The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian Newspapers

  • 15-yr-old impregnated by dad dies mysteriously

    Gift Alonge’s story is one that drives a sword into the heart. She was raped by her biological father who threatened that she would die if she opened up to anyone about the matter. But she braved the odds to cry out and paid the ultimate price as she died with her five-month-old pregnancy.

    Although her 42-year-old errant father, Jacob Alonge, a farmer and native doctor, has been committed to prison, she did not live to see the man that caused her pains walk into jail.

    In the words of D. Adamaigbo, the presiding Magistrate at Edo Family Court, “her father threatened her that if she revealed to the public she would die. She actually revealed it and she died.”

    The late Gift was raped by her father in 2017, and he threatened her by administering an oath of silence on her. He continued to rape her until she turned 15 and got her pregnant. The bizarre incident occurred at Ososo village in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area.

    The first time he raped Gift, according to the poor girl’s statement to the police, it was in the bush. He was said to have told Gift that they were going for prayers. In her statement as quoted in court, she said: “My father, by name Jacob Alonge, used to wake me up at night and said I should follow him for prayers. When we got inside the bush, he would force me and have sexual intercourse with me.”

    In the second statement she made at the state police headquarters, she said: “He threatened me not to tell anybody, and that if I did, he would kill me. One night, he called me and put me on top of a stone and used a razor blade to shave my private part and threatened me not to tell anybody.”

    The bubble, however, burst when Gift became pregnant last year. Members of the Braveheart Initiative Organisation (BHI) took up the case. They arranged for counselling and ante-natal care while her father was arrested.

    At the Ososo Police Station, he was said to have made a statement confessing to the crime of incest, and the case was transferred to the family unit of the State CID in Benin City. Gift was offered shelter by her maternal uncle, Mr. Ukere Adagbogu, who took a keen interest in his niece’s case and was also determined to get justice for her.

    Jacob was subsequently arraigned before the court and he pleaded guilty to the charges. The Magistrate fixed judgement for January 16, 2019

    Tragedy, however, struck on the day fixed for judgment as Gift, her uncle Ukere Adagbogu, Rhoda Braimoh, Promise Ezekiel and the driver of their vehicle, died in an auto crash on their way from Igarra to the court in Benin City to witness the judgment.

    On hearing the news about his daughter’s death, Alonge changed his guilty plea to not guilty, as he presumed that all the witnesses to the case were dead. At the Family Court, Jacob pleaded not guilty to the amended charges preferred against him.

    In the three count amended charges read at the Family Court, Jacob was accused of being in possession without lawful and reasonable excuse, fetish wrap of his late daughter’s pubic hair at Okeh Quarter in Ososo village, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area.

    Jacob was accused of having unlawful and indecent carnal knowledge of his biological daughter against the order of nature, and in the process impregnated her. He was said to have repeatedly had carnal knowledge of his daughter without her consent.

    The offences are punishable under sections 213, 358 and 214 of the Criminal Code cap 48 Laws of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria now applicable in Edo State. On August 1 when judgment was delivered, Jacob was sentenced to 21 years imprisonment.

    Alonge was convicted on all three count charges of unlawful possession of fetish wrap of the victims’ pubic hair, unlawfully and indecently having canal knowledge of his biological daughter, repeated sexual assault and for impregnated her.

    Read Also: Boy, 16, accused of raping girl, 3

    Delivering judgment in the case, the Presiding Magistrate, D.I Adamaigbo (Mrs) sentenced Jacob Alonge to five years on count one, two years and 14 years respectively on count two and three. The jail terms are to run consecutively.

    Adamaigbo said: “He consecutively had sex with her who is his own daughter and got her pregnant and thereby subjected her to shame and emotional stress. May her soul rest in peace.

    “To serve as a deterrent to others and would be offenders, we are of the opinion that the defendant should not have a space in a decent society.”

    Adamaigbo said the statement of the victim and the evidence of the PW1 confirmed what the victim said that “she was five months pregnant and that she was demoralized, emotionally distressed is sufficient corroboration that the victim was indeed sexually assaulted.

    “It has been established beyond reasonable doubt that the accused had canal knowledge of the victim as she said in her statement. Her statement was corroborated by the statement of the police in evidence.

