Artistes Poised To Replace The Old Generation

Uzo Chikere

Music is as old as life itself. And music makers started the art from creation. The art has developed across time and endured up to the present time being expressed in various era and genre by peoples of the world. It is forever being handed down from one generation to the other just as those receiving the baton from their predecessors strive to further perfect the art as well as readapt it to the taste and appeal of the contemporary times.

Days were when the Nigerian music industry regaled the existence of big music bands/groups whose members were all instrumentalists with two or all of them being vocalists. These bands were mostly signed onto the existing record companies on whose labels they released their record albums and or singles. They embarked on regular road shows and gigs to make money to augment royalties accruing from their record sales and air-play.

There were also solo artistes and big band leaders cum owners who occupied the music scene in the days gone by. The musical outfits also played hotels and traveled from city to city entertaining their fans all over the country.

Among the bands then included Actions Funk Ensemble, Doves, Atomic 8, High Grades, Hikers, and Wings International.  Others were The Funkies, BLO, One World, Semi Colon, Strangers, Apostles and Speed Limit. There were also Founders 15, The Know-Knows, Ofege, Future Hopes and Sweet Breez among many others.

Band leaders cum owners were such arch instrumentalists as Eddy Okonta, Julius Araba, Adeolu Akinsanya, Johnny Haastrop, Bongos Ikwue, Victor Efosa Uwaifo, Rex Jim Lawson and Celestine Ukwu. Others were Stephen Amechi, Ifeanyi Eddy Okwedi, Ken Kenny Tone, and Victor Abimbola Olaiya just to name a few.

Through the evolutionary process of the Nigerian music industry, came the era of solo artistes whose relevance in the mid ‘70’s, early ‘80’s through the ‘90’s cannot be denied. Such acts as Wonder Boy, Chris Okotie, Jide Obi, Chris Mba, and Felix Lebarty visibly took the centre stage with their entertaining and scintillating renditions that captured the attention and interest of the teeny boppers and stylishly upwardly mobile youths of the time.

Among that class of solo acts were also names like Alex O, Dizzy K, Alex Zitto, Cicely Omohimin, Evi Edna Ogholi, Ras Kimono and Oritz Williki.

The present reality is that many of the already mentioned are either no longer performing or dead. However, the show as they say must go on. Despite that a lot of them played for the love of the art, and in the process raked in some cash to keep body and soul together, while many others battled and died in penury, there is a new crop of artistes that has taken over at the moment.

The mien and outward disposition of this band of entertainers reveal opulence and so much swagger. This new rank of singers who hardly play any musical instruments, make no pretenses about their wealth and desire to acquire more as they on daily basis devise every possible means of re-inventing themselves to better attract the goodies available in the industry.

The new era is here with us in the music industry. Clutching the microphone, the Koko exponent, D’banj has since spotted a place as one of the new replacements for the past stars with his complex rhythm that has become the new signature of today’s Nigerian sound. While there were no sponsors of concerts in the days gone by for a cluster of Nigerian artistes to jam, nor were there provisions in corporate organisations to have them endorse their products as ambassadors, the past acts painstakingly navigated their way to having shows anywhere possible to make ends meet. But the likes of D’banj and his counterparts are in on a binge cornering all the fees available in show business right now.

Having been signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music, D’Banj seems to be the favorite to bring Nigeria’s new music to the world.

The singer/ songwriter, and harmonica player made a remix video with Snoop Dogg and scored an underground hit in the UK with his “Oliver Twist” single.

He has fans all over the world, a reality TV show, and even his own breakfast cereal, but if you want to know why they really call him “Koko Master” just remember that it became a political slogan during campaign for election in Nigeria in the recent past. D'banj charges between N6 and N7 million to grace any event in the country.

R&B/hip hop duo P-Square, Peter and Paul Okoye consists of twins who are kind of a big deal and the twosome is in the league of the contemporary artistes taking over from the oldies who laid the foundation for today’s music.
The list had the music duo of P'Square topping it as the highest paid hip hop act. The music duo is said to charge between N9 and N10 million for a show within Nigeria.
The award-winning brother act sometime ago signed with Akon’s Konvict Muzik record label along with 2Face and Wizkid.

Signed to Konvict Muzik is 2-Face Idibia who is one of the most bankable artistes in Africa, with more awards to his name than many of his peers. He had also been the lead vocalist in R. Kelly’s pan-African super group, One8.

And with that trembling reggae-inspired vocal style and his way with a mushy R&B tune, it is not much of a mystery how he got to the pinnacle of the business. Although his fee is not consistent, he is said to be charging between N5 and N6 million.

This 22-year old vocalist is yet another signing to Konvict. Though WizKid started as a gospel act, he has since moved into the mainstream with one of the freshest styles in the industry. His “Don’t Dull” takes Afropop fully into the future, while “Azonto,” could not be more on-trend. But “Tease Me” is no joke either. Wizkid collects between N4 and N5 million for a show in Nigeria.

When Everybody Loves Ice Prince hit the racks in 2011, the aptly titled album was lovable, but it’s his single “Oleku” featuring Brymo that put him on the map with an international audience. He had since been collaborating with Jamaican reggae artiste Gyptian on a remix for Ice Prince’s track “Magician.” He is, indeed, “Superstar” material.

Another replacement element in this field is the first lady of hip-hop, Sasha P whose flow is as tight as her fabulous style, while her lyrics and attitude demand respect. Check out “Put It Down,” her track with Mozmbique’s own Dama Do Bling.

Artistes like Owawunmi who actually is the highest paid female star, Flavour, Timaya and Olamide as well as the other new era artistes charge N3 million. Others in this category are Darey Art Alade, Duncan Mighty, and Chocolate Music artistes, M.I and Ice-Prince.

The likes of Iyanya, Davido, Wande Coal and Tiwa Savage are in the league of artistes that go for N2.5 million, while D’Prince, Dr.Sid and one time highest earning artiste, 9ice collect N2 million respectively. Naeto C and Waje are said to be in the category of N1.5 million.

Nature hates vacuum, they say, and in the music business, old masters must give way for the new ones to take over. The show must go on.

 

Charley Boy Turns Daddy’s Funeral Into Carnival

As Artistes Invade Oguta For All-Time Show

Uzo Chikere

The scion of the late jurist, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, Charles Oputa aka Charley Boy seems poised to bring down the roofs in the small lake side town of Oguta as he has dragged all the big name artistes in Nigeria for a grand musical gig designed to bid farewell to his father buried on Friday in his family home in Oguta.

Following the well-attended Special Court session in honour of the legal icon on Thursday, a huge musical concert with a carnival feel was arranged for Saturday in the centre of the town with all the well-known and even budding acts on the card. Such artistes as Sweden-based Dr. Alban, American-based Felix Duke, Flavour, Daddy Showkey, Asha, Tu-Face, among many others are all lined up to perform at the star-studded event which has already raised the expectation of the residents and indigenes alike.

 A good number of the artistes were already in town as at Thursday even as the rigging up of the gigantic stage was in rapid progress. Presently, Oguta has become the cynosure of eyes given the razzmatazz, glitz and glamour that Charley Boy has introduced into his father’s funeral which has set Oguta aglow and attracted a large number of visitors more than the famed Oguta Lake Resort.

