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  • Tiwa Savage gives free show, premieres ’49-99′ under lagos bridge

    INTERNATIONAL music star, Tiwa Savage,  has premiered her new single, ’49-99′ to hundreds of fans under the bridge at Obalende, in Eti-Osa, Local Government, Lagos.

    The free show which took place on Tuesday afternoon saw the singer come out of a Lagos BRT Bus parked behind the stage singing to the blast of her single, ‘All Over.’ The fans suspended their day’s activity to watch Tiwa perform several of her songs including her collabo song with Reekardo Banks, ‘Ello Baby,’ ‘Ma Lo,’ and ‘Diet’ among others. Others craned their necks from the twin overhead bridge to catch a glimpse  of the action.

    The premiere was the Lagos leg of the global release of ’49-99′ which premiered earlier in London and New York. It was powered by Boomplay and Universal Music Group.

    “As an artiste, I cannot shy away from the people,” Tiwa Savage said.

    “It was very important to me to connect with them and let them know how important they are to my growth as an artiste.”

    The title, 49-99, derives from Fela’s music, ‘Suffering and Smiling’, which depicts the suffering Nigerians endure boarding public transportation which in Lagos was for decades depicted by molue, the yellow with black striped modulated Mercedes Benz 911 or Bedford trucks.

    Read Also: 49-99 is a global message, says Tiwa Savage

    This comes few months after she signed a major exclusive international recording deal with Universal Music Group.

    Tiwa revealed that she worked with Olamide, saying: “When I got to him (Olamide), he had already started writing the line, ’49 siting, 99 standing’. And automatically, I knew it was a line from Fela’s song, ‘Suffering and Smiling’. I loved it immediately because I feel like as an artiste now getting global recognition, I have a responsibility to speak on a lot of things that are affecting a lot of Nigerians. There’s a time and place for everything. Music, we want to dance, but I wanted my first introduction to the rest of the world to have substance. That’s why the song is very special to me. 49 sitting, 99 standing, we all know is from the molue bus where you have twice as many people standing.

    “That’s a reflection of the poverty. We don’t have molue anymore but we still have people hanging off buses, okada (commercial motorcycles) trying to get to work. You have mothers with babies on their back trying to get to work. So, I wanted this to speak on that. I’m not attacking anyone but I’m just that this is the reality that millions of Nigerians face and music is the tool to get the message out.”

    According to Tosin Sorinola, Head of Marketing Boomplay: “Getting behind Tiwa Savage for this event was a no-brainer as she’s one of the most celebrated female acts in Africa while Boomplay is also the #1 music streaming platform in Africa. Thus, a win-win connection for both parties.

    “As a platform with over 54 million users globally and 7 million tracks which is expected to grow to 12 million by the end of 2019, we believe that we are in the position to partner with as many artistes as possible in order to encourage creatives and gradually build a buying culture amongst the music community in general.”

    Earlier, Tiwa had joined executives of Ikoyi/Obalende Local Council Development Area (LCDA) including the Chairman, Honourable Fuad Atanda-Lawal, at an empowerment event to present financial donations to over 600 beneficiaries, mainly market men and women.

    Though Tiwa was born in the UK and has never boarded a molue, the artiste said she still connects with the suffering of the masses.

  • ‘The Ghost and the House of Truth’ premieres at Urbanworld Film Festival

    THE Ghost and the House of Truth, a film by Temple Productions, in association with Slate 1 Films and The Mission Entertainment, premiered at the Urbanworld Film Festival 2019, on Friday at the AMC Empire – Theater12, New York.

    The movie tells the story of a counselor whose 8-year-old daughter goes missing. “Frustrated with the police investigation, she takes it upon herself to catch the perpetrator, but as time runs out things take an unexpected turn”

    It stars BAFTA breakthrough Brit winner Susan Wokoma, Kate Henshaw, Fabian Oloyede, Kemi ‘Lala’ Akindoju with a supporting cast that includes, Uzo Ozimkpa, Toyin Oshinaike, Seun Ajayi, Tope Tedela, Chioma ‘Chigurl’ Omeruah, Keira Heywatch, Oludara Egerton-Shyngle and an outstanding cast of Child actors and an international crew.

    “The Ghost and the House of Truth” is the sixth movie from the stables of the Temple Productions and the second collaborative work with director Akin Omotoso and producer Ego Boyo.

