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  • How I manage to keep away from scandal – London-based juju act Jide Chord

    How I manage to keep away from scandal – London-based juju act Jide Chord

    For London-based juju musician, Babajide Akinwunmi, popularly known as Jide Chord, music is both life and art. Long before he could properly decipher his left from his right, young Jide knew he was going to play music one day. In this interview with SEGUN AJIBOYE, Jide Chord, who has spent the larger part of his life in UK, talks about his life, style and music among several other things. Excerpts:

    We’ve not heard from you for a while now. What’s happening?

    I can confidently say that I have been in Nigeria in the last two years, performing and playing at exclusive private parties. But now I have two new releases as a result of the clamour from my fans who have been on my neck to come out with a new one. One is called Pacero Mi Remix and Juju Swagger. I am also working on a film.

    Any particular reason why you dedicated the last two years to shows and parties?

    When you are busy, you are busy. Moreover, I don’t just do anything for the sake of doing it. I am not in competition with anybody. As a matter of fact, music is my life. I am never desperate to release.

    So you don’t do any other thing except music?

    Once in a while I go back to the UK to give lectures, though not officially. But I have to go to give talks in colleges about African culture.

    Are you a lecturer?

    No, I’m not a lecturer. I only give talks based on what I do and my knowledge of African culture. I have also written a book on entrepreneurship. You see, the UK sees me as theirs. I have represented the UK in Japan and I have had to write books on black music and entrepreneurship.

    You know there’s been talk that hip-pop has taken over from juju music. What is your take on this?

    It is not true. A few years back, the talk was that fuji music has taken over. No music takes over. Every music has its weaknesses and strengths. Juju music as at now is represented by gospel music. Juju music still retains its position as an elitist stuff. And when people with class want to celebrate and celebrate well, their music of choice is juju. There are lots of juju musicians that you don’t know about. They are busy doing their stuff every weekend.

    Are you saying these people don’t have the time to record?

    Not necessarily having the time to record. Right now, juju music is not strong in the recording business. But the truth is that the gospel music that we listen to is juju and highlife.

    Your own form of juju music is somehow unique to you…

    Is that so? Maybe because I don’t stay here. However, I strongly believe that if anybody could do what KSA does, then they can do whatever I do.

    But in this case, is the voice that is different or the style?

    I think it is the style. Everybody’s voice is unique. But even at that, some people copy voices.

    But the truth is that one does not get to hear many musicians playing like you.

    Well, that is a compliment. But to be sincere, I really don’t respect musicians who try to be someone else. I love you to be whatever God has given to you as talent. But much more than this, it is how well you put your music together, how you arrange it. And I think I have been able to do that well enough.

    Your name connotes two things- London and juju music…

    This is a very big battle. I have been around for two years running now. I only go home and come back, pardon me for calling London home. But that is what it is to me. Despite this, people still say Jide Chord of London. But I believe that with time, people will begin to know that I am around, maybe when I start getting involved in other things around here.

    You just called London home. And earlier on you said you represented the UK. Where do you really belong?

    I am a dual national. I am a citizen of Nigeria. I am also a citizen of the UK. Maybe because of the way I operate, I cannot be anywhere and be ignored. I have worked for straight 20 years as a musician in the UK, and I have done all I did reasonably well, they also know that I have other skills than playing music. The UK has used me to represent their black community. I am part of the decision makers in a big organisation called the Arts Council of England. I just count myself lucky about all these. So, sometimes I count England as home, just the same way I call Nigeria home.

    It seems you’ve given Nigeria a good representation.

    I feel fulfilled in that respect. Some senior Nigerian musicians see me and say so. In the same vein, some politicians see me and say so. So I feel fulfilled.

    You described music as your life. Aside music, what other things have you done?

    I have acted in films. I trained as a journalist. I also trained as a banker and worked in the bank. I worked for The Punch newspapers. I worked for the defunct National Bank for six and half years. I was also the public relations officer to late Professor Peller (the magician) before I left for England.

    At what point did music become too irresistible for you?

    Even while I was in the bank, I was playing music. I even released a gospel album in 1984.

    You had three promising professions on your palm. How easy was it for you to settle down on music?

    It was very easy for me to decide. From the time I was 16, I knew I wanted to play music. And everything I did, even going to the university, was to be Jide Chord. I wanted to be a good musician, and there was no battle among the other professions. You’ll agree with me that journalism and public relations are two good things for a musician.

    Of all your albums, the most popular is Pacero Mi. How did you come about that word?