    “The convict admitted in his statement and the law is that evidence admitted need no further proof. The defence that he was lured into the crime by his own daughter is an afterthought. We therefore find him guilty of each of the counts.”

    Reacting to the judgment, Executive Director of BHI, Priscillia Usiobaifo, said: “We have seen how resilience can prove worthwhile. I am very happy that there is no option of fine because we have had several cases that we won and they would give options of fine. This has encouraged us, and those that died did not die in vain.”

     

  • Murder at dawn

    Miyetti Allah leader, Saidu Saleh, was killed by gunmen allegedly for preventing them from kidnapping people and rustling their cows. Now his family members are asking who would protect them the way their breadwinner protected society, ONIMISI ALAO reports.

     

    Alhaji Saidu Alhaji Saleh, a zonal chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) who was killed on August 2 in his home in Mayo-Belwa, Adamawa State, left three wives and eighteen children.

    One of the children, 18-year-old Adamu, told our correspondent who visited the family house over the week, “Nigeria says Fulani people should go to school. Now, I have a diploma in law but I can’t find any job.”

    Adamu who also nurses the ambition of higher education, expressed regrets that his father was cut down not long after he promised to provide whatever sum he would need for further his studies.

    He said: “My father who had only Quranic learning desired that I should have all the western education that he missed. After my diploma in Law, he asked that I should target the highest educational level possible. He said I should pursue admission for a degree programme right away; that he was willing to sponsor me to any level that I could reach,” Adamu said.

    But the father, Saidu Saleh, met his end in the hands of gun-trotting bandits who stormed his residence and riddled him with bullets.

    Alhaji Saidu who made his living buying and selling cattle, was a zonal chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in charge of eight local government areas of Adamawa State, namely Jada, Toungo, Ganye, Mayo-Belwa, Numan, Demsa, Lamurde and Shelleng.

    Saidu who was 52, spent much of his life working to cleanse MACBAN of the bad eggs within its membership and to protect the communities around his zone by helping the law enforcement agencies identify and prosecute the kidnappers, cattle rustlers and other criminal elements who were terrorizing the communities.

    The Adamawa State Public Relations Officer of MACBAN, Jika Mohammed, recalled to our correspondent how the late MACBAN leader moved against the criminal elements.

    “Alhaji Saidu, who was famously called Kolaku, was a thorn in the flesh of criminals. Kolaku was fighting them. He was taking these criminals or seizing their weapons and giving them to the police. He was working hand in hand with the police and that was how we sustained peace.

    “Before Kolaku’s intervention, kidnapping was rampant in the zone. Nobody could sleep or go to the farm with any sense of safety. But he stopped it. That meant he stopped the criminals from their business. That was why they came to kill him.”

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Adamawa State, DSP Suleiman Yahaya Ngurore, corroborated the MACBAN image maker’s account, saying, “The deceased was a brave man who had been cooperating with the police ever since the Commissioner of Police requested for cooperation in fighting kidnapping and cattle rustling in the state. He as a leader in MACBAN was among those who answered our call and always joined the police in going about fishing out the criminals.”

    The criminal elements had constantly warned Saidu to ‘mind his business’ and to let them mind their own business.

    “Before they came to kill him, they had for long been calling him on the phone, telling him to stop killing them. He was killing their business, so to them, he was killing them. They were telling him to take his hands off their business,” the MACBAN PRO said.

    For refusing to heed their warning, the criminal elements came calling that cold morning, precisely at 2.29 am, of August 2.

    Recalling the incident, Saidu’s first wife, Hajia Zainab, said, “We were all sleeping, but suddenly we had sounds of people hitting our doors. Then we heard gunshots. They burst into the room where he was. The wife he was with told him, ‘It’s like the people who want to kill you have come.’ Our husband could do nothing other than offer his prayer.”

    The MACBAN PRO described Saidu Saleh as a good man who truly meant well for his family and the society.

    Read Also: Gunmen kill Miyetti Allah leader after anti-crime honour

    He said: “Kolaku was a Fulani cattle dealer who also worked with Miyetti Allah for over 20 years.

    “He was MACBAN chairman for this LGA (Mayo-Belwa) for about 10 years before he became zonal chairman. As a cattle dealer, he used to go to various markets, buying cattle and sending them to other places, including the Southeast, through his boys.

