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Monday, April 26, 2021

93rd Annual Academy Awards: Full List of the Winners

Emerald Fennell accepts the Oscar® for Original Screenplay during the live ABC Telecast of The 93rd Oscars® at Union Station in Los Angeles, CA on Sunday, April 25, 2021. credit: Todd Wawrychuk / A.M.P.A.S. http://photos.presslist.oscars.org/listanevent.php?events=2426.



ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal

Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Anthony Hopkins, The Father

Gary Oldman, Mank

Steven Yeun, Minari

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Viola Davis, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday

Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman

Frances McDormand, Nomadland

Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

BEST PICTURE

The Father, David Parfitt, Jean-Louis Livi and Philippe Carcassonne, Producers

Judas and the Black Messiah, Shaka King, Charles D. King and Ryan Coogler, Producers

Mank, Ceán Chaffin, Eric Roth and Douglas Urbanski, Producers

Minari, Christina Oh, Producer

Nomadland, Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey and Chloé Zhao, Producers

Promising Young Woman, Ben Browning, Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell and Josey McNamara, Producers

Sound of Metal, Bert Hamelinck and Sacha Ben Harroche, Producers

The Trial of the Chicago 7, Marc Platt and Stuart Besser, Producers

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

“Fight for You,” from Judas and the Black Messiah; Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas

“Hear My Voice,” from The Trial of the Chicago 7; Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite

“Husavik,” from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga; Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson

“Io Si (Seen),” from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se); Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini

“Speak Now,” from One Night in Miami...; Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

Da 5 Bloods, Terence Blanchard

Mank, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Minari, Emile Mosseri

News of the World, James Newton Howard

Soul, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste

JEAN HERSHOT HUMANITARIAN AWARD

Tyler Perry

FILM EDITING

Yorgos Lamprinos, The Father

Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

Frédéric Thoraval, Promising Young Woman

Mikkel E. G. Nielsen, Sound of Metal

Alan Baumgarten, The Trial of the Chicago 7

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Judas and the Black Messiah, Sean Bobbitt

Mank, Erik Messerschmidt

News of the World, Dariusz Wolski

Nomadland, Joshua James Richards

The Trial of the Chicago 7, Phedon Papamichael

PRODUCTION DESIGN

The Father, Production Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O'Hara and Diana Stoughton

Mank, Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale

News of the World, Production Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan

Tenet, Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy

Olivia Colman, The Father

Amanda Seyfried, Mank

Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari

VISUAL EFFECTS

Love and Monsters, Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox

The Midnight Sky, Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins

Mulan, Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram

The One and Only Ivan, Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez

Tenet, Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher

 DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Collective, Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana

Crip Camp, Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder

The Mole Agent, Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez

My Octopus Teacher, Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)

Colette, Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard

A Concerto Is a Conversation, Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers

Do Not Split, Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook

Hunger Ward, Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman

A Love Song for Latasha, Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Onward, Dan Scanlon and Kori Rae

Over the Moon, Glen Keane, Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, Richard Phelan, Will Becher and Paul Kewley

Soul, Pete Docter and Dana Murray

Wolfwalkers, Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Paul Young and Stéphan Roelants

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)

Burrow, Madeline Sharafian and Michael Capbarat

Genius Loci, Adrien Mérigeau and Amaury Ovise

If Anything Happens I Love You, Will McCormack and Michael Govier

Opera, Erick Oh

Yes-People, Gísli Darri Halldórsson and Arnar Gunnarsson

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)

Feeling Through, Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski

The Letter Room, Elvira Lind and Sofia Sondervan

The Present, Farah Nabulsi and Ossama Bawardi

Two Distant Strangers, Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe

White Eye, Tomer Shushan and Shira Hochman

SOUND

Greyhound, Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman

Mank, Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin

News of the World, Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett

Soul, Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker

Sound of Metal, Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michellee Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh

DIRECTING

Thomas Vinterberg, Another Round

David Fincher, Mank

Lee Isaac Chung, Minari

Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman

COSTUME DESIGN

Emma, Alexandra Byrne

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Ann Roth

Mank, Trish Summerville

Mulan, Bina Daigeler

Pinocchio, Massimo Cantini Parrini

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Emma, Marese Langan, Laura Allen and Claudia Stolze

Hillbilly Elegy, Eryn Krueger Mekash, Matthew Mungle and Patricia Dehaney

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson

Mank, Gigi Williams, Kimberley Spiteri and Colleen LaBaff

Pinocchio, Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli and Francesco Pegoretti

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7

Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah

Leslie Odom, Jr., One Night in Miami...

