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Singer/Writer Etcetera takes Igbo leaders to the cleaners, calls them disgrace.

I was told that every Igboman who heard Ojukwu’s speech after the Biafran war was filled with a renewed sense of pride and hope. A hope that one day the Igbo nation will rise and become a force of reckoning not just in Nigeria but in the entire black world

I have read that speech over and over and each time I read through, I am filled with pride and imagination of how those who heard the words pouring out of the mouth of the warlord himself must have felt. Before going any further, let me recount a little part of what the late sage said while addressing the press:

“In the three years of the war, necessity gave birth to invention. During those three years of heroic bound, we leapt across the great chasm that separates knowledge from know-how. We built rockets, and we designed and built our own delivery systems. We guided our rockets. We guided them far, we guided them accurately.
For three years, blockaded without hope of import, we maintained all our vehicles. The state extracted and refined petrol, individuals refined petrol in their back gardens. We built and maintained our airports, maintained them under heavy bombardment.
Despite the heavy bombardment, we recovered so quickly after each raid that we were able to maintain the record for the busiest airport in the continent of Africa. We spoke to the world through telecommunication system engineered by local ingenuity; the world heard us and spoke back to us!
We built armoured car tanks. We modified aircraft from trainer to fighters, from passenger aircraft to bombers. In the three years of freedom we had broken the technological barrier. In three years we became the most civilised, the most technologically advanced black people on earth.”
Ojukwu, with those few lines, defined the ingenuity and never-say-die spirit God has embedded in the marrows of the Igboman. But my question for Ndigbo is, where has this ingenuity for which the entire world has given them a standing ovation, gone?
Why can’t it be used today to enhance the cause of Ndigbo? Can’t we re-enact the same war time feat to launch ourselves back to reckoning again in Nigeria and in the entire black world?
Since Ojukwu died, Ndigbo have been like sheep without a shepherd. Those who we thought could take up the mantle of leadership are nothing but selfish entities who care for nothing but their personal interest.

As I am writing this article, I just got words that a senator in Imo State has been discovered as a saboteur working against the interest of his people because he has been promised to be made Senate president in the new political dispensation which begins on May 29. What is it with Ndigbo and greed?
How long are we going to kill ourselves? Isn’t it a gargantuan shame that a tribe as populous as Ndigbo can’t provide a single individual that is seen to be credible enough to be elected president of Nigeria?
A casual observation of the performances of the governors of the south eastern states will reveal their level of under-performance since 1999. Case point, take Aba which has failed to enjoy any meaningful development since the 1929 Aba women riot. The place is a total mess.
What have the governors done with what has been accruing to the state in the last 16 years of democratic rule? The fact that these individuals who have mismanaged fortunes of the state consider themselves fit to even contest election is a slap on the faces of Ndigbo. Ndigbo, are we cursed?
The red-cap goons known as Ohaneze do nothing but crawl from one place to another offering themselves for sale and for use. This has been their money-making scheme for too long and it can no longer hold water. Can’t we take a cue from the style Dangote adopted and made a kill?
The Yoruba have already adopted it and it is working. We have to restrategise to become that economic power house we crave. The idea that every Igboman who makes money whether through his ingenuity or by accident becomes misguided and begins to push for political office even though they are clearly not professional politicians should be discarded.

We hear of Dangote, the Dantatas, Otedola, Mike Adenuga, the Okoyas, where are the Igbo equivalent in terms of their organisational set-up? Most of our businesses are largely one-man businesses and whenever the founder dies, the whole thing dies.

Ndigbo must do away with their selfishness and personal greed, otherwise we will continue to languish as a people. We must redirect our thoughts away from the deeply engrossed notion of “to make it in life,” “we must make money at all cost.”
What Ndigbo should learn from the just concluded elections is that without a harmony of opinion, all our efforts will yield nothing. Igbo kwezuenu.

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Entertainment

Costa, Sanchez, De Gea, others nominated for PFA player of the year prize.

Chelsea players, Diego Costa, Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard, Tottenham’s Harry Kane, Liverpool player, Raheem Sterlin are some of the players that have made the shortlist for both the Professional Footballers’ Association Player and Young Player of the Year prize.