Everybody in the town rather than mourn, is exhilarating in respect of the spectacle being experienced at Justice Oputa’s funeral. All the Hotels are fully booked and it is doubtful if those entering the town for the revels this weekend will find places to lodge.

Apart from the concert, Friday was also a day set aside for the oldies as music of yester years was generously dished out for the enjoyment of men and women who were in their youthful stage at the time such numbers were the rave of the moment.

The consensus in the entire Oguta is that Justice Oputa was a good family man, fulfilled father who achieved so much; not because he acquired material wealth, but due to his decency and dignity and so deserves to be celebrated even in death.

What has pervaded the town is like Charley Boy Show come home and the indigenes are happily savouring it all.

 

Groups Rout For President Jonathan

Uzo Chikere

Amidst virulent criticisms of President Goodluck Jonathan’s government handling of the security situation and other sundry matters affecting Nigeria, two groups have risen in stout support of his administration’s approach to piloting the affairs of the country after a careful analysis his transformation strategy. This came to the fore at a press conference recently held in Lagos, where the groups namely The Newtone In Aso Rock (NTIARP) and Market Youth Congress of Nigeria (MYCOM) disclosed that despite that President Jonathan’s personal approach to power and leadership has attracted so much criticism and sometimes direct insult the person of the president and his office, it is worthy of praise.

Messrs. Chris O. Maduka and Chidiebere Okoh, NTIARP and MYCOM National coordinators respectively, who jointly addressed the press, held that due to the fact that the society had still not escaped the mindset of straight jacket command and control of the past decade, the president’s style of governance was grossly misunderstood.

They expressed regret over what they described as the ferocious attacks and negative dispositions of some Nigerians on the president which had created disaffection instead of growing support for his administration’s transformation initiative, pointing out that this has relapsed into apathy and hopelessness at the present height of Boko Haram terrorist attacks.

As groups committed to encouraging and supporting positive change in governance, they said, “we are committed to changing this trend and ensuring that the new tone in Aso Rock: a tone of civility, humility and quiet but unshakable resolve is sustained through 2019.”

Riveting their attention to the current state of the nation, the insurgency which has led to the loss of lives, property and abduction of over 200 school girls in Chibuk, Bornu State, the groups posited:

“We must all agree that we live in very unusual times, and our hearts go out to the families of the victims as we renew our commitment to do whatever we can in our own little ways to bring back the Chibuk girls.

Admonishing Nigerians to avoid misguided reaction to the current terrorist actions both bodies pointed out that there are many positive developments in our society that can be celebrated adding that “even the recent challenges have also presented us a great opportunity to evolve into a more secured and equitable society.”

They posited that President Jonathan and the security agencies were not on trial but Boko Haram terrorists and those covertly harboring and supporting them, insisting that neither created them nor wished for innocent citizens to be slaughtered.

While urging that President Jonathan should not be compared to any of his predecessors, the groups called on Nigerians appreciate his humility and simple approach to power a novel development, adding that he will be vindicated posterity.

  

My Administration Is A Continuation Of My Predecessor’s -- Obiano

Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano, last week marked his sixth month in office al-beit in a low key manner. However, he had a brief interaction with some news men from Lagos during which he narrated some of his challenges and prospects in during this period. Uzo Chikere was among them. Excerpts:

What amongst the things you planned to do have you really addressed in the last six months you have been in office?

What we are doing in Anambra is not rocket science. It’s something very well thought through and it’s simple. To make you understand it, I will break them into A and B. Under A is what I prefer to call economic enabler in the sense that it is not an end but a means to an end. There are 14 items on the enabler plan. One of the enablers is education; it is very critical in whatever we are doing. My approach to education is again not rocket science; it’s very simple. For me to give myself a pass mark in education, I would have been able to accomplish three things; first, is  infrastructure that includes the buildings other school facilities like libraries, laboratories and so on. Comfort of the students is also critical which includes the environment and what have you. Then teachers’ welfare; training and retraining as well as having the number of teachers that is required and more importantly, having these teachers where you want them to be especially in the rural areas; it’s been a challenge. There’s something we are doing with the United Nations that is making us pay those going to the rural areas and those teaching science subjects a little extra. It is when I have got them working, that I can say I have done well in education. If I build only infrastructure without students and teachers don’t come there, that’s no education; if I train teachers, improve their welfare, and they don’t have pupils to teach, that’s not education; if everything is there and there are no pupils to come there and learn, there’s no education. All of them go hand in hand. I’m sure you are aware that Anambra has consistently topped Nigeria in WASC exams for the last three years.

Health is wealth; they say what are your considerations for this important sector?

It is the same thing for health. My aim is the provision of the physical infrastructure in the health sector which includes equipment for a proper hospital and of course, comfort of the patient which is very critical; source of drugs that are being administered, and also staff welfare that will also be undergoing training and retraining on the proper use of the equipment being installed. All of these will be implemented for you to say that you have achieved success in health management process in the state.

Plans for security

The other beat that most of you are familiar with is the emphasis on security. Without security, there is nothing I tell you here that will make sense; you people won’t come here in the first place, so it is a very important enabler and we are giving it a very robust attention and we will continue to do so until the end of my administration here.

What is your road map for road infrastructure?

Any road in the state of disrepair you see here is federal road. All the state roads are state-of-the-art. Anambra prides itself as having the largest network of roads in Nigeria and my predecessor, did a good work, all the governors of Anambra before me did their best on roads; Ngige within the short while he was in office, tried his best. My predecessor did almost a thousand kilometres of roads and I’m still working on most of them. What you see here is a government of continuity; it’s an APGA government to APGA government from the former governor to myself. All his projects are being tackled, none is being abandoned in line with the revenue-generating capacity that we have. We met an IGR (Internally Generated Revenue) position of about =N= 550 million monthly. That is a far cry from what will help us drive this state. The wage bill of the state is about =N=2.8 billion. Not until our IGR equals or above that salary range, I won’t score myself as having performed well in IGR although we moved to =N=1 billion in the last six months as we speak, but we are doing all kinds of things to make sure that we have capacity to be at =N=3.5 billion monthly, and we are trying to plug all the loopholes and leakages which is very critical in what we are doing. I am sure you know that Anambra is the second smallest state in terms of land mass in Nigeria, next to Lagos State, with an area capacity of 4,850 sq. km, so it is not a very big state by landmass. The population as we speak is seven million people though the last population census of 2006 says they are 4.5 million people.

What are you doing about improving the environment?

We are doing a lot of things on environment which is another enabler. If you look at our streets, they a lot more improved now, we are buying more tractors, trying to develop more permanent structures. We are doing a lot of things on our streets; working on the drainages and trying to create a very clean environment for the people. Before December, we are going to make sure that house on the major roads are painted and that we have clean streets with proper road markings as well as directional signs and lighting. Look at what has happened at Upper Iweka in Onitsha which we have transformed from the notorious haven for hoodlums to sanity; very clean and less or nothing of hoodlums and luxury buses activities. We have only done 60 per-cents, and by the time we would have done 80 to 100 percent we know that we have successfully driven away hoodlums and kidnappers who hide under the dark to do their dirty activities. That does not mean that they don’t carry out their crimes once in a while. We do arrest them. Last three weeks we helped to rescue a reverend father who was kidnapped in Imo State, somewhere in Uli by my security team, Operation Kpochapu (Clear).  

