Young and upcoming actors who have always dreamt of stardom and limelight had a rare opportunity to have the limelight shine on them penultimate Friday as Stingomania Entertainment, the outfit behind the Dagrin Movie Project auditioned for roles in the biopic. The contestants who were in their hundreds despised the scorching sun to be a part of the cast of the movie as each of them gave their best to prove why they should featured in the biopic that is directed by respected Nollywood director, Daniel Ademinokan. View Photo
However, after rounds of various presentations by the contestants, Stingomania Entertainment the entertainment company behind the Dagrin Memorial Project disclosed that it was able to select the best acts for the roles. The company revealed that the eventual actors were chosen because of their similarities with the real life personalities they are supposed to represent.
The entertainment company which also has a record label that many artists call home disclosed that upcoming act, Trybson Dudukoko will play the role of Dagrin while AMAA and ZAFA awards winner, Doris Simeon will play the role of Dagrin’s girlfriend. The movie will also afford some upcoming actors a try at stardom as debutants like Wole Ojo, Richard Dike are also members of cast of the movie. The movie will also parade veterans in the industry like Kayode Odumosu (Pa Kasunmu) who will play Dagrin’s father; Rachael Oniga who will take up the role of Dagrin’s mother. Others are Gabriel Afolayan, Kelechi Udegbe of Super Story fame and Oyindamola Odeshola, winner next movie star, 2009.
Ope Banwo, the CEO of Stingomania Entertainment confessed that he is happy with the turn-out of the auditionees; he said the large turnout proves that a lot of people believe in what they are doing and relate with the dreams and ideals Dagrin stood for.
Signed Bigsam Media Lagos | Nigeria February 15, 2011
For enquiries, interviews, photo, clarifications,please contact bigsammedia007@gmail.com, bigsammedia@aol.com, 007@bigsammedia.comPhone: 08028302862.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
A new channel of entertainment and learning has been opened to children as popular children brand, Nnenna and Friends seeks to admit more children into its fold by establishing fan clubs in schools across the federation.
The children brand sprang up after Yinka played the role of Nnenna in one of the popular soaps of Wale Adenuga Production (WAP) , Super Story. Her character evolved into an entertainment brand with wide followership among children and teenagers. The fan club which was launched recently has seen representatives of WAP moving from schools to schools and in a matter of time, they will be in all schools across the foundation. Nnenna and Friends was founded in May 2009 to provide a dedicated commitment to child development through edutainment programmes. Nnenna and Friends in time
past have organised events on festive periods like Members of the club are entitled to such benefits like educative tours, vocational skills acquisition, grooming and talent development, sponsorship to acquire foreign certification. Speaking on the development, Wale Adenuga, MFR said, “ we have decided to take Nnenna and Friends to schools because, there are more talents out there that need to be honed and that is the sole aim of Nnenna and Friends, to hone talents and help the children have fun why also learning a lot.
In time past, Nnenna and Friends have held events during festive periods like Valentine’s Day, Easter, Children’s Day, Independence and End of year. Olayinka Garfus Olukunga is presently the face of Nnenna, she is an actress who established her mark in the movie industry for her role in popular soap opera, Super story – Nnenna. Olukunga is also a model, a singer and a lover of children; she is a role model to thousands of Nigerian children.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Nairobi — ICC judges have strongly criticised Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo for publicly naming six Kenyans suspected to bear the greatest responsibility for the post-election violence.
The three pre-trial chamber judges have ruled that the naming of the six suspects has unfairly exposed them to negative publicity even before the ICC determines whether they have a case to answer or not.
In a ruling on an application lodged by former police commissioner Major-General (rtd) Mohammed Hussein Ali seeking to be enjoined in the proceedings before the pre-trial chamber, the three judges – Ekaterina Trendafilova, Hans-Peter Kaul and Cuno Tarfusser – ruled: “The Chamber is cognisant of the concerns of the applicant with respect to the prejudice suffered due to the public disclosure of his name made by the Prosecutor.
“While it is not the Chamber’s role to comment and advise the Prosecutor on his interaction with the press and media, the Chamber nevertheless is concerned if his actions have the potential to affect the administration of justice and the integrity of the present proceedings before the Chamber,” they observed in their ruling made last Friday.
