These entertainers aren’t joking at all. Desmond Elliot and Funke Adesiyan are some of the celebrities who have also been bitten by the politics bug. They have indicated interest in elective posts at Lagos and Oyo House of Assemblies. Here are their campaign posters. Other celebrities who are running for the same post are singer Abolore “9ice” Akande, actor Bob Manuel Udokwu, singer Kenny Saint Best.
This reads as a joke, but unfortunately it isn’t. Just as surprised as you are. Like seriously, thought Messi is a name, yes a name that anybody can bear, the question is didn’t people bear that name long before Lionel Messi was born? Serious matter!
According to Bleacher Report, local officials in Argentine forward, Lionel Messi’s hometown, Rosario have passed a law barring residents from naming their kids Messi, either as the first name of their sons or daughters.
BR learnt that residents are still permitted to name their children Maradona, Ronaldo etc but the surname of their hero is no longer available.
*sigh*
After months of hearings, Thokozile Matilda Masipa, the judge in the murder trial of paralympian, Oscar Pistorius has said that there were not enough facts for him to be found guilty of premeditated murder in the killing of his 29 year-old girlfriend.
Reeva Steenkamp, was shot and killed by the Paralymian in the early hours of Feb. 14, 2013 at his villa in a gated complex in Pretoria, the South African capital.
The Judge said Mr. Pistorius had acted “unlawfully,” and Ms. Steenkamp “was killed under very peculiar circumstances.” She also “The state clearly has not proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of premeditated murder. There are not enough facts. There is no doubt that when the accused fired shots through the toilet door he acted unlawfully.”
Episode 3: “The Truth” with Olisa Adibua as he keeps it 100% with arguably one of Africa’s most successful musical talent in 2014, Davido aka O.B.O. In this laid-back interview, the Nigerian phenom opens up on his life and early beginnings in music, family, ladies, his record label – HKN Gang and his rivalry with Wizkid.
Until next Thursday to bring to you another episode of The Truth, subscribe
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VIDEO LINK: http://youtu.be/EsIm-5gD394
In a matter of months, few months, award-winning Nigerian journalist, Tolu Ogunlesi would be bidding bachelorhood goodbye. Come November 29,2014, he would be walking his fiance, Kemi Agboola down the aisle in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Congrats to them
There’s something I really don’t get here. The President never knew about the banners? Interesting!!! According to reports, President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered that the #BringBackGoodluck2015 banners hung at different locations in Abuja be taken down.
Needless to say the #BringBackGoodluck2015 hashtag has not only be found offensive by Nigerians but members of the international community have also expressed their disgust. He released a statement via his aide, Dr Reuben Abati.
“President Jonathan wholly shares the widely expressed view that the signs which were put up without his knowledge or approval are a highly insensitive parody of the #BringBackOurGirls hash tag.
While President Jonathan appreciates the enthusiastic show of support for his administration by a broad range of stakeholders, he condemns the #BringBackJonathan2015 signs which appear to make light of the very serious national and global concern for the abducted Chibok girls.
The President assures all Nigerians and the international community that his administration remains fully engaged with efforts to rescue the abducted girls and that he will not knowingly promote any actions that will fly in the face of the seriousness of their plight and the anguish of their families.”
Relentless wonderkid, Ozzybosco is back again. The Superstar and Tinini crooner “OzzyB” who has been busy working on his Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) endorsement pet project tagged “KEEP LAGOS CLEAN” Cleanliness Revolution Campaign …children lead whilst adults follow!!! has released a brand new single titled “U REIGN”.
OzzyBosco teamed with the IGWE crooners, Midnight Crew and veteran flute master, Dr Tee Mac (MFR) to churn out a dancable praise song “U Reign” for the delight of gospel music lovers worldwide. The song is soul lifting and indeed full of praises to God for blessing him abundantly.
The video was directed by ace video director Akin Alabi and it will hit your TV screen soon. Watch out!!!
HULKSHARE LINK: http://www.hulkshare.com/63wz27kbjuyo
Political participation is a Human Right. One of the crippling problems facing Nigerian democracy is the elitist nature of its citizen participation.