Tourism is an area that creates employment and revenue. What are you doing about that?  

Tourism is also critical in what we are doing. Incidentally, we have very good landmass here that will make many paces of tourism enviable. But they are not developed and that’s why I’m doing a stretch of road that will lead to the Ogbunike Cave; it is a unique cave and one of the best caves in the world with 11 entrances steep down; rain-fall flows down. By the time you go there you will be wondering why water does not percolate in that place. From a distance of a kilometer or quarter of a kilometer going down before you can get to the cave point; I went there and I’m sure that there could be rivers inside those caves. But at the end of the day, we are going to get explorers to get in there and confirm that lions are not living there to devour people before we can open it to the public to begin to visit and explore. We also have uzu (black smiting) culture here; Igbo Ukwu is known for the nok culture, and in Aguleri we have the place where Blessed Tansi started his career as a priest. It is place that will attract tourists as he will soon be canonized a Saint. There is also the confluence of Ezu-Omanbala River which is a tourist site where for a hundred years; there has a boiling going on at a spot on account of the confluence. We want to revive entertainment and the only way to do it is by improving on our security which is a recurring decimal in everything we are doing. That’s why we are deploying a lot of resources to make the place safe. If you heard Anambra before, you will run with more than two legs at a time. But all that has changed and is still changing.      

Where is the place of the women and youth in all of this?

We are doing a lot of things on youth empowerment. We are moving to revive football in the primary and secondary schools because many Anambra people played for Nigeria in various ways. For instance, Emmanuel Okala the well-known goal keeper hails from Onitsha. I know that you can name one or two more players in the present National team who hails from this state. So, we want to revive this kind of consciousness because it keeps the youth busy and gets them to focus in the right direction. We are working hard with both the NDELA and Operation Kpochapu to first destroy the sources of drugs that are made available to these youths one way or the other. That is why we have almost conquered Obosi which is the drug capital of Africa and we are trying to make it a lot more difficult for these drugs to reach the students in the universities who are their immediate primary target; then export to South Africa as you are aware. We are also doing things in the area of women empowerment. We are trying to set up three vocational training centres or schools. There are about 21 that exist before now but we are trying to equip three; one in every senatorial are to be able to assist women and youths; youths defined as anybody who is young-at-heart and willing to work; that’s my definition of youth. My predecessor did well in most of them but we are continuing then complete and commission so as to commence others. But I want to say that if I handle all these things alone, it will not economically lead the state to where it to where it should go. For you to do that you must create jobs, employment; money must exchange hands so that they can buy Gulder or whatever. If you do the best roads and what-have-you and people are hungry, not paid and unemployed, only criminals and cows will be plying those roads. So you complement the enablers with the B and that B is on four pillars.

Do you have any blue-print for agriculture?

That is where the B comes into all this and the first pillar is agriculture. It is an area that is natural to our people. All I am doing is first to assist the subsistence farmers to come out from that shell and become a little bigger. I have 120 agric machines. Before now we had 10, but 100 ordered by my predecessor are arriving at this point in time. They will be extended them to these subsistent farmers free-of-charge with very improved seedlings in rice and cassava cuttings. What I intend to do with this initial approach is to buoy them up so that when they make the sales from their harvests they can do another on their own. They are not going to get it free the second time around. They will get a subsidized form so that I can have more money to be able to replicate what I am doing for the subsistent people. What I did when I resumed office was to appoint 14 agronomists, all Anambra indigenes, led by Pro. Omaliko, a renowned agronomist, to chart Anambra for me and get me an agricultural blue-print. They did that, selecting areas in Anambra that rice, maize and cassava can grow best. That doesn’t mean that all these crops can’t grow anywhere else. But there are areas they can grow best. I have those charts and we are forming co-operatives in rice, maize and cassava zones. The whole idea of co-operatives is for administrative purposes so that you that you dealing with farmers and not business men you giving your support to real farmers, not those who will go and sell your seedlings and what-have-you. Again it enables house growers’ scheme which is for instance a brewery wants maize grown. They can use the people in the maize zone; support them with money and they can go and grow the stuff for them. House growers’ scheme only works well where you have co-operatives. It also helps you to loan money to them knowing that your money can be paid back. Beyond the subsistence aspect, we are also doing the large scale one and this is what will drive employment and improved job situation that we are talking about. We signed one big one with Cosach Farms. Before now you know that Coscharis only does the sales of Ford and some luxury vehicles. But they veered into agriculture by engaging the best experts from India, Canada etc. What this will do to Anambra when it starts full production is that 150,000 metric tonnes of rice will be produced. Presently, Anambra produces 80,000 metric tonnes each day and consumes 340,000 metric tonnes. You can see that there is a wide gap of well over 240,000 metric tonnes. Cosach Farms alone is contributing 150,000 metric tonnes and in addition, I’m signing on another one tomorrow (has signed already) and they are coming in with $150,000 capital to set up a rice farm at Omoo. If I perfect all that I’m saying, in the next three years we will be self-sufficient in rice production and be “exporting” the commodity to places like Asaba, Enugu, Abia, Lagos and other states. The lowest common multiple in all I have told you is job creation. I create food production in agriculture and provide means to process the product; you create employment in the areas of packaging, processing, and distribution and so on.  

 

Hindrances To Ratifying National Confab report

Uzo Chikere

Every society at one time or the other needs reform. And this could be approached from various angles. For Nigeria the stage was set for reform some months back via a National Conference held between April and August 2014. Precisely, on August 21, 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan received the report of the Confab at a ceremony in Abuja. At the ceremony, the president pledged that his administration would implement its recommendations, maintaining that it would not be wasted.

The president had further promised that the executive arm of government would immediately act on certain aspects which required its attention, while other aspects would be sent to the Council of State and the National Assembly.

The 22-volume document of 10,335 pages which is a product of deliberations of 492 delegates might have failed to deliver on revenue derivation cum allocation which has for long been one of the core agitations of the oil-producing South-south states of the federation, but most of the recommendations no doubt will be far-reaching should they be accepted, be it by the expert resolution of the National Assembly or referendum.

Amidst some pump and back-slapping among the delegates for a seemingly well done job, President Jonathan while receiving the formal report of the confab, it appears doubtful who between the populace and the National Assembly will give final accent to the recommendations of the Confab as contained in the report.     

Presently, it is yet to be made clear what segment of the polity that will ratify the recommendations in the voluminous report. There are those who argue also that the convocation of the National Conference was bereft of any modicum of constitutional framework and could be subjected to a futile exercise if seriously viewed from that perspective.

Furthermore, it is being argued that since delegates were either appointed or selected and not constituted by the popular will of the people, their constitution ran parallel to that of the National Assembly members who truly are representative of the people. This suggests that the delegates had worn the toga of rivalry to the Honourable and Distinguished members of National Assembly which further cast uncertainty on the future of its report.

