to build it for the association. This young lady also struggle to raise money to assist industry member who fall sick or are in need of help. How many members pay their dues? I think it is time we stopped the PHD (Pull Him Down) syndrome.

    Some people still think that Nollywood is a bit behind.

    The area I think the government should assist Nollywood is in the area of props. Like you see a police uniform in a movie, and you immediately know that it is not real. At times, we use stick guns and plastic guns in our movies, and this does not make it look real. These are the things we need in our movies. The airports should not charge us money, because these are movies promoting Nigeria! People are willing to produce epic stories to promote Nigeria, like ‘Madam Tinubu, Aba Women Riot;’ like ECOMOG and how Nigeria liberated West African during their conflicts. Do you know that the American dollars became popular through the movies? So if you want Nigeria to become as respected as the United Kingdom or America, all you need to do is project it positively in our movies. There are ghettos worse than Ajegunle in the US, but they’ll never project that. People sleep on the streets in London. Do you know that we are the kindest people in the world? Here if you go to a party where you’re not invited, and you get food to eat, because we have compassion. You don’t have that in Europe or America..

    Let’s talk about your television programme Sunday Delight.

    At the moment, I have developed about 15 TV shows, but Sunday Delight is the one currently on air on NTA 10. It is a talk show/business programme where we advertise a lot of people, promote businesses, bring some clips from the Youtube that will interest Nigerians; entertainment generally. I also conceptualised the Traders’ Cup. It is coming back bigger and better this year as the Centenary Traders’ Cup, with a big company coming sponsoring. I am also working on a television sitcom to be called Mazi and family.

  • Pomp as Segun weds Motunrayo

    Pomp as Segun weds Motunrayo

    THE solemnisation of holy matrimony between Motunrayo Rufina Ajadi and Segun Raymond Aina took place at the Catholic Church of Divine Mercy, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, while the reception took place at the Ruby Gardens Lekki-Epe the Expressway. Important personalities graced the occasion, among whom were Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye Tomori; former Osun State Governor, Col. Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Retd); former Minister of Aviation, Mr Babalola Aborishade; Former Senate President, Hon. Adolphous Wabara; Esama of Benin Kingdom, Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion; Chairman ICPC, Ekpo Nta, and others.                    Photo: Muyiwa Hassan

     

  • ‘Being only son influenced my life’

    ‘Being only son influenced my life’

    Familusi Akin Babajide, aka FAB, is a household name in the fashion industry. He shares with Adetutu Audu how his being an only son prepared him for his exploits.

    TEll us about your early life

    I was born on Lagos Island, Island Maternity Hospital to be specific. I schooled in Lagos all my life. Contrary to what a lot of people believe, I have never been out of Nigeria for more than a few months at a time. Forgive my accent, my father taught me that because he was an English Language teacher. If you don’t pronounce properly you are in trouble. I attended Kings’ College here in Lagos and then University of Lagos. I am a Lagos boy. I was raised in a very strict home. People call me FAB and I head the FAB group.

    Would you describe your background as that of silver spoon?

    What kind of silver spoon? Between silver spoon and wooden spoon, what is there? May be plastic. I wasn’t really from a rich family. As I told you, my father was a teacher and my mother, a nurse. I would say I came from an average family but there was no silver spoon anywhere.

    You are the only son of your parents. How did that influence you?

    Don’t even go there. My father was tough on me. I used to hear that men who are the only sons of their parents used to be pampered but my case was different. My father was so hard on me that I thought I was not his son. But at the point when he passed away, I had to take on certain responsibilities. I am really grateful to him for raising me the way he did. At age nine, he would tell me to wash my own clothes and do his own laundry. I was really doing it fantastically. At the time I was going to secondary school, he told me that even if I chose not to go to school, I would make a fantastic dry cleaner. That was the kind of person my father was; I wasn’t pampered at all. Rather, my sisters had it all. In my father’s room back then, he had a big frame on which was written ‘a child is a child; boy or girl, they both deserve equal opportunity.’ I read that poster every day. I am going to apply it to my children.

    You read Chemical Engineering. When you were in the university, what was going on in your mind, considering all that you are doing now?

    A lot of not-so-nice things were going through my mind because I found myself in a wrong place. My mum had pushed me into studying the sciences but I have found my way out and now in a happy place.

    Can you tell us a little about FAB TV?

    In the television show, there is one that is called the FAB Lounge, it is one of many coming up. The FAB Lounge is basically about me hosting a few people, primarily those in the fashion industry. So, you are going to have me chatting with models, designers, make-up artists, hairstylists etc.