    Let me attribute this to the person that deserves it. I first heard about that word from Admiral Dele Abiodun. He mentioned it in one of his albums, and I just fell in love with it. I cannot really remember the day I wrote that song.

    You know one thing, guys like you get a lot of attention from the opposite sex. How do you cope with this pressure?

    On a serious note, it is a power that you have when God gives you a talent and good looks come with it. But you must be responsible with that gift. Any power that you have, be it political or anything, if you fail to use it responsibly, God will ask you to account for it.

    But how easy is it for you to control this power you just spoke about?

    I just have to control it. I am left with no other choice than controlling it.

    But what I’m saying is having to control yourself continually because it happens almost every day because you are hardly at home.

    I don’t resist hundred percent. I am not a saint, and I am polygamous by nature. I am not a one- woman man. But I say that with a lot of respect to my wife. I love her very much because she is the first lady. So I don’t see it as negative because girls surround you. There would be a few that you may be friendly with. But I am not frivolous and I am not one that would take advantage of anything that comes my way. You may have to cut off some of these girls, and that is what I do most times.

    You seem to have successfully kept out of scandal. How have you been able to do this?

    God’s grace and discipline. I became exposed to the world very early. I became a junior reporter with The Punch at 16. At that time, I already had an half page called Photo View by Jide Akinwunmi. I was reporting the courts. By the time I was 20, I already knew how to handle women. So now that I am 50, I don’t think handling women should pose any problem for me.

    You said you are a polygamous by nature. What is your background like?

    I come from a very successful polygamous background.

    Did that in any way teach you anything on how to handle women?

    I don’t really know. But I try to put my private life and public life as apart as I can. My dad having more than one wife is not a direct reflection of my own life. I just know that I am polygamous by nature. And I believe in polygamy.

    Let’s talk about your style. What is your fashion sense like?

    I won’t say I have a particular fashion. I wear whatever suits me. I don’t think I have any particular fashion regime.

    But I’m sure that you don’t just dress anyhow.

    Oh sure, I don’t dress anyhow. What I wear is what suits my bill. I know how to put colours together and make a beautiful blend. I also know how not to be vulgar in my use of jewelry. You have to make statements in subtle ways.

    Do you wear perfumes?

    Yes, I wear perfumes.

    Any particular brand?

    No, I just go with the trend. People around me know that I love perfumes. Most of the gifts I get from close family are perfumes. Let me say I have homes in different parts of the world, and the number of perfumes that I have are more than one hundred. Some may be in New York, while others maybe in other places. I think that is one thing that I am heads over heels with. I know a lot about perfumes, especially which one fits which any particular event.

    And your jewelry?

    I wear what suits me. I don’t go with the crowd. I don’t need to wear what other people are wearing simply because they are celebrities. As a matter of fact, I think I should be creating brands rather than joining the crowd. To me, it is frivolous.

    You have this look that makes you look romantic. How often do you express this?

    I have slightly comedic skill. So even when I am shy to express romance in words, I turn them into comedy. For my wife, I express a lot of love at all times.

    Do you do this in the African way?

    There is no distinct difference in the way you show love.

    What is your background like?

    I am from Abeokuta, Ogun State. I made my first public performance at age five. My school was the Corona School, and I had always known that I wanted to be a musician.

    Seems you had a privileged upbringing.

    Maybe, my dad was a hotelier. He studied public relations, but ended up a hotelier. My mum was a teacher. Half of my family was born abroad, but I wasn’t born abroad. So in some respect, you could say I had a privileged upbringing. And that is why some people are shocked that I chose juju music instead of highlife.

    Were your parents happy with you for choosing music?

    It was tough. They wanted something different for me. When I was in journalism, they thought I was going to stick with it. It was the same when I entered into the banking industry. Though I was spending the bulk of my money on seeing what KSA and other top musicians were doing, my parents thought it was childhood passion, and that I would out-grow it. But let me advise the younger generation that whatever you do, make sure you get an education.

    You talked about new works. What about them?

    I have two albums in the market now. They were released about two weeks ago. After this, I am working on a film. You see, in England, I worked a lot on documentaries for the BBC, because they know me and what I can do. So whenever there is a documentary to be done on Africa, they call me to take part in it.

    With your experience in the UK, how would you describe the attitudes of some Nigerians over there?

    I respect my people a lot. I have been around the world, and I see the way people carry themselves. But the way our people carry themselves, always in a rush to get things done frustrates me.