    “He had only Quranic learning but was zealous with educating his children. Many were in primary school. Many others were in secondary school.”

    The Adamawa State Police Command had officially recognised Saidu’s crime fighting efforts only two weeks before the bloody onslaught against him by the men of the underworld.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Audu Madaki, had on July 15, 2019 presented to him and a couple of other community leaders, a plaque of recognition for his work with the police in the fight against crime in the state.

    It is unclear whether the police recognition of Saidu’s ‘wistle blowing’ posture became the final straw that broke the criminals’ back, but they evidently went against him fully prepared.

    They scaled the fence of his bungalow by first cutting off a section of the barbwire topping the fence.

    A neighbour who witnessed the operation from the safety of his house, said: “Three of the bandits climbed in while the rest surrounded the house outside. All of them carried big guns. I heard shots, evidently by those inside. Then they came out to join the rest and they drove away.”

    Saidu’s killers drove away, leaving in the house his corpse and his three wives and 18 children, and his father and mother in a separate compound around the neighborhood.

    “We don’t know how we will live without our husband. We are now the mother and father of the house,” the first wife, Zainab, said.

    The wives pleaded for intervention, including a scholarship for the highest educated of the children, diploma-holding Adamu, to go for further studies, or a job for him so he could help some of his siblings.

    Zainab said: “We appeal to government and Nigerians to do more about bandits. People in our communities need their freedom. Our husband was killed because he was fighting the bandits for the people to be free. He is gone but we have to work out our own existence.

    “One of our boys has a diploma and is employable. A chance for him to further his studies is equally desirable.”

    Adamu who finished from the College of Legal Studies, Yola, with a diploma in Common Law last year, specified that he was trained for jobs in courts, in government ministries and parastatals, in local council administration offices, in the various military and paramilitary agencies, among other places.

    Adamu said: “Government and the rest of Nigeria have seen what happened to my father after taking the sides with the people and fighting criminals. Now, we don’t know who will help the family.”

    For now, only the state police command is known to be doing something, essentially doing its duty of trying to track down Saidu’s killers.

    The PPRO Ngurore, said: “The killing of the MACBAN zonal chairman will not deter the fight against criminals. We are going after the killers. The police will trace and apprehend them and ensure that justice takes its course.

    And we have been assured by other leaders like the late MACBAN zonal chairman that his death will not end the concerted efforts against criminals.

    “Only yesterday (Sunday, August 4), we held a meeting with them. We concluded that we would not allow ourselves to be frustrated. We resolved to wake up to the fact that the remnants of the criminals are still around us and we should be vigilant.”

     

     

     

  • Kwara governor hits the ground running

    ALL things remaining equal, the people of Kwara State, especially the residents of Ilorin, the state capital, may have hit their best moment as far as governance in the state is concerned. The governor of the state, Abdulrazak Abdulrahman appears to have hit the ground running with respect to the provision of social amenities for which they had cried for years without an answer. So much so that a lot the residents are now wondering if life could indeed be this easy.

    For instance, in all the years that former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, and his successor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, held sway as governor, water was a scarce commodity in most parts of the state capital. But barely two months after the new governor assumed power, most residents of the city are now enjoying potable water. Many of the township roads that were long abandoned by previous administrations in the state are also being tarred or repaired.

    Local government workers, many of who were being paid only 30 per cent of their salaries are now receiving their full pay, causing some of the workers to profess that they were in bondage but are now free, while others say they have no regrets keying into the ‘O to ge’ movement whose force rooted out the entrenched regime of the Saraki dynasty in the state.

    Senator Bukola Saraki and other members of the opposition in the state are said to be jittery over the development, fearing that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state could be condemned into oblivion if Governor Abdulrahman continues in the same stride. To be sure, Governor Abdulrahman is a man of few words, but he appears determined to see that his works speak for him.

  • Why Governor Yahaya Bello is at daggers drawn with deputy

    THE outgoing week is one that the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Elder Simon Achuba, would not forget in a hurry. Barely 24 hours after the Kogi State House of Assembly initiated an impeachment move against him, the ruling party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC), announced his suspension from the party. In both cases, anti-party activities was cited as the sin of the embattled deputy governor.