“In this respect, the Chamber expresses its deprecation regarding the Prosecutor’s course of action in the present case, as it has unduly exposed the applicant to prejudicial publicity before a determination of the Chamber pursuant to Article 58 of the Statute has even been made,” they added.
The judges’ ruling will come as a temporary relief to the Ocampo Six who have battled adverse publicity since their names were made public by the ICC chief prosecutor in mid December.
Besides Major-Gen Ali, others named by the ICC Prosecutor include Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, suspended Cabinet ministers William Ruto and Henry Kosgey, Civil Service head Francis Muthaura and radio journalist Joshua arap Sang.
The judges’ observation came only three days after Kenya, through its permanent mission to the United Nations, formally wrote to the UN Security Council asking for the deferral of the Hague trials.
In the letter underscoring the government’s resolve to have the cases deferred by one year, Kenya complained that the Ocampo Six had been stigmatised as a result of the prosecutor’s move to name them.
The judges’ ruling followed an application by the former police boss seeking to be enjoined in the proceedings of the pre-trial Chamber which is set to determine whether the Ocampo Six have a case to answer. The application was submitted to the pre-trial Chamber on January 20 this year.
The judges, however, rejected the application on grounds that Mr Ocampo’s request to issue summonses to the six suspects would be conducted on an ex parte basis and, as such, the former police boss has no basis to be enjoined in the proceedings.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
CONSUL General of the Peoples Republic of China in Nigeria, Mr. Guo Kun, has revealed that the Nigeria-China bilateral trade volume surpassed $7.5 billion mark in 2010.
Mr. Kun said in areas like contracted projects, free trade zone investment and cultural exchanges dynamic and exciting bilateral cooperation exists, just as he described the relationship between both countries as a win-win model.
“The ambitious state governments along with their Chinese counterparts are cooperating closely to bring about the success of the Chinese manufacturing to Nigeria,” he said.
Kun who was speaking at the 40th anniversary celebration of Nigeria-China relationship at diplomatic level said thousands of Nigerian entrepreneurs and tradesmen have found gold mines in China, especially in cities like Guangzhou and Yiwu.
“The 40th anniversary reminds us of not only our accomplishments but also our common potential, therefore, the Chinese Consulate General, Lagos, is and will be dedicated to further promote the bilateral relations. In my consular jurisdiction, Lekki Free Zone and Ogun-Guangdong Free Zone have attracted scores of Chinese as well as Nigerian investors.” he said.
Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, Mr. Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah, predicted that the Chinese language would in the nearest future become the official language of the world.{module Popular News|table}
Ubah who is also the Vice Chairman of the Nigerian-China Friendship Association (NICAF) organizers of the event, said he intends to expose Nigerian entrepreneurs to the Chinese market in order to boost relationship between both countries.
“China is one of the biggest trading partners of Nigeria. I intend to integrate a lot of youths and young business men in order to boost the relationship more. We have to start by beginning to learn the language which is going to be language of the future in order to enhance our relationship with China,” he said.
He also called on the government to tap from the success story of China.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman NICAF and former Nigerian Ambassador to China, Chief Victor Chibundu said in 1994 when the association was founded there were few Nigerians in China but today the case is different.
“We blazed the trail for Nigerians to go to China. Today, if you go to the embassy you would see several people wanting to go there for business. This is because Nigerians have found China as a fertile ground to do business, unlike their experiences in America and other parts of Europe, China because of its orientation and economic capabilities produces things that are akin to what Nigerians wants,” he said.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Abuja/Port-Harcourt — President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday announced the indefinite postponement of presidential campaign activities in honour of the victims who died during the South-South zonal rally in Port Harcourt over the weekend.
This is just as the President and the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, also cancelled all official engagements scheduled for yesterday, Sunday, at the Presidential Villa, in honour of the victims.
In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ima Niboro, the President announced the cancellation of the flag off of presidential campaign in the states, which was scheduled to commence today (Monday) in Borno and Yobe states.