Full List:

Men’s Players’ Player of the Year shortlist

Diego Costa (Chelsea)

David De Gea (Manchester United)

Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool)

Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)

Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)

Men’s Young Player of the Year shortlist

Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea)

Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool)

David De Gea (Manchester United)

Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)

Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)

Women’s Players’ Player of the Year shortlist

Eniola Aluko (Chelsea)

Lucy Bronze (Manchester City)

Jess Clarke (Notts County)

Karen Carney (Birmingham City)

Kelly Smith (Arsenal)

Ji So-yun (Chelsea)

Women’s Young Player of the Year shortlist

Freda Ayisi (Birmingham City)

Hannah Blundell (Chelsea)

Aoife Mannion (Birmingham City)

Nikita Parris (Manchester City)

Amy Turner (Notts County)

Leah Williamson (Arsenal)

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Entertainment

Strange disease in Ondo: Death toll rises to 28

The strange disease known (for now) as Ondo X that broke out at Ode Irele, the headquarters of Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State on Tuesday has killed 28 people.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Dayo Adeyanju, who confirmed this developement said some other affected patients are being treated at an isolation unit in the General Hospital in the town.

The disease is not similar to Ebola as there were no cases of diarrhoea, vomiting and haemorrhage that are usual symptoms of the EVD. However, samples from dead victims have been taken to laboratories in Lagos.

Symptoms include headache, blurry vision/total blindness, convulsion and then death. WHO are said to have started investigation.

The commissioner has advised the relations of the dead victims to bury them at cemetery not at home and be very careful during burials. Residents have also been advised not to touch dead bodies, wash hands thoroughly before and after food preparation

He added that the State Disease Surveillance Team and volunteers that were engaged during the ebola cases as well as Personnel Protective Equipment had been deployed to the area to control the ailment.

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Entertainment

Rivers APC heads for election tribunal.

The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says it is about to conclude arrangements to petition the State Election Tribunal to reclaim its mandate which was stolen by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in connivance with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Police during the governorship polls of April 11.
Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, disclosed this in a statement issued Fridayafternoon in Port Harcourt. He reassured the people of Rivers State that the mandate which they freely gave to the party and to its governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, would soon be retrieved for the good of the future of the State.
“This brazen electoral theft by Chief Nyesome Wike and his PDP gangsters cannot be allowed to stand. These power-drunk anti-democratic elements, in their desperation for power, were not discreet in their electoral fraud that saw the allocation of a bogus over a million votes to Chief Wike. The documents and video tapes so far assembled will surely see many Rivers INEC and PDP chieftains being thrown into jail at the end of the day,” Ikanya said.
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Rivers APC declared that it has an iron-cast case against Wike and PDP, saying that it is not surprised that Wike, who cannot win up to 30 per cent of the votes in a free and fair election in Rivers State, is now desperately running from pillar to post in a bid to prevent APC from going to the Tribunal.
“We wish to appeal to our members and the entire people of Rivers State to remain calm and resolute as the party goes to the Tribunal to retrieve their stolen mandate. Our case is as clear as daylight, as even Prof. Wole Soyinka, Ambassador John Endwistle of the United States of America, the European Union Electoral Observers and other international bodies have since testified that the elections purportedly conducted in Rivers State were a sham,” Ikanaya stated.‎
He said that Wike’s fate had become sealed by the failure to burn the INEC Office in Port Harcourt and with it the evidence of his bare-faced electoral fraud.
“With this development, Chief Wike will now join the league of Sir Celestine Omehia who spent only four months as Governor of Rivers State before he was sacked by the Supreme Court in 2007. This is a case which we shall pursue to a logical conclusion not only to retrieve our stolen mandate but to ensure that the plot of sharing Rivers State Federal Allocation among the ten main key actors of PDP in the State does not materialise,” Dr. Ikanya further stated.‎
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Arts, Entertainment

Short Story: Yet Another Frog | By: Ticia Towns

“Yes baby I know it is for our own good but it’s really difficult to cope” Cheta said to Laolu who was on the other end of the line. Lately this was the tone their conversations took as Cheta had been complaining quite often about the long distance relationship.
Laolu was far away in the UK and she was here in Nigeria all by herself and trying hard to stay faithful to him; well it wasn’t that hard for her because she loved him too much to cheat but her main concern was him. How long could he stay without sex? Yes they spoke all night over the phone and then communicated via social media during the day but that was hardly enough, after all he was a man “good night baby, I love you too” and with that came the click sound she always dreaded. 
Cheta laid on her back with her long braids sprawled on the bed as she cuddled one throw pillow in her arms and her ear phones still plugged in her ears while her mind drifted to how she had met this man she had fallen so crazily in love with.