    According to Ego Boyo, the movie “is an emotional, thought-provoking and powerfully real drama that takes on socio-cultural issues, highlighting society’s basic requirement for more effective law enforcement and judicial, profiling and data bases for citizens. It’s a simple but unforgettable story.”

    Nwakaego “Ego” Boyo made her debut as an actor in the Soap Opera, ‘Checkmate’ which aired on the NTA network service for five years playing the role of Ann Haastrope – a role which endeared her to Nigerian audiences.

    In 1996, she produced her first feature film “VIOLATED”, a Moving Movies Production, directed by the late Amaka Igwe. The film was considered one of the highest-selling home video productions of its time and has gone down in Nigerian Film industry history as one of the best Romantic Dramas, and the benchmark for Romantic films in Nigeria.

    Ego set up her own production company later that same year and continues as the managing director /CEO of the company. Set up as a fully digital production company with a rental arm and working in production from end to end, a service it continues to provide across two continents.

    In 1998, Ego delved back into production with another collaboration with Amaka Igwe, this time the film was “TO LIVE AGAIN” which was directed by Amaka Igwe and went on to garner several THEMA award nominations, and  REEL award nominations and eventually to win best Film/Picture at the Reel Awards in 1999.

    In 2002, Ego produced arguably the biggest romantic feature film of the decade “KEEPING FAITH” directed by Steve Gukas starring Joke Silva, Richard Mofe Damijo, Olu Jacobs, a relatively unknown Genevieve Nnaji as well as Funlola Aofiyebi, Bimbo Akintola and industry staples Keppy Ekpeyoung and Fred Amata as well as Veteran actor, Ibidun Alison.

  • Nigeria is on the path towards controlling HIV —NACA DG Gambo Aliyu

    HIS appointment is widely acclaimed as a round peg in a round hole. Reasons for this are not farfetched. Before President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him as director general of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) in July, Dr. Gambo Gumel Aliyu has been deeply involved in the research and management of HIV for almost two decades. An alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University where he bagged an MBBS in 1995, Dr. Aliyu obtained a Masters in Clinical Research and PhD in Epidemiological Research (HIV and TB) from the University of Maryland, United States, in 2008 and 2012, respectively. Until his appointment, the new DG was the Chief of Party for the Nigeria Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS), touted as the world’s largest HIV population-based survey, which helped Nigeria to assess the true impact of HIV services delivered in the last 15 years of the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief PEPFAR. His journey to his new job started in 2002/2003 when he was trained in the US to develop centres of excellence for HIV treatment and prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in Nigeria, ultimately ending up as one of the 20 Nigerian scientists specifically trained to prepare the American government ready for the PEPFAR. An epidemiologist and public health specialist from Jigawa State, Dr. Aliyu served as Country Director for the University of Maryland programmes in Nigeria and did his post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Manitoba, Canada, where he studied drugs and vaccines evaluations. He took over the headship of the agency in July from Dr. Sani Aliyu (from Kano State) who resigned his appointment to pursue other aspirations a year before the end of his four-year tenure. The 50-year-old NACA DG spoke with Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF. Excerpts:-

    THE whole world commended Nigeria over NAISS report, which showed that significant success has been recorded in the control of HIV in the country. What is the next step after NAIIS?

    First and foremost, NAIIS report was meant to inform the Nigerian government and the world, especially the donor agencies, about the impact of 15 years of investment since PEPFAR came on board. We found the programme to be very impactful; those things that have been in place in the last 15 years have worked to achieve the desired results. It has helped in controlling the epidemic to a great extent. We are yet to control it completely, but if I am to put it on a scale of zero to 10 in terms of where we have been controlling the HIV epidemic in Nigeria, I will tell you we have got six over 10. If you want to understand the impact and if you look back to the time when PEPFAR came on board with a lot of investments in HIV prevention, treatment and logistics, the prevalence was very high. After the NAIIS evaluation, we found out that the prevalence was about 1.4 per cent from 4.4 per cent, down by 3 per cent points. What that means is that back in 2005, when the PEPFAR programme began, if you take Nigerians and put them in one room and you close your eyes and pick 200 people at random to undergo HIV test, you are likely to find nine out of 200 that would test positive. That was then. But with the report of NAIIS, with a prevalence of 1.4 per cent, if you repeat the same thing you did in 2005 in 2018 by selecting 200 Nigerians at random from a room to undergo HIV test, only three bof them are likely to test positive to HIV. That is how impactful the programme has been in reducing HIV transmission and spread among people. This massive feat was achieved because of the combination of prevention and treatment and awareness, sensitisation and literacy on HIV transmission and prevention. What the treatment does is to clear this virus from the blood; to make the virus disappear so that when you look for sometime you don’t see it. The impact of that is that it denies the HIV the opportunity to destroy somebody’s immune system or progress from what it is to what we call AIDS. On the other side, it also prevents HIV from leaving one person to enter into another person’s body because it is not there in the blood again or the number has been significantly reduced that there is no virus to transmit , since infection is usually a factor of the volume of virus.