    The truth, however, is that there is more to the crisis than was professed by both the Kogi State House of Assembly and APC who seem to have taken it upon themselves to fight Governor Yahaya Bello’s battle with Achuba. Their quarrel, according to Sentry’s findings dates back to 2017 when the state government approved the sum of N500 million for an event in Kabba, the headquarters of Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area, which Achuba said was too trivial for the hundreds of millions of naira lavished on it at a time pensioners in the state were dying of hunger.

    Then came the death of former Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Buba Jibrin, in March 2018. The then Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Senator Dino Melaye, a political rival of Governor Bello, led a delegation to pay a condolence visit to the constituency and family of the deceased Rep. Since Governor Bello was not available to receive the delegation when they arrived the state capital, the Deputy Governor thought it expedient to receive the Senate President. But his action was said to have irked the governor who felt that his deputy was making friends with his adversaries.

    Governor Bello’s failed bid to recall Senator Melaye from the Senate is also believed to have stoked the fire of discord between the governor and his deputy. Achuba was said to have described as a waste the huge sum expended on the project. He was said to have complained openly that the sum spent on Melaye’s recall should have been used to pay a part of the backlog of salaries owed workers in the state.

    The foregoing coupled with Achuba’s closeness to some members of the opposition party in the state are believed to be responsible for the persecution he has suffered, not only from the governor but also the party and the House of Assembly.

  • Suspected serial killer arrested in Ogun

    A suspected serial killer who had been on the wanted list of the police has been arrested.

    The police had been on the trail of the suspect, Oladosu Nureni, a.k.a Otelee over the murder of two persons in Iwoye village near Ilaro, Ogun State since March 27, 2019.

    He was said to have killed one Onifade Ajani with a dane gun for unknown reasons.

    It was also said that he killed one Olatunji Ayinla, a few hours later, while residents were trailing him.

    Read Also: Ogun APC thanks Buhari, governor for pastors’ rescue

    A statement issued on Friday by the police spokesman, Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi said the suspect was arrested at about 10:20 am, after the Area Commander, Chris Adeyeri, an Assistant Police Commissioner (ACP) received information that the suspect had been sighted at Irogun-Ishaga village.

    ‘’Recovered from him are locally made gun, gun powder and assorted charms. Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Bashir Makama has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to Homicide Section of the State Criminal investigation and Intelligence Department for proper investigation and prosecution.’’

  • EFCC begins probe of Obasanjo govt’s $16bn power project

    THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun the probe of the $16 billion power project of the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    There had been conflicting figures on the exact cost of the project as some people put it at $16 billion while others say it is $13.8 billion.

    It was gathered last night that the anti-graft agency may arrest key contractors involved in the power project scam which extended beyond the Obasanjo administration into those of former Presidents Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan.

    It was also learnt that about 18 top former and serving public officers, including two ex-ministers, may be questioned.

    Also likely to be interrogated by the EFCC are some top officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    Preliminary investigation revealed that Rockson Engineering Limited got a chunk of the contracts worth about $2 billion.

    The findings revealed that the transactions involving the firms implicated in the power contracts were characterised by absence of due diligence.

    A reliable source in the anti-graft commission said a team of crack detectives had been put in place to interrogate the people involved in the scam.

    The source said: “The operatives of the EFCC have launched a massive investigation into the alleged $16 billion power scam between 2006 and 2011 just as concerted efforts are being made to recover the humongous funds allegedly diverted into private pockets by different firms involved in the power project.

    “The whole power project is $16 billion and anchored on generation, transmission and distribution.

    “The project is being handled by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).

    “It is instructive to note that the NDPHC belongs to the three tiers of government, namely the Federal Government, state and local governments.

    “Investigators also discovered that most of the firms that secured contracts under the power project collected huge sums in naira and dollars but did not perform up to 30 per cent before abandoning the project.

    “Incidentally, most of the payments took place during the regimes of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan.

    “The first amount released from the Excess Crude Account was about $8.3 billion.”

    Another source claimed that some of the contractors will soon be invited by the EFCC for interrogation.

    The source said: “A team of crack detectives has been raised by the commission to get to the roots of the power deal. Some of the key contractors will soon be quizzed.