    On which channel is it going to be showing?

    It is going to be on various channels. It is going to be distributed across Africa and even Europe.

    You are also into publishing. What led you into this?

    My love for excellence in all that I do led me into publishing. I was looking for an outlet that was basically meant to project African brands in a proper way comparable to what you find anywhere in the world. I took up the challenge when I saw there was no one else to do it.

    How long have you been in the clothing line?

    I have been in the clothing business now for 13 years. I started it in 2001. It was even there before the publishing. It was because I was looking for a way for my own brand and that of others that made me to go into publishing.

    When your parents saw that you were going into tailoring, so to say, after leaving the university, what was their reaction?

    Their reaction was not so good. My dad would look at me and say I sent you to school and you wanted to be a mere tailor. It was upsetting to him. Though he is late now, I am sure he is looking down at me, smiling and happy that I chose the way I have decided to go. My mother is beautifully alive. She is happy that I chose what I desired to do and enjoying it. She is loving it as well.

    Where do you get inspiration for all that you do?

    I moved away from being a fashion designer to being a publisher. One phrase that ideally captures it is that I am a lifestyle entrepreneur. Lifestyle is about what you wear, what you eat, what you drink, where you hang out and all of that. It is all encompassing and that is what I am out for.

    What amount of time do you have for your family considering your tight schedule?

    It is actually tough. For example, we have been on this project (FAB Shop) for a couple of months. It took a lot of time pulling down the building and restructuring it. After doing all I need to do, I try as much as possible to get home on time before my daughters go to bed. I try to make out time. Though it is tough, it is achievable.

    What do you consider as your challenges as an entrepreneur?

    In Nigeria, what I would consider the first challenge is infrastructure. The second challenge is access to finance. It is not easy running business here because of poor power supply. You spend so much money on diesel every day. Of course access to finance is also a challenge because you want to grow your business. When you have an idea that is fantastic and a well-laid out plan and you can’t get access to finance, it can be frustrating. But all these are challenges I am prepared to face.

    With the way you are going about your business life, you probably have a role model that you want to equal his feat. Who is that role model?

    I probably have several for different things. No one person has it all. I can’t say this one person is my role model, but I have several.

    When you look at the fashion industry in Nigeria, how would you describe it?

    As I tell people, as at last year, there was no industry. We have raw talents, but we have almost zero production. But right now, I see a lot of things happening. I believe that in another five years we can say that we have an industry.

    Considering your exploits, what comes to your mind when people look at Nigeria as a hopeless nation?

    What comes to my mind is that we have close to 170 million people in the country. Imagine that .01 per cent of them are horrible people. You know how the negative always tends to outdo the positive. I think that is what is happening. Just do the calculation of 1 percent of 170 million people and see what it would give you. When you throw that number of people into the entire world, you will be amazed at the kind of impact they would make. It has got so bad when a Jamaican on a London street does something bad they will take him for a Nigerian. It is a stereotype thing that we need to fight. We need more media channels that would celebrate what Nigerians are doing.

    How do you relax?

    I go home. I go home to play with my kids. I watch cartoons with them and sing along with them. I hardly hang out. My hanging out is about working.

    We are also aware that you also run a restaurant and bar. Tell us more about it.

    It is all a quest for building a proper lifestyle brand, and FAB is a lifestyle brand.

    You are into a business that attracts females. As a young, handsome and successful man, it is obvious that some of them would be out to catch your attention. How do you handle this?

    First of all, I think you are lying to me but I would say, thank you for that. My father used to tell me that. When I was nine years old, he would always tell me that I would grow up to be a handsome gentleman. I thank him for that and hope to pass it to my children. The truth is that, I think I am blessed. I have to engage you before you even get to talk to me. For me to be convinced that I would spend some time talking with you, you have to prove to me that you are intelligent. I also have some private things that I have put in place to make sure that I keep focused. As my pastor would say, watch what you look at because if you continue dwelling on it, your mind would process everything and that which you process in your mind would now activate itself. When you shut what I like to call your eye gate, that will not be a problem to you.

    How do you feel with the level of success you have achieved today?

    Everybody keeps saying FAB, FAB, FAB. The truth is that it is good to have a vision that has come alive. The fact is that there are so many people, partners, investors, staff and all of that, that are making this dream come through. It is not a single man’s effort. It is a single man’s dream but now it is a shared effort.

    Have you ever applied for a job?

    Never!

    Was that what you chose or it happened by chance?