Paul Raci, Sound of Metal

LaKeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

Another Round, Denmark

Better Days, Hong Kong

Collective, Romania

The Man Who Sold His Skin, Tunisia

Quo Vadis, Aida? Bosnia and Herzegovina

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Peter Baynham & Erica Rivinoja & Dan Mazer & Jena Friedman & Lee Kern; Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Nina Pedrad

The Father, Screenplay by Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller

Nomadland, Written for the screen by Chloé Zhao

One Night in Miami…, Screenplay by Kemp Powers

The White Tiger, Written for the screen by Ramin Bahrani

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

Judas and the Black Messiah, Screenplay by Will Berson & Shaka King; Story by Will Berson & Shaka King and Kenny Lucas & Keith Lucas

Minari, Written by Lee Isaac Chung

Promising Young Woman, Written by Emerald Fennell

Sound of Metal, Screenplay by Darius Marder & Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder & Derek Cianfrance

The Trial of the Chicago 7, Written by Aaron Sorkin


Sunday, April 25, 2021

Adonko Alcoholic Bitters Bounces Back, Fetes Distributors

Adonko Alcoholic Bitters Bounces Back, Fetes Distributors

- By Ingram Osigwe 

It was a twin event Thursday, 22nd April 2021, at the cosy   Santiago Milano Hotels & Suites Amuwo- Odofin, Lagos, when Angel Group of companies, makers of the popular Adonko Bitters flew in from the Group's base in Ghana to meet with their loyal distributors and customers in Nigeria who have over the years ensured that the brand was never absent from shops and shelves in the country.

The Adonko makers also used the opportunity to announce the rebranding of the Bitters.

Notedly, Adonko is the favourite  Bitters among Bitters lovers in Nigeria because of its unique taste, quality and its natural ingredients content.

Stakeholders present at the event agreed that Adonko remains the Bitters to beat.

Mr.Samuel Kofi Acheampong,  son of Adonko Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Angel Broadcasting Network and Group Managing Director of the Angel Group, Ghana, thanked distributors, consumers and everyone that have kept faith with Andoko all these years

He told distributors that they would be rewarded with mouth- watering incentives to further encourage them.

Acheampong apologised for the breakdown in supply chain and logistics, saying it was caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic and the prolonged border closure in Nigeria.

He was full of effusive praises for Angel's Nigerian partners and holder of sole franchise for Adonko Bitters in the country, the Ekulo Group of companies, for keeping the brand's flag flying in Nigeria.

The Ekulo Group was represented at the event by its General Manager, Mr. Joseph Okonkwo.

Okonkwo commended the distributors for their loyalty and steadfastness despite the harsh economic realities, and for keeping a date with the epochal event.He promised that the Ekolu Group will do its best to reset the supply chain by eliminating the various bottlenecks militating against smooth delivery of the brand.

On his part, Mr. Vincent Opare, Marketing Director of Adonko Bitters pledged to open a communication and feedback channel between the company and the distributors in order to be constantly abreast of their concern.

Mr. Ingram Osigwe, Managing Director and Chief Executive officer of Fullpage Communications, the Advert Agency for Adonko, disclosed that his agency was poised for a mind blowing but creative advert and awareness strategies that will ensure that the brand gets to the nooks and crannies of Nigeria and also counter demarketing schemes of competitors.

As a way of showing gratitude to the distributors, each of them went home with either deep freezer or refrigerator.

The event attracted distributors and consumers of Adonko across the country.

The ambience was gay and enchanting as there were alot of sumptuous meals and choice wines which flowed endlessly.

The country Manager of Adonko, Mr. Ernest Brobbey who gave the votes of thanks told the distributors that he would always be there to cater for their needs and get the necessary feedback.



The 93rd Annual Academy Awards Are Here!