    “One of the major contractors – Rockson Engineering Ltd- is being allegedly taken over by the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria.

    “From documents available to the commission, Rockson got four contracts and it received over $2 billion in the following tranches: $180 million; $220 million; $240 million and $480 million.

    “Rockson also received questionable $11 million and another N150 million.These payments are now under investigation.

    “These huge funds were released to Rockson for power generation alone.

    “Investigation further revealed that despite the release of the above to Rockson, the firm was only able to execute 30 per cent of the construction.

    “The firm also claimed that it imported certain materials since 2013 and lying in Onne Port without clearing.”

    It was also gathered last night that the EFCC will look into alleged lapses by some top officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    The source added: “Lack of due diligence pervaded the transaction while certain officials of the CBN are under probe over certain regulatory flaws.

    “Instead of opening Letter of Credit (LOC) in the name of the manufacturers of the equipment for the power project, operatives discovered that the LOC was opened in the name of Rockson.

    “Investigation also revealed that instead of the LOC being put in place in Form M (tangibles and specific), the LOC was opened in Form A (intangibles like school fees, medical bills, etc).

    An official in the media unit of the EFCC only said: “We will do everything to recover the huge funds and prosecute indicted officials accordingly.”

    Investigation revealed that the EFCC might also review issues in the report of the House of Representatives Committee.

    The House actually recommended 18 top former and public officers, including two ex-ministers, for investigation by anti-graft agencies, especially EFCC and ICPC.

    Read Also: Court okays EFCC request to freeze Bauchi govt. account

    Many salient issues were raised for investigation by the House Committee, which was headed by Hon. Ndudi Elumelu.

    The issues raised by the Elumelu Committee were as follows:

    All NIPP payments were made without following Due Process

    No meaningful progress was made in the execution of power contracts

    Officials rushed to pay contractors in full even before engineering design for the projects had been completed and approved

    NIPP contracts were not only overpriced in comparison with PHCN contracts, they were also wide off the mark

    Widespread evidence of systematic over-scoping of projects in order to inflate costs both in PHCN and NIPP

    NIPP Distribution EPC contracts were awarded at costs averaging about 10 times the norm when compared to PHCN contracts

    The Ndudi Elumelu Committee was put in place by the House on January 31, 2008 to look into how much was spent on power projects.

    In its report, the committee said that about $13.278 billion was spent on power projects between 1999 and 2007.

    The committee recommended termination of 13 contracts and review of 10 projects.

    About 15 contracting and consulting companies were asked to be investigated by the appropriate agencies.

    The report reads in part: “From the oral and documentary evidence, it was clearly established that the total expenditure in the power sector during the period 1999-2007 was US$13, 278,937,409.94billion.

    “Indeed, had the supplementary budget of the power sector in 2007 been implemented, the expenditure could then have been over $16billion reported by the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    “There are also unfunded commitments to the tune of US$7.265billion for NIPP projects as at May 29, 2007.

    “There is another US $1billion for PHCN capital projects awarded between 2000 and 2007, which have been captured in the 2008 Appropriation Act.

    “Additionally, the total commitment of the NNPC and its Joint Venture partners(of which the Federal Government, through the NNPC has an average of 51% interest) towards  IPP power plants, gas sources development, gas transmission and metering of JV IPPs, PHCN power plants and NIPP power plants, according to the submission of the acting GMD of the NNPC is US$7billion, out of which about US$1.62billion has been expensed, leaving outstanding commitments of over US$5.5billion out of which the Federal Government will provide about US$3billion.

    “Recognition of these unfunded commitments would bring the total (funded and unfunded) FGN expenditure commitments in the power sector to over US$24.5billion between 1999 and 2007.

    “From the assessment done during the Committee’s tour of the project sites, it is safe to conclude that no meaningful progress was made in the execution of power contracts.

    “It is curious and quite strange that officials rush to pay contractors in full even before engineering design for the projects have been completed and approved.

    “NIPP contracts were not only overpriced in comparison with PHCN contracts, they are also wide off the mark when viewed against comparable power stations in several parts of the world.