    Talking about your musical career, how long is it now?

    My first album as Jide Chord was released in 1991. But before then, in 1984, I released an album while I was still working in the bank. I deliberately went to England to start my career. I was lucky to have the connection that made things easy for me in England, so I simply went there to form the band. I knew it would be tough to succeed, but I was equally ready to brave the odds. I worked as a cleaner, a taxi driver and what have you. Today, juju music is a thriving industry in England, with about 40 bands.

    One thing that comes to mind about Nigerian musicians who perform abroad is their claim that they perform before large crowds, whereas the actual show took place in a parlour. What is your take on this?

    Every person has a unique way of presenting a business. God’s grace is not even, so if anybody plays in a small parlour to move on, so be it. Some wealthy people make us play in parlours. I am aware that a senior musician performed for a popular kabiyesi in a parlour. But I am sure the show was worth it. If I am paid what I would earn to perform in a parlour for the service of performing at a large stadium, I would take it.

    In your long career, has there been any moment you feel like quitting?

    Of course. I almost lost my family because I was using all my earnings on equipment. Instead of taking care of the home, all my money went on the band, going on tours and stuff like that. There were other moments, especially in England, when getting the job was not the problem, but getting the band members to play. For example, the guitarist is a lawyer, the sekere player works somewhere else. So to gather them together most times was a problem. But things improved when professionals started arriving from Nigeria with the intent to join our band. So much so that Don Jazzy was in my band for some years. He played the bass. I was the first major band that he played with as a young man.

    You must have had your high moments too. Can you share some with us?

    I thank God every day. But there are times that I would climb a stage and I would find 20, 000 or 30, 000 people waiting for me, at such moments I ask myself, how did I get to that point? Sometimes, I get first class treatment at public places like the airport simply because I am Jide Chord. Those are the times I look back and say wow. But these are apart from my family, children and home.

  • Time for Nigeria’s Harmattan in London

    Time for Nigeria’s Harmattan in London

    Nigeria’s centenary celebration kicks off next month. But, inadequate cash may hinder the showcasing of hundreds of modern Nigerian art in an exhibition organised by the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London at Brunei Gallery in London in April, reports Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME.

    After 16 years of consistent art experimentation, the annual Harmattan workshop initiated by master artist and print maker Prof Bruce Onobrakpeya is the toast of global art market operators. Till date, the Harmattan workshop like Mbari Mbayo art workshop, which started in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, in the 1960s, has been of benefit to students, single mothers, teenagers, school dropouts, among others.

    Artworks by hundreds of participants are being packaged for the international art exhibition in London. But, the huge cost of freighting and insuring the works of art may hinder the success of the London show. Bruce Onobrakpeya Foundation (BOF), organisers of the workshop, described lack of funds as a major challenge threatening the international exhibition.

    Apart from teaching skills and exposure to relevant artistic issues through lectures, the workshop, helps develop the artistic personalities of the participants through art shows, exhibitions and biennale.

    Speaking at an interactive session with the art writers in Lagos at the weekend, Prof. Onobrakpeya said the foundation is very happy for the invitation to London, adding that the exhibition is one of the ways to add strength and meaning to the Harmattan workshop. He stressed that it is also a veritable platform to grow the Nigerian art and artists. “We started very small. But today, we are expanding in size and concept. In a particular year, we sent artists to Dakar biennale to experience what goes on at such forum. This literarily became a testing ground for our Brunei show.

    “We must develop the art because it replenishes itself unlike other sectors that will vanish over time. However, we need fund to carry out this project, especially shipment and insurance of the artworks from Lagos to London,” he noted.

    On the journey so far and the positive impact the workshop has had on the people, he said: “My two brothers who never attended art school have become master stone carvers. In the first Harmattan workshop, we admitted a talented participant who has been a dropout from the Ibru College, Agbarha-Otor. Seeing him interacting with artists in drawing and painting classes, his status in the society later changed, not only did he get a wife to marry, he got commissions to decorate buildings. Also, a large number of the women and girls who work in the jewelry and craft sections take their babies along with them to the workshop. The Harmattan workshop is not only gender sensitive but also has a baby friendly environment,” Prof. Onobrakpeya said.

