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May your joy know no bounds. Happy New Month people

Happy New Month to my esteemed blog readers.

May your days be painted in gold. May your joy know no bounds. May your life be saturated with blessings. May the stars shine bright on your world. May you have a fun filled month. And may God's protection continue to be on you and your loved ones. Happy New Month.

Singer, Kefee now on life support machine?

If the report on stelladimokokorkus.com is anything to go by, then popular Gospel singer, Kefee Don-Momoh needs our prayers at this time. Few days back, it was reported that the Kokoroko crooner collapsed mid flight on her way to Chicago Thursday morning, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing so she could receive medical attention in Los Angeles.
The latest is that the pregnant entrepreneur has been on coma ever since and she’s reportedly on life support machine. She’s been admitted in a hospital in Las vegas and her condition is not really stable.
We pray and wish her quick recovery.

"They made a good impression on me". Arsene Wenger backs Nigeria to qualify for second stage.

63 year-old Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger believes Nigeria would qualify for the second stage of the of the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil. Nigeria according to the Frenchman has a good team spirit and even made a good impression on him during the last. AFCON tournament.

“I don’t know about second place. I think that Nigeria might qualify for the second stage. They really made a good impression on me during the African Cup of Nations. They seem to have a really good team spirit, which is not always easy for African teams. They have less star players. They have a real team, and it’s been a while since that happened for them.” He stated.

Opinion: What does Osoba want? | By: Ibidapo Emmanuel

Life is full of paradoxes and as life goes on, we see all sorts daily. People change they say but the more things change, the more they remain the same. Here is to the curious case of Olusegun Osoba, a journalist and a former governor of Ogun State, South West Nigeria.
Osoba’s journalistic talent was first spotted by one of Nigeria’s early media icons, Alhaji Babatunde Jose who was then the Managing Director of Daily Times. Osoba had come into the Daily Times same time as Dipo Ajayi, and Femi Sonaike. Osoba rose to eventually become the Managing Director of Daily Times.
Described as a “reporter’s reporter”, Osoba enjoys across-board accolade from his peers, senior and junior associates. Peter Enahoro, who took over the role of editor from Alhaji Babatunde Jose, describes Osoba as a “star reporter” saying he remembered him “as a passionate, go-getting, indefatigable reporter with a sharp nose for news and luck of being at the right place at the right time”.

Osoba’s journey into politics began when he became the governor of Ogun State from January 1992 until November 1993. He was elected on the Social Democratic Party (SDP) platform, and was removed from office by the brutal administration of General Sani Abacha. After the return to democracy in 1999, he was elected again as governor on the Alliance For Democracy (AD) platform, holding office between May 1999 and May 2003. He lost his reelection bid in 2003 to Gbenga Daniel of the PDP.
Osoba lost his seat, like five others AD governors of the south west due to the political maneuvering by the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, a man who doesn’t respect democratic tenets much. The PDP under Obasanjo’s presidency virtually steamrolled and bamboozled the governors elected under the defunct AD, using less than acceptable democratic means.

Out of job and no longer politically relevant in his home state of Ogun, Osoba sought refuge in Lagos under the former Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Tinubu open handedly accepted him since they both belonged to the same party. He was rehabilitated and made relevant again and when the AD became AC before changing to the ACN, Osoba was given some national prominence again. But one curious thing to note was that even after the departure of Olusegun Obasanjo after the completion of his tenure as the president, Osoba still remained a personal non grata in his home state.
As the national leader of the then ACN, Osoba easily deferred to the Asiwaju as his leader, of course a hungry tummy doesn’t argue with whosoever bears the pot of porridge. But one thing that was conspicuous was the lack of political clout of Osoba in his home state of Ogun. He was more or less a paper weight politician who had no political value due to his extremely poor performance in about six years of two different politics terms. The people really could not pin point any meaningful achievement of Osoba and therefore could not see him as a worthy leader. The ACN eventually won back Ogun state from the PDP in 2011, but the victory was not attributable to Segun Osoba in any way.
But Osoba continued to tag along with and around Asiwaju Tinubu until the fortuitous birth of the APC. Shortly after then, Osoba began to angle for a more prominent position in the APC both nationally and in local Ogun state politics, but the APC knew Osoba’s relevance was limited to few newspaper pages and were not prepare to jeopardize the party’s acceptance nationally and in the local politics of Ogun state.