    “A comparable review of the cost of power installations in varied regions of the world such as South Korea, Saudi Arabia, U.S.A, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mexico and Chile showed that $10billion could have built plants to produce between 5,000 to 6,000 MW of electricity. But this amount failed to do so in Nigeria.

    “Unfortunately, all NIPP payments were made without following Due Process. In its place, a process called ‘Waiver of Due Process Certification for Payment’ was adopted in flagrant disregard of Due Process Policy, thus paving the way for dubious and highly risky payments to contractors and consultants by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

    “The committee found hard and widespread evidence of systematic over scoping of projects in order to inflate costs both in PHCN and NIPP.

    “At least 15 transmission lines and substation projects have been identified. For example, the New Haven-Ikot-Ekpene 2x330kv Double Circuit Line was over-scoped by 49% whilst the Afam-Ikot Ekpene 330kv line was over-scoped by more than 100%.

    “The estimated aggregate cost inflation identified so far for transmission projects is over N20billion and this is recoverable from contractors.

    “A clear example of project cost inflation is the proposed supply of 9No GE frame 9 gas turbines and auxiliaries at the cost of N185billion($1.55billion) awarded to Rockson International.

    “In comparison, it is noteworthy that GE supplied 18No turbines of similar specification previously at about $404million, including cost of Technical Assistance (TA) services and Long-Term Service agreements (LTSA). The implicit cost inflation on the additional turbines and associated services exceeds $1.145billion.

    “Another example is the costing of the so-called change-order provisions for Alaoji Power Plant (Phase I) at a highly-questionable amount of US$123million.

    “NIPP Distribution EPC contracts were awarded at costs averaging about 10 times the norm when compared to PHCN contracts costs for similar projects in the past five years. This 1,000% cost inflation of the NIPP Distribution EPC work scopes translates to an aggregate overpricing of over N50billion.”

    Regarding the funding of NIPP projects, the panel says: “The contracts were not funded from any Appropriation Act. What this means is that the National Assembly had no knowledge of the source of the funds of the NIPP projects. All the government functionaries who testified referred to what they termed Excess Crude Account as the source of funding.

    “The Committee was not able to determine the level of involvement of the National Assembly in the decision to set up the Excess Crude account. What the committee established is that it was illegal and unconstitutional for such a fund to be established without legislative authorization. Sections 80(3 and 4) of the 1999 Constitution which states clearly.

    On the role of the CBN, the panel’s report added: “The committee is perturbed by the failure of the CBN Governor to provide information in respect of Letters of Credit opened and where the money involving over $1billion has been kept all these years

    “It is necessary to note that the Central Bank of Nigeria refused to provide the Committee with schedule of utilization and draw-downs on Letters of Credit as well as interest accrued on unutilized balances.

    “The committee strongly believes that these monies might be on fixed deposit accounts with some banks.

    “In view of the apparent unwillingness of the CBN to cooperate with the Committee in this matter or provide the Committee with a proper account of withdrawals from Excess Crude account, the balance on the account, where the monies in respect of the unutilized Letters of Credit are kept and interest that have accrued thereto, we recommend that the EFCC be invited to investigate the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria in respect of the above issues relating to Letters of Credit opened.

  • How Winihin Jemide delivered in ‘The Bling Lagosians’

    Centered around the Holloways, their friends and enemies and how they dealt with their individual challenges while preparing for Mopelola Holloway’s -played beautifully by Elvina Ibru- over-the-top 51st birthday party. Family, gossip, lies, infidelity, betrayal, classism and wealth were some of the prevalent themes in the movie.

    Written by Anthony Kehinde Joseph, one would find it difficult to believe that this movie is the directorial debut of Bolanle Austin Peters, following to production quality –great acting skills by the casts, cinematography and sound delivered in the movie.

    The Bling Lagosians tells the story of The Holloways, an elite Lagos family led by old-money-born Akin Holloway who runs his company to the ground and soils the family name and business with the help of his wife, as a result of their lavish spending and insatiable cravings. The story succeeded in capturing the extravagant lifestyle of Lagos’ privileged few in all their largesse and often times, pretentiousness.