“Tomorrow’s (today’s) flag off was originally scheduled for Borno and Yobe states. This cancellation is to honour the victims of Saturday’s tragic stampede during the campaign in Port-Harcourt” Niboro said.
The statement also announced the cancellation of Tuesday’s campaign in honour of Prophet Muhammad’s birth day.
“There will be no campaign on Tuesday, in honour of Eid-el- Malud, the birth of Prophet Muhammad”
The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, who commiserated with the families of the victims, yesterday, also cancelled the programme organised to distribute insecticide treated mosquito nets to states scheduled for the banquette hall of the Presidential Villa.
Many of the invited guests who were unaware of the latest development had thronged the open space of the banquette hall to collect the insecticide treated nets, but went away disappointed.
Many of them including wives of governors from various states had honoured the invitation to the event, even as women organisations also came in large numbers.
In a statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media to the First Lady, Dr. Isiaka Aligan, Dame Patience described the incident as “painful’ even as she prayed that God will grant families of the deceased courage to bear the irreparable loss.
It will be recalled that President Jonathan had earlier ordered full scale investigation into the unfortunate incident even as he commiserated with families of the victims.
Meanwhile, at least 25 persons are still on danger list, following the stampede at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign flag off for the South-South at the Liberation Stadium, Elekahia in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.
This was as the Rivers State government said it would offset the medical bills of all the casualties at the rally.
At least 20 persons died during the incident on Saturday, while many were wounded. But the Police said only 11 persons died.
On the tragedy, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) blamed the security agencies for the poor crowd control at the stadium, adding that the PDP-led government is insensitive to the plight of the people.
Among those who died included the PDP woman leader in Ubima community, Ikwerre local government area, the home town of Governor Chibuike Amaechi, whose sister was among those seriously injured at the rally, according to the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari.
Semenitari while briefing newsmen in government House yesterday confirmed that only 11 persons were killed in the tragic incident.
She said 36 persons were initially admitted at the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital (BMH), but that15 are presently, while 10 are at the Teme clinic, a trauma centre in Port Harcourt. She said she was yet to get the exact figures of those admitted at the Military Hospital, located on Port Harcourt/Aba road.
She said: “Total number of death as we speak this morning (Sunday) from the stampede is 11, 10 women and one man. Thirty six persons were registered in BMH; some of them have been discharged.
“Right now in BMH we still have 15 on admission. Ten persons are still at Teme Clinic. We are yet to get the figure at the military hospital. The Doctors are doing a good job to contain the situation.
“For us in Rivers state, this is a very sad moment and especially sad because the women always come out in their numbers to support government,” she stated, adding that the government of Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states have already identified and picked up their casualties, while Delta coming at press time.
She said the state government will bear the cost of treatment of the victims.
“Governor Amaechi has requested for the full names of all the casualties in order for government to personally commiserate with the families and see the wounded.”
On what caused the stampede, she said it was not deliberate, but as a result of rush by the crowd to avoid being trampled upon, but noted that a woman was pushed down in the process and later trampled upon.
She said it was in an effort to rescue the woman who had fallen that made the mobile Police officers to shoot into the air to disperse the surging crowd that at the main entrance, but “that only worsened the situation, “Semenitari noted.
On the accident involving the Presidential convoy in which the Chief details of the Rivers state deputy Governor, Engineer Tele Ikuru was injured, she said the incident was still being investigated and at the appropriate time the details would be made known to the public.
Meanwhile, national youth leader of the ACN, Miriki Ebikibina has blamed the stampede to the overzealous attitude of the security operatives, especially the police.
Ebikibina wondered the Police would a shoot at a rally attended by people who have come to welcome the President, saying the police man who shot the gun should be investigated and punished.
He also blamed the state government for what he termed ‘poor arrangement and crowd control, just as he said the facility at the stadium should be upgraded to forestall a recurrence.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
CAIRO – Fireworks burst over Tahrir Square and Egypt exploded with joy and tears of relief after pro-democracy protesters brought down President Hosni Mubarak with a momentous march on his palaces and state TV. Mubarak, who until the end seemed unable to grasp the depth of resentment over his three decades of authoritarian rule, finally resigned Friday and handed power to the military.