    Because of that, we have seen a drastic reduction in new HIV infections and people dying from HIV; it has reduced drastically. And it is so because of the drugs that have been supplied for 15 years without any disruption. Going forward, we will ensure that these drugs continue to flow without disruption; if we want to totally control HIV, we must make sure these drugs are available for patients and ensure they are taking the drugs. For whatever reason, if the drugs are not available and accessible or that people don’t take the drugs, people will be at the risk of transmitting the virus. Secondly, we must have a very robust system that enables us as a nation to have a robust data of people living with HIV in Nigeria.

    Read Also: NACA unfolds plan for $150m HIV Trust Fund

    The good thing about this is that if we have had a robust data system in the past, surveys like NAIIS and the amount of money that was sunk to do it will not have arisen. It is because we don’t have a data that we can reliably say we believe in and it is, to a large extent, representative of the Nigerian population and that what we get from the data is the exact thing we are looking for. Then, I will not need survey to do this for me. For example, if you compare with countries like the US, Canada and the United Kingdom, you probably will not hear of HIV survey there simply because they have data on everyone that goes to hospital and undergoes HIV testing and his or her result is recorded somewhere and government has access to it. If there is data, I only need to click on the system to know how many people have been tested in Nigeria or how many people have accessed treatment in this country. And in terms of how many of those tested positive, it will also be a matter of clicking on a button.

    The key thing is that if you can achieve three things, if you can get 90 per cent of people in society to undergo HIV test and get 90 per cent of those who know they have HIV to access treatment and get 90 per cent of those on treatment to take the treatment seriously and make sure it works very well in suppressing the virus in the blood. Once that is achieved, you are tending to what we call control of the epidemic. What happens after you control the epidemic is that you will be required to sustain it. And sustainability means you  no have longer new cases of HIV or very few transmissions are taking place or very few people are dying because they are getting good treatment. But you still have one issue to deal with. That is, these guys that are taking the drugs must continue to take the drugs and continue to have their blood tested for the virus to see whether the virus is under check. So that will be the challenge for Nigeria because the funding we are getting from international donors will not be there forever. There is a level upon which the funders begin to divert resources where the epidemic has not been controlled. Since your own has been controlled, they will want you to take the responsibility and taking that responsibility is where the issue lies.

    My goal in the next four years is to make sure that that sustainability path is created and actualised. And for this, we are looking at bringing in the private sector to participate in supporting HIV services in Nigeria.

    (Cuts in) Why the private sector?

    The private sector has a lot to contribute and has a lot to offer. And they are willing to contribute to help the government to control HIV; to help and partner with the government to sustain HIV control in Nigeria. Right now, we are partnering with the private sector to see how that is actualised before the end of the year. We want to launch what we call the ($150 million) HIV trust fund this year. Nigeria has done very well in trying to get HIV under control; it is not controlled yet, but we are on that path. Indeed the intervention that has been put in place in the last 15 years has worked very well. And the governors have also promised to dedicate 0.5 per cent of their allocation to fight HIV in their states so that we can have sufficient resources to continue with our HIV prevention and control services, including advocacy awareness, supply of test kits and strengthening treatment services to make sure that there are no gaps.

    Nigeria will eventually come forward to take ownership. That time is approaching because we are headed towards controlling the epidemic. Once the epidemic is controlled or as the epidemic shrinks, the money that foreign donors give to support the (fight against the) epidemic also shrinks. The goal is to sustain the services even after the donors have left. We will reach a time when Nigeria will be providing for 37 out of 37 states, instead of two out of 37 states. We want to have the mechanism in place to ensure that resources are available for continuity. Let me add that the donor agencies have not indicated that they will leave us before we have the epidemic under check, but everything has a lifetime. As we have gradual disengagement of donor agencies, we can have gradual takeover that will look seamless; without any disruption. We want to make sure we have enough structures in place to continue to provide the needed services for people living with HIV in Nigeria – for testing and protection.