    Winihin Jemide’s role cannot be over emphasized due to her acting prowess in the movie where she played the role of Oge Briggs, friend to Mopelola Holloway (Elvina Ibru), Dunni Fernandez (Toyin Abraham), Kiki Princewill (Bisola Aiyeola), Ngozi Gomez (Monalisa Chinda) who are all members of the 1% of the 1% of Lagos society as depicted in the movie. It was also a shock to know that it was her first time acting in a movie considering spectacular performance.

    As the villain of the movie, Jemide was absolutely natural and confident in her acting. She interpreted her character so well, you would not want to say ‘hello’ to her if you saw her in real life as you would still be mad at her from the movie. She understood her blockings, delivered her lines so beautifully, it felt very real.

    She didn’t come with a stereotypical type of acting as most rookies tend to do. She definitely will and should be every producers delight. We do hope it’s not the last of her we get to see!

    Another favourite is the lead actress Elvina Ibru, an embodiment of class, grace, opulence and eloquence. Ibru was beyond amazing as Mopelola Holloway. My favourite scenes of hers were at the end when she had lost it after hearing the news that they had lost their company on her birthday and the consequent reconciliation with her daughters. The part where she stormed Oge Briggs’ (Winihin Jemide’s character) office to scold her for embarrassing her at Dunni Fernandez’s Iya Oge party was also a standout scene.

    However, like most modern Nollywood movies, The Bling Lagosians isn’t perfect and has some loopholes in its story line.

    Some of the cast include Alexx Ekubo who sparkled in his role as Upper Iweka filmmaker Nnamdi, Elvina Ibru, Monalisa Chinda, Jide Kosoko, Bisola Aiyeola, Toyin Abraham, Osas Ighodaro Ajibade, Jimmy Odukoya, Gbenga Titiloye, Sharon Ooja and more. There were also a few first timers and newbies in the movie, one of which is Winihin Jemide.

    Also worthy of mention is comedian and Instagram sensation, Broda Shaggi whose character was a chef at the Holloway’s residence and a budding musician. I’m sure his character will actualize his artistic dreams when pigs fly. A big shout to him for cracking us up with his terrible English and funny jokes.

  • Amachree calls on govt to develop tourist sites

    Father of Tourism in Nigeria, Chief Mike Amachree, has called on governments at all levels in the country to develop tourist sites in their area. Amachree said this will help stem the tide of capital flight through Nigerians travelling out of the country for leisure and relaxation.  He said it will also help boost the local economy of communities where these sites are located.

    Amachree was speaking when Hon. Ken Chikere, member, House of Representatives for Port Harcourt 2 Federal Constituency, paid him a courtesy visit at his Niger Delta Garden, Maraba, Nassarawa State. He commended the law- maker for finding time to visit the tourist site and explained that as Father of Tourism in Nigeria, he would wish that tourism would be more developed than its current state in country.

    Speaking further, the tourist guru and former President, Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), informed the lawmaker that Nasarawa State where the Niger Delta Garden is situated was once a part of Plateau State where tourism promotion started in Nigeria. He noted that the former governor of the state, Alhaji Akwe Doma, was one of the founding fathers of ATPN and   Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN). He said practitioners were making plans to visit the current governor of  the state, Alhaji Abdullahi Sule, in Lafia to brief him on how to make Nasarawa State one of the leading tourist destinations in Nigeria.He also eulogised Hon. Chikere for being part of his success story in tourism. He said Chikere was there when the Port Harcourt Tourist Beach resort was opened.

    Earlier, Hon. Chikere praised  Amachree for his undying interest in the promotion and development of tourism in Nigeria. Chikere, a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, River State, was full of praise for what Amachree has accomplished in the tourism industry.

    He commended Amachree for establishing  Brooklyn hotels in

    Lagos, Okoloma Afam and Buguma; Port Hacourt Tourist Beach Resort; Niger Delta Garden, Maraba, Nasarawa State, and also the Brooklyn Tourist Centre and Zoological garden and Museum , Rumuosi, near University of  Port Harcourt.

    He also commended Amachree for his contribution as member of the Vision 2010 Committee during the regime of the late General Sani Abacha which was where the seed for the creation of the Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism was sown.

  • Kate Henshaw, Shaffy Bello, Binta Mogaji, others for ‘The Wives’

    The Wives, a play put together to promote stage play culture by former General Manager of National Theatre of Nigeria, Professor Ahmed Yerima, is scheduled for performance in September.