    According to one of the exhibition jurors, Prof John Agberia, no fewer than 240 artworks, which range from paintings to sculptures, pottery/ceramics, stone carvings, printmaking, beadworks, photography and leather works, among other media, are being juried for the international art exhibition titled: Dream, Fantasy and Reality: Agbarha-Otor Workshop 1998-2014. The exhibition, which will hold at Brunei Gallery, London between April 10 and June 21, is being organised by BOF in collaboration with the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

    The famous SOAS listed Harmattan workshop as its second major international art exhibition for this year at the Brunei Gallery in Central London. The exhibition will hold after Recalling the future: post revolutionary Iranian art.

    Prof. Agberia said the exhibition would feature only quality art works that truly represent Harmattan workshop, adding that issue of gender came up at the close of the three-stage screening, which became a factor for consideration.

    He said the exhibition is supported by the Prince Yemisi Shyllon Professorial Chair in Fine Art and Design, University of Port Harcourt adding that its brochure will include statements, critical essays, and papers from Brunei Gallery Manager, Chairman BOF and other scholars on the curatorial responses on the exhibition title.

    According to Prof Onobrakpeya, this year’s workshop is designed to complement the centenary anniversary of Nigeria which will witness different art and culture presentations across the country. He noted that the workshop, which will feature 15 departments in two sessions, will focus on examining the use of art materials in different media.

    The 16th Hartmattan workshop will run from February 16 to 28, and March 2 to 14, at the Niger Delta Cultural Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State. Some of the facilitators include Nike Okundaye, Tola Wewe, Alex Nwokolo, Abraham Uyovbisere, Edosa Oguigo, Peju Alatise, Ademola Williams, Bunmi Afolayan, Ato Arinze, Philip Nzekwe and Victoria Udondian. Others are Olusegun Adejumo, Obiora Anidi, Fidelis Odogwu, Raquib Bashorun, James Iroha, Nse Abasi Inyang, Peju Layiwola, Olu Amoda, Deola Balogun, Kunle Adeyemi and Nelson Edewor. The screening jurists are Prof. John Agberia, Uwa Usen, Mike Omoighe, and Sam Ovraiti.

    Onobrakpeya however lamented paucity of funds to execute the workshop, which he said, has been a fresh window of opportunities for trained and non-trained artists in the West Africa sub-region.

    He stressed that the first and greatest challenge facing the workshop is funding though it receives financial help from some individuals, and corporate bodies. “The Harmattan workshop is classified as charity under which the parent body Bruce Onobrakpeya Foundation, was registered. The workshop does not enjoy the status of formal education set ups and so it has no support from the government which also has not ratified the cultural policy that could provide subventions to enable such entities function properly,” he said.

  • Four hours with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

    Four hours with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

    IT was a Tuesday. The last day of the year (December 31, 2013), I was in Abba, Dunukofia Local Government Area. My mission was simple: visit the village and interview Chimamada Ngozi Adichie, whose book, Americanah has just been voted as one of the Top 10 Books of 2013 by New York Times, The Guardian (London) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

    On getting to the house, I was ushered in by a lady who could not answer my questions before Prof (Mrs) Adichie appeared. She laughed when I introduced myself but led me in and never resurfaced till I left the house. The compound is modest and devoid of the avalanche of security apparatus. Her younger brother ‘K’ who looks like a Briton came to find out if I was on appointment but I said my office did. K apologized to me that her sister couldn’t remember having any appointment with me or any journalist. I understood the game but I applied the tactics of “nothing but a story from the source and nothing else.’ So, I pleaded that I was directed by my editor to get just answers to three questions.

     

    The long wait

    K went up and down then later said she has accepted to give answers to the three questions. I was happy and adjusted for her to appear but he added she was a bit indisposed and was making her hair but will be down in 30 minutes. Smarting from the Golden Jubilee of their parents’ wedding which was attended by the high and might in the society including Governor Peter Obi, K informed that there was enough to drink and eat. However, I wasn’t in the mood. I observed that apart from the young girl at the gate who probably has nothing to do with the family other five girls around during my visit were very respectful, a product of their good upbringing.

    Genuine bachelors and would not miss that wonderful encounter which distracted me for a while. But my concern was on what Adichie’s reaction would be when she eventually surfaces. By the time one hour was over; at exactly 2:30 pm, one of the ladies came and apologized that the writer was tidying up things to come down. Thirty minutes later lunch was served, but I was not in the mood for any of that.

    I looked at the family picture; a lovely family: Three girls, three boys. A request for water brought out another side of the girls. The bottled water was no more and she does not know how to say it until I interjected and she was relieved. She brought the sachet water. Chioma, a cousin to Chimamanda made our day with her lively discourse to kill boredom.