2 years ago after she had broken up with her ex, Cheta had decided to take a long break from relationships and enjoy her youthfulness and the freedom that came with it. The break up afforded her a better opportunity to embrace her extrovert side; she started going out for drinks with friends, having sleepovers and taking vacations…life was never better for her and she hoped it would remain that way for a few more years but cupid had bigger plans; or maybe the heavens finally decided to answer her mothers’ fervent prayers as she met Laolu sooner than she planned.

“I should have stuck with my usual airline” a very impatient Cheta blurted into the phone when her friend Funmi called to ask if she had boarded. ‎

“You won’t believe the flight has been delayed; now I will experience traffic from the airport when I land Lagos” she continued. 
“Madam vex vex, I don’t need to see your face to know there is a frown on it” Funmi answered; laughing so hard Cheta had to join in and with that they ended the call.  

“That call did you a lot of good you know, you are so lucky to have someone who can wipe away such a frown in an instant” said an unrecognizable voice which came from the guy sitting opposite her, Cheta looked up in amazement and wondered who the busy body was, he was so lucky Funmi had made her feel better else she was so ready to pour her anger on whoever the fellow was. If it was a BBM chat she would just reply “LOL” which was her polite way of dismissing idle talks but since he was right there she had to come a with a better way. 

“Yes I’m lucky, one of his priorities is to make me happy and he has never failed at it” and with that her eyes returned to the candy crush game that had been keeping her busy. 

Cheta did not see the stranger again and she wondered why she was even bothered. She had been a little bit disappointed that her dismissal tactic worked as the dude did not bother making conversation but she found a way to justify his behavior after all men were all the same; they wanted to be handed everything on a platter of Gold. 
After spending a fun filled Sallah weekend in Lagos it was now time to leave as she queued to check in she only prayed that her flight would not be delayed again and she even wished she would have bought a one way ticket after all who dares to try out a new airline and then buys a return ticket? 
Those thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a voice she was not so sure she had heard before but what the voice said had jogged her memory “Isn’t this the lucky girl that has an instant antidote to her frowns?” and when she turned round smiling she was glad to see a very welcoming smile on his face as well. 
She had not really taken a good look at him the first time they met but now she could not ignore his very sexy looks and somehow instead of focusing on his eyes her gaze was fixed on his lips. They were far better than Mike Ezuronyes’ and for a minute she was lost till the impatient desk officer screamed “Next”!!!‎

“If only I knew he would leave the country in the long run I wouldn’t have begun this relationship” she said to herself as she unplugged her earphones to prepare for bed. 
It was now 2 weeks since their last conversation and Cheta noticed Laolu seemed a bit distant. 
During one of their ladies’ night out she confided in her friends Funmi and Adaeze but they shrugged it off saying it was typical of her as she worried a lot, Funmi even went ahead to remind her of when she had thought he was cheating shortly before he travelled but it turned out to be a surprise party he was planning for her, Adeaze also chipped in and said “this time it might me an engagement he is planning sef” and both ladies gave each other a hi five and laughed about it. 
“You girls never take me seriously, I remember that incident but my intuition this time is different.  It is very unlike Laolu not to return my calls or even acknowledge it with an SMS, he has shut down completely and I am worried.”
Adaeze who was always more sensitive was the first to speak “I think you should watch him for some time, it could be pressure from school since he will be rounding up soon. If he doesn’t give you any tangible explanation or the situation doesn’t change then I think you should start making plans to pay him a visit after all it’s been 5 months since you saw him last”, the rest of the evening went uneventful with Cheta quietly planning her next move which meant the countdown had officially began because knowing who her friends were they would ask her everyday starting tomorrow if Laolu had called or texted.

