Monday, January 27, 2014

Euronews to Launch Africanews, 1st Pan-African Multilingual News Channel in Congo Brazzaville

 (Michael Peters, CEO of Euronews, and Jean Obambi, Managing Director of Télé Congo, signing on Saturday 25 January in Congo Brazzaville the cooperation agreement)

PRESS RELEASE


Euronews to launch Africanews, 1st Pan-African multilingual news channel, in Congo Brazzaville


Euronews will bring to Africa its unique know-how as a multi-lingual and multi-cultural news channel, broadcasting around the clock

LYON, France, January 27, 2014/ -- In 18 months time, Euronews (http://www.euronews.com) will have a sister channel in Africa. In partnership with the national television channel of the Republic of the Congo, Euronews will bring to Africa its unique know-how as a multi-lingual and multi-cultural news channel, broadcasting around the clock. Starting with English and French, and then adding other languages widely-spoken on the continent, Africanews aims to become the first Pan-African rolling news channel. The headquarters will be in Brazzaville and regional offices will be set up across the continent. Africanews will adhere to the same editorial charter as Euronews, guaranteeing its independence. The two networks will share their news, creating a synergy that will give Africa its rightful place in the world of news and give the world the latest news from the continent.

Michael Peters, CEO of Euronews S.A., and Jean Obambi, Managing Director of Télé Congo, signed on Saturday 25 January in Congo Brazzaville a cooperation agreement for the launch of a Pan-African news channel to be known as Africanews. Under the auspices of the President of the Republic of the Congo, Mr. Denis Sassou Nguesso, they formalised the partnership that will lead to the launch in the summer of 2015 of a bilingual news channel in French and English, to be followed by other major languages of the continent (Portuguese, Arabic, Swahili, etc.). The headquarters will be in Brazzaville and regional offices will be set up across the continent.

Euronews, the top news channel in Europe, has developed a unique know-how in broadcasting. The channel produces 13 different language versions, 24/7. Its programmes are created by a newsroom of more than 400 journalists of 30 nationalities, and reach 400 million households in 155 countries.

At the signing of the agreement for Africanews, Michael Peters stated:

"Twenty 20 years after the launch of Euronews, we are breaking new ground in the world of news. Since 1993, Euronews has covered global news from a European perspective, speaking to viewers in their language. The company's multinational shareholder base gives the channel the independence and the means to inform viewers without promoting any particular viewpoint. Its global success in terms of viewer numbers is proof of the channel's professionalism and its ability to integrate diversity.

Euronews has the experience, the reputation and the resources necessary to convey this model which respects the values and value of different cultures. It is precisely this model of tolerance in a world of diversity that we hope to share with Africa, via Africanews, the first independent and multilingual news channel on the continent.

Africanews is different from existing channels because it aims to give Africa its rightful place in the world of news and to give the world the latest news from the continent which is itself a news market, in the same way and at the same level as other regions of the world.

Our strategic and highly ambitious project will not be a mere African "window" made by Euronews, as most international news channels do, but rather a full-fledged Pan-African network, with editorial choices made by Africans for an African audience.

To develop this project, we were lucky to have the help of Stephen Smith, a recognized specialist on Africa (see below: Stephen Smith and Africanews). Stephen, former Africa Editor for two French daily newspapers Libération then Le Monde, is providing advice and recommendations for the editorial and strategic aspects of Africanews.

The public television channel Télé Congo decided to join us in this adventure. Our teams will now begin the preliminary studies and organisational work to be ready to launch Africanews in 2015.

We take great pride in announcing this emblematic cooperation project and we are eager to launch this new player on the world media scene," he added.

What will Africanews be like?

Africanews will produce news content focused on Pan-African news, for its television channel and related products, both linear and non linear (see below: Africanews in other media formats).

Africanews will have a team of 40 professional journalists and technicians based in Brazzaville, covering sub-Saharan news thanks to its regional offices and a vast pool of correspondents around the continent.

As soon as the channel begins broadcasting, flagship programmes and special reports will help give Africanews its truly African identity.

Africanews will freely choose, use and adapt the international news content produced by Euronews to create programmes for its own viewers. In the same way, Euronews will be able to pick up productions from its sister channel in Africa to round out the programmes it broadcasts around the world. Thanks to this synergy, Africa will benefit from wider international exposure as it becomes a key feature in the Euronews editorial line-up.