“The people ousted the regime,” rang out chants from crowds of hundreds of thousands massed in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square and outside Mubarak’s main palace several miles away in a northern district of the capital.
The crowds in Cairo, the Mediterranean city of Alexandria and other cities around the country erupted into a pandemonium of cheers and waving flags. They danced, hugged and raised their hands in prayer after Vice President Omar Suleiman made the announcement on national TV just after nightfall. Some fell to kiss the ground, and others chanted, “Goodbye, goodbye.”
“Finally we are free,” said Safwan Abou Stat, a 60-year-old protester. “From now on anyone who is going to rule will know that these people are great.”
Thousands from around the capital converged on the celebrating crowd in Tahrir, or Liberation, Square, the epicenter of the stunning protest movement that was started by a small core of secular, liberal youth activists on the Internet and turned into the biggest popular uprising in the Arab world.
The protests have already echoed around the Middle East, with several of the region’s autocratic rulers making pre-emptive gestures of democratic reform to avert their own protest movements. The lesson many took: If it could happen in three weeks in Egypt, where Mubarak’s lock on power had appeared unshakable, it could happen anywhere.
The United States at times seemed overwhelmed trying to keep up with the rapidly changing crisis, fumbling to juggle its advocacy of democracy and the right to protest, its loyalty to longtime ally Mubarak and its fears of Muslim fundamentalists gaining a foothold. Neighboring Israel watched with growing unease, worried that their 1979 peace treaty could be in danger. It quickly demanded on Friday that post-Mubarak Egypt continue to adhere to it.
Mubarak, a former air force commander came to power after the 1981 assassination of his predecessor Anwar Sadat by Islamic radicals. Throughout his rule, he showed a near obsession with stability, using rigged elections and a hated police force accused of widespread torture to ensure his control.
He resisted calls for reform even as public bitterness grew over corruption, deteriorating infrastructure and rampant poverty in a country where 40 percent live below or near the poverty line.
Up to the last hours, Mubarak sought to cling to power, handing some of his authorities to Suleiman while keeping his title.
But an explosion of protests Friday rejecting the move appeared to have pushed the military into forcing him out completely. Hundreds of thousands marched throughout the day in cities across the country as soldiers stood by, besieging his palaces in Cairo and Alexandria and the state TV building. A governor of a southern province was forced to flee to safety in the face of protests there.
Mubarak himself flew to his isolated palace in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, 250 miles from the turmoil in Cairo.
His fall came 32 years to the day after the collapse of the shah’s government in Iran.
Vice President Suleiman — who appears to have lost his post as well in the military takeover — appeared grim as he delivered the short announcement.
“In these grave circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave his position as president of the republic,” he said. “He has mandated the Armed Forces Supreme Council to run the state. God is our protector and succor.”
Nobel Peace laureate Mohammed ElBaradei, whose young supporters were among the organizers of the protest movement, told The Associated Press, “This is the greatest day of my life.”
“The country has been liberated after decades of repression,” he said adding that he expects a “beautiful” transition of power.
The question now turned to what happens next after effectively a military coup, albeit one prompted by overwhelming popular pressure. Protesters on Friday had overtly pleaded for the army to oust Mubarak. The country is now ruled by the Armed Forces Supreme Council, the military’s top body consisting of its highest ranking generals and headed by Defense Minister Field Marshal Hussein Tanwawi.
After Mubarak’s resignation, a military spokesman appeared on state TV and promised the army would not act as a substitute for a government based on the “legitimacy of the people.”
He said the military was preparing the next steps needed “to acheive the ambitions of our great nation” and would announce them soon. He praised Mubarak for his contributions ot the country, then expressed the military’s condolences for protesters killed in the unrest, standing at attention to give a salute.
Earlier in the day, the council vowed to guide the country to greater democracy. It said was committed “to shepherding the legitimate demands of the people and endeavoring to their implementation within a defined timetable until a peaceful transition to a democratic society aspired to by the people.”
Abdel-Rahman Samir, one of the protest organizers, said the movement would now open negotiations with the military over democratic reforms but vowed protests would continue to ensure change is carried out.