    But by 4:30 pm and three solid hours of waiting, a delectable figure emerged with an aura never to be mistaken by anyone with the eye for the news. She was fresh but a bit stressed probably for hours sitting plaiting one of the African best hair styles and her posture and slight apology expressed all to me. I could write a book about that chanced encounter. But again her hair took my attention and I thought aloud, “You look dazzling in this our African hair style…..”. She smiled and thanked me. It reminded of the strand of stories in her award winning book. Adichie and hair, I thought.

    I didn’t like the way she kept me waiting for long but I couldn’t have done anything either had she said no interview. The news was important to my medium, and to write I must but what would I write?

     

    Grace of the father

    She was not happy I was there in her father’s compound for an interview without invitation and appointment. She expressed that and asked to know why I did not book an interview with her manager. I went some extra mile explaining to her, all I could remember, but I was convinced she wanted to speak with me; hence she was still trying to emphasise on booking appointment and meeting with her manager. I impressed it on her that she is now an international figure and situations like this would always come since she is my “Sister.” She reminded me that she was giving me the opportunity because I was in her father’s compound. I thanked her.

    She took her time and was looking amazingly fresh and demanded that I stick to my three questions. She speaks very low and I had wanted to ask her to speak up but she is more than a celebrity and needed not to be provoked.

    I fired my first question on how she feels about the award giving to her by the New York Times. She said, “Well, I felt happy. I didn’t expect it now. It came at a time…, especially the New York Times Award because it’s a prestigious award to young writers. I am pleasantly surprised. I didn’t even check for who was listed because I wasn’t thinking about that and I wasn’t interested in checking who the paper listed.

    “I didn’t expect it at all, it was my editor that called me and was shouting and told me this and I was happy. I feel very grateful but for me the most important thing is that people read my work and it was always a good thing for people to appreciate what you have done.

    “I was happy but after a while I forgot about that and faced some other things as a normal person. I don’t focus my interest on honours but on my work because without the awards I will still be an author. I don’t wake up every morning and feel that I am the top writer of the New York Times. In fact, I don’t even always remember …”

    Talking about her place in the world literary circle, the writer said,” I am not the right person to answer that. But what I do know is that I am a writer. I don’t know but am a writer, I sit down, what I do is to write. I don’t sit down and wonder where am I in the World Literary map, that’s not why I write. Am very fortunate that my writings has gone a while, that people are reading my books all over the world.

    “If that has not happened may be I will be in my father’s house still writing and making my contribution to the world and probably still writing a good book that somebody would read and keep it in his shelf.”

    Out of questions

    At this juncture, my questions have been exhausted and I wanted to get a story for another day and equally find out her true identity behind the celebrity flank. I asked about her concern for the art of writing, “The project is a dream and is still a dream and it is not just for people who want to become writers. I want to do it not only in Anambra State but each and every part of the country. I think our educational system is failing many young people, if I read what young people write, I think it is not encouraging…

    “People write letters as if they are writing text messages, they do write ‘u’ instead of ‘you’ and you can’t compete in the world, if you write like that, whether you want to be a writer or a doctor. So, that is the kind of thing am interested in. When I talk about Literary Village, I don’t know if I may work for that, I will like a Literary Centre, a centre that is about literacy and a centre that would be about writing which are two different things. For now it is a dream.”

    I deviated to her family life. I wanted to know something about her husband Dr. Ivara Esege, a medical doctor, who she has been married to for some years without many knowing.

    No go areas

    And I asked how her marriage affects her writing due to circumstances surrounding family affairs but with a prefix ‘now that you are married’; she fired back,” I don’t talk about my personal life. If I were a man will you ask me that? This is kind of question you ask women and I don’t like it. I want to talk about my book because you are not talking to me as a person who is married or not. The reason you are talking to me is because I wrote a book that has been acknowledged and loved by the world. Whether I am married or not is not relevant.”

    She spoke of assumptions reporters allude to female writers on marriage related issues demanding to know whether the assumption that she has been married may somehow change her writing life; adding that it is also an assumption that it will make it great because is a female.

    She concluded, “So, what I want from you is to ask me a question you ask a writer.”

    The she fired again, “What information do you think you have when you say now that I am married? The reason you are talking about me is because I am a writer, You are not here because I am a woman. There are many women different from the assumption reporters have about women. I don’t talk about my personal life. I DON’T. …”

    She then advised me to stop provoking my interviewer if I want to get something tangible from the person as a good reporter.