In keeping with the Euronews model, Africanews will be available from the start in both French and English. The goal is to then expand to include the other widely-spoken languages in Africa (Portuguese, Arabic, Swahili, etc.), making it accessible to the largest number of African viewers.

The news teams at Africanews and at Euronews in Europe will adhere to the same editorial charter.
For all of its news teams, Euronews is the absolute guarantor of editorial independence and is responsible for the hiring of journalists; it continually monitors full compliance with the editorial charter.

Will Africanews be available in other media formats?

The content of Africanews will benefit from the extensive know-how of Euronews, making it as widely and easily accessible as possible for all types of users.

Starting with linear formats, offering TV broadcasts 24/7, live streaming of the channel on the internet, and then with live mobile applications and perhaps digital radio programmes.
The non-linear formats will start right away with the websitehttp://www.africanews.com and then gradually move into specific mobile applications, following the latest trends in media consumption on the continent.
For example, Euronews, at the cutting edge of mobile applications, has been selected by Nokia to be included in its new operating system, S40, soon to be released in Africa, one of the most dynamic markets for mobile phones.

Africanews will be accessible to a large number of people on the continent thanks to rebroadcasts by local partners and operators, with the support and expertise of Euronews' international teams.

What is the business model for Africanews?

Africanews will be based on a model financed by advertising. It will then be able to develop by adding new public and private partners, in particular for the set-up of its regional offices around Africa and for adding new languages.

Advertising opportunities on Africanews will enable African and international advertisers to reach the African audience via a complete communication package: advertisements spread across the 24-hour schedule will cover all time zones and all formats including Africanews.com and then mobile applications, along with opportunities for sponsorship of TV and key online programmes (business, special reports, weather...) or linked to business and cultural events covered by the Africanews team of journalists.

Stephen Smith and the Africanews project

Recognised around the world for his expertise in African affairs, Stephen Smith supported Euronews from the very beginning of this ground-breaking project to develop an African media network. He worked with the Euronews management team in all phases of building the project. His advice and recommendations range from editorial aspects to strategy for Africanews. In close coordination with the Euronews teams, Stephen Smith will participate in creating the channel and ensuring its future development.

Stephen Smith, an American journalist, is most noted for his work as Africa Editor for Libération (1988-2000) and then for Le Monde (2000-2005), having earlier served as African correspondent for Reuters and RFI. He has written some 15 books and academic publications on the subject of Africa and, since 2007, has taught African Studies at Duke University in the United States.

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of Euronews S.A.


For further information, please contact:     
Grégoire Olivero de Rubiana           
Director of External Relations         
tel. +33 (0)6 60 69 30 34                              

Lydie Bonvallet
Head of Press and Public Relations
tel. +33 (0)4 72 18 80 56       

About Euronews
Europe's most-watched news channel, Euronews (http://www.euronews.com) provides rolling coverage of world news. Thanks to its 400 journalists from over 30 countries, the channel is available 24 hours a day in 13 language services (Arabic, English, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Ukrainian). An independent media hub, Euronews offers a unique perspective on, and factual analysis of, current events. Founded in 1993 in Lyon, France, the channel can be watched in 400 million homes in 155 countries, and delivers a complete range of products (websites, mobile applications, smart TV, radio, etc.).

Follow the trends and euronews teams on Twitter: @euronews_inside

Download our apps!

SOURCE 
Euronews S.A


 
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Chief Willy Obi (Odinanwa) Conferred With Agbarusia Ngele

Agbarusia Ngele, Chief Willy Obi addressing Akokwa Community after his conferment.

On Saturday, December 28, 2013 Chief Willy Obi, (Odinanwa), the Executive Chairman of Obison Homemate Explorers Limited & PANDA Events Centre Sabo – Yaba was conferred with a new title, Agbarusia Ngele of Akokwa, by His Royal Highness, Eze (Sir) Ikenna C. Okoli (KSC), Okoli V, Agbakwuruibe III, the 11th Obi of Akokwa.

The ceremony which took place at the palace of the Obi was part of the celebration of the Odu-Obi Festival 2013.
Guests of the new Agbarusia Ngele of Akokwa were hosted to a grand reception at Obison Villa at Owerre-Akokwa.


Agbarusia Ngele welcoming Chief Jude Onyebuchi (Akuenwebe), President Diamond Fitness Club 

Agbarusia Ngele and his lovely family.
 