    When you start business early in life, by the time you are leaving the university and you look at what your mates are earning out there and you find that you are earning more than they are earning, you would not be encouraged to want to go and apply for a job. I guess that was what happened.

    What is your message to young people that have given up hope and are languishing on the street?

    You are on the street because you chose to be. You can choose not to be on the street and choose exactly what you want to become in life. At the very moment you make that choice, the difference starts. I keep encouraging people to find their passion and take the basic step towards achieving the set goal. It will be only a matter of few years before you realise your dream.

     

  • Folorunsho Alakija- ‘My turning point’

    Folorunsho Alakija- ‘My turning point’

    At 63 years, Folorunsho Alakija is Africa’s woman billionaire and one of the few richest making remarkable strides in the oil and gas sector, printing and other business concerns. She speaks with Yetunde Oladeinde about her passion, the initial challenges, early life and things which made it easy for her moving up the ladder of recognition.

    WHAT would you describe as the turning point in your life?

    The thing I can call a turning point in my life, which I did not realise then was when, at the age of seven years, my parents sent me to England to study. I didn’t realise that it was something that was going to change my future. I didn’t realise that this was going to be a turning point in my life and as I look back now, many years after even though they are dead now (at ages 95 and 92). About five years ago, they gave me something to start on, something I could look back at, something that opened my eyes and lead me to a better future.

    Let’s talk about one or two memorable moments as an entrepreneur

    Before I went into fashion, I was not yet in the Lord. However, I sat down and decided that I needed to decide on a career path that I would not regret; a career that I would enjoy, not one that would make me upset, unhappy, dodgy and would not make me feel like going to work when I wake up. Every time I thought of fashion, I was eager to go to work. I just love it and I still do.

    Despite the fact that I left sewing about 13 years ago, I still love it. That was when I was fifty and I would be 63 years in July this year. I looked inwards, I looked at my spirits, and I looked at the talents that God had given me. I had grace, even if you had made the mistake of not asking God, if you made use of the grace He gave you then you would be okay. If you look back at the grace He gave you, then you would do it with ease. You would be struggling if you don’t have the grace. You would be struggling while Bisi, who has grace, would make money with ease. So, I believe that I took the right step at the time that I did and the rest is history.

    What were some of the initial challenges you faced?

    Some of the challenges had to do with getting clients to recognise the fact that we were on ground. But the minute they began to see the quality of our print, they themselves began to advertise Digital Reality. They are the best form of advert; seeing is believing. If someone is speaking on your behalf and they have tasted it, tested it and you have been a part of it, so people who they tell would tend to believe than the adverts that you place yourself. They are your walking advert.

    What gives you joy at the moment?

    Being able to rebrand Digital Reality and open the new purpose-built edifice; this twin print facility houses are everything you can think of in terms of printing. It was through His grace and favour, because He gave me the leading in 2006 to set up a print factory. I thank God that He called me and gave me the grace to walk along that line and I obeyed that calling.

    Not only that, He facilitated it so that I would be able to do everything that I needed to get to this point through the help of the chairman, the directors and staff who have been loyal and dedicated . They have worked and toiled daily ever since we started; they have been solidly behind the company and everything Digital Reality stands for.

    As the richest woman in Africa, are you rebranding to make more money?

    There is no one that doesn’t need money. I didn’t confirm that; you did. I don’t know what anyone else has got. So you are the one saying that to me and from what He has given me, I give God the glory. To answer your question, I would say that everybody needs money. No matter the amount of money God gives you, you can only sleep on one bed; you can only sleep under one roof. So God expects us to share whatever He has given us with those in need. So, I try to do that with all my heart as He calls, as He leads, directs and He opens those doors and shows me where to go to do His work.

    So it is absolutely necessary for one to continue to work. He says those who do not work, should not eat. It also gives one the opportunity to hire people to work because there is so much unemployment out there. He affords me the grace and gives me the opportunity to put food on their table as well as help them to be breadwinners of their family.

    Accessing credit has always been a problem for female entrepreneurs. How can they overcome this problem?

    That is the reason why those of us who have gone a step further must advocate for other women. I know that the government can do something about this. Some banks have also been helping women in their businesses. A number of banks have helped women in setting up cottage industries and all that. Government must do more. If you look at the population, all over the world, you would find that women constitute 50 per cent of the world population including Africa. So, if women are not given the opportunities they deserve to grow the country, the country would be losing money.

    If you had to advise Nigerian women, especially female entrepreneurs, what would you tell them?