A leopard, they say never changes it spot. Students of Nigerian politics will remember how Osoba abandoned his SDP colleagues in the heady days of Abacha. He began to dilly dally with the maximum ruler. Clearly he hasn’t forgotten any of those leopard skills. As soon as he realised he wasn’t going to be able to hijack the APC machinery in Ogun state, he quickly pitched his tent with the PDP and President Jonathan. He became a fifth columnist.
Olusegun Osoba, is now a closet friend of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and President Goodluck Jonathan, it has been revealed. Osoba is believed to have in the past several months being working against the interest of his party the All Progressives Congress (APC). Within that time, he has met clandestinely with a small clique within the APC towards recruiting them to be part of his game plan.

Osoba has chummy relationship with the leadership of the ruling PDP. Reliable sources confirmed that Osoba has made a few covert trips to the Presidential Villa in the past month. His present participation in the ongoing National Conference, in spite of his party, the APC, abstinence, further proves his disloyalty. Not only that, he became the self-appointed unofficial campaigner for the conference by advertising the conference and saying it is the solution to Nigeria’s problems. Osoba’s new found optimism is misplaced. His new posturing and political romance game makes him a dangerous politician to deal with.
Osoba, Tinubu and Bisi Akande have together weathered many storms and crossed many rivers. However it seems the waters are beginning to part. Osoba’ s new role is questionable. It is suspect and it is one that will lead him to the political wilderness.
It appears that Osoba, because he was able to dine with Abacha in those heady days, but was forgiven and allowed back into the progressive fold, is now embolden to tread that well worn path of eating his cake and still retaining it, but he will be wise to heed the saying, “once bitten, twice shy”. His current foray into the waters of infamy is poised to be his last swim of shame. He will be wise to retrace his faltering steps now or be lost forever in the abyss of political irrelevance.

Credit: Daily Post Ngr

Photos: Patience Ozokwor breaks down in tears as Nollywood stars protest for the release of abducted Chibok girls

Albeit she sheds real tears in movies, these particular tears are for a cause. 2014 AMAA best supporting actress, Patience Ozokwor led other Nollywood thespians like Mercy Aigbe, Chinedu Ikedieze, Thelma Okhaz, Femi Ogedengbe from Allen Avenue, Ikeja to The Lagos State Secretariat in Alausa to protest the release of the over 200 girls kidnapped a month ago by Boko Haram.
Ozokwo fought back tears as she knelt down to speak about the missing girls and the urgent need for the government to bring them to back. They were later addressed by The State House of Assembly Speaker, Honorable Adeyemi Ikuforiji, who appreciated them for lending their voices to the campaign and assured them that all hands are on deck to rescue the girls.
Photo Credit: AFP

Racial incident: UEFA orders partial closure of Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu stadium

The UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body has ordered the closure of part of Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu stadium following racial incidents by the club’s fans during their UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against FC Bayern München at the Santiago Bernabéu on 23 April.

Sectors 120 and 122 of the stadium will be closed for the title defender’s next UEFA competition home game.

“Real Madrid are obliged to display a banner with the wording ‘No to Racism’ in those sectors,” UEFA added.

Kenyan movie star, Lupita Nyong’o obtains film rights to Chimamanda Adichie's third novel, Americanah

Just like award-winning novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, renowned author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s third novel – Americanah is about to be adapted on the big screen. Kenyan movie star, Lupita Nyong’o has obtained film rights for the movie version of the book.
The announcement was made yesterday May 29, 2014 at Stylist Magazine’s Stylist Book Club Inaugural Session held at the Waldorf Hilton in UK.

“Lupita Nyong’o has optioned rights for the film version of Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie confirms #stylistbookclub”. Stylist Magazine wrote on its twitter account and also posted photos of the writer signing copies of Americanah for her fans.