Agbarusia Ngele sharing a royal banter with the Obi of Akokwa.
 
Agbarusia Ngele welcoming Ambassador Chief Chigozie Nwaolisa (Eselu), Grand Patron of Diamond Club.
 
Agbarusia Ngele welcoming Igwe Nkpume.
 
Agbarusia Ngele welcoming Ikenga Akokwa, Sir Tony Ezenna to his country home.
 
Akusinachi Akokwa, Chief Ifeanyi Ikejiaku and Chief Ifeanyi Okpara, Nnukwu Agu.
 
Akuzurumba, Chief Israel Orjiekwe, Charles Champagne and Chief Felix Ogbukagu (Eze Ojinkennaya.
 
Arrival of Igwe Nkpume Agwuna (Ojiofor Nri).
 
Arrival of Ikenga Akokwa, Sir Tony Ezenna, OFR, Executive Chairman Orange Group.
 
 Arrival of Obi of Akokwa, HRH Eze (Sir) Ikenna C. Okoli.  



 
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Sunday, January 26, 2014

The Oldest Kingdom in Nigeria Was the Igbo Kingdom



Intellectual amnesia is widespread among Nigerians, because majority of them suffer from intellectual ignorance since they know little or nothing about their history.

Like the Hausas who claim that Bàyā̀jiddà founded the seven Hausa states when there were already Hausas before he arrived from Baghdad via the Sahara and into Kanem-Bornu Empire. 

Then how is Bàyā̀jiddà the father of the Hausas? 

The Yorubas claim Odùduwà to be their founder? When before Oòdua, there was Ifa.
If Oranmiyan was the grandson of Odùduwà and he founded Oyo as its first Alaafin at around the year 1170, and one of his children, Eweka I, went on to become the first Oba of the Benin Empire, then how can Odùduwà be the father of the Yorubas?
Now we can actually know the time frame of Odùduwà from 1170 when the history of Ilé-Ifẹ̀ dates back to 600 BCE.

When I see the legions of ignorant Yorubas going about with their Juju and chanting "Oòdua", I shake my head in pity for they are lost. And only God can save them, because they are still living in the bondage of ignorance.

The Igbos were the first to have a kingdom in Nigeria.


The Kingdom of Nri or Ọ̀ràézè Ǹrì (1043–1911) was the West African medieval state of the Nri-Igbo, a subgroup of the Igbo people, and is the oldest kingdom in Nigeria. The Kingdom of Nri was unusual in the history of world government in that its leader exercised no military power over his subjects. The kingdom existed as a sphere of religious and political influence over much of Igboland, and was administered by a priest-king called the eze Nri. The eze Nri managed trade and diplomacy on behalf of the Igbo people, and was the possessor of divine authority in religious matters.
~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Nri

Now you know why I wrote The Prophet Lied?
To expose all lies by false prophets and false teachers.

People who don't know their true history are like orphans who do not know the origins of their parents.
~ Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima.




~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, prize winning Nigerian writer and author of "The Prophet Lied", In the House of Dogs, "Children of Heaven", Diary of the Memory Keeper, Scarlet Tears of London and other books.

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Thursday, January 23, 2014

FIFA Announces World Cup 2014™ Official Song "We Are One (Ole Ola)"



23 Jan 2014 18:29 Africa/Lagos

FIFA and Sony Music Entertainment Select "We Are One (Ole Ola)" by Global Music Sensation Pitbull Featuring International Superstar Jennifer Lopez and Brazil's Own Claudia Leitte as FIFA World Cup 2014™ Official Song 

 "We Are One (Ole Ola)" will be performed at the FIFA World Cup™ Opening Ceremony by Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte on June 12, 2014


RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- FIFA and Sony Music Entertainment today announced that "We Are One (Ole Ola)," by global superstar Pitbull, featuring global superstar Jennifer Lopez and Brazilian artist Claudia Leitte, has been chosen as the Official Song of the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil. The song will be performed by Pitbull, together with Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte, at the FIFA World Cup™ Opening Ceremony on June 12 at the Arena de Sao Paulo.


(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140123/NY51588LOGO )

"I'm honored to join Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte at the FIFA World Cup to bring the world together," says Pitbull. "I truly believe that this great game and the power of music will help unify us, because we are best when we are one."

"I grew up in a house that loved futbol, so I am thrilled to be performing at the World Cup Opening Ceremonies with Pitbull and Claudia Leitte," says Jennifer Lopez .
 "This is an amazing celebration of global unity, competition and the sport."


