The Nation Newspaper

Category: Victor Akande

  • More than entertainment

    LATE Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s description of the daily life of an average Nigerian as ‘Suffering and Smiling’ has remained the lot of the masses in the seeming entertaining series of brouhahas that have engulfed of Nigerian political space.

    The notable episodes called ‘defection’ is more of a game of ego than of principles – a power play that involves severance of alliance, collective migration of politicians from one party to another for majority stake in some States and the Federal Houses of Assembly. We have also witnessed cases of messy fisticuffs at different times.

    Not that it matters that the politicians, most of who have long sold their conscience to the devil and have no pact with dignity, is the issue; the worry is the brainwashed common man, who continues to applaud their shameful act.

    All over the social media, friends have turned foes over their preference for one politician over another. One needs to follow these fanatics to see the bitterness, hatred, and abuses they have poured one another – even between and among people who have never met themselves physically.

    There have been so much entertainment around the political gladiators that somehow, the essence of real governance have been lost in the mix; so much nepotism at the expense of communal interest; every passing day comes with headlines of treachery and perceived smart political moves. The last FIFA World Cup was a mere interval of the political upheavals. Yes, upheavals; those are more pronounced than efforts on good roads, constant electricity, affordable education and health care services. We are back to the long prologues towards 2023, and the masses, the most affected by the woes, have continued to sing the supporters’ club songs; cheering the shameful acts across the divide.

    I picture the various shameful scenarios and I ask, if Nigeria were a movie; it would be a fusion of all the genres such that the more the viewer sees, the less they would understand. Did you just say ‘abracadabra’? It would be a serious comedy and a laughable thriller; there would be tragic hiccup in place of comic relief. The entire roforofo appeals to me like a disjointed drama with plot running from cacophony to pandemonium. But I blame the masses for giving the players the verve to turn their sham into a series.

  • Auditions for The People’s Hero hold August

    All is set for auditions for The People’s Hero reality show happening on the 17 and 24 of August at the Oakland Hotel, Enugu and Glo-Ran Hotel, Port Harcourt Road, Owerri respectively.

    The reality show will reward winners with the sum of seven million naira, two million naira and one million naira for the first, second and third winners in that order. Although registration to participate and vie for the grand prize can be done at the venue of auditions, interested participants can also register online on www.thepeopleshero.ng to fast track their audition process.

    An initiative of Hero Lager Beer, The People’s Hero is a television reality show that seeks to reward creativity and originality in the culture of the South-eastern and South-southern people through singing, dancing, acting and spoken words.

    Read Also: Hi-life Fest wraps up regional auditions in Aba

    The Marketing Director for International Breweries Plc, Tolu Adedeji said: “The People’s Hero offers the bridge to stardom and prosperity for thousands of youths who are very creative in their own rights but have not got a platform to showcase their skills and get handsomely rewarded for it.”

    Expressing his company’s readiness for the show, the Country Manager, Viacom International Media Networks Africa, Mr. Bada Akintunde Johnson, said all is set to host the thousands of young people who will be coming to Enugu on 17 August and Owerri on 24 August to show the world what they are made of.

    “We have exciting activities lined up and in a short while, we will reveal the judges who are equally excited with great hope to see new Heroes arise from this show,” Bada said.

    “Sufficient security measures have been put in place to ensure the auditions are hitch free and provide fulfillment for every participant.”

  • Okoya on the future of the industry

    Nigerian socialite, Folasade Okoya has been using her entrepreneurial prowess to show the relevance of women in the society.

    At a time when the manufacturing sector was dominated by men, she used her entrepreneurial drive to strengthen the goodwill of the organization, Eleganza Group of Companies.

    Folashade Okoya and her husband, Razak Okoya are industrialists who have contributed greatly to the Nigerian economy by transforming a small trading company into one of the largest conglomerates and indigenous manufacturers of household products in Nigeria.

    In July, the Chief Executive Officer of the manufacturing giant, Folashade Okoya, who helms the affairs of the company over the past decade with her husband, Chief Razak Okoya published an oped titled ‘Nigeria’s Manufacturing Power Couple on the Future of Manufacturing in Nigeria.’ The article which featured in the prestigious Forbes Africa magazine examines the need for greater automation in the manufacturing processes as well as the trends that will influence the competitive Nigerian manufacturing sector in the next decade.