Our democracy is not an all-inclusive project of a nation state. Majority of our mothers are illiterates and they reside in the rural areas and are excluded from being active players in “government of the people by the people for the people.”
Our democracy has failed to ensure the reliable use of civil and political rights guaranteed by the constitution. It has failed to address economic disparity and social injustice. Though these problems affect every Nigerian, the persistent marginalization of our women in politics and especially in Human Rights left our women swimming naked.
There can be no democracy without women’s equal right to protection against their specific gender vulnerabilities: rape, sexual abuse, domestic violence, abduction, and other barbaric acts targeted against women.
With the abduction of 300 school girls, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Nigerian women to forge a national women’s movement that will include ALL women to fight in their behalf.
Advanced democracies have rich tradition of Feminist Movements with enduring achievements. Nigeria’s tethering and dithering democracy cannot boast of such movements.
Though in the 40s there were sporadic women resistance dictated by occasional grievances. Such rebellion recedes as soon as the women’s demands were met.
What we have today in Nigeria in form of women’s movements are loose associations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Even then, most of the women’s NGOs have been infiltrated and infected by the same native tyrants it seek to fight.
Extreme poverty, lack of interest in fighting for gender equality, and bureaucratic hurdles mitigate against women from participating actively and fully in the political process. Some of the hurdles preventing a strong and effective women’s movement in Nigeria include class, ethnicity, religion, culture, education, political beliefs and ideological differences.
When ordinary people joined together they can go far and great change is possible. The whole purpose of human rights is to right wrong. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti crusader and challenger of despotic leaders led Egba women on a protest against taxation.
Margaret Ekpo, a prominent civil rights activist fought for the economic and political rights of women. Gambo Sawaba championed the cause of the oppressed in northern Nigeria. Iyalode Tinubu of Lagos exemplifies the rich participation of women on the economic scene. Moremi offered herself as a woman who saved her people of Ile-Ife.
Nigerian women, where is your faith?
How painful is the unknown pain that your daughters are going through in the hands of the savages that abducted them over 146 days ago? Where do you stand in your social responsibility? You should be ashamed of yourselves. Instead of being repulsed you have closed your eyes and ears as if you’re immune to gender-based crimes. You’re empty, faithless, loveless, and with no zeal!
Today, Nigerian women are missing in action. Where are the Kutis, Ekpos, Sawabas, Tinubus, and the Moremis? Nigerian women have abandoned the Chibok Girls. They have walked away from their motherly duty. They cannot leave the burden and the fight to bring their daughters back to Oby Ezekwesili and few dedicated compatriots.
Nigerian women have failed to unite and present a joint front in fighting the indulgence of wrong desires and gratification of the animal passions of the deranged Boko Haramists. Where are the college and university women graduates? The Chibok tragedy calls for the activation of their feminist raw rage against women oppression and degradation.
Their deafening silence shows they are much more concerned as to the dress and adornment of their bodies. They prefer to spend precious time in ruffling and trimming their garments for the next “owa nbe” all night party than to pitch their tent with the sit-out #BringBackOurGirls group in Abuja.
Our educated women are supposed to be the vanguard leading the intellectual and political movement against all the evils visited upon the Chibok Girls by Boko Haramists. The women have violated every moral obligation towards fighting for the rescue of the girls – they have gone AWOL.
Where is their commitment to a cause? Where is their faith? Where is their rage? Talking about crises of faith, Mother Teresa once queried: “Where is my faith? Even deep down … there is nothing but emptiness and darkness … How painful is the unknown pain?”
Nigerian women, where is your faith?
How painful is the unknown pain that your daughters are going through in the hands of the savages that abducted them over 146 days ago? Where do you stand in your social responsibility? You should be ashamed of yourselves. Instead of being repulsed you have closed your eyes and ears as if you’re immune to gender-based crimes. You’re empty, faithless, loveless, and with no zeal!