Despite the president’s declaration to the delegates that the report would not go to waste and that “You have done your patriotic duty; we the elected people must do our own…Let me assure you that your work is not going to be a waste of time and resources…”, constitutional lawyer, Fred Agbaje is of the view that the report may be consigned to the trash can if it is left to the National Assembly for ratification.

Agbaje postulates that there is a constitutional issue awaiting the conference, pointing out that it was set up without enabling law. He insists that the convener of the Confab should avoid future pitfall subjecting the outcome to referendum rather than referring it to the National Assembly since it was not supported by law.

According to Agbaje: “ The only way to beat the National Assembly in it is to subject the outcome to referendum. Initially they told us it would go through referendum but the Presidency summersaulted and said it pass through the National Assembly; they are waiting for them. In the first instance the National Assembly sees the setting up of the National Conference running a parallel government with them.

“The Constitution gave them the legislative power to make laws for the good governance of this country and amend the Constitution and all sundry matter; you have now set up a Constitutional Conference. You think they will be happy? They see it as an affront to their constitutional authority. You are now asking them to deliberate on the matter they did not even participate in. The National Assembly members are waiting and laughing. It is like setting them against the Nigerian people because their position may not suit the people as they did not participate in the process.”

Speaking on the issue, former vice president, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, posited that the National Assembly should without delay proceed to approve the report without taking it sentence by sentence, pointing out that” the decision on whether the report of the 2014 Confab should be ratified by the National Assembly or through a referendum should have been taken before the conference itself started.”

Dr. Ekwueme argues that “if it goes to the National Assembly, it will be done the same way they handle bills; taking each one by one, clause by clause, phrase by phrase and they will start patching and patching.” If it is to be born in mind that the final report was approved unanimously, people being logical and the National Assembly means well, he stated further, they should go ahead and approve it.

On his part, Mike Igini, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Cross River State, the report be subjected to a referendum in order to strengthen the legitimacy of the process and reducing what in constitutional parlance is referred to as the propensity for self-dealing even as he maintains that legislative impute is required in legitimizing the process.

According to Igini: “As a principal part of the process, we cannot dispense with the legislature in legitimating the process but in this regard the legislature should be mindful that whatever role they play in legitimating the document they should look beyond their immediate comforts and sacrifice for future Nigerian children that we may never know or see, but whose future welfare as compatriots, living at peace with one another, depends on the foundation that this document will lay.”

He says that the legislature being the principal stakeholders in the implementation of the constitution, must be allowed the ample space for a buy-in to the new republic.

Riveting constitutionality of the convocation of the confab, Igini opines: “There are no trans-national standards for the convocation of a conference of a people to determine the charter of their coexistence.  Interestingly, in our own case here, the delegates were in fact nominated by an elected president and Governors of the 36 states and so what other form of legitimate authority are we talking about beyond the authority of elected people who delegated part of their authority to nominated delegates?”

Expressing his view on the confab to which he was a delegate, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, former governor of Anambra State, says that the National Assembly should have no role to play in the approval recommendations of the confab report. His position arises from his reasoning that the document presented to the public is tagged draft constitution which after approval will become according to him, will be, ‘that we the people of Nigeria make and give unto ourselves’.

In the main, the issues confronting the fate of the confab report would appear to be evolving. The impending elections next year have the tendency of putting a brief halt to the process of ratifying the recommendations of the document considering that all attention would have shifted to campaigns that have already commenced, albeit subtly. Only time will tell how it will pan out.

 

2015: Ohakim, Akala And Road-blocks to Their Come-back

Uzo Chikere

In an election year that is fast approaching all manners of activities play out in the polity. Just as politicians perfect their strategies and plans to swing every available support in their direction, the electorate is also engaged in studying and assessing the moves, mode and momentum the political gladiators are injecting into the entire process leading up to the polls.

There is, and will always be in the race for power at whatever level, the old war horses that apparently understand the rough and raw terrain in the field, and by extension, the ones in possession of the winning hands. Still, those considered green horns, rookies and the naïve abound. Stepping into the fray also are the spoilers pretenders, who may not have any stakes at all in the entire process save for the fact that they could be interested in being “settled” lest they become mere instruments of splitting the votes to the detriment of those who really mean business.

In the mold of the old war horses who have pretty well known the ropes are such men as erstwhile Imo and Oyo States governors, Messrs. Ikedi Ohakim and Alao Akala respectively who have declared their interests each to return to their former topmost offices in their respective statses come 2015.

For the former Imo State governor, Ikedi Ohakim, it would appear an up-hill task to regain the confidence of the people of the state who from every indication, are still filled with the memories of some of his actions or inactions while he was the chief occupant of Douglas House, Owerri. But the ex-governor exudes much confidence in his popularity among Imonites especially given some perceived inconsistencies detected recently in the incumbent helmsman’s modus operandi in the governance of the Eastern Heartland.

In his calculation, announcing the return of the 10,000 jobs he had offered some youths at the twilight of his administration, should he be given the nod by the people of the state, as his trump card for recapturing the state number one post which was jettisoned by governor of Imo State, Rochas Anayo Okorocha at the inception of his current tenure Chief Ohakim seems hell bent on going the whole hug in this governorship race.  However, obstacles strewn on the road winning the contest are myriad.

Presently, Ohakim’s entrance into Imo governorship race according to experts in Imo politics will have far reaching political consequences for the PDP in Imo State with positive and negative effects. Expectedly, they hold that it has the tendency of igniting a fresh rivalry with Ifeanyi Araraume, a senator and his kinsman who fought Ohakim bitterly throughout the duration of his tenure in office.

Tagged “The Ararume Factor” followers of political developments in the Eastern Heartland, such shoulder-rubbing disposition even promises to be more intense this time around if it is recalled that Ararume who in 2011 governorship polls in Imo State was a strong contender against Ohakim. Going by the results of the polls in question, where Okorocha had 336,856 votes, Ohakim 290,496 votes and Ararume’s 107,068, the diference between Okorocha, the winner and Ohakim is 46,363 votes. Given Ararume’s 107,068 votes which could not portray him as a serious contender, it is the belief of many that Ararume played a spoiler role for Ohakim in that election.

Ohakim, according to insiders, is also of the belief that Araraume was partly responsible for his loss at the 2011 elections because as the governorship candidate of the now rested Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN he denied him a large chunk of the votes from Okigwe zone that would have aided him (Ohakim) to beat Rochas Okorocha.

Having encountered themselves earlier in 2007 both vying for the same post at the Party level vis-avis Ararume’s dogged resolve to fight for what he wants, it could turn out that this time around, despite the army of aspirants to the topmost office in Imo State, Ohakim’s Achilles heels will be the Senator from his senatorial zone. With 21 aspirants jostling to enter the fray in Imo State, Ohakim would need to up his game to over patch his rivals in the huddle.