    But I was not done yet. I asked her again about her family even when I saw she has been provoked. Then she did what I had expected by apologising that she has no comment to that and added that it appears that I have finished my mission.

    Then I asked her what she understood by feminism because of her stance appeared to me that of a Feminist? She fired back demanding that I explain Feminism to her. And I said women fighting for equal rights…. And further asked her to give me her own version, she concluded, “You can’t ask me a question and want me to define it for you so what do you mean by Feminism?”

    At that point I allowed the sleeping dogs lie.

    Change of roles

    Perhaps because of my question she asked me too: “What do you think the young people in Anambra State need? Young people who are interested in reading and writing?”

    We have changed roles. She is now interviewing me. I gave her my honest answers and that made her to look at me twice. She then realized I was just myself and not out to embarrass her or be unappreciative of the golden opportunity she gave me to talk to her.

    I thanked her for that privilege she offered me despite not going through her managers. I appealed to to her to allow me take her pictures but she declined again, that was before my friend who accompanied me pleaded for her to allow him take a shot with her, this she obliged. I cashed in and started directing the best position and when she was showed the pictures it looked good despite that she was looking a bit dull and wanted to get some drugs at a Pharmacy nearby. She, however, gave approval for the use of the pictures.

    We exchanged the last pleasantries and complimentary cards although her contact is to be through her managers. She was happy at last and gave me a new name “Odogwu-na-enye nsogbu”— (Odogwu the trouble maker). She speaks spotless Igbo and English Languages probably some others I don’t know. She is indeed an African woman with her sense of originality and boundaries as a woman in midst of ‘tormenting’ men.

    But before I left, she hinted that she has a lot on her shoulders and would not like to leak her next plan to the public. She, however, said she is embarking on a cultural/ historical expose about Eri kingdom having heard I am from Amanuke in Awka North. She demanded to know if Amanuke Community in Awka North local government area of the state, South-Eastern Nigeria had any relationship with Nri and I said yes. She nodded.

    Maybe the new book would be “Jews in our backyard”? What a wonderful encounter I had.

  • Jonathan falls ill in London

    Jonathan falls ill in London

    President Goodluck Jonathan, who is on a trip to London for Nigeria’s Honorary International Investors’ Council meeting, has falling ill and could not attend opening session of the meeting on Thursday.

    This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati.

    The President, who marked his birthday on Wednesday, has seen medical practitioners in London and advised to rest for a few days.

    The statement reads: “In the course of his on-going visit to London for a meeting of Nigeria’s Honorary International Investors’ Council, President Goodluck Jonathan became indisposed and could not be present at the opening of the meeting today.”

    “President Jonathan has since been examined by competent medical practitioners. He has been advised to rest for a few days.”

    “The Presidency wishes to assure all Nigerians that President Jonathan’s condition is nothing serious and that the medical attention he has sought is only precautionary.”

  • Keshi unleashes Ameobi, Dike on Italy

    Keshi unleashes Ameobi, Dike on Italy

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi will be using a different line up against the Italians in Monday evening’s international friendly at Fulham’s Craven Cottage.

    Newcastle United forward Shola Ameobi and Toronto FC striker Bright Dike  will be starting against the Azzuris  in place of Emmanuel Emenike and Brown Ideye — the duo will partner Liverpool’s Victor Moses in a three-pronged attack.

    The lone midfield change is Brescia’s Nnamdi Oduamadi who will pair up with Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel and Lazio’s Ogenyi Onazi.

    Rizespor’s Godfrey Oboabona will be in charge of his position in the defence,  joined by Nigeria Premier League-based trio of Azubuike Egwuekwe of Warri Wolves, Solomon Kwambe of  Sunshine Stars and Benjamin Francis of Heartland.

    Austin Ejide will replace  Vincent Enyeama in the goal as Keshi prepares his team for the World Cup.

    Nigeria will be looking forward to avenging the 2-1 loss to the Italians in the 1994 World Cup —  Roberto Baggio scored two late goals.

    Nigeria XI vs Italy: Ejide; Kwambe, Oboabona, Egwuekwe, Francis; Onazi, Mikel, Oduamadi; Moses, Dike, Ameobi

  • Nigerian food comes to Lewisham, London

    Nigerian food comes to Lewisham, London

    WITH a proliferation of swanky European and Asian offerings across south east London, there was an absence of high-end African options.

    Now Enish Nigerian Restaurant and Grill in Lewisham High Street has filled that void with an up-scale, trendy place to get a different kind of bite.