    What is the response like from the private sector?

    The response has been very encouraging. I just flew in from Abuja to have a meeting with the Group Managing Director of Access Bank in Lagos. What will interest you is that he was sick but he created time to come to the office to have a meeting with me. While we were having the meeting, he was in pain; you could see it visibly in him that he really needed to rest, but he denied himself to show his commitment. This really encouraged me. This means he has this thing in his heart and that he is interested in making this a reality.

  • When issues of the past affect your present relationship

    Amaka and Teddy (not real names) have been dating for 14 months. Teddy was madly in love with Amaka , but because her previous boyfriend was a Casanova , she was always expecting Teddy to cheat on her. Teddy on the other hand being very handsome and a good guy was to Amaka a potential ladies’ man, so no matter how much Teddy tried to tell her he loved only her, she didn’t believe him and was expecting him to cheat on her the way her ex did. Her constant monitoring and jealous tantrum was destroying the relationship gradually. Finally, they were able to seek for counsel and discovered that past hurts in her previous relationship were affecting them negatively.

    This is a common story to so many couples, especially the ones recovering from a bad relationship, just getting into a new one. When you leave a bad relationship, the next one may seem like a bomb waiting to explode. Sometimes we cook up problems that don’t exist. We are not saying be blind to your spouse’s fault, but the issue at hand is to explain how one can move on from a past relationship and enjoy the current one without allowing issues from your past affect you.

    A lot of people develop negative mindsets due to previous hurt or pain experienced from spouse, friend or family member and thereby create a defence mechanism to avoid heart break and pain.

    There are quite a number of ways to tell if your past is affecting your present or even your future. And one of the best ways is when you quarrel or fight, what are the typical issues that come up? Is it about the opposite sex?  Money? Sex? Pride? Chores? Responsibility? Forgiveness?

    The truth is if you don’t get rid of issues you faced in past relationship and come to terms with it , they will definitely affect you in a negative way.

    I will try to address a few of the issues that are common to most relationships which may have their major source from unresolved past hurts / experiences with others.

    1. The fear of being dumped or abandoned

    Hmmm this is a big one. No matter how young or old, being dumped is the worst feeling, even worse when there is no exact traceable reason why, other than the fact that he/she doesn’t love you anymore.

    So many people have been dumped on their wedding day, introduction day, after introduction, after having a baby, after paying bride price, after paying school fees, after building house, and so much more. It makes one feel used, especially if one of the parties has been sucked dry. When one is suddenly dumped or abandoned by a past lover, spouse or friend, it can be extremely difficult to build another friendship without having the thought of “what if she dumps me?” or “what if he uses me for sex only and moves on to the next young, fresh, yellow skinned lady?” Truly it is only God or Allah that can see and know all things, no man can exactly understand how another man thinks 100 %, a man you claim to know today can transform tomorrow, even good people are capable of doing bad things, which is why we are comfortable in blaming the devil for everything except ourselves.

    Anyone who has been dumped before will be afraid of being dumped again. It will be difficult to open up completely to anyone. Unfortunately, you cannot totally  avoid being heartbroken or vulnerable because you have to take a risk to love , being alive alone is a risk. We need to know that we must stand up and take responsibility for our hearts and actions. You have to face the reality of things and ensure that yes you were dumped but it is not the end to life and an opportunity to learn how to avoid such happen. It doesn’t mean you have to turn into a shell and stay inside like a tortoise. Life is for the living and must be enjoyed.

    1. Creating the lion armour syndrome

    Most times because of past hurts, people create a very strong armor to protect themselves, and what this does in essence is that it makes you unable to share your thoughts, feelings and fears without your spouse, you only succeed in closing off everything so that no one can hurt you again. It is almost as if you become a zombie and if anyone tries to come close to you, roar like a lion to scare them off. Such people never find joy in any relationship because wounds are so deep, no matter what you do they can never be happy, even if you cut your leg or hand of.

    Emotionally, you make your partner suffer because you are making them suffer for crimes someone else committed. It is a style of withholding yourself emotionally. Regardless of anything, you need to work on this issue. The more you can try to make effort to open up, the more you can share who you really are with your spouse. It is a difficult path to follow, but healing is very possible. You just need to make an attempt, especially if your spouse is worth it. First step is honesty about how you feel on certain issues to help build intimacy. Don’t just carry your issues on your head.