“We still don’t have any guarantees yet — if we end the whole situation now the it’s like we haven’t done anything,” he said. “So we need to keep sitting in Tahrir until we get all our demands.”
But, he added, “I feel fantastic. …. I feel like we have worked so hard, we planted a seed for a year and a half and now we are now finally sowing the fruits.”
Sally Toma, another of the organizers, said she did not expect the military would try to clear the square. “We still have to sit and talk. We have to hear the army first,” she said.
For the moment, concerns over the next step were overwhelmed by the wave of joy and disbelief.
Outside the Oruba presidential palace in northern Cairo, where tens of thousands had marched during the day, one man sprawled on the grass, saying he couldn’t believe it. Protesters began to form a march toward Tahrir in a sea of Egyptian flags.
In Tahrir, protesters hugged, kissed and wept. Whole families took pictures of each other posing with Egyptian flags with their mobile phones as bridges over the Nile jammed with throngs more flowing into the square.
Abdul-Rahman Ayyash, an online activist born eight years after Mubarak came to office, said he would be celebrating all night, then remain in the square to ensure the military “won’t steal the revolution.”
“I’m 21 years old,” he said. “This is the first time in my life I feel free.”
___
AP correspondents Hadeel al-Shalchi, Sarah El Deeb, Hamza Hendawi, Lee Keath, Marjorie Olster and Maggie Hyde contributed to this report.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Prince Frank Abieyuwawas born and raised in Benin, southern Nigeria. In 2002 he came to Italy where he studied video editing and camera shooting. For some years now he has been trying his hands on music and film production. He is the managing director of I.G.B films and music industry, based in Brescia, southern Italy. This Saturday, 5th February 2011, he told me why he has remained creative, even in a foreign land.
As an African migrant in Italy you have chosen to be a filmmaker, why this career?
“Well, this is the means I have chosen to communicate with the audience. Ever since I was much younger, I have always loved acting and video making. I love sharing my view on people’s ways of life, particularly the Nigerians and the Benin people. My storylines are mainly in this direction in such that our integrity as a people can be protectedâ€.
In 2007, a film of his, “The Only Way After Home…†was presented to a large audience at the Verona’s African film festival, Italy. Although it was not a blockbuster film, the romantic drama which captured the lifestyle of some Nigerian migrants in Italy was good enough to entertain the audience. And as Frank is concerned, the film was a success.
“I’m currently working on a film project which I titled: “It Omo Sexyâ€, he told me.
As he explained to me on Saturday, his new title, “It Omo Sexy†has to do first of all with a location, Italy, which is the setting of the story. It’s about the bad attitude of some Nigerian women who for some reasons of irregular activities have gotten a sort of upper hand over their men counterparts, especially in terms of money. And thinking money is everything, some of these young women often use their monetary power to intimidate their fellow Nigerian boyfriends, many of whom are not working and so do not have their own source of income.
Contributing to the above situation are two main reasons and they have been clearly identified over the years. One is that the young men in question are usually illegal migrants in Italy and therefore do not have the permit to work. The other, a rather shameful one is that some of these boys just do not want to work and provide for themselves.
Although Italy is not entirely to be blamed for this, the immigration situation in the country is a harsh reality on many African migrants. Even for those who have the permit to stay and work in the country, their own stories, except for some few are equally miserable and frustrating.
I have heard, for instance, from some legal African migrants who have often said that they are tired of the system, and that they want to return to Africa. Even though I do see them staying back after their lamentations, I know that they are not out of their minds. Some other things are responsible.
Many African migrants in Europe practically face a lot of discriminations, both from some local people and the institutions. I did not say that some efforts are not being made to correct this trend. Even then, the unfavourable climatic condition is no longer news. There are the language impediments and some other countless limitations on the basis of cultural differences. There are also the regular fat bills to pay, the real demons that are socking out the little earnings from poor migrants. Some don’t even have works to do; yet, they must pay the price of living in the European paradise.
In the middle of this suffering is the alluring pressure from family members and friends, back home in Africa. Some just don’t want to know how the money is made in Europe. They want their own piece of the cake and that is all. Then, there are a set of African migrants who are unable to draw a clear line between the reality of living in Europe and what they should transmit to the people back home.