    With Eleganza Group currently employing about 5000 people across Nigeria,‘Manufacturing is not another ideology that countries may or may not choose to practice, it is a key component for national growth.’ The company is rising to new heights and strengthening its position as a leading indigenous brand as well as one of the benchmark manufacturing companies in Nigeria.

  • 9ice’s daughter clocks 5

    The fourth child of singer Abolore Akande who is more known as 9ice, Michelle Abolanle Akande, clocked five on August 15, 2019, and the proud father took to his Instagram to share the photo shoot of the day.

    The singer, turned politician captioned one of the pictures thus, “Proud To Be A Father! I’m sure your mum is too. You’re 5 today with So Much Potentials. Your ability scares me but I pray God Almighty Allah guides and keeps you for us! hbd my #loveylovey.”

    Read Also: Actress Toyin Abraham welcomes baby boy

    News of the birth of 9ice’s fourth child with a third baby mama, Sunkanmi Ajala, surfaced in 2014.

    9ice’s other children include 6-year old son, Zion, with his ex-wife, Toni Payne, and a set of twins from his Abuja-based baby mama, Victoria Godis.

  • Lbee out with ‘Santoroni’ video

    Budding artiste Ojelade Olanrewaju Oluwafe who is more known as LBee, has released the video to his new single, ‘Santorini,’ penultimate Wednesday.

    ‘Santorini’ which is available on all digital music stores and streaming services worldwide, comes after the release of his track, ‘Fortune and Fame’ in which he featured 9ice.

    Read Also: DJ Cuppy’s Gelato single tops music charts

    Currently under the management of YOS records, LBee is set to carve a niche for himself in the highly competitive Nigerian music industry.

    LBe who hails from Abeokuta, Ogun State said he was influenced by 2 Baba and Burna Boy.

  • Tuface Idibia is my role model – Oj Danley

    Fast rising artiste, Danley Olaiya Joseph, popularly known as OJ Danley, has revealed why he chose the legendary Tuface Idibia as a mentor and role model.

    Speaking on the recent release of the video of his new hit track, titled “Give Me Body”, featuring Promzzy, the Afro hiphop artiste confessed that his fusion of music takes after that of Tuface who has been an inspiration to him.

    In his words: “I do Afro hiphop. The top celebrity I look up to in Afro hiphop has always been Tuface Idibia. I look up to him. He inspires me a lot. The very song that made me pick so much interest in him is African Queen. I have been following him for years now.

    Read Also: Why I chose Burnaboy as role model- Jhay Prinz

    “If I have my way, I would like to do a collaboration with legendary Tubaba. He is my mentor based on Afro hiphop. When people listened to my first single that year, they were amazed that I was sounding like Tubaba already. He is a role model and a mentor to me.”

    On the huge support garnered from friends and families, since his sojourn in music, the Lagos-born artiste, said: “Since I started music fully, I have had about five singles to my credit. In all of the five singles, “Give Me Body” is the hit I can call the cash cow. One thing about it is the part where I sang, “come gimme body, gbe wa”. People love that part so much.

    “I get a lot of support from my parents and siblings and from everyone else around me. Even people that just got to know me want to get attached to me because of the talent. I can only thank all these people for the huge show of love and support. My parents have been all supportive. That reminds me of my grandma of blessed memories. I grew up in Aladura Church and my role model was Baba Ara. Grandma would always pray for me to be as big as Baba Ara, Tuface and the rest. I thank God for where He has brought me today.”

    The video was produced and directed by one of the finest producers in the country, Jamin Films, and according to OJ Danley, it will usher in more hit tracks from him, in no distant time. The video of “Give Me Body” was dropped earlier in the week and has since started to make waves in the industry.

  • Abba Makama takes Nollywood to TIFF

    The takes a second creative slot at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival this fall, making what one may call a consistent statement outside the box. Reason; he prefers the word creator to filmmaker, and he is combining all artistic endeavours into storytelling. He is Abba Makama, director of Green-White-Green, one of the Nigerian films selected for the City-to-City Focus at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2016.

    The program, curated then by Artistic Director Cameron Bailey – included films from an area generating “about US$1 billion in box office” and experimenting with “bigger budgets, leading to greater artistic ambition.

    Green White Green – a sharp and hilarious film that explores social and political views common in Nigeria. With the three main characters from the three major ethnics groups (Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa), this creates the perfect setting to poke fun and critique ethnic/cultural stereotypes, prejudice, and classism.