    I would tell them that before they go into any type of business they must pray and ask God. Trying to do it their way and then coming to ask God to put His rubber stamp on it is wrong. You must ask God where He is leading you, where he wants you to be. You must ask where it is exactly and how I should go about it.

    Even in the mundane things like the slogan for the company, ‘Awesome images,’ God gave me. He gave me the scripture and I looked for it and found it. He expects us to be hard working, He expects us to use wisdom, and He expects us to be passionate about what we are doing. He also expects us to represent Him well and He expects us to do things according to His leading.  So, don’t say that because Jane, Bisi or Ngozi is doing it, then I am going to do the same. The way God called Ngozi and Bisi may not be the way He called you. He opens the doors.

    Over the years, you have been reaching out to widows in different parts of the country. Why did you single them out?

    God called me and told me to reach out to them. I keep stretching my hands to people that come from left, right and centre and wherever, out of the passion I had in my heart. So, I asked God what He wanted me to do in this area and the scripture that came my way here was in James 21 vs 27. I rushed to my bible and I looked it and saw that He wanted me to show love and affection towards widows and orphans.

    Not just to go knocking on their doors alone but to reach out to them through counselling, motivation and more. I was also advised to show them how to fish and not just give them fish. This way they would be able to stand on their feet and this would give them confidence. Confidence to do things on their own, confidence to help their children and confidence to say that I have been there, this is where I am today. I am happy because many of them would be able to say that He has taken me out of poverty, He has taken me out of depression, out of frustration and my future is in my hands.

    Mentoring is one of the ways to reach out to others, especially young people. How do you do this?

    I mentor as often as I can with every opportunity that I get. I do it on the internet, I do it face to face and I do it with ministries. I do this even with the books that I write. When God told me I was going to be an author of books I didn’t know how it was going to happen but He made it happen. I have another book that will be coming out soon. Sometimes, He gives me the title of the books that I write.

    In addition, God has given me good quality staff who are diligent, who are hardworking and they give me the support that I need. I call upon Him and He brings them along. A tree cannot make a forest and so with the support that I get, I am able to reach my aims, aspirations and goals that I set for myself.

  • Adaeze Yobo’s profile soars

    Adaeze Yobo’s profile soars

    Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (2008), Adaeze Stephanie Yobo, has joined the echelon of world class super celebrities on the Africa Fashion Week Ambassadors List.

    Adaeze joined the ranks of other Celebrity Ambasadors on the AFWL platform such as Ghana Ex Beauty Queen, Menaye Donkor, Congo DCR Ex Beauty Queen, Supermodel and UN Ambassador for Peace, Noella Coursaris Musunka, Bassist and lead vocalist of the Noisettes British Band, Shinghai Shoniwa, Sky Tv Presenter, Lukwesa Burak, and Ugandan Born Editor of the London-based New Africa Woman Magazine, Regina Jane Jere.

    In her capacity as AFWL ambassador, Adaeze will be working closely with some of the world’s best celebrities of African origin such as Yinka Shonibare, artist and Member of the British Empire (MBE) and director of the Tiwanis Art Gallery London, and Princess Fifi Ejindu, Nigerian-born, world class architect and real estate entrepreneur and life patron of Africa Fashion Week London. Together, they will all gear-up efforts towards increasing and strengthening the pedestal for launching the careers of young African-inspired fashion designers globally.

    Married to international soccer star, Joseph Yobo, 24-year-old Adaeze achieved her childhood dream of becoming the most beautiful girl in Nigeria in 2008, at the age of 18, beating 29 other beautiful Nigerian women to the crown. She also represented Nigeria at Miss World 2008 in South Africa, making the top 20 list in Miss World Talent, and placed second in Miss World Sports. In 2011, she was ranked 92, in a list of 101 sexiest soccer wives and girlfriends, according to Bleacher Report.

  • Justin Bieber wants ‘open relationship’ with Selena Gomez

    Justin Bieber wants ‘open relationship’ with Selena Gomez

    Justin Bieber doesn’t want to commit himself to Selena Gomez as he’d like to date other women as well.

    The 20-year-old singer has recently rekindled his romance with the ‘Come & Get It’ hitmaker, but he’s now decided he doesn’t want to commit himself to just her.

    A source told the HollywoodLife.com: “He wants an open relationship with Selena, and he actually thinks he can make it happen. A lot of the guys he hangs out with now get away with that kind of thing, they talk about it all the time and that’s got in Justin’s head.”

    The ‘Baby’ hitmaker – who has been in an on/off relationship with Selena since 2010 – has been spotted with a string of girls recently, including his former fling Chantel Jeffries, who he took on vacation in February.