2 weeks turned into 3 months, Cheta had been Lying to her friends about the situation with Laolu, just yesterday she had told Funmi that they were back on track and he was even planning to come home during summer meanwhile the reality was that she had told Laolu she wanted to come and visit him and instead of his usual excitement he had given her a million and one reasons why she couldn’t come. 
If he was trying to be subtle about his change in attitude this reaction of his just made it more glaring like someone wearing a red dress in a celestial church. She had hated lying to her friends but the embarrassment wouldn’t let her do otherwise not after how much she had flaunted her relationship to them and anyone else who cared to listen. 
That night as she listened to his caller tone over and over she decided after the 5th try that she was never going to call him again, as difficult as it was for her to let go of a good man who had given her wonderful memories with no good reason for the abrupt change infact he had never even offered any reason not minding the fact that in her desperation she was willing to accept even a stupid one; Cheta decided to read the handwriting on the wall as ignoring it did not mean it wasn’t there. 
Crying herself to sleep tonight, just like every other night in the past 3 months was inevitable as she had never imagined that a man she thought to be her Prince would turn out to be yet another frog.

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Ticiatowns is a writer extraordinaire with a passion for
entertaining and that she does through her vast imaginativeability touching fiction, lifestyle, inspirational and humor.
Follow on Twitter: @ticiatowns
Instagram: ticiatowns

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Are you a writer? Interested in sharing your short  stories on thisplatform? Be our guest on our Short Story Fridays segment.Email: ololade.olatunji@yahoo/gmail.com


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Entertainment

Actress, Ivie Okujaye to wed this weekend

Award-winning actress, Ivie Okujaye will in a number of days change her marital status. The Delta State-born actress who is at times dubbed ‘little Genevieve Nnaji’ made the big announcement on her instagram page.
She wrote, “This weekend, I marry my best friend of over 10 years…. lol. Love you dude!! *BigHugs*. #Avizzle”
Okujaye rose to prominence after winning the Amstel Malta Box Office (AMBO) reality show in 2009.
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Entertainment

Oyo PDP Gubernatorial candidate, Teslim Folarin clears the air on the donated transformer saga

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Teslim Folarin, has denied removing the transformer he donated to Sabo community after losing at the polls on April 11. Read the story here. Find his press statement below


“It is with sadness that I learnt of a particular incident which purportedly took place in the Sabo area of Ibadan on Sunday.

I understand that a transformer which I had donated to the community was the subject of controversy between the youths of the area and some leaders with either side accusing the other of trying to sell the transformer.


The PDP youths in the area subsequently took the transformer to a safe place within Sabo area itself pending an amicable resolution which I understand was resolved by the leaders of the community.

Fact; I was not aware of this incident until this morning when I was woken up with headlines all over the internet that I had taken back the transformer because I had lost an election. It is instructive to note that no media house had even contacted me to find out the truth.

I have since contacted members of Sabo community and they confirmed that the matter has been resolved.

Which brings me to the worrying conclusion that a well orchestrated and sophisticated campaign of calumny has begun against my person as a precursor to the 2019 elections.

I would advise my supporters to take heart and remain peaceful as this is only one in a long line of attacks that I will expect from enemies of my progress.

For now it is a time for healing and introspection, we have had a long campaign and everyone needs to rest and thank God for his or her life before asking God to prolong our lives to the said 2019.

I thank the good people of Oyo state for your continued support.”

One love.