The 2021 Oscars ceremony begins at 8pm ET Sunday April 25, on ABC, broadcasting live from both Union Station and the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. ABC is extending its coverage of the 2021 Oscars with a pre-show beginning at 6:30pm ET (“Oscars: Into the Spotlight,” hosted by Ariana Debose and Lil Rel Howery) and a post-show airing after the Oscars ceremony (“Oscars: After Dark,” with Colman Domingo and Andrew Rannells).

All three programs — “Oscars: Into the Spotlight,” “The Oscars,” and “Oscars: After Dark” — will be available to watch live via ABC.COM and the ABC app, although you will have to provide a cable subscriber log-in in order to access the live stream. Viewers without cable can tune-in by subscribing to a variety of platforms that carry ABC, including Hulu + Live TVYouTubeTVAT&T TV, and FuboTV.

https://www.indiewire.com/2021/04/watch-2021-oscars-live-stream-online-1234632521/


Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins CBE deserves the #Oscar for Best Actor for his astonishing leading role of "Anthony" in Florian Zeller's "The Father".

A classic psychopathethic drama on dementia.

The Synopsis:

Almost 80, mischievous, caustic, and defiantly living alone, Anthony rejects each and every hired caretaker that his daughter, Anne (Olivia Colman), lovingly introduces. Anne is desperate for help. She can’t make daily visits anymore, and Anthony’s grip on reality is unraveling. Given the ebb and flow of his memory, how much of his own identity and past can he cling to? Anne grieves the loss of her father as he lives and breathes before her—but doesn’t she have the right to live her own life?




Friday, April 23, 2021

Yoruba Movies, Series and Documentaries Will Attract Over 100 Million Yorubas

SANGO- The Return of the Orishas by Joshua Ojo.

Yoruba Movies, Series and Documentaries Will Attract Over 100 Million Yorubas

The Yoruba constitute about 105 million people in total in Nigeria and other countries in the world.
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa.

Related ethnic groups include
Afro-Brazilian • Americo-Liberian • Saro people  • Sierra Leone Creole people • Tabom people • Brazilian diaspora • Yorubas and Cuban Yorubas.
80 per cent of the Cuban population are either full-blown worshippers of different Yoruba Orishas.

- By EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor, 
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series 
247 Nigeria (@247nigeria) / Twitter



Saturday, April 17, 2021

A Dream of Meeting Bong Joon-ho

A Dream of Meeting Bong Joon-ho

I had an usual dream before dawn in which I saw documents like a brochure and passport on my bed in the room of a hotel or a guest house. I saw "Bong" written on the brochure slightly overlapping the passport. The scene faded in a flash. Then another scene appeared and I was meeting with Bong Joon-ho in the lobby of a venue for an event. 

Bong is the famous South Korean filmmaker of critically acclaimed films, including his directorial debut film, "Barking Dogs Never Bite" (2000), "Memories of Murder (2003), and the record making "Parasite" (2019), the highest-grossing South Korean film in history; the first South Korean film to win the highly coveted Palme d'Or of the 2019 annual Cannes Film Festival, @festivaldecannes in France and the first South Korean film to receive nominations for the #Oscars; and at the 92nd Academy Awards won the: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film. "Parasite" is the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language, and became the first non-English language film to win the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. 

Why did I dream of travelling and meeting Bong Joon-ho?Are we going to meet for international awards or international co-production?

One of my unusual stories which I think Bong can direct the film adaptation is "Hysterics" about sin, insanity and redemption. A surrealistic drama of unforeseen circumstances that resulted in the encounter of a monk with an insane prostitute in a brothel. But how did a Roman Catholic monk end up in a brothel of drunkards, gamblers and prostitutes?

-  ByEkenyerengozi Michael Chima 

https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima


Friday, April 16, 2021

#BOLLYWOOD To #NOLLYWOOD 2021

 


 #BOLLYWOOD To #NOLLYWOOD

"The Union of Bollywood and Nollywood will benefit World Cinema." 

- Ashok Tyagi, 

Secretary General, 

International Chamber of Media And Entertainment Industry (ICMEI),, India. 

The International Chamber of Media & Entertainment 8ndustry (ICMEI) has formed the Indo-Nigeria Film & Cultural Forum with the High Commission of Nigeria in India. 