These are the people Frank is talking about; an army on the crossroad.
Some have joined the sinister gangs or their so-called fast lane in order to make quick money. They do this not only because they want to satisfy their personal egos, also because they want to have a pass mark back home. And the judges are no other people than few locals who have been counting days and months since their fellow Africans travelled to Europe. One day they would make a telephone call to them in Europe and remind them of how many years they have stayed away from home. This is also the time they usually pass their unbending judgments, so the pressures are prettily real.
Asking Frank about the reaction from his audience, especially from the Nigerian community, he told me that it has been very cheering to him.
“Some of the most encouraging feedbacks are the calls I often get from different people. They would ask me how I managed to know what has happened to them. So I think that the audience will surely respond if the film is good.â€
There is no doubt that trying to correct a discouraging attitude can be quite complex. But let everybody plays his or her little part; if only we can try then we can as well triumph.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
In previous articles, since 2007 I have always defended and given the excuse for our aberrant democratic practice as being nascent, (i.e. new, embryonic, blossoming, hopeful, promising, and budding). In fact, I try very hard to believe in my own folly, always trying seriously to believe myself that we cannot perfect our brand of democracy so soon. After all, as they say, Rome was not built in a day, and even the great democracies of the modern world like the United States of America and Great Britain also had several decades, if not centuries, of teething problems.
Now, after almost 12 years of groping about in darkness (literarily talking about the electricity problem in the country) I have come to the conclusion that our democracy should be termed “nauseous†instead of the gratifying “nascentâ€. Nigerians have succeeded in making democracy a farce, against all logical odds and historical precedents. In fact, we have, or are developing a new system of politics called “Selecto-cracy†or as we also like to term it “Demo-crazyâ€. Very innovative people, my people! But not always in the right direction!
Party politics is defined as political acts and principles directed toward the interests of one political party or its members without reference to the common good. So we see that party politics is mainly for the benefit of the party members. In Nigeria this is even more so where corruption and nepotism are the motivating factor for forming political alliances and seeking elective offices.
A Nigerian in office would like his/her party to be the only party; for instance, the leaders of the PDP want a one party dominance; they want to control everything in Nigeria from the local to the federal levels. Unfortunately, this is not for the good of the country itself or for the benefit of those they want to control – the people of Nigeria. In all fairness, this phenomenon is not unique to Nigerians; it occurs all over the African continent. It is a cultural thing, ingrained in us for centuries. Fortunately for us, Nigerians do not suffer fools gladly, and I believe ultimately, despite our seeming complacency and docility at the polls, we will get our act together and start rooting out bad politicians, bad leadership and bad political parties.
It’s an elementary yet interesting question, “Would the 2011 General election, incorporating party politics, matter to the average Nigerian?” For most, the answer is probably yes. There is no doubt that most Nigerians, from the poorest to the most-well-to-do, from the crooked politician to the few well-meaning politicians, have an interest in where this country is headed, and that being the case, you would certainly have to be interested in who is pulling the reins. However, many of us are quite cynical in terms of our faith in the system that puts our various leaders – Federal, State and Local Governments – in their various offices.
The primary concerns that many Nigerians have about our political structure is not only the influence of money in the process, but the danger, and a very glaring one at that, of putting the wrong people in power, as we always seem to have done election after election (or is it selection after selection). Let’s be candid here…the average Nigerian, who struggles every day to make an honest living as even a small time entrepreneur, hasn’t got a chance in hell of ascending to an elective office at any level. Even if he has several brilliant ideas that can improve the lives of the people even minutely, improve the electricity, reduce corruption, provide jobs, and protect our integrity, etc, he/she is going to be sharing those in the pepper soup joints and beer parlours for the rest of his days, all because nobody’s going to ever give him a chance, not even his kin from his village. That’s right my people, this presidential political system that we are trying very hard to work out is a very exclusive club…a club for mega-billionaires who achieved their dubious wealth through massive corruption.