His Okohia community youths who have grouse against the former governor for allegedly not factoring them into his programmes while in office, for which they bared him from performing a thanks-giving service in the local church have not forgiven his transgression presently. That, observers say is still another drawback for his bid having a smooth ride back to power as they hold that charity begins at home especially as it is not evident that the ex-governor had at any time sought to make truce with his town’s youth. Again observers hold that Ohakim also has the unpalatable task of wooing back key leaders of Okigwe zone who fell apart with him after his political misadventure in 2011.

One of them as revealed is Tony Black Nduka, the Mayor of Okigwe zone and an influential grassroots mobilizer in the zone. Nduka regarded as Ohakim’s political Man-Friday before they fell apart has pitched tenth with Okorocha’s All Progressive Congress, APC.

He is unlikely to return to the camp of his former boss despite serious moves by the former Governor to drag him back to his fold.

Although, the Nigerian electorate may be lacking in lasting memory, there are strong indications that the molestation meted out to a Catholic priest by Ohakim’s security details in his convoy as the governor then has continued to trail him like his own shadow even as his political camp has considerably diminished in shape and size over time. In this regard, he may be in dire need of true confession, repentance and absolution to go past the Douglas House gate if and or when the time comes.

For his Oyo State counterpart, former Governor Alao Akala, who is also seeking a second shot at the governorship post in the state, it is yet another affair that has the semblance of driving water up the hill. Contrary to the 2011 scenario when he rode the waves and picked the ticket as arguably the sole aspirant of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and its gubernatorial candidate on a platter of gold, this year’s contest, is however a different ball game altogether as no fewer than eight of his former aides are not leaving any stone unturned give the Ogbomoso-born ex-police officer a run for his money and a test for his much-flaunted popularity.

Although, Akala first had the opportunity to be on the saddle for 11 months in 2006 on account of his former boss, ex-Governor Rasheed Ladoja’s now quashed impeachment, he later ran for and won the governorship polls running the state’s affairs from 2007 to 2011.

But with the other leading contenders for the sole ticket of the party as a former Senate leader, Teslim Kolawole Folarin; a 47year-old oil magnate and philantropist, Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde; an Ibadan-based millionaire businessman, Olufemi Ademola Babalola; two former Deputy-Governors, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi, it sure will be a tough nut for Akala to crack.  Other formidable personages in the race against Akala in the October party primaries are, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, a US-based Vascular Surgeon, Dr.  Azeez Adeduntan; a serving Senator who recently crossed over from APC to PDP, Alhaji Hamzat Ayoade Adeseun; a former council boss and veteran journalist, Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan, as well as a former Minister for Sports, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja; former SUBEB boss in the state and Prof. Soji Adejumo

Despite the list of the other intimidating contestants, Akala is still brimming with confidence that he is the most preferred as he at his declaration said:  “On this day and at this defining moment, I have listened to your appeals and accepted your requests and hereby offer myself to you in the name of God Almighty to contest under our party (PDP) for the post of the governor of Oyo state in 2015. I promise to rule with the fear of God.” He is of the belief that the peoples’ loud shout that they want him is enough reason to throw his hat in the ring.

But with the failure of his legal team to quash an 11.5 billion suit slammed on him and his former aides by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) coupled with reports that the leadership of his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) might have resolved to ensure the emergence of a gubernatorial candidate of Ibadan extraction for the 2015 election, it would appear he has a rough road to travel towards achieving his bid. Inside sources reveal that Akala has been perturbed by unsuccessful attempt to stop the suit as he is unsettled about how it will entirely affect his aspiration.

That the PDP leadership in Oyo State is said to be shopping for a gubernatorial candidate of Ibadan origin for the 2015 polls following indications that the two other leading parties in the state will field candidates from the state capital, further complicates Akala’s ambition.

The impediments on the way to political glory for these two former governors seeking to embark on “second missionary journey”, to the government houses of their states, may be fraught with stiff road blocks, but how deft they are in the game would actually determine their fate.

 

GUS 11 Contestant Warns Youths To Think Deeply Before Applying For The Show
Uzo Chikere

One of the contestants in the 11th edition of Africa’s first and longest running reality TV show, Gulder Ultimate Search, has advised friends and family members to give a deep thought to competing in the programme. Chinedu Ubachukwu, a University of Port Harcourt graduate of Petroleum and Gas Engineering who made the declaration, asked future contestants to brace up for tough times as staying in the jungle could be very harsh and unpleasant.
He added that he would discourage loved ones from competing on the show as it literally stretches contestants to the limit. Chinedu, who belongs to the Orange team said: “To be sincere, if I should leave
here, I won’t advise a loved one to come here. But the loved one may think I don’t want him to progress in life. Because he or she may think that I’ve come and I’ve made it and I don’t want him or her to
make it. But here in the jungle, it is really tough.”
Ironically, Chinedu had dreamt of being in the jungle ever since he was young. Just before entering the Aguleri forest, he said: “Gulder Ultimate Search is the first reality show I grew up watching and I
have always admired the participants and I have always imagined myself in the jungle. I’m so happy and feel so fortunate to have made the
last 14 this year.”
Otto Canon, another contestant who only got in to Gulder Ultimate Search after four unsuccessful attempts admits that competing on the programme is very tough. He revealed: “There’s so much difference between watching Gulder Ultimate Search on TV and experiencing Gulder Ultimate Search in reality. When you watch Gulder Ultimate Search on TV, you really can’t tell what the feelings are like.”
Speaking on his experience this far, Otto said: “I’ve come to appreciate food so much that the least piece of rice or garri means so much to me right now. At home, I don’t eat left over garri, but right now, I don’t care. At home, I’m very conscious of the water I drink. I will rinse the tumbler which I want to use to drink water, because I am particular about the tumbler being clean. Right now, I am very
comfortable drinking water from the stream. The jungle is a place that humbles you and kills your pride.”
Sharon Robinson, who finally got in after failing twice challenged anyone who thinks that Gulder Ultimate Search is easy to fill in the form and try next year. Life in the jungle has been a stark contrast to the luxuries of city life which the contestants are used to. The 14 contestants have had to depend on rain and stream water to quench their thirst, even after competing in gruelling games. Their sleep has been cut short when it rains, because the palm fronds which serve as the roof of their huts sometimes fails to provide them the needed cover.
The contestants have had to depend on palm kernels and ‘baby’ sugarcane which sprout from the grounds not too far from their jungle abode.
Dr. Ikenna Emedike, one of the contestants, incurred the wrath of the Council of Elders and was almost evicted for taking (stealing) cassava without authorisation. He attributed his act to hunger and wanting to survive in the jungle. He confessed: “When I was walking to the stream, I saw a heavily weeded farm looking like it had been abandoned for years. So I looked at it carefully and when I saw there was a
cassava sprout, I felt it was abandoned. If it had been properly weeded, I wouldn’t have touched it. However, I admit stealing it, because it wasn’t my farm. It was just about survival.”
Chidi Mokeme, the anchor man, came down heavily on him and reprimanded the contestant for his shameful act. Ikenna, alongside Otto Canon, his partner in the Indigo team, however appealed for forgiveness from the rest of the clan for the shameful act. Even though they were forgiven and asked never to act in that shameful manner, the team lost three points.
For the first time in the annals of Gulder Ultimate Search, contestants were paired into groups of two members each. They were asked to pick up circular objects from a calabash and the two that picked the same colour formed a clan. There were seven colours in all – representing the colours of the rainbow. They were also instructed to wear colour-matching bandanas provided for them at all times.
The Indigo Team comprised Otto Canon and Ikenna Emedike; while the Blue team was made up of Addoh Evi and Iroh Noella. The pair of Blessing Eriata and Loretta Erijakpor formed the Green team. Sandra Nwagbagiro and Chinedu Ubachukwu made up the Orange team. Samantha Appi and Sharon Robinson were the Red team; Emmanuel Afolabi and Joshua Nwagboso were to be identified as the Yellow team. Iwuoha Ikenna and Cosy Joe formed the purple team.The teams would garner points from various tasks, with the winning team getting seven points while the losing team would be awarded one
point.
After four games, Team Blue currently leads with an overall score of 22 points, followed by Indigo which has 19 points. Teams Purple, Orange and Yellow currently occupy the third, fourth and fifth positions with 17, 15 and 11 points respectively. The Red team is in sixth position with 10 points while the Green team is the lowest ranked with six points.