    However, Selena’s friends believe the brunette beauty, 21, isn’t fazed by Justin’s flirtatious behaviour with other women because she’s brain-washed by him.

  • Mya denies Jay Z affair

    Mya denies Jay Z affair

    The ‘Case of the Ex’ singer chalked up reports that she has been secretly dating the ’99 Problems’ rapper to ‘illegitimate, thirsty sources with no facts.’

    ‘I play second to no one,’ Mya (left) wrote on Instagram Wednesday after a fan asked whether she is having an affair with Beyoncé’s husband, Jay Z.

    “Never did, never was, never will,” the pop star said about her rumored affair with the “99 Problems” rapper, after she was asked about the gossip on Instagram.

    “Heard you and Jay Z had an 11-year affair,” the fan wrote Thursday. “Are you his side chick or nah?”

    A recent blind item suggested Beyoncé’s husband has been secretly dating – and financially supporting – Mya for years. The “Case of the Ex” singer strongly refuted these claims.

  • Julia Roberts blamed in sister’s suicide note

    Julia Roberts blamed in sister’s suicide note

    Nancy Motes’ suicide note blamed her mother and “so-called siblings”, including half-sister Julia Roberts, for sending her into a deep depression.

    Motes died of an overdose in February and in her suicide note – which has been made public for the first time – she said her mother Betty, the ‘Pretty Woman’ star, actor Eric Roberts and actress Lisa Roberts Gillan deserved “nothing” because of the way they treated her.

    The note begins by saying Nancy’s fiance John Dilbeck can have “whatever he wants” of her possessions, including their dog Lucy.

    It continued: “My mother and so-called ‘siblings’ get nothing except the memory that they are the ones that drove me into the deepest depression I’ve ever been in.

    “I have suffered thru this disease all my life, however It has never been this bad.

    “I burst into tears every morning b/c I woke up.(sic)”

    The note was filed in court papers in relation to probate of Nancy’s estate and has three specific sections, one addressed to John, another to her mother and Julia, and a third addressed to “everyone”.

  • Kemi Alao-Akala plans 52nd birthday

    Kemi Alao-Akala plans 52nd birthday

    COME 7th of July 2014, all roads lead to the Ogbomoso home of the Alao-Akalas, as the amiable wife of the Oyo State ex-governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, who also held sway as first lady of Oyo State between 2007 and 2011, Chief (Mrs) Oluwakemi Alao-Akala, will be 52 years. In her usual style, it will be prayer and thanksgiving galore.

    Except for her 50th birthday which she celebrated with grace and candour, her unique style of celebrating her birthdays in church, devoid of the usual camaraderie that people in her class are known for, sets her aside from the crowd and has further endeared her to many who see her as a worthy role model.

    To her, this year’s occasion will not be an exception as family, friends and well wishers will again gather to celebrate with her in the usual atmosphere of praise and thanks giving. But for her political family, this opportunity must not slip by as they are out to make a statement in the usual politicking razz-mattaz way. Aso-ebi is already in circulation and, to them, Yeye Otun of the source must be celebrated after the church things are over.

  • Nicki Minaj denies feud with Iggy Azalea

    Nicki Minaj denies feud with Iggy Azalea

    She was recently accused of ‘throwing shade’ at fellow female rapper Iggy Azalea, but Nicki Minaj looked nothing but relaxed on Thursday.

    The 31-year old rapper and singer was seen leaving her hotel dressed comfortably in a red Juicy Couture tracksuit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

    The Starships hitmaker was heading to a rehearsal for her performance at the Philly 4th of July Jam and Grand Fireworks Finale.

    Minaj, who was make-up free, obviously did not have the alleged feud on her mind as she waved and smiled toward adoring fans on the sidewalk as she made her way to the performance practice.

    Along with the bright red velour ensemble, the rapper whore a pink shirt and a pair of black and varsity red Jordan VI retro sneakers.

    It was a refreshingly low-key look for the star, who wore her jet black locks down and unstyled on the outing.

    Earlier this week, she was interpreted as ‘throwing shade’ in her acceptance speech and during Iggy Azalea’s performance at the BET Awards in Los Angeles.

    As cameras shot to Minaj in the audience she was flicking her hair and pouting at the camera, an act that was interpreted as making fun of Azalea – who is also a model.

    In her award acceptance speech Minaj also commented on writing her own raps, which was said to be a criticism of the Work singer who is rumoured to use a ghostwriter.