It’s scornful, isn’t it? Every four years (that is, if the dates are not shifted or if INEC is well organised) we get inundated with a parade of very dodgy and questionable characters, proven (already holding one political office or the other) or unproven (calculating opportunists who want to hold office so they can continue looting the treasury), who declare their understanding of the common man, yet not one of them shares the common man’s plight, in fact, they are far removed from the reality on the streets, yet you wonder “how canâ€? Weren’t you drinking or walking the streets with these guys just a few months ago? So why can’t they know what is hurting Nigerians? Why are they so insulated from the daily suffering of their people around them?
In Nigeria, there are today at least 64 political parties registered with INEC, I will not mention names, since they are too many, but all of our “Third Parties” are a joke, I call them Third Parties because, to be truthful, only two parties; the murderous and deceptive PDP and the undemocratic and equally deceptive ACN, are the big parties, (actually because we do not have a choice, we have to go with them despite their very grave shortcomings and miserable excuses for political parties where none of these parties will are based purely on ideology)
The point is, very few of us have actually ever heard of these parties. Certainly, none of us have ever seen them win a major race. When they enter, they don’t have a chance, and the best they can hope for is to upset the balance between the big parties. So essentially, Nigeria is a two-party political system. Well, maybe throw in the CPC and the ANPP, and what have you got? Nothing really! Well, you get the idea.
So why do we have all these contenders? A close look at these “Third Parties†shows that the reasons for their being are most times not altruistic. Many alter egos of these emerging political parties just registered them to enable them control one or two states and rip the economic gains flowing from the allocation. With our gradual political maturity, these miserable excuses called political parties look threatened and I will not be surprised if these mushroom parties go extinct as it will not be business as usual. I see a situation where three or four parties will remain players in the political field. Eventually, they will dump their parties for the enduring parties.
Most people view a third party vote as a wasted vote. Ultimately it has no long-term effect on the election, and can often become tools of the major parties. In the end, however, third parties in our country have no real hope of winning any but the most insignificant elections.
But would our vote ever count? Check history! In Nigeria, history has consistently shown that the people who cast the votes decide nothing; it is those who count, that is, rig, the votes that decide everything. This is one of the reasons why the late legal icon Gani Fawehinmi said that in our country, “corruption has many grand children”. Corruption is multifaceted.
Twelve years into this “nascent†or rather, “nauseous†democracy”, little or nothing has happened to improve the lot of Nigerians. While illegal and excessive pay for legislators, fist-fights and bribe-cash display occur in the Legislature, unnecessary world-wide gallivanting, executive interference in the legislature, executive chicanery, electricity is still erratic, personal security of life and property is still non-existent, jobs remain a mirage, three-meals-a-day is a luxury for most, the people are “shuffering” but certainly not “shmiling.” apologies to the late Great Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Wasn’t it the late Fela again who labelled these our leaders “Vagabonds In Power†VIP? – What a great vision since the 70s?
Yet we talk about some elites jockeying and calculating for raw power in this forthcoming election of 2011. The voter registration process, party registration process, conventions and choice of candidates have resulted in bitter battles because clear electoral reforms to prevent rigging have not been put into place despite knowing about these several years ago. It is always “fire brigade†approach.
The current party chieftains are experts at rigging, and therefore know what kinds of trickery they each played to get to where they are now, and will probably want to prevent others from taking the same advantage of them now that they are re-aligned in different camps.
The irony is that despite our fears, our collective shouting and rendering our voices hoarse to deaf ears, we will survive the ensuing disaster, just as we survived, barely though, Obasanjo’s bare-faced election frauds of 2003 and 2007. Even now, he is still trying his hands in Ogun State.
According to Victor E. Dike “State Administration and Acrimonious Party Politics†(Nigeria Village Square, 23 September 2007)“Nigeria’s politics has been, and remains dominated by crooks whose stock in trade is corruption; and that is one of the reasons for Nigeria’s wasteful and ineffective governance and acrimonious party politics. For these crooks and their political parties a state could better be destroyed if they are out of political power. It has been business as usual in state administration in spite of all the fantastic campaign promises. …..The cast of characters in state politics seem to lack the moral purpose to affect the needed change in the grassroots. There has been no major shift in the nation’s political atmosphere; many of them do not understand the purpose of leadership and politics. Consequently, daily life in the grassroots has been harsh and brutish because like the previous corrupt governors and local government administrators the officials are working for their personal interest. However, because of Nigeria’s acrimonious party politics and corruption their monthly allocations are not being properly utilizedâ€.