    Joint owners Eniola and Olushola Medupin have 20 years experience in restaurants and finance, with Olushola having run one of Lagos’ top 10 restaurants for a decade.

    The appeal of Nigerian food, the couple say, is its freshness and variety of ingredients.

    The unrefined, natural foods are full of flavour and rich in fibre and low GI carbs, with a wide range of ingredients sourced from Nigeria.

    Shola, Joint owner Shola Medupin said: “Patrons are guaranteed a taste of Nigeria with every bite.

    “Every Nigerian meal is an event which we are out to share with the people of London.”

    She added: “My experiences coming from a third world country where stable electricity is scarce as gold, we weren’t into making large batches of food, some to be consumed on the day of production and the rest frozen until it’s needed.

    “I come from a place where each individual meal or plate of food is made freshly from scratch and uniquely to each customer’s need.”

    Shola said: “The recommended meal for a first timer would be Jollof rice N2, 265, which is slowly cooked rice in tomatoes, peppers, herbs and spices with fried plantain and bee.

    “If you are not a first timer or would like to try something more adventurous, the recommendation is Pounded Yam with Efo Egusi and Fresh fish N3,780.”

  • Amaechi to speak in London today

    Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi will deliver a speech, “Reform and Resource Governance in Nigeria”, today at Chatham House London.

    Amaechi will also discuss his administration’s strategies and efforts to improve governance and transparency.

    Chatham House is a world-leading membership based policy institute which sources independent analyses on interesting international affairs and provides forum for open and impartial debate on how to build a prosperous and secure world for all.

     

  • Kcee joins other entertainers for London Crack Ya Ribs

    Kcee joins other entertainers for London Crack Ya Ribs

    JULIUS Agwu has announced that rave of the moment and the Limpopo master, Kcee will be joining other top rated entertainers. As already confirmed for this year’s Crack Ya Ribs show in London and Manchester, the London edition will take place at 02 Arena on August 23 while that of Manchester will take place at the Methodist Hall on August 25.

    Speaking on the latest addition, Julius said the move was fueled by his decision to satisfy London fans already yearning for Kcee’s Limpopo song. The deal was signed about 48 hours ago in Lagos between Kcee and Reel Laif Entertainment, the organizer of the show.

    Entertainers already confirmed for the show before now are Bovi, Senator, Funny Bone, Eddie Kadi, Dan D Humorous and Akpororo . Speaking on the event, Julius said “as I turned 40 this year, things ought to be done differently. As such, I decided to move Crack Ya Ribs to Indigo 02 re-branded, repackaged, reinvented, re-energized and renewed to bring back that flavor that made it a first class comedy show in the UK for the past seven years.”

    The Crack Ya Ribs by Julius Agwu has gained great popularity in Nigeria and London. Last year, the performances were a constellation of Nigerian and Ghanaian stars. The show held in New York for the first time at the Symphony Space Sharp Theater, Glasgow and Houston.

  • ICAN partner London counterpart

    ICAN partner London counterpart

    The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) has signed an agreement with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales on ways of transforming ICAN’s exams, certification and audit control processes.

    Speaking at the Institute’s annual dinner in Lagos, ICAN President, Adedoyin Idowu Owolabi, said the partnership has the backing of the World Bank. He said there will be further collaboration between the institute and the Chartered Institute of Managements Accountants, United Kingdom, which will commence at the end of the first partnership.

    Owolabi also said the institute has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Babcock University, which entails the adoption of the ICAN syllabus by the school in addition to courses from other disciplines needed for a normal degree programme.

    He said with the MoU the varsity is meant to find a lasting solution to the dwindling performance of candidates and, ultimately, the quality of accountants being produced by the institute.

    He said the institute will sponsor the whistle blower’s protection bill at the National Assembly. When passed into law, such bill, he said, would promote best practices in corporate and public governance.

    In pursuant of this bill, the institute has launched a whistle blower’s protection fund while the draft bill is almost ready for submission at the National Assembly, he explained.

     

  • British-Nigerians ‘killed’ soldier in London

    British-Nigerians ‘killed’ soldier in London

    The world spoke yesterday against Wednesday’s killing of a British soldier in Southeast London by two men identified as British with Nigerian descent.

    British Prime Minister David Cameron described the incident as a terror attack.

    One of the suspects said they killed the soldier, Lee Righy, of the Second Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in Woolwich, London because the British military has been killing Muslims.

    Cameron, President Goodluck Jonathan, United States President Barack Obama and other world leaders condemned the action.

