By Paul UKPABIO

 

I’ll take my band on a tour of Europe —Tee Mac

I celebrated Christmas as every year at my residence in Lagos. My youngest son, Kingsley, joined me for the Christmas holidays from his university.

We had a good meal prepared by my specialist cook, Anthony, and after watching a very interesting movie on History Channel “Ancient Aliens,” I went to bed.

As the chairman of our landlords association, I had to show my face at the street carnival in my area. This was after I watched my friend, Prophet Sheperd Bushiri, praying for the  New year in Pretoria in front of a packed full stadium.

Since South Africa is an hour ahead, I tried to get some additional blessing at midnight Nigeria time from my other great friend, Prophet T.B.Joshua, but there was no candlelight service this year.

Then I had to sit and comfort my four Alsatian dogs. They were highly disturbed by the noise of the crackers and the fireworks. I feared for my oldest dog, ‘Balewa’ (Bingo in Papa Ajasco). He nearly had a heart attack.

I watched the Royal Variety show and went to bed at 2 am. The year2020 is going to be a very interesting year for me. As the country manager and board director of PetroNor E&P Ltd (joint venture between Petromal Abu Dhabi and Nor/Hemla), I am looking forward to a busy and good year.

We signed the taking over of Pandora’s shares in the Aje oil field in Badagry and are closing two more oil block deals in the coming months.

On the music scene, I have the outstanding 10 shows in China, the nights to be shared with the ‘Jacksons’. Marlon Jackson called me in the afternoon to wish me and my family all the best for 2020.

We signed a contract in Dubai for the opening ceremony of the Hainan Island tax and duty free zone, (six times the size of Dubai). There after, I shall take my 13-piece band on a tour in Europe. I have postponed the offers to perform in Europe due to my busy schedule in the oil industry last year.

I always start my year in thanking God for having made it through the last year and my resolutions are mostly the same every year: to work hard, to play my flute minimum three hours a day; to eat healthy food only (no red meat as I have done since 1971), to work out regularly (I walk my dogs in the morning and 11 pm, lift weight and spend 30-45 minutes on my bike).

To continue my humanitarian projects and help as many as possible needy human beings as I can afford. To give has become a very important part of my life; I do it without publicity.

2019 was a difficult year. Because of the election and waiting for ministers to be appointed, the oil and gas industry went to sleep and applications and biddings (I bid for flared gas in the bidding round) were just not processed.

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The delay of my shows in China also gave me some stress because I was ready and my musicians and dancers were not happy because of the delay. The entertainment industry is a mirror, a reflection of the health of a country and since Nigeria is in a recession, it affected show business in general.

My law suits for the Bonga oil spill and the Ogoni clean up did not move a bit during the whole year. Postponement after postponement because the courts were busy with election cases. I would state that 2019 was not a great year for me in Nigeria.

Top designer Funmi Ajila-Ladipo: I plan to rebrand

I have a whole lot of plans for the new year and that includes to rebrand and unveil the regalia ready to wear brand and the birth of Salewa & Ajila brand to the world. I will also be working at increasing the Regalia scope, dive into more areas, and achieving higher grounds.

I had a good turnout last year and that was because we birth new ideas. I have no regrets about last year but very thankful to God for His mercy and goodness.

This year, I look forward to more work, plenty of orders and new ideas. I have always maintained a steady and healthy relationship with both family and friends but I hope to do more this New Year by God’s grace.

I believe in family reunion. That’s because we did not choose the particular family we come from but God chose for us since He knows best.

Your family can either make you or break you. And at the end, your family and friends would be the ones to cover you no matter what. I believe whatsoever a man soweth, that he would reap. Family and friends are important; they make you tick.

Love will definitely find me this year

— Famous lady drummer Ara I celebrated Christmas with my family. Mum, son, and siblings. I celebrated new year with my son, mum and siblings, then spent some reflective hours alone. My new year resolution is to go for it this yes.

Last year was really tough. However, I have no regret. Love will definitely find me this year. I also intend to be more deliberate in my dealings with family, friends and business partners.

 

 

 

 

Actor/director Bolaji Aromire: I look forward to improving my relationships

My Christmas was a home family affair; we were home all through and enjoyed the holidays with neighbours.

The New Year day was like another day for me. I slept at night and woke up the next day. I worked the whole of the New Year eve, and mu plan for the new year is to improve on my productivity and get Yotomi to everyone.

I don’t have any New Year resolution; I make resolutions immediately there is a necessity for it.

Last year was a recovery year; it was ups and downs. It was a period of learning, rearrangement and settling for moving on. There were a lot of achievements and I have taken every regret as a learning step.

This year, my work will be known, Yotomi Tv is coming to everyone home. This is the year we take over our mantle as the number one Yoruba cultural entertainment TV channel.

I look forward to improving the love between me and my children, Olivia and Jesse, and the rest of the family follows.

 

 

Ace musician Adewale Ayuba: I plan to take Fuji music to global heights

The Christmas season was very busy for me. I had shows in Lagos, Osun Ogun and Kwara states. I didn’t have time to rest or sleep well. But I have just arrived the United States of America where I can have the time to rest a little. I am here to see my children who are in schools here and also more importantly to rest.

My new year resolution is to work harder than before, especially in trying to make sure that Fuji music is more internationally known.

I will not be back in Nigeria until after a few weeks. I am presently in New York but will move around a little too to other parts.

 

I stand resolute in speaking truth to authority —Eedris Abdulkareem

This past Christmas ad always, we shared love and brotherliness which, to me, is the true essence of all religious celebrations.

And yes, of course, my musical evangelisation for a better nation and the brotherhood of man under the Fatherhood of God, which continued throughout the Yuletide, is still ongoing.

And let me also use this auspicious occasion to wish everyone, especially my numerous fans, a bountiful and fulfilling new year and decades ahead.

As for my plan for the New Year, it is simple. I aim to remain consistent and undeterred in my God-given vocation and mandate of standing up for truth and justice by speaking truth to authority through my music.

Last year was turbulent to some extent for me because I lost my beloved mum in 2019, and for me, that was a very big blow, but in all things we give God the glory.

Aside that, it was a good year creatively for me and my Lakreem Entertainment crew, though we are still enmeshed in bad governance as a nation and that made the previous year a little unnerving too. I pray Nigeria gets it right soon.

I look forward to a lot of innovations in the creative sector with the sincere hope that our young acts get their acts right, lyrically. I think we should start a lyrical paradigm shift.

I am a deeply committed husband and father and in all things, my family comes first. So, I look forward to spreading universal brotherliness around and sharing a higher quantity of love and compassion with family and friends. I am a lover, a lover of good things, a lover of truth and justice, and a lover of humanity.

And that’s why I always stand for the people because love encompasses me and everything I do. I pray that this year, love will help us conquer all and that Nigeria will be better off at the end of it all.