    The show will feature veteran actors such as Debola Williams, Toyin Oshinaike, Jide Kosoko, Kate Henshaw, Shaffy Bello, Binta Mogaji, and Lala Akindoju.

    Excited on being part of the production, Shaffy Bello said, “THE WIVES ARE COMING!!! This September, I am excited to be sharing the stage with these amazing women in Prof Ahmed Yerima’s play, THE WIVES. #TheWivesStagePlay is produced and directed by Kemi Lala Akindoju for The Make It Happen Productions.”

    Presented by The Make it Happen Productions, producers of Open Mic Theatre and V-Monologues, the play will be showing at the Agip Hall, Muson Centre Onikan, Lagos, from  September 5 to September 8, 2019

    ‘The Wives’, in the words of the producer, Kemi Lala Akindoju, focuses on the character called Chief Theophilus Gbadegeshin Olowookere, his sister and his three wives, Angela, Cecilia and Tobi.In July, Lala Akindoju who revealed that she will be producing and directing the play said, she is excited about the oncoming play.

    The author, Yerima, is also a former artistic director of National Troupe of Nigeria.

  • In the light of MOPICON

    The argument for and against the proposed Motion Picture Council of Nigeria (MOPICON) bill is not less than 10 years old. But it became more belligerent shortly after the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed announced a review committee which will be inaugurated on April 8. Amidst the hullabaloo, what beats me is the unnecessary energy dissipated over plans to kill the bill when same could have been used to better draft document.

    Over the years, my position has been pro MOPICON and that is not about to change; at least, not until the final draft is made public before being passed to the National Assembly.

    So much emotion rent the air at the moment, especially among younger filmmakers who feel that the bill intends to oppress creativity while also prescribing jail term for erring filmmakers. And I dare say, you see what you choose to see.

    The wrong draft in circulation notwithstanding, there is no gainsaying that you don’t need a MOPICON bill to get an expunge, a ban, or litigation for a film perceived to be offensive to the security of the state or one that is capable of inciting tribal or religious uprising.

    I choose to see a platform that will harmonise the guilds and associations. I see one serious platform that government can deal with directly when it comes to some of the real needs of the industry. The industry has been speaking with different voices and who-knows-who gets the listening ears at every point in time. But it is time for all the associations to come under one umbrella on issues that concern all, and function as departments to take care of specific interest of their members. The film industry will be taken seriously if all come together to ask government, in one voice, how it can help solve problems of distribution and piracy for example. I see most of the pending demands getting some serious attention if the film industry has a council.

    Interestingly, this is about a people deciding together, how their future will be. Filmmakers (young or old) stand to vote and he voted for in the council. Even now, as the bill is being reviewed, they stand a chance through their association heads to expunge any aspect of the draft bill that may appear offensive to creative freedom.

    Judging by how the Coalition of Nollywood Guilds and Association died, it is obvious that without a constitutional backing, the guilds cannot perform this umbrella role.

    Government does not need MOPICON to send any ‘erring’ filmmaker to jail. The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and by extension, the court of law, is more than enough to litigate on films that are perceived to incite religious or tribal uprising for example. In other words, I’m wondering what sort of creative freedom filmmakers have enjoyed under the Censors Board that is about to be truncated. MOPICON is not the one to decide the penalties that are already in the existing laws.  If anything, it can only help members to conduct themselves more professionally as it is in every association ethics. From this moment, filmmakers should rather see the need to play up the strengths of MOPICON above its limitations.

    The young filmmakers who may feel threatened by anything need to be part of the Council to make the necessary change. I advise that filmmakers should have an open mind toward this development and use it to advantage. Meanwhile, I do not see how a bill of this nature won’t advocate that the country be portrayed positively. Let’s not throw away the baby with the bath water.

    I believe that all the fears being expressed so far are well noted by the would-be members of the review committee. Let us bear in mind that the film industry is more important to government than APCON which we sometimes liken MOPICON to, because of the latter’s potential revenue stream.

    As long as Nollywood is regarded by government as one of the alternatives to oil, the industry needs to align with government on policies that can bring out its full potential.

    But all this said in faith, let’s wait for the outcome of the review committee.