The High Commission of India in Nigeria is supporting a partnership between Nollywood (Nigeria’s movie industry) and Bollywood (India’s movie industry): that “India can use its more than 100 years of experience in Bollywood to assist Nigeria” and to promote cultural bilateral relations of the two countries and international co-productions in the global entertainment industry.

The first Bollywood To Nollywood Filmmaking Workshop by the Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT) is coming up in 2021 in Lagos State.

It is in partnership with the High Commission of India, AAFT of India and Wakaati Network of Nigeria It is supported by Dolby and SecurityRisk Brokers. NTA2 is the official news media partner.

It is for three days on Directing; Costume for Storytelling in motion picture, Film Score,  Soundtrack and Sound Design for film production.

The workshop will be directed by Ashok Tyagi, the Secretary General of ICMEI.

The workshop will cover the methodology of converting an interesting story into a gripping screenplay and the conversation of that screenplay into an entertaining film with the help of visual and sound design. 

The filmmaking workshop will be concluded with the production of a short film for international film festivals, cable TV and OTT streaming video channels.

Registration is by a letter of application for participation.

The participation fee is N100, 000 per participant for the three days duration of the workshop (including buffet and workshop kit).


ICMEI is an organisation belonging to Asian Education Group which owns, controls and manages the day to day activities of AAFT. ICMEI was formed in 2014 to fulfil the dream of the Respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi to establish friendly relations with all the countries of the world through art, culture and cinema.



Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Saint Laurent French Water

 

Saint Laurent
French Water - A Film by Jim Jarmusch

Source: youtube.com
Published: April 2021
All people in this campaign:
Anthony Vaccarello - Designer
Jim Jarmusch - Director
Sydney Rose Thomas - Fashion Editor/Stylist
Ward Stegerhoek - Hair Stylist
Erin Parsons - Makeup Artist
Samuel Ellis Scheinman - Casting Director
Maki Sakamoto - Manicurist
Charlotte Gainsbourg - Actor
Chloë Sevigny - Actor
Indya Moore - Actor
Julianne Moore - Actor
Leo Reilly - Actor

Monday, April 12, 2021

Majority of the Movie-goers in Nigeria Are Yoruba

Majority of the movie-goers in Nigeria are Yoruba who were the first movie-goers in the country since 1903 when the first films were shown at the Glover Memorial Hall on the Lagos Island and followed by the Aláàrìnjó Yoruba traveling theatres that influenced the cinema culture in south western Nigeria. And  "Kongi's Harvest", the (first feature film by a Nigerian  filmmaker was done in 1970 by Francis Oladele, the Father of Nigerian cinema. 

Yorubas love drama from stage to the silver screen. The longest queues at any cinema in Nigeria were Yoruba movie-goers at the National Arts Theatre in Lagos city as they trooped to watch Yoruba films by Dr. Ola Balogun, Chief Hubert Ogunde, Moses Olaiya , Adeyemi Afolayan, aka Ade Love) and Abiodun Babajide, aka Jab Adu in the 1970s and 1980s.  And the highest grossing movies in Nollywood have been made by Yoruba filmmakers, Funke Akindele-Bello @funkejenifaakindele (Omo Ghetto, The Saga), Kemi Adetiba @kemiadetiba (The Wedding Party 1) and Niyi Akinmolayan (The Wedding Party 2).


- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor, 

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series 

247 Nigeria (@247nigeria) / Twitter

https://mobile.twitter.com/247nigeria

https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima



Why Majority of Nigerians Are Ignorant of the Achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari and RT. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Federal Minister of Transportation.

Why Majority of Nigerians Are Ignorant of the Achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari 

President Muhammadu Buhari is performing well in his administration. But many Nigerians don't know a lot of his achievements, because of either lack of good public relations or poor public relations of his Ministers and DGs. 
RT. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is the Honourable Minister of Transportation, but he seems to prefer to be the DG of Nigerian Railways. Railway transportation is just one of the sectors of the Ministry of Transportation. Can he tell us what his ministry is doing in air transportation, road transportation and water transportation? 

Majority of Nigerians are ignorant of the achievements of the Federal Ministries, because of poor public relations. 