Ter‎ra Kulture Lifts Glo Privé With Broadway Musical Theatre Play

* As Lagbaja, Ego sing together five years after separation

Uzo Chikere

Globacom Subscribers to Globacom network were recently treated to top notch entertainment at the unveiling of  Glo Prive held at the Expo Hall of Eko Hotel, Lagos.

The curtain raiser for the night of glitz and razzamatazz attended by over four hundred premium guests was a melodious rendition of the two stanzas of the Nigerian national anthem by the Nothing For You crooner, Ego Ogbaru with sultry singer, Chee the Voice. Multi-talented guitar maestro, Bez Idakula powerfully belted out four of his popular numbers including the monster hit Stupid Song which got some members of the audience dancing while others rocked on their seats.

The dance drama tagged “Full Circle”  presented by Bolanle Austen- Peters' Terra Kulture was the icing on the cake of the night as the 50-member cast took  attendees on a century long odyssey of epic musicals in an ancient and modern alternative format.

The dance drama which opened with a classroom setting of medical students attired in white overcoats  and discussing the usefulness of music, dove-tailed into a rendition of a popular Yoruba folklore music “Epo nbe”.

Whilst the students were lustily singing, their lecturer sauntered into the classroom to ask for the definition of anatomy. The students gave unsatisfactory answers and this led to an extended dialogue on the composition of music between the students and their lecturer. While the lecturer, played by......., felt that contemporary music was more of noise and cacophony of sounds, a complete contrast from the soul inspiring lyrics common with music of yesteryear, the students were of the view that today's music is colourful and zesty.

The lecturer reminisced about ‘Moremi’, a song composed by late Duro Ladipo as well as the philosophical melodies by Hubert Ogunde to which his students countered with a beautiful and choreographed rendition of Diana Ross’ “He lives in you” which then morphed into a graphic display of dances across the ages with appropriately dressed dancers performing tango, twist, tch-cha and capping it with the modern chicken dance with its pacy and brassy beats.

This kaleidoscopic exploration of music and dances across the years with matching costumes was greeted with applause and the drama gave vignettes of artistes like Osibisa with the ipi tombi rendition, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Kenny Rodgers and a re-enactment of love scenes from "Grease" and “Saro, the musical”.

At this juncture, the lecturer who disclosed his nick name as Don Pedro launched into a robust defence of music which he variously described as life and food for the soul, a claim which was unanimously echoed by all members of the cast and the stage exploded into a panoply of colours with the introduction of the producers and directors.

Guests had sumptuous dinner washed down with choice drinks and wine whilst this culinary interlude afforded velvety voiced  Ego Ogbaru and Chee, the voice the opportunity to serenade guests with delightful music.

But by far, the biggest surprise of the evening was the once-in-a-blue moon performance of Ego Ogbaru with her former, Leader, the masked one, Lagbaja through a duet and collabo on the popular “Always on my mind” song.  It was as a surprise package engineered by the resourceful Gbenga Adeyinka, who was the compere of the event which ended on the historic note of re-uniting Lagbaja with his voice, Ego, over five years after they separated on stage.


 

The Reality In Reality TV Shows 1

Uzo Chikere

Talent hunt television shows seem to have come to stay in Nigeria presently. Before now, there used to be intermittent talent hunt events offering meager rewards to those who excelled in whatever tasks the contestants competed in.

Currently, there is almost a boom in that line of human activity in the country. Quite a large number of young men and women have been opportune to participate in and earned fame and fortune through these talent hunt shows especially in the arts.

One thing that has been a challenge to these shows is how much some of the young people who have emerged victorious from the contests were prepared for the subsequent challenge of managing success as well as realizing how real it is in relationship to their career pursuit.

Gulder Ultimate Search

Gulder Ultimate Search was instituted by Nigeria Breweries Plc over 10 years ago and endured till last year when the sponsors decided to reorgnise the mode of operation. The show which had Emeka Ezeugo as its first winner has produced stars who won it through discoveries of hidden treasures in the bush or in the water depending on where the task master in the season directed the contestants.

GUS has trusted up such guys as Lukan, Nwachukwu, Mudabai among others as winners of the reality show over the years. But what is amazing to some members of the public is what some of them made of the huge winning prizes they carted home. The last man standing always took =N=7 million and CUV Jeep as the prize for his efforts. Again, some argue that it was a lop-sided contest given that when men are matched with women in such a setting requiring the performance of physical tasks; it would be to the advantage of the male. For all the years GUS has been staged it produced the last man standing. How well these males have stood in business and other human endeavours after the contest remains to be seen. 

Kunle oluwaremi

Project Fame

Shut in Utima Studio, MTN Project Fame is one television reality show which hunts for talents in song delivery in a style that is based on training and contest. The contestants are made to perform songs chosen for each of them by the instructors whilst before a team of judges and a live studio audience. But the fate of the individual or group participants to win at the end lies in the hands of the voting viewers who via the cell phones cast their votes in favour of their favourite contestant’s number.

The show has given recognition to Dare Art Alade, who did not win the star prize during the season he featured. However, Chidimma emerged the over all winner two years ago as well as Olawale Ojo who won the sixth edition. Although there was handsome prize money to go home with, Chidimma has gone on just like her compatriot, Dare to make a name for herself as a recording and performing artiste. The good thing about being part of any reality show is that the platform provides for the contestants the avenue to showcase their talent on national television. Those who pass through the reality shows are certainly exposed to the rudiments of more of vocal delivery through which their instructors put them. Whether they win or not, they turn out to be better for it as they are on sound footing to pursue careers in showbiz. Dare is a living example as he has kept lighting up studios and concert stages with his act.

CHIDIMMA

Nigeria’s Got Talent

Robots for Christ, a Benin-based entertainment duo and contestants won the season two of the Airtel-sponsored Nigeria’s Got Talent reality show carting home the N10 Million grand prize. Before then, eight-year-old Amarachi Uyanne had become the youngest winner of Nigeria’s Got Talent, winning the same amount.