    1. Being used for sex issue

    Sex is fun no doubt, some people have the stamina of going at it 24/7 , good luck to them! While some prefer to use time table, what is good for Peter may not be good for Paul.  The issue here now is the category of people who feel they have been used for sex only by previous partners. This is a serious issue and can affect a relationship negatively because focusing on sex only to keep your partner means insecurity is seriously at play and then when this partner gets tired of sex , what next? Sex issue gets in the way of intimacy. Thinking sex is the only thing to offer is a dangerous move. We won’t always stay beautiful, and we won’t always stay handsome.

    I remember when I had accident years ago, instead of me to praise God I was alive, the first thing that came to my mind was my teeth. I thought my front teeth had broken. I was so scared. God, how will I now talk , laugh or smile with several missing teeth? When my husband came to the scene, the first question I asked him was, please please check my teeth o, are they still complete?  The world says beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but just try being ugly for a day and see how people will react towards you. Vanity is truly the order of the day. So back to sex, yes any relationship based on sex alone can never last. True love is really complex as it encompasses so many things like sacrifice, balance, forgiveness, patience, and lots of long suffering. Someone who truly loves you will appreciate you for more than sex and will never want you to feel used. But you also need to give love a chance. Someone who loves you will find you sexy inside and outside the bedroom.

     

  • Malaria: The industry and pharmacoeconomics

    Nigeria is a country that has global impact in more than one ways.  It is not just about oil and gas.  “As of 2019, the estimated population of the country is over 200.96 million, ranking 7th in the world” (http://world population review.com/countries/nigeria-population/).  World Population Review also says Lagos has a population of around 17.5 million. For Nigeria, and for Lagos in particular, malaria is a major health and economic consideration.

    If I may do some maths, if each Nigerian should buy an antimalarial drug (e.g. an artemisin based drug) once a year, that would be 200 million purchases. If each round of medication costs N1000.00, that would mean a total of N200,000,000,000.00 being spent.  The actual cost of malaria treatment in Nigeria is actually much more than this figure because many  people take antimalarial drugs almost monthly or at least more than once a year.  A reader just called me from her home in Lagos and told me she has had malarial regularly all her life, taking drugs almost monthly, and she is now 73 years old.  Some people may prefer herbal medicine but many Nigerians take the surer NAFDAC approved medications. This vast expenditure is a significant consideration for Government and Big Pharma, one for the pain and the other for the gain. When I sit back to do the maths and conclude on the cost of malaria and the gains to malaria industries, I decide to keep the answer to myself.  I am sitting on the fence.

    Apart from the use of antimalarial drugs, there are many other consumer products used for prevention or for treatment that make malaria formidable industry.

    Read Also: Malaria: The environment

    To begin with, we must take preventive measures because malaria can be fatal.  For example, malaria in pregnancy is a common cause of low birth weight, infant mortality, maternal anemia, and maternal fatality. A scary malaria fact is that “an African child dies of malaria every 30 seconds” if we do not take preventive measures (Roll Back Malaria, a World Health Organisation, UNICEF, and UNDP partnership founded in 1998).

    One of the chief means of prevention of malaria is to avoid being bitten by the mosquito.  Mosquito nets are important and effective barriers when utilized properly.  Mosquito nets on windows and doors of buildings are compulsory in endemic regions of the world.  Mosquito nets on the bed are necessary for people who are vulnerable, especially infants under the age of five, pregnant women, and the sick who are already weakened. Insecticide treated nets (ITNs) have been laced with long lasting insecticides such as permethrin or deltamethrin by the manufacturers and are effective in preventing mosquito bites during sleep. My 73 year old reader just told me that she does not like the mosquito net on her bed because she feels encaged with it like in a coffin and, besides, she gets us frequently to urinate and the mosquitoes have a way of slipping inside. Do not let your elders be trapped in a net with mosquitoes.

    Mosquito repellant skin creams or sprays are also important for people who spend considerable time outdoors for business or leisure. Mosquito coils and repellant incense are burned to keep mosquitoes away.  They may simply repel or in addition kill the insects.  They can be used indoors and outdoors.

    Homes, offices, and other buildings need to be regularly sprayed with insecticides to keep killing the mosquitoes that keep coming in. Water bodies and natural habitats of mosquitoes need to be sprayed with chemicals or injected with chemicals to keep the mosquitoes from breeding.

    Inside our homes, we place electrical mosquito zappers, insect repelling or killer lamps, electronic insecticide injectors, and whatever can keep mosquitoes out or dead.  Some people may even allow the spiders and wall geckos to stay as mercenaries in the war against mosquitoes.