President Buhari is blamed for the failures of even local governments! Because of the failures of the state governors who cannot even clean up their streets. They are often showing the commissioning of both completed and uncompleted constructions of roads and flyovers in their states in the midst of dilapidated streets with heaps of stinking refuses and surrounded by  poverty-stricken destitute children and women begging for alms by the roadside.
Construction of roads and flyovers are not the fundamental needs and priorities of majority of Nigerians. Projects to tackle poverty and unemployment should be the priorities of state governments. 

The administration of President Buhari has created more new jobs for Nigerians than the previous administrations of the Nigerian government. But ignorant Nigerians still blame him for the failures of their incompetent state governors and incompetent local government administrators.  
One Igbo man even blamed President Buhari for his own impotence when his wife insulted him for failing to give her orgasm!

 - By EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima, The CEO, International Digital Post Network Limited, Publisher/Editor, NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series 247 Nigeria (@247nigeria) / Twitter https://mobile.twitter.com/247nigeria https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima, https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelchimaeyerengozi 


Thursday, April 8, 2021

Over 58 Million Nigerians Can Pay Subscriptions To Netflix, DStv and StarTimes


Over 58 Million Nigerians Can Pay Subscriptions To Netflix , DStv, and StarTimes 

There are over 58 million people in Nigeria with enough disposable incomes to afford regular subscriptions to cable TV and OTT streaming services. They can pay for subscriptions to Netflix , DStv, and StarTimes.

Nigeria Disposable Personal Income in June 2020 Actual 17270557.89 NGN Million 

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima.

### 


According to Digital TV Research, at the end of last year, collective OTT revenues in Africa reached $392 million and are set to rise to $1.7 billion by 2026. The bulk of the market is, and will continue to be, Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) packages.

An insatiable hunger for programming and digital technology has led to an explosion of Over-The-Top (OTT) channels. An African perspective. 

- By Paula Slier https://www.forbesafrica.com/entertainment/2021/04/06/the-three-letters-driving-entertainment/


Monday, April 5, 2021

Hon. Simon Uzama Okpalaeke: When A Good Man Takes A Bow

Hon. Simon Uzama Okpalaeke: When A Good Man Takes A Bow


By Ingram Osigwe


When a good man departs, hearts quake, eyes become teary and many become inconsolable.

The above are exactly the case with the people of Azia community in Ihiala local government area of Anambra state following the death of one of their illustrious sons, Hon. Barrister Simon Uzama Okpalaeke ( Ikenga Azia).

It was with profound sense of loss and shock that friends and associates of the family far and wide learnt of the untimely death, Hon. Barrister Simon Uzama Okpalaeke.

The Okpalaekes and indeed Azia community are at loos as to why their illustrious son had to depart at this time.

Every one who knew Simon is saddened and devastated by his departure not because he would have lived forever but because no one imagined Simon would be gone so soon.

During his life time, Simon was always full of wits and candour, very resourceful and devoted to humanity and to the things of God

For the entire Okpalaeke family and Azia community this is  an irreparable loss.

It is only with equanimity and calmness of heart that one can overcome this grief, knowing that Simon has ran the good race and is now resting in the bosom of the Lord.

The Okpalaekes, having amassed tremendous goodwill over the years, have been receiving  outpouring of words of encouragement  since Simon left. So,assuredly the family is not mourning alone.

Azia as a community and Anambra as a state mourn with the Okpalaeke family and grief with them too over the transition of this great son of theirs for he worked tirelessly for the upliftment of his community  and state.

Simon was a patriot whose love and passion for his people was unparalleled and unwavering.As a member of the Anambra state House of Assembly, as a lawyer, as corporate czar and as an international businessman, Simon left an indelible print on the sands of time in terms of attracting rapid development to Azia.

As a lawmaker representing Ihiala 11 state constituency, he left a salutary imprimatur of quality and people oriented leadership.

Simon was a selfless leader who gave his all, sacrificing his comfort and pleasure just for the good of his people.

His demise has indeed left a great vacuum in Azia for he was one of the beacons of hope for the community.

Surely, this is a painful loss and one can only  pray that God's abiding love be with the family and give them strength and comfort during this time of deep sorrow.