The United Nations now recognize violence against women as a basic human rights abuse. Atrocities such as rape committed against women during armed conflict are acknowledged as a “weapon of war” and a gender-based crime. I believe the abduction of the Chibok Girls falls into this category.
The abduction of Chibok Girls is a violence against women with serious health and development impacts and a gross violation of women’s rights. Violence unleashed on the girls by Boko Haramists means: health consequences, incapacity in reproductive age, physical and sexual abuse lie behind unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, and complications of pregnancy.
The participation of our women in women’s human rights movement must acquire a new weight, a new vision, and a new visibility. Now is the time for Nigerian women to redeem their usually aloof and impersonal image on political and social responsibilities and use Chibok as their passport to dignity by the doing the following:
*Form an all-inclusive women’s movement that will organize women and advocate women’s rights.
*Educate and enlighten women about their rights and how to fight for them.
*Strengthen the capacity of women at all levels.
*Initiate advocacy campaign for policy reforms against gender-based oppression.
*Initiate and monitor program development and analytical frame work geared towards women’s rights.
*Facilitate strategic thinking among women.
*Demand for change from government and other institutions.
*Hold government and institutions accountable for women’s human rights.
It has been over 146 days since the girls were cart off like cows without shepherds. The girls are paying too much price for their prolonged captivity. Their captivity is a deadly dagger aimed at the very heart of womanhood. It was the most devastating assault on a group of innocent young schools girls the world has ever witnessed. It is a case of immense tragedy and trauma.
All pleas to the Jonathan administration to act decisively, desperately, and swiftly to bring our girls home have fallen on deaf ears. The constitutional political structures have failed to rescue the girls. Nigerian women should come together and present any form of resistance or agitation – sit-out or sit-in. Just do something by putting political pressure and persuasion on the government to honor its legal and moral duties to bring home the Chibok Girls
Credit: Y!Naija
In an article titled “This may be the most inappropriate political hashtag of the year”, Washigton Post writer Ishaan Tharor has slammed Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan as well as his campaigners over his new political slogan; #BringBackGoodluck2015.
As the 2015 General Elections draw near, supporters have started hanging banners bearing the new hashtag in some streets in Abuja to campaign for the re-election of the incumbent President. The hashtag has been perceived to be a mockery of the #BringBackOurGirls cause which was introduced to campaign for the release of over 200 missing Chibok girls kidnapped by members of Islamic sect, Boko Haram months ago.
Excerpts from The Washington post:
“Banners emerged in the capital Abuja over the weekend showing Jonathan alongside a new slogan: #BringBackGoodluck2015. The campaign appears to be the work of supporters of the president, keen for his reelection in presidential polls next February.
While #BringBackOurGirls was just a brief cause celebre in the West — a passing moment to get morally exercised and then move on — it had a deeper meaning in Nigeria. It echoed the larger frustrations of a society that has little faith in its political leadership, is fed up with endemic corruption and wants genuine reform and better governance. Jonathan blamed activists espousing the hashtag for “politicizing” the crisis.
Boko Haram is a fanatical, murderous outfit, but its insurgency gained sway in a region that has been historically marginalized and neglected by Nigeria’s central government. Jonathan’s seeming indifference toward the missing girls hardly helped. In the early stages of the protests, his wife even reportedly had a number of #BringBackOurGirls activists detained.
In this context, the new campaign slogan is particularly galling. Jonathan has not brought back the girls, yet his campaign expects Nigeria to bring him back to power. One wonders if it will spawn more rich satire among Nigerians on social media. After all, there’s plenty of precedent.”
Super Eagles Head coach, Stephen Keshi has debunked reports that he’s recalled Villareal striker, Ikechukwu Uche and his brother, Kalu for Wednesday’s 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Bafana Bafana of South Africa. Big Boss as fondly called said he heard the news and laughed it off.
“I have heard it myself and I just laughed because those who should know that we have no time between our last game and the match against Bafana Bafana are the same people misleading Nigerians. These players are professional footballers and there are processes for invitation, you don’t just bump into them and say come and play, that is very unprofessional and I never did that,” Keshi affirmed.