    However with all our barriers and preventive measures, mosquito genes mysteriously continue to mutate and generate mosquito species with new resilience and invasion techniques.  They get to bite people, especially innocent infants.  The genes of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, also continue to mutate and produce plasmodia that are resistant to know antimalarial drugs.  For these reasons, we invest in research to produce malaria vaccines.

    Manuel Elkin Patarroyo (born November 3, 1946) is a Colombian Professor of Pathology and Immunology and a scientist with vision.  He produced the first synthetic vaccine for the prevention of malaria and transferred the patent to the World Health Organisation (WHO) (https://www.fpa.es/en/princess-of-asturias-awards/laureates/1994-manuel-elkin-patarroyo.html? texto =trayectoria &especifica=0). After his first vaccine of 1986 which was partially effective, he devoted his career to producing a 100 percent effective malaria vaccine.

    In an interview, this scientist was asked: “What messages might you offer to policymakers based on your experience of research in the developed and developing world?” He replied: “Talent is without doubt equally distributed in all parts of the world. The difference lies in the possibilities which such talented people have. I endeavor to convince governments and institutions of the importance of creating centers in situ, in each country, in order to increase the possibilities for talented people to develop their potential, and to produce solutions in those places where problems are endemic.

    Governments in many developing countries have little awareness of science. They have not integrated science into their discourse and daily tasks. But this is not only a matter of government policies. Our own mothers can stimulate and plant in their children the desire to be scientists. This is where everything begins. Science must be given social importance. And there must be a kind of pressure. Nowadays in Colombia 0.2 percent is invested in science and technology; and in the United States of America 2.5 percent. This gives rise to an enormous difference” (World Intellectual Property Organization https://www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2005/05/article_0002.html).

     

    Dr. Theresa Adebola John is a lecturer at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and an affiliated researcher at the College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis.  For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635

  • Would you settle for the good, the bad or the naughty girl?

    I grew up in Fadeyi, one of the rough and rowdy outskirts of Lagos. Fadeyi had everything and anything. We had the refined ones, the ghetto ones, and the carefree ones. I must not forget to mention that in our great Fadeyi, we had good girls, bad girls and the naughty ones.

    But generally speaking, we have different categories of girls all round the world, we have bad girls and whether we like it or not, we have the very naughty girls. I am eager to tell you a few things about good girls. They are very regular, well behaved and they show decorum in the way they talk and carry themselves. They don’t speak, unless they are spoken to. Their whereabouts at any given time are known by their parents and even siblings alike. You cannot date them to take them out of their homes unless you have their parents’ permissions. They are so well-mannered; they could wait for their wedding nights to get ‘deflower’. Their good girl status has nothing to do with their upbringing or the society; it is just the way they are.

    The bad girls are just for no reason in particular. They are the insatiable types, the types that would extort from a man without a second thought. They would date two to three friends at a go, with no apologies to anyone. They are capable of getting any man of their choice at their beck and call. If it is even remotely possible to steal their friend’s man. They would go right ahead without butting an eyelid.

    Lastly, the naughty girls. They are the ones that know how to make a man happy; both in bed and outside the bed. They are not in the reserved league at all. When a man is daring enough to date them, they meet up with the man’s expectations. This group of girls dates their men with no pretence whatsoever; most guys go with this group of girls because they like to cut straight to the chase. This brings me to the story of my childhood neighbours, Franca and Ijeoman. Franca and Ijeoma were age mates, but their differences were like night and day.

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    Franca, to everyone’s knowledge, was tagged a very naughty girls. She was notorious. Every man wanted her because she knew how to treat them right.

    In fairness to her, Franca never double dated at any time. She was always a one man’s woman. Ironically, her suitors could not have enough of her, but because people saw her as notorious, they refused to be seen in the public with her. Austin, on his part, was also a daring young man. He was bold enough to date Franca openly without any inhibitions. Two years into their relationship, they took a step further and tied the knot. Austin later won the US lottery and he relocated with his family to the United States of America.

    The stories that have been reaching us thereafter are that Franca later became a very industrious lady. She secured two different jobs and opted to also further her education. Austin was encouraged by Franca to send for his mother to come for a visit. In February, this year; they just completed their three-storey building in Delta State. They plan to visit in December to officially open their family home. Austin today attributes his success story to his once naughty girlfriend that has now become his very caring, industrious and loving wife.