    Returning three years after, Makama is here with a TIFF Premiere – ‘The Lost Okoroshi’, an Afrofuturistic Journey Through Nigerian Masquerade which is among TIFF’s wide-ranging Discovery section this year.

    This film might just be the only Nigerian official selection at the festival, playing out with few African entries like ‘Knuckle City ‘ from the acclaimed South African writer/director, Jahmil X.T Qubeka and ‘Crazy World’ by Uganda’s gonzo action autuer, Isaac Nabwana.

    Read Also: Five Nigerian movies to see in August

    Makama’s entry is a great relief, not just for it’s artistic consideration, but also for keeping Nigeria active on the slates of film festivals like TIFF and Berlinale because, despite accolades as the second largest producers of home video in the world, Nigerian cinema is still largely underrepresented on the festival circuit.

    ‘The Lost Okoroshi’ follows a young man, stuck in a job he doesn’t enjoy, who begins experiencing visions of his Nigerian ancestors. The experience results in him transforming into a traditional Nigerian masquerade, a masked performer who channels spirits through dance, which sounds fun and all … until he has to go to work the next day in full performance garb. What follows looks to be a Kafkaesque story of a man torn between two worlds.

    Known as Mmanwu, secret societies within Nigerian communities put on masks to communicate with gods and ancestors. But the ritual is more than prayer, as the wearer of the mask is believed to take on newfound spiritual powers. It’s part of the nation’s rich history, but pairing it with the realities of contemporary working life makes for an interesting story about the role tradition plays in our lives.

    His previous TIFF premiere, Green-White- Green’ and ‘Nollywood’, the Al Jazeera documentary about Nigeria’s film industry are currently streaming on Netflix.

    On the choice if his theme, Makama said: “I want Africans to keep in touch with their cultures and traditions and globalization makes it increasingly difficult for us to connect with our past. Masquerades have generally been demonized and considered bad omens in western religions. With this project I aim to change the narrative and reintroduce the masquerade as a colorful, playful and benign entity.”

  • Waje features daughter and Johnny Drille in new video

    Ahead of her highly anticipated first concert, award winning RnB star Waje has just released images from the set of her upcoming video ‘Udue’ featuring Johnny Drille.

    Starring the singer’s stunning daughter Emerald as Johnny Drille’s love interest, the video was shot on location at the scenic Lufasi Park, Lagos.

    Read Also: Defiant Tekno releases controversial music video, ‘Agege’ showing ‘half-naked’ girls

    The video follows the upbeat, soulful and seamless flow of the song ‘Udue’ telling the story of a young couple in love and enjoying each other’s company close to nature, far-away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

    The visuals for ‘Udue’ was produced by Fatima Omokwe and the video directed by Catalyst and will be out on Thursday August 15, 2018.

    Waje’s concert Red Velvet hold on September 1 at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

  • Ex-hubby, Colleagues, Fans shower Toyin Abraham, Hubby with love on childbirth

    It is no longer news that Nollywood actress Toyin Abraham welcomed a baby boy with actor hubby, Kolawole Ajeyemi on August 15, 2019.

    The actress who had since taken down all posts on her Instagram handle, with just a movie poster of her new film ‘Selah’ remaining,  has been receiving congratulatory messages from fans and colleagues on the arrival of her bundle of joy which was received with mixed feeling having kept the news of her pregnancy from the public.

    Her ex-hubby Adeniyi Johnson posted a picture of the couple in their traditional attire with a caption: “Congrats on the arrival of your baby.. Mr &Mrs Ajeyemi …. He shall be a source of joy to you ….. God bless the baby, the mother and the dad..

    Also popular actor/producer Muyiwa Ademola wrote, “CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN GUYS,” he said.

    “Oluwatoyin, I remember that fateful evening you walked up to Femi Adebayo and I in Ibadan and said “Hi Uncle, I’m coming to the film industry and will become a star”. Funny enough you are not just a star now but a mega super star.

    “Toyin, you could be stubborn sometimes, careless most times, carefree at times after all you are human! But there is a part of you that is so so beautiful, your heart. You have gotten a golden one. Kola, you are a special brand. May the good Lord uphold you and sustain your union. Same for all the unions in Nollywood and beyond.”

    Faithia Williams who also posted picture from the actress’s baby shower wrote, “We had to keep this under wrap for so long. Congratulations my baby @toyin_abraham . May God continue to sustain your home. Keep winning.”

    Adediwura Blark Gold, “Congratulations to the newest couple on the arrival of our baby and their Mansion @toyin_abraham @kolawoleajeyemi. May God bless your union and keep your home IJN.”