Though we grief and mourn because we would have loved that Simon stayed with us a little longer, one is consoled by the fact that his elegant virtues are acknowledged and applauded by those who knew him and what he stood for, for in the words of Abraham Lincoln, "in the end it is not the years in your life that counts, it is the life in your years".

Born in 1957, the young Simon attended Lafiaji primary school, Fegge, Onistha from where he proceeded to St. Anthony secondary school, Azia.He was to finish his secondary education at Uli Boys High school, Uli in 1979, obtaining Grade one in his WASC Examination.

Simon would later study law at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, graduating in 1986.

After Law school in 1987 and Youth Service in Ede, Osun state, the following year, he, in partnership with some colleagues, set up a law firm, Duru, Okpalaeke and co at 103 Awolowo way, Ikeja, Lagos. It was a successful practice as the firm handled many landmark cases and won.

The expansion of the family business, GINPAT Aluminium soon required Simon's legal expertise and he was made Head of the company's legal Department and Director as well.He held these positions in the company till his demise on February 1, 2021.

Notedly,  GINPAT is a pioneer aluminium company founded by three unique brothers namely Chief Godwin Okpalaeke(the Onowu Azia) the late Chief Pat Okpalaeke (Omezilibe Azia) and  now late Hon.Barr. Uzama Okpalaeke (Ikenga Azia).

Indeed, the Okpaleke family of Azia community, through Uzama was able to show Nigerians that three brothers can live in one compound, cook in one pot and show love.

In-between the periods of his law practice and positions at GINPAT, Simon shuttled abroad for international businesses and was at a time a force to reckon with in the importation of refrigerators and air conditioners.

He also worked for Dozzy oil Ltd as MD of one of the company’s subsidiaries.

Being a very popular, humble and grassroots person, Simon in 2007 contested and won election into the Anambra state House of Assembly to represent Ihiala  constituency 11.

It was to Simon's credit that during his representation, he attracted the construction of the road leading to Nkwo Okija from the St. Anthony Catholic church junction.

He also gave Ebonesie community the ring road from  Azia through Mbosi to Orsumughu.Infact, during his time in the House, the Ihiala constituency 11 never had it so good in terms of quality representation.

A knight of St. John International, Simon was a caring husband to his lovely wife and heartthrob, Chinyere (nee Enendu)  whom he wedded in 1992, and a dotting father to their six wonderful children who are all successful in their various fields today.Some are IT gurus, pilot and lawyers.

A man filled with milk of human kindness, as an individual, Simon introduced Full page to some prime accounts. He also extended similar gestures to so many other friends.

The late Ikenga Azia belonged to so many clubs e.g Diamond fitness club, G 21 etc and he was never passive in any of these clubs.

Hon. Barrister Simon Uzama Okpalaeke, Ikenga Azia, the people's person, the humane, the kind hearted, a man with a heart of Gold, will sorely be missed.

###

Ingram Osigwe is the MD/CEO, Fullpage Communications Ltd.




 

Sunday, April 4, 2021

The New Beauty Queens of Nollywood and Kannywood

Dorcas Shola Fapson.

In the second edition of the 

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series published in 2014, I featured 34 beauty queens of Nollywood and Kannywood. Since 2014 to date, new outstanding female actors have emerged and among them are the most beautiful women on the silver screen who should be recognised and published as the new beauty queens of the Nigerian film industry. Nancy Isime is red hot in romantic roles. She is hotter than summer. 

From Nollywood to Kannywood I selected some of them and the complete list will be published in the third edition of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series focusing on the leading Nigerian female filmmakers in Nigeria and the Diaspora. The photos that will be published will be in high resolution images.

Adesua Etomi- Wellington

Adunni Ade

Nancy Isime

Sharon Ooja Egwurube

Lilian Esoro

Halima Yusuf Ateteh 

Aisha Aliyu Tsamiya

Hafsat Idris

Fati Shu’uma

Fatima Abdullahi Washa



The NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series is the first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry published since 2013. It is printed in Raleigh, North Carolina in the United States of America and distributed in Amazon Kindle version, paperback and hardcover versions in full colour. 

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, Publisher/Editor, NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series.

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