    Ijeoma, on her part, was the regular girl next door. Very homely, reserved, decent (if you like the type that wears very long skirt and oversized shirt to match). Everybody felt Ijeoma was the ideal girl to marry. She was supposedly everyman’s dream of a good woman. Ijeoma lived a good life. She had a very clean slate. There was no man or boy that ever dated her. She was later married off to an eligible suitor based in England called Udoma.

    Ijeoma’s husband was ecstatic to meet his wife a virgin. Things were wonderful. The marriage was simply a dream come true or so everybody thought, Ijeoma’s true colour came into play when she started telling her husband who could come to their family house in England and who could not.

    Only those who could visit were ijeoma’s people. First, her immediate younger brother left for England, then her mum and soon, her elder sister.

    Whenever Udoma tried to suggest that one of his people should visit even for a month, hell would be let loose. Ijeoma just could not tolerate any of her in-laws. Udoma tolerated this for four years of their marriage. In those years, no money was sent to his people, even calls were drastically reduced. In the fourth year, Udoma could not take it anymore. He reacted by refusing to take meals at home. Ijeoma provoked him endlessly, and when he could not take it anymore, he slapped her.

    To cut a very long story short. Udoma has been deported to Nigereia. The court held that he could not remain in England because he was physically abusing his wife. We were all shocked to see him back in Nigeria after spending so many years abroad.We also knew that his predicament was as result of marrying a bad girl in a good girl’s skin.

    Till date, he is trying to find his feet. So, the question is what kind of girl would you settle for? Readers’ responses are welcome.

  • FALZ, SARKODIE AND NASTY C ARE FIRST AFRICAN NOMINEES BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2019

    BET International has announced the launch of a new category to honour artists from around the world during the BET “Hip Hop Awards” 2019.  Artists from Africa, Europe and Canada will compete for the Best International Flow Category during the BET “Hip Hop Awards” 2019.

    The announcement of the Best International Flow category is the latest move by BET International to recognize the growing appeal of artists from around the world. The BET “Hip Hop Awards” will return to Atlanta, Georgia, USA, where the winner will be announced during the global broadcast on Saturday, October 5, 2019. BET “Hip Hop Awards” 2019 will air on BET Africa (DSTV Channel 129) on October 9, 2019, at 6:00PM WAT.

    This year’s nominees for the Best International Flow category include some of Africa’s most trailblazing acts. Globally acclaimed Nigerian rapper and songwriter Falz, South African rapper, songwriter and producer Nasty C. and Awarding winning Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie rounds up the list of African nominees. They are set to compete with internationally recognised singer-songwriter Tory Lanez (Canada), hip hop artist and grime OG Ghetts (UK), rapper/singer Little Simz (UK) for the award.

    “We are excited to announce the first ever BET “Hip Hop Awards” Best International Flow Category with such diverse nominees,” said Alex Okosi, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, BET International and Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa).

    Read Also: Burna Boy, Teni, Mr Eazi nominated for BET awards

    “The award will be presented on-stage during the live broadcast, confirming BET’s commitment to recognizing the influence of international artists globally. I believe that opportunities like the BET “Hip Hop Awards” position international artists for global success long after the winners are announced.”

    Connie Orlando, BET US’s Head of Programming, said: “We are committed to celebrating the global impact of hip-hop culture. By introducing the Best International Flow category, artists of all backgrounds, regardless of location, will have an opportunity to reach BET’s audience of over 90 million viewers worldwide. We congratulate each international nominee and look forward to celebrating their talent and contributions during the BET “Hip Hop Awards” 2019.”

    Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment, will serve as Executive Producer of the BET Hip Hop Awards along with Connie Orlando, BET Head of Programming and Jeannae Rouzan–Clay, Vice President of Specials, Jesse Collins Entertainment.

  • Niniola, others for Silver Fox pool party

    SONGSTRESS Niniola will join other celebrities as luxury nightlife hub, Silver Fox launches its indoor pool and lounge.

    The event which holds on September 28 in Victoria Island, Lagos will also host Ghanaian actresses Moesha Boduong and Efia Odo, Lingerie Model Bliss Bev.

    According to the organisers, the pool party promises to be exciting and a total break from the norm in Nigeria.

    Read Also: Wande Coal, Niniola, Skiibi thrill fans at Red Night Party

    “The pool party is not going to be your regular kind,” said Silver Fox Media spokesperson, Demola Lawal.

    “It’s like something out of a billionaire movie. I dare say it will be the most exotic pool party in the history of Lagos.”