Oloye Teslim Folarin

PDP Governorship Candidate Oyo State
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Entertainment, Sports

David Luiz's mum defends him after his poor performance yesterday

PSG’s David Luiz’s poor outing last night is one that won’t be forgotten easily, infact, it is still being talked about in sport circles.
The former Chelsea player’s introduction in the first half of the game between his side and Barca was a total disaster. He wasn’t only nutmegged twice by barca’s Luis Suarez but the rest of his performance was woeful.
His mother Dona Regina however took to her instagram page to defend and encourage her boy.
“I have son and I always will! Head up and ball forward! God knows everything!… Who are we to judge you! Love you forever, in the good games and even more when thing don’t work out right!” She wrote
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Entertainment

Opinion: Why Nuhu Ribadu lost Adamawa governorship election | By: Zayyad Muhammad

All the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party who lost in the just-concluded 2015 general elections, especially in the northern part of the country, lost because of same factors regardless of their states.
These factors include President Goodluck Jonathan’s extreme unpopularity in the north, Muhammadu Buhari’s cult-like followers in the region, and the fact that most Nigerians were angry with the PDP because of certain reasons, especially its failure to combat insurgency that has devastated the North-eastern part of the country with the attendant socio-economic effects being felt throughout the North.
In fact, in some parts of Nigeria, including Adamawa State, the PDP was overwhelmingly rejected that anybody the All Progressives Congress presented was voted for.
Apart from the above generic factors that affected Nuhu Ribadu’s fortunes in the Adamawa governorship race, there are other factors which were peculiar to his ambition. Ethnicity, religion and money politics are deeply rooted in Adamawa politics and often shape the voting pattern in the state.
The Adamawa 2015 governorship election was characterised by deep religious sentiment. For instance, the Social Democratic Party governorship candidate, Markus Gundiri ran his campaign largely on the platform of faith – banking on only Christian votes.
Mr. Gundiri’s envisaged that since there were three Muslim-Hausa-Fulani candidates running on the platforms of the APC, PDP and PDM, he would carry the day. Mr. Gundiri’s adventure affected Ribadu’s chances: most of the PDP strongholds gave their votes to him.

In fact, Mr. Gundiri’s candidacy was a product of anger with the PDP for failing to allow the candidacy of a Christian. There were speculations that Governor Bala Ngilari supported the SDP instead of his party, the PDP.

The second issue that affected Mr. Ribadu’s chances was the SDP campaign style which forced the Muslim Hausa-Fulani to follow the path and direction of their cousins in the northwest- the famous APC SAK.
Thirdly, Mr. Buhari has a special relationship with Adamawa people- his wife is from Adamawa state. In fact, Mr. Buhari’s voice was aired on some radio stations in most states in the north asking people not to disgrace him and his party, the APC.
That singular statement was very instrumental in denying Mr. Ribadu huge number of votes especially from the Hausa-Fulani dominated areas.
The internal crisis within the PDP was also a disaster to the former EFCC chairman’s ambition. The crisis in the PDP was not settled up to the time of elections, the aggrieved were not fully integrated into the party.
The Atiku Abubakar factor in Adamawa politics was also an another albatross for Mr. Ribadu. At the tail end of the governorship campaign, Atiku became very determined to deliver his state to the APC. That affected Mr. Ribadu in the southern part of Adamawa, especially in the Chamba chiefdom.
The Adamawa governorship election results have some far reaching political implications on the state’s polity. There are losers and winners. Former governor Murtala Nyako is a winner- most of his political associates won elective posts, while all of his political foes suffered defeat.
Atiku Abubakar is another winner- he has rekindled his hitherto strong political structure and kingmaker position in Adamawa. The Governor-elect, Mohammed Jibril Bindawa is also a winner – he has assumed a post of prime political relevance, though his political future will be determined by the way he approaches the much needed development in the state and his ability to free himself from the shackles of Nyako’s men who were associated with Adamawa’s under-development.
The APC as a political party is a winner; it has completely displaced the PDP. There are also quite a number of losers- the PDP, Governor Bala Ngilari, Marcus Gundiri and Ahmed Modibbo. In fact, Mr. Gundiri will have a long and difficult political journey if he is to re-establish himself into all-inclusive and ‘secular’ politicking.
Mr. Ribadu was the best governor Adamawa couldn’t have. He fought a good battle, but PDP’s extreme unpopularity already made his platform very weak. President Jonathan extreme disapproval in the north made it hard for people to approve anything associated with him, while the Buhari tsunami swept away anything and everything PDP — good, bad, or ugly.
Mr. Ribadu was a good candidate but at the wrong time.

Credit: 247Nigerianewsupdate. 
Zayyad Muhammad blog at www.zayyaddp.blogspot.com.
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