Short Story: A Flight Diversion | By: Chimamanda Adichie

I was woken by the pilot’s voice. In the drowsy hum of the airplane, his words crackled, and I thought I heard something about preparing to land. Could I have slept so long? I looked at the time. It was only three hours into the Lagos-to-Atlanta flight. The flight attendants were hurrying back and forth. The pilot was still speaking.

“We have an emergency onboard and we have had to divert the flight to Dakar.” I could feel the plane descending. It seemed too fast. A sweeping hollowness. My fog of sleep cleared instantly. Something was wrong, the pilot was too cryptic, the flight attendants too blank-faced, snatching up cups, urging seats straight. I thought: If I die, I hope it’s quick and I don’t know. The woman beside me crossed herself. Then the pilot’s voice came back on. It was a medical emergency, he said; a pregnant passenger went into early labor and had just had a baby. I sensed, around me, a collective hush of relief and wonder. A baby delivered on the plane! We landed in Dakar. It was 2 a.m. Medical personnel in orange vests hurried in, a man carrying a black box, a lanky woman dragging an IV stand, their eyes heavy with sleep. I wondered what the baby would need, and if they had what the baby would need.
Soon, the lanky woman left, cradling a bundle wrapped in cloth. The baby. I strained to see better, hoped I would hear it cry. Then the new mother emerged, a young woman with a tube dangling from her arm, and behind her came the other medical worker, trying to support her. But she didn’t need him. She strode past, straight and steady, so quick that I caught only a glimpse of her face. She looked stunned and frustrated. It seemed even more of a wonder to me, not only that she had just had a baby in midair but that there she was on her feet, normal and capable. The pilot came out of his cabin. A tall man with an easy air, he told us it was a baby boy, and both mother and baby were fine.
His American humor emerged. “Been flying a long time and this is a first for me!”. We, the Nigerian passengers, laughed with a shared sense of delight, as though by being present we had  somehow shared in bringing this baby into the world. The American flight attendants were baffled.
“The mother said she was 24 weeks gone, but that baby looked full-term. Why would anybody take the risk?” one asked. We did not ask why. The new mother was travelling alone, nobody knew her, and yet we felt as if we did. We speculated about her circumstances. She probably had visa problems, got her visa later that she’d planned, or perhaps she had not planned it early enough, or maybe the chance to go to America emerged late in her pregnancy, and she’d chosen to do what she had to do because the sparkling worthwhile end was an American-born baby.  I thought of her expression as she exited the plane, more frustration than worry, a lament for the American passport that now would not be. Some passengers joked about her poor luck.

“Now she has a Senegalese baby, ah, this is bad market for the baby!” one said. “A Senegalese passport is still better than a Nigerian,” another countered.

“They will give a Senegalese person a visa before giving a Nigerian.” “Good that the baby waited for the flight to take off, do we even have the right emergency services in Lagos airport?” someone else asked. We chuckled. Good will swirled among us.
Thank God it ended well, many people said, thank God. Risk taking was familiar to us. For too many in our world, this was the norm: the lack of choice and the dependence on chance. Again, the pilot’s voice brought news. A tire had  deflated, and the airline did not have the resources in Senegal to fix it in time. We would have to spend the night in Dakar. As we left the plane and got into buses, we sent text messages and grumbled about the inconvenience of arriving a day later than planned. Still, the complaints were light-footed because what mattered was that the birth had gone well. In the hotel, some passengers posed for pictures by the fountain; why miss a good photo opportunity in a fellow African city they otherwise might never have visited?

“Please, my sister, do you have any sleeping pills?” a stranger asked me.
The next morning, slightly disoriented and starved of sleep, I skipped breakfast. When I finally went down to the lobby, most of the crew and passengers were gathered, waiting for the airport bus, faces dull and unrefreshed, voices a muted murmuring. As I joined the group, a woman asked me if I had heard.

“Heard what?” I asked.

“The baby died.”
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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a renowned novelist, the author of three novels, Purple Hibiscus (2003), Half of a Yellow Sun (2006), and Americanah (2013), of a short story collection, The Thing around Your Neck (2009).  She has received numerous awards and distinctions, including the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction (2007) and a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (2008).
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Email: ololade.olatunji@yahoo/gmail.com
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