    Nkechi Blessing, who said she was angry with the newly mother for not attending her birthday in February posted her share of story, “February 14th I waited for a Surprise Birthday gift, party, Anything sha from you, But you didn’t Show up, at first I was sad, unhappy and almost ruined my day, And then Big Sam came thru with that cake and said it was from you, it still wasn’t enuf cus I wanted you to be there urself.”

    “I got soo mad I did not speak to u for days after my birthday, then on the 4th day I decided to talk to you about my anger instead of keeping it to myself, and den Boom it happened that u slumped on ur way to me; seeing ur heavily pregnant Tummy I couldn’t control the tears, and then you said to me Nkechi I am going to be a mother soon.”

    “You even kept it away from me. That was the happiest Day of my life, I cried uncontrollably, I sang, I danced and I said Mama you know what? This is the greatest Gift of my entire life, I was mad at you before but now may God forgive me for even getting angry… And as you welcome your bundle of joy today, May Your Joy And happiness be permanent. Been soo shot of words since that I had to sleep early…And missing the Baby shower that took me weeks to plan was not something I am happy about. But God knows best. I remember telling you I will be here for you till the very last, I still am and I will be here forever. Knowing you is knowing that GOD is indeed a Miracle worker. Let me stop here before I mistype.”

    Producer of Wives on Strike, Omoni Oboli, which the actress features in was not left out. “Congratulations darling @toyin_abraham. May God bless your new family and may your joy be full, she said.

    Actress, Iyabo Ojo wrote, “this is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our sight.  The joy I have been feeling since I heard the news is immeasurable. @toyin_abraham welcome to motherhood darling… may you always be happy, God’s blessings will never depart from your new family… his grace, riches and protection will always be in your home.”

    Mercy Aigbe who posted the picture of the couple in a baby wears store wrote, “I am super happy for you my darling @toyin_abraham may your joy be permanent in Jesus Name Congrats @toyin_abraham and @kolawoleajeyemi on the arrival of our prince!!!!!….May he continue to be a source of joy to us all in the mighty name of Jesus.”

    Abraham had initially left her over three million fans on Instagram shocked days ago by deleting all of her posts on the platform.

    The Auchi born actress started her acting career in 2003 and had since then produced and directed many movies

    Friends and colleagues have been posting photos from her baby shower and reported traditional wedding where the couple was spotted in white and red attire.

  • Georgina Onuoha: Don’t let anyone shame you for wearing bikini

    Abroad based, Nigerian actress, Georgina Onuoha who recently shared a picture of her colleague Genevieive Nnaji, in a black bikini on the beach said Nigerian women in their 40s should not be ashamed for wearing bikinis at the pool or beach.

    Taking to Instagram, Onuoha said: “Dear Nigerian Woman, regardless of your age, shape, status and faith. Know that you are beautiful. Do not let anyone body shame you or steal your moment because you are wearing a two piece bikini. These are moms and full grown ass women well in their 40s and are entitled to wear what suits them to the pool or beaches.

    “It’s about time you all change your orientation when it comes to dressing to the pool or beaches. You cannot wear a short or jeans to any pool and beaches, it will be considered a suicide mission. No pool anywhere will allow you do that. Why are you shaming women who have the discretion to wear what they are comfortable with?

    Read Also: Mercy Aigbe shows off flawless skin

    “You go on western and South African celebrities pages and hail them “Queen B, Queen Z when they wear bikinis, but when your own wear them you all shame them. Wearing a bikini will not make you go to hell ok? Dear ill-informed Nigerian men (not all) you curse these women out, yet you use Beyoncé’s and Kim K near naked pictures as your screensavers. You hypocrites. You subject your beautiful wives to quick old age and chase young women on social media sliding in DMs.”

    “Instead of bashing women with good bodies, pay gym membership for your wives and mistresses, adore them and make them look their best even after birthing your kids. Don’t expect women to wear iro and buba to pools and beaches. If you feel comfortable wearing agbada to the beaches please feel free and don’t bash those who don’t buy your ignorant idea of decency.”

    “Dearest women, you are beautiful no matter what they say. Trust me; bashers will not see God before you. I’m enjoying my early morning pool side in bikini come and beat me. Ndi ara. Awon oloshi . @genevievennaji @realmercyaigbe @lilianesoroo @ufuomamcdermott . You guys are freaking amazing and beautiful.”