    The Muslim leadership in Britain also decried the killing of the soldier in front of a barrack.

    The suspects were accused of hacking the soldier to death on a London street in revenge for wars in Muslim countries. They were known to security services, a source close to the investigation said yesterday.

    One man was filmed justifying the killing as he stood by the body, holding a knife and meat cleaver in bloodied hands. He was named by acquaintances as 28-year-old Londoner Michael Adebolajo – a British-born convert to radical Islam. So frenzied was the attack, some witnesses thought they tried to behead the victim.

    The attack, just a month after the Boston Marathon bombing and the first Islamist killing in Britain since local suicide bombers killed 52 people in London in 2005, revived fears of “lone wolves” who may have had no direct contact with al Qaeda.

    British media said police raided homes of relatives in the city and near the town of Lincoln. Adebolajo and the other man, who may have been born abroad and later naturalised as British, are both in custody in hospitals after being shot by police.

    Cameron held an emergency meeting of his intelligence chiefs to assess the response to what he called a “terrorist” attack; it was the first deadly strike in mainland Britain since local Islamists killed dozens in London in 2005.

    “We will never give in to terror or terrorism in any of its forms,” Cameron said outside his Downing Street office.

    “This was not just an attack on Britain and on the British way of life; it was also a betrayal of Islam and of the Muslim communities who give so much to our country. There is nothing in Islam that justifies this truly dreadful act.”

    He said there would be a review of how intelligence had been handled – Adebolajo had been known to authorities for handing out radical Islamist pamphlets in Woolwich.

    One source close to the inquiry said the local backgrounds of the suspects in a multicultural metropolis – nearly 40 per cent of Londoners were born abroad – and the simplicity of the attack made prevention difficult:

    “Apart from being horribly barbaric, this was relatively straightforward to carry out,” the source said. “This was quite low-tech and that is frankly pretty challenging.”

    Anjem Choudary, one of Britain’s most recognised Islamist clerics, told Reuters Adebolajo was known to fellow Muslims as Mujahid – a name meaning “warrior”.

    “He used to attend a few demonstrations and activities that we used to have in the past.”

    He added that he had not seen him for about two years. “When I knew him, he was a very pleasant man,” Choudary said. “He was peaceful, unassuming and I don’t think there’s any reason to think he would do anything violent.”

    The two men used a car to run down the young soldier near Woolwich Barracks in southeast London and attempted to behead him with a meat cleaver and knives, witnesses said, before telling shocked bystanders they acted in revenge for British wars in Muslim countries.

    A dramatic clip filmed by an onlooker showed one of the men, identified as Adebolajo, his hands covered in blood and speaking in a local accent apologising for taking his action in front of women but justifying it on religious grounds:

    “We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you. The only reason we have done this is because Muslims are dying every day,” he said. “This British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

    President Jonathan, in a statement by his Special Adviser Media, Reuben Abati, expressed shock at the terrorist attack and killing of the soldier.

    “He conveys his sincere condolences to the British Prime Minister David Cameron and the British people over this senseless and barbaric act, and shares their grief at this moment.

    “President Jonathan notes that a terrorist attack anywhere is an attack on the way of life of all free nations and must be collectively condemned by all persons irrespective of race, ethnicity or religion.

    “It is in this spirit that the Nigerian government is partnering with the British Government, as well as all other stakeholder sovereigns to stand up to and fight terrorism and extremism in whatever guise or pretence it chooses to present itself.

    “President Jonathan recognises that each environment presents its own unique challenges and peculiarities and actions taken by affected nations may differ, yet the resolve to confront and defeat this threat should never be in doubt.

    “President Jonathan says Nigerians are collectively resolute about the need to protect the freedoms that define our existence and inter-relationships at home and overseas. Our recent past tells us that when we pull together, this common enemy and threat will eventually be defeated,” the statement said.

    Cameron said “nothing in Islam justifies this dreadful attack”.

    “The people who did this were trying to divide us but they should know that something like this will only make us stronger.

    “It is not just an attack on Britain and the British way of life but a betrayal of Islam.

    “There is no justification for this act, and the fault lies solely and purely with those responsible,” Cameron said.

    He urged the public not to be deterred by the incident saying, “one of the best ways to defeat terrorism is to go about our normal lives.”

    Mr Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, described the incident as horrific, saying those responsible “will be brought speedily to justice”.

    Johnson, who visited the scene of the attack, said Islam or the British foreign policy should not be blamed for the incident as the attackers acted on their own.