While it is not certain what Robots for Christ has done so far in terms of furthering their music career, Amarachi has proceeded to release a single with its vibrant video still enjoying massive air play on television channels across the country. Obviously in school, she is perhaps about the most striking winner of any reality television show in the country courtesy of Nigeria’s Got Talent.

Often, the winners of these shows are not well protected and managed such that they can maximize the benefit of their participation and or winning the contest. Consequently, some of them get consumed by perceived stardom and end up in oblivion. Amarachi may have escaped this trap as she and her parents have managed to navigate through the sea of confusion created by sudden stardom.

CHIDIMMA UYANNE

Glo X-Factor

Glo X-Factor made its debut in Nigeria in 2013 after having made waves in the UK and America for years. Thanks to telecommunications players, Globacom that acquired the franchise for West Africa and its initiative to up the game with a staggering =N= 24 million grand prize money and recording deal for the overall winner. And the maiden winner was DJ Switch who out sang and danced other contestants in a keenly contested show.

The good thing about Glo X-Factor is that the sponsors instantly took over the control and management of DJ Switch the moment she was declared winner of the show. Still on the good side of the reality show, the sponsors hit a very high pitch with the jumbo prize which obviously dwarfed other prizes in the reality television show realm in Nigeria. Perhaps, that is why DJ Switch’s management was immediately taken seriously by the sponsor. Right now, DJ Switch is pursuing her recording and performing career with much verve.   

DJ SWITCH

Nigerian Idol

After her emergence as winner of Season 2 of Nigerian Idol, success came the way of Mercy Chinwo coupled with a fat bank account and a juicy record deal. Long after, nothing has been heard of the talented singer, though the producers of the show had since promised she would storm the music scene soon.

The maiden edition a year earlier was won by Yeka Onka who has continued to grow in the music industry with a couple of singles to her credit as well as sell-out concerts shows to boast of. Yeka appears to be one lady who has been made through mentoring by her management, to understand the need to hone her talent and keep her eyes on the ball with regard to her career pursuit. The Nigerian Idol sponsored by network provider, Etisalat, is also one such show that has demonstrated the knack for striving to play courageously in the reality show domain with a view to using artistes to brand its services like other companies.

YEKA ONKA

 

   

Ortiz Williki, Younger Acts Light Up Lagos For 3 Decades On Stage

Uzo Chikere

The week-long activities designed to celebrate Oritz Williki’s three decades on stage as well as recording music was rounded off last Saturday in Lagos with variety of his songs performed by some of his younger colleagues.

The event which was a real show of conviviality and lively interaction among those in attendance saw such acts as Faya Man, Cupa Victory, Yinka Davies, Dede Mabiaku and Stella Monye among others taking their turns on stage to free style Oritz’s old renditions to the admiration of the appreciative crowd.

Apart from their collaboration with on Wa Dis Wa Dat on which they all featured during its studio recording, the artistes each reproduced Oritz’s numbers like One Drop, History, Fire Burn and Heart Of Stone.

Apart from the entertaining concert, it was also meant to formally and publicly introduce Oritz Williki’s latest album entitled Oritz Reloaded which was accorded instant critical acclaim by those who watched him perform some the tracks contained in the pack.

“Three Decades On Stage: Oritz Reloaded” meant for the celebration of Oritz 30-year journey in the music industry, got to its height with series of visits to some media houses in Lagos during which the  the reggae act paid tributes to the press for seeing up to this point in his career.

Then it was followed by a media summit on entertainment held in Lagos where some industry player discussed issues bedeviling the music space in Nigeria even as speakers attempted to proffer solutions.

The concert in Lagos which brought a large number of Oritz’s friends, fans, admirers and colleagues saw the curtain drawn on the celebration which was muted early last year.

    

Dammy Krane Releases 16-Track Enterkraner

Uzo Chikere

Dammy Krane (real name, Oyidamola Johnson Emmanuel) claims to be a fuji act. But listening to his new album released Wednesday in Lagos revealed otherwise as the 16-track affair entitled The Enterkrane played off tunes in the pop, soul, and even highlife genres.

The self-styled fuji artiste at a listing session attended by a select entertainment journalists, confessed that he was influenced by fuji beats but tried to infuse various rhythms in the tracks contained in the new album.

The Enterkrane which is released on 960 Music Group label, and featuring 2-Face on some tracks, will have Dammy Krane shooting its video in South Africa in the nearest future even as he had started shooting two of them in Nigeria. According to the artiste, he had to experiment with different beats and rhythms with a view to showing his versatility, adding that “it is a collection of different genre of music from the same voice”.   

The album title, The Enterkrane raised some questions. Dammy explained that it was about creating a new brand pointing out that it was a combination of entertainment and Krane. For him, it is all about life in every way.

The album contains such track as Asiwaju, Falila , Uwa Di Njo Love Na Die and Oluwakemi. Others are, Ami, In Case Of Incasity, Jolly Good Fellow, Tomorrow No Dey and Africa among others.  

DAMMY CRANE

 

COSON Slams =N=1.04 Royalty Suit On Sheraton Lagos

Uzo Chikere

Sequel to its recently introduced copyright enforcement initiative, tagged ‘Operation No Hiding Place’, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), has filed a copyright infringement action against Ikeja Hotels Ltd, owners of Sheraton Lagos. Joined in the suit also is Sheraton Overseas Management Corporation, which manages hundreds of hotels in several countries across the globe and Mr. Barry Curran, General Manager of Ikeja Hotels Ltd.

In suit No. FHC/L/CS/1475/2014 filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos by Lagos Intellectual Property (IP) lawyer, Mr. Justin Ige of Creative Legal on September 29, 2014, COSON is asking for the award of 1.04 Billion naira in unpaid royalties and damages against Sheraton Lagos, its owners and managers for the unauthorized copying, communication to the public, permission to perform and infringement of the copyright in the musical works and sound recordings belonging to COSON members, affiliates and assignors.

COSON also pleaded that the second and third defendants, Sheraton Overseas Management Corporation and Mr. Barry Curran, General Manager of Ikeja Hotels Ltd. have done nothing to end the brazen abuse of the intellectual property rights of owners of copyright in musical works and sound recordings at Sheraton Lagos Hotel, the huge facility which they operate and manage in Nigeria respectively and have rather continued to enjoy the profit emanating from such abuse. COSON maintains that by so doing, the hotel and its owners have continued to defy the laws of Nigeria which demand that creative people should be duly compensated for the exploitation of their works, an act which the organization would not dare to carry out anywhere else in the world.

COSON is requesting a perpetual injunction restraining the Defendants, their agents, privies or servants from the unauthorized copying, communication to the public, permission to perform and infringement of the copyright in the musical works and sound recordings belonging to its members, affiliates and assignors.

Reacting to the development, COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji said, ‘Nigerian law is not a piece of artwork to be placed on the wall and admired. It is made to be respected and obeyed. Nobody should feel sorry for any hotel or music user sued by COSON. For years, they have been reminded over and over again to act within the law. Some of them however believe that Nigeria is a place where there is no consequence for what you do so they treat the law with scorn. They will soon find out that they are wrong.