I will let you in on a secret or rather how I plan to vote. Simply, I am not voting for parties; I am voting for individuals. If the candidate in my local government ward is a PDP man and I trust him or think he will perform for my ward, I will vote him in. If the Local Government Chairmanship candidate is a man I think I can trust to deliver the dividends of democracy to my grass-root level is an ACN man or a Labour Party man, then I will vote for him. If the man looking to be my State Governor is a CPC man and I trust him to work hard for me and his state, then I will not hesitate to vote for him; the same goes for the Presidency, Senatorial, House of Representatives and the State Assembly. In other words, I am not voting according to the party; I am not playing party politics, I am voting for my choice of candidate, not political party. Fortunately, I am not a member of any political party in Nigeria.
But let us pray this works, but for me, this is the only method/solution I have now.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Although a painful loss to Nigerian entertainment; Ultima studios that was ravaged in a fire incident sometime this year is about to be replaced. Some entertainment entrepreneurs have pulled resources together to provide entertainment solutions in more dynamic ways. They claim to have the ‘Power to Entertain’ and they are set to unleash this power in every possible way.
KOGA is set to be launched January 2nd, 2011 and this launch promises to be one of the best non-yuletide entertainment events of the decade. The event will start with a star strutted red carpet that will last for an hour. Big acts are drafted to perform and an unending list of celebrities will be in attendance. The event will be hosted by Ali Baba and Chioma of Silverbird Television.
KOGA is a total entertainment company; it runs businesses that include a record studio, record label, Audio production, TV content aggregator, production house (film, video and event), publishing company, live events studio, events centre that can seat 2,000, relaxation lounge and bar for showbiz personality, TV and radio studios as well as game centre.
KOGA is also involved in social responsibility reflected in KOGA Foundation. This foundation is involved in Dagrin’s project and it also visits orphanages. KOGA foundation does not limit her charitable activities to visiting orphanages alone, the foundation looks out for people in the community that are in need and they render help to them.
Speaking on KOGA, Idris David Saibu the coordinator for KOGA said ‘what we hope to achieve with KOGA is that people will no longer have to go to different places for different things, we looked out for entertainment needs and decide to give a solution to some of them. These entertainment solutions are what we packaged together into the entertainment place called KOGA.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Weeks after Canadian-shot Nigerian movie, Anchor Baby hit the cinema, the US congress is planning a debate on the subject matter ‘anchor baby’; the debate borders around children born to parents who are in the US illegally. The congress is to decide if such children should continue to enjoy automatic U.S. citizenship. However, the question many are beginning to ask is, “Does the movie “Anchor Baby†have anything to do with the debate?†FoxNews,
Meanwhile, the movie which recently won three awards that include Best Screen play, Best actress for Omoni Oboli and an award of excellence at the Los Angeles Movie Awards has continued to enjoy massive patronage at the cinemas and continuous accolades from veterans in the movie industry.
Anchor Baby has also won other international awards like Harlem International Film Festival, the Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood U.S.A and has been officially accepted to screen at the ‘Fans of Film’ film festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
The movie tells the story of Joyce and Paul Unanga, a married illegal immigrant couple living in the US; they have been ordered by the US immigration to leave the country by voluntary departure. They agree to leave; but only after Joyce who is 5months pregnant delivers her baby inside the US. This will guarantee automatic citizenship for their child. Ignoring the deportation order, the couple goes into hiding. Paul was later caught and deported while Joyce stayed back to struggle on her own to achieve their dream.
Anchor Baby has almost 40 actors with speaking roles that includes frontline actors in the film are Omoni Oboli, Sam Sarpong, Terri Oliver, Colin Paradine, Michael Scratch, Mark Cassius, Rachael Ancheril, Cyrus Faird, Santiago Lopera, and Chris Patterson and about 60 extras
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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