    Speaking on the event, Silver Fox CEO, Big Slim, said: “The Silver Fox entertainment hub has something for everybody. We’ve got rotating seats around the pool area to allow every guest good views, the Tony Montana area of the lounge is a vibe of its own and the pool itself which is the main attraction is state-of-the-art and ready for the most erotic performances.”

    Silver Fox partners with Scotch Whiskey, Glenfiddich for this event.

  • Poet of dust stirs debate on Sufi, African world

    Inside the cozy OneDrawGallery, Ikoyi, Lagos, art lovers gathered recently to discuss Abubakar Sidi’s collection of poems. The book titled The Poet of Dust revolves around civilisations, cross-continental interactions, sufism, orality and musicality, sexual metaphors, the Northern poetry landscape, the use of Poetry in society, love, and god.

    Themed Sands of History, the event was hosted by Atmosphere and moderated by writer and editor of Stockholm Review of Literature, Kelvin Kellman.

    Kellman introduces the work by dwelling on the far reaching implications of the relationship between the Sufi world and the African world.

    Pulling the audience into the conversations around the subjects of the poetry, Kellman indicated that Sidi’s sexual metaphors are vehicles to engage social issues in ways that bring forth a musicality and an openness to human relationships amongst men, and with their maker.

    For his extrapolation of sexual metaphors, Curator of  OneDrawGallery, Segun Adejumo, named Sidi, the gynecologist of poetry.

    Read Also: Poet of merit

    Also, Co-Chair Committee for Relevant Art and publisher of Culture Dispatch, Jahman Anikulapo, noted that Sidi’s work asserts the freedom of the artist to engage society without being locked into the prisons of meaning making that align.

    Anikulapo also asked the poet about the developments of bards and literature in indigenous Hausa.

    Responding, Sidi said that local bards are empowered to reach more people than in the official language because it reaches the mitochondria of lived lives, and stretches existing folklore.

    Corroborating Sidi, Curator and Publisher of Praxis Magazine, Tee Jay Dan said the magazine has made great efforts in publishing literature in Hausa and other indigenous languages.

    He also said that Sidi’s work reflect the nuance of northern landscapes despite the fact that it does not directly engage immediate landscape.

    Reading few poetry to the audience, Sidi said some of the poems in the collection are epiphanies brought by personal and collective experiences.

    While  some of his poems are an inquisition to the importance of poetry to society, the poet noted that many scholars have reflected on Sufism as an important arm of Islam, that would bring peace and dissipate ethnoreligious crisis facing the nation.

    He said ‘one of the fundamentals of Sufism is love, which gives room for artistic expressions, songs, philosophical question, all in a bit to discover God in all things of matter’.

    Curator of Artmosphere, Femi Morgan noted that Sidi’s collection was the best collection of poems he has read so far in 2019. He said that the collection of poems evokes multilayered emotions, and avenues of multiple meaning for both the reader, and the intellectual.

    Artmosphere is arts, culture and social idea curated by Fairchild. It has hosted poets, writers, visual arts, philosophers, and musicians for eight years between Ibadan and Lagos. In 2018, it curated a music conversation which hosted Burna Boy, Sound Sultan, Ade Bantu, Brymo and others at the Lagos Book and Arts Festival.

  • Eben leads over 6,000 voices at ‘Joyful Noise’ concert

    GOSPEL singer, Eben led a large crowd of over 6,000 voices at the expansive auditorium of Loveworld Arena, Lekki, Lagos for the first edition of his gospel music concert tagged, ‘Joyful Noise’.

    The evening of worship and praise started from evening till late in the night. The major highlight of the night was two-set music performances on either half of the event by host artiste, Eben. The singer with full complement of his beautifully dressed band dished out favourite songs from his repertoire taking the audience on a journey through his music.

    At intervals, host of the night, MC Forever, a fast-rising comedian punctuated the mood with rib-cracking jokes. The night was enlivened with powerful live performances by two US-based musicians, veteran, Bob Fitts and Phil Thompson who blessed the audience with outstanding performances.

    Taking the event several notches were soul-stirring music renditions by Nathaniel Bassey, Mercy Chinwo, Sammie Okposo, Tim Godfrey, Joe Praise, Jahdiel, Laolu Banjo, Testimony Jaga and a slew of other up and coming acts.

    According to Eben, the event will continue yearly and will be taken around the world with hope of impacting lives through a culture of praise and worship of God almighty.