“It is well known all over the world that you cannot deploy intellectual property belonging to someone else in your business without a license. That is the linchpin of most strong economies in the world today but there are many in Nigeria who rake in millions from exploiting the works of creative people but show absolute contempt for the rights of the same creative people. We are committed to bringing that to an end”.

It will be recalled that just recently, COSON launched an all-encompassing war against music copyright infringers in Nigeria in a campaign tagged, ‘Operation No Hiding Place’ and  has announced its determination to make operations impossible for all recalcitrant music users.

 

Unending War Between Clarion Chukwura And Ibinabo Fiberesima

Uzo Chikere

In movies thespians engage in what really passes for bitter quarrel now and again. They even go as far as throwing punches at each other which sometimes deteriorate into street brawl or free-for-all. But that occurs in films and tele-plays. When known artistes who may have interpreted such real life occurrences in the movies are involved in dirty fight exhibited in name-calling and vile language in the print and social media, would it be uncharitable to describe the action as a hang-over of their make-belief profession?

The media have in the last couple of weeks feasted on the war of words between actresses, Clarion Chukwura and Ibinabo Fiberesima, who is also the current president of the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria (AGN). The exchange of words between the two ladies had got to a crescendo that followers of the entertainment industry could not help wondering what could also be the matter. Both damsels are good interpreters of roles and have done so in not less than a decade. But presently, they may have elected to take it to the next level where they are on set without director, or producer and script.

It is doing their own thing their way to the consternation of both their fans and foes alike. What is their grouse against one another? People may ask. Could it be envy, or personality clash? Are they involved in fierce struggle over one man? Did anyone of them cheat the other in a business deal? Questions and more questions.

It all started after the AGN president, Ibinabo Fiberesima led some other members of the guild to pay a curtsey visit on President Goodluck Jonathan at Aso Rock some months back which Clarion Chukwura in a swift reaction described as a visit which was uncalled for, and not in the best interest of the industry. She posited that AGN could not be the guild representing the English language movie actors, the Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTAP), and Kannywood.

Clarion, in a statement had disclosed that: “I read the address of president of AGN, Miss Ibinabo Fiberisima, during her recent visit with some notable actors and AGN officials to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. It is alarming to discover from this address, the false claims by Ibinabo that the Actors Guild of Nigeria is the only umbrella body of Nigerian screen actors; that President Goodluck Jonathan has by the “constant release of funds” effected a sustained development of the Nigerian movie industry since the inception of his administration; that an AGN Secretariat located in Abuja and political appointments for actors would advance the welfare of the Nigerian screen actors. It is not surprising that Ibinabo would display such a lack of knowledge of what advances screen actors professionally in the developed world since she has not functioned consistently as an actor and has less than 10 titles to her credit in a career spanning from the late eighties.”

Clarion has further lampooned the other actors who were with Ibinabo on the visit. According to her, “they watched in compliance, the denigration of the integrity of Nigerian screen actors, as she read her requests literally begging for crumbs from the President’s table.”

However, Ibinabo who happened to be out of the country while being lambasted by Clarion, on her return, responded, saying that she (Clarion) had got all wrong. Respectfully referring to Clarion who had in strong terms upbraided her for asking the President to build a headquarters for AGN in Abuja, as her senior colleague, the AGN president explained that she had told the president in clear terms that her “ultimate objective as president of the guild is to deliver better professional and financial opportunities for my members, provide for their long-term welfare (as the acting career can be a precarious one), source support in the areas of finance, funding, provision of standard production equipment for use by our members and corresponding training facilities and also improve the livelihoods of our actors whilst making the future of our industry more sustainable.

It would have been more appropriate for Clarion to have expressed joy and gratitude after bagging the Africa Movie Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress last Saturday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital and probably direct her comment towards matters that can enhance the industry. But alas! That did not happen. Rather she elected to dissipate her energy and time describing Ibinabo as a character killing the movie industry.

According to her, Ibinabo Fiberesima is a convict who had served jail term for killing a couple through her reckless driving and so does not qualify to occupy any elective post in AGN. This quarrel does not in any way about to end as Ibinabo has held that her adversary had been nursing the desire to unseat and replace her as the AGN president.

 As the squabble continues, members of the acting fraternity have since kept mum preferring not to comment on the matter. Some of them who said it was ridiculous to discuss to give even the most flitting attention to exchange of words between two leading adults who ought to be providing directional thrust for the movie industry and its stakeholders. A member of the AGN Board of Trustees told The Union “I don’t want to be associated with this senseless and childish tirade between the two actresses who have found it right to throw cushion to the wind just to disgrace themselves in public over nothing one can hold unto.” He said they could go on expending their time, intellect and energy until they run out of steam

Industry followers opine that both ladies by the way have conducted themselves these past weeks, has left much to be desired, insisting that they have no modicum of example to show the up-coming screen artistes. To pay a courtesy call on president, vice president, governors and their deputies or any other top office holder for that matter by professional bodies is not bad, but if a member of any such body is averse to such a project let him back out and let peace reign, observers hold.

Presently, they two ladies are like raging bulls to each other, and not likely to sheath their swards in the nearest future given that they have so not exhibited the any disposition to being amenable to advice. It remains to be seen how this war involving the two screen goddesses will end      

  Kefee Unleashes New Single Dem Go Talk

Uzo Chikere

Kefee can pass for Nigeria’s favourite female gospel artiste by any standard. She seems to have been in hiatus for quite a while now. But Kefee is right back on the blocks with a brand new tune tagged Dem Go Talk.  

The singer who made a disappearing act a while ago, recently graduated from a film school in the U.S. and has promptly gone ahead to continue with her with this track which attests to the fact.

Dem Go Talk was produced by Teekay Witty, and Kefee had this to say about the song:

“You realize that a lot of people get affected by what other people say about them. I wrote this song to encourage them not to lose sleep over what others think about them because people must talk just like we must eat, breathe and laugh; it’s just a part of life. Dem go talk but no mind them!’’, she said.

KEFEE

Queency In Bold Approach To Beat Scene

Uzo Chikere

Not many Nigerian budding artistes possess guts. But there is still one who has demonstrated much courage stepping into the beat scene. She is Queency Bernado who has emerged from the studios with some well cooked songs to be built into a fully fledged album someday soon.

The fair-complexioned Kano State-born singer who hails from Benue State seems poised to enter the music industry with so much verve having garnered huge live stage performing experience across the continent of Africa alongside well established and prominent artistes in gigs.

Boasting her stage experience, the business administration graduate of Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTEC), has put together 12 tracks from which she has first released a single entitled Ponti Pon (anything can be at the top at any time) being currently aired on radio.

Queency is not new to the stage despite that she is just inching into the recording scene. The sixth of six siblings, she had featured in such live shows as Benson and Hedges Golden Tones, Kennis Easter Fiesta,and performed with Red Entertainment in Johannesburg, South Africa. Queency has also toured with Nigeria Breweries as well as performed at the Nigerian Video Music Awards (NVMA) among others.

The producers she has worked with include, Puffy T, Likkle John of Jah Hoha Studios, Marvelous Benjy and Nelson Brown. Presently, she is eager to take her music back to music to the Nigerian people.