"I am very happy and thrilled to represent my country at the FIFA World Cup alongside these two amazing artists who I admire and respect. I love sharing my culture and country to people through music!" says Claudia Leitte . "The FIFA World Cup is one of the biggest events on the planet, and I look forward to dancing samba with Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez in Brazil - we are one!


" FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke said, "FIFA and Sony Music are extremely excited to share the impressive talent of Claudia Leitte with the world, alongside such internationally celebrated artists as Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez. In my many visits to this country I've seen and heard a lot about the great Brazilian music tradition and it gives me great pleasure to see a Brazilian artist at the heart of this song. I'm sure, like me, millions of football and music fans all over the world will be eagerly awaiting the song's release." "We Are One (Ole Ola)" will debut later this year ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, and will be included on the upcoming "Official 2014 FIFA World Cup Album™" to be released by Sony Music Entertainment. A video for "We Are One (Ole Ola)" is also in development and will be available in standard definition as well as in 4K.  


About Pitbull


 Miami-native Armando Christian Perez aka Pitbull also known as Mr. Worldwide and Mr. 305 is a globally successful musician, performer, business entrepreneur, fashion icon and actor whose career sales exceed 5 million albums and 50 million singles worldwide. An international sensation, Pitbull has #1 hits in more than 15 countries, and he has charged out of the gate this year on top, scoring the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart with "Timber" featuring Ke$ha. He gets close to 1 billion impressions per month on social media and his videos have been viewed more than 3 billion times; the music video for the single "Give Me Everything" has alone received over 300 million views on YouTube and Pitbull's first #1 radio hit. His world tour sold out concerts in United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, China and Japan. Pitbull's latest album release Global Warming features massive hit singles "Feel This Moment" featuring Christina Aguilera, "Don't Stop The Party" which followed his 2 million plus selling single "Back In Time." On November 25, 2013, Pitbull released a deluxe edition titled Global Warming: Meltdown which includes hit single "Timber" featuring Ke$ha along with 4 other brand new collaborations with Kelly Rowland, Mayer Hawthorne, Mohombi and Inna. Global Warming is the highly anticipated follow-up to Planet Pit, which earned critical acclaim and enjoyed massive commercial success with sales of more than 1.7 million albums and 19 million singles.  


About Jennifer Lopez



Jennifer Lopez is an award-winning singer, actress, and entertainer who has established herself in both music and film. She is a successful recording and touring artist with record sales in excess of $75 million and a cumulative box office gross of over $2 billion. Lopez is one of the most influential female artists in history. As an artist, fashion icon, entrepreneur, and a philanthropist, Jennifer Lopez has been named Forbes magazine's most powerful celebrity and People Magazine's first Most Beautiful Woman in the world. Jennifer Lopez is a global icon and the ultimate triple threat.  

About Claudia Leitte


 Claudia Leitte is a successful Brazilian musician and superstar, recognized for her talent, performance style, innovation, and charisma. In a little over a decade, Claudia Leitte has become one of the biggest names in Brazilian music, having won major Brazilian music awards and boasting over 15 million social media followers. In 2003, Claudia Leitte began her career as the lead vocalist for a local band in Bahia, in the northeast area of Brazil and the center of Carnival, a celebration which attracts over 3 million people annually. In 2008, Claudia began her solo career with the release of her debut album entitled "Ao Vivo em Copacabana." The live album and concert DVD filmed on the legendary Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro in front of an audience full of over 1 million fans, was a massive success, selling over triple platinum status, and transforming Claudia in a Brazilian pop star. Her second album, "As Mascaras," received a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Pop Album. 2012 was particularly meaningful for Leitte, with the release of her critically-acclaimed album "Negalora-Intimo." That same year she served as a mentor on Brazilian TV show "The Voice." Claudia recently released a new album entitled "Axemusic," a tribute to Axe, the rhythmic style that is the basis of her musical style.  


About Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a current roster that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including Arista Nashville, Beach Street/Reunion Records, Bystorm Entertainment, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Day 1, Epic Records, Essential Records, Kemosabe Records, Legacy Recordings, MASTERWORKS, Polo Grounds, RCA Inspiration, RCA Nashville, RCA Records, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Syco Music, Vested in Culture and Volcano. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.  


About FIFA
 The Federation Internationale de Football Association is the world governing body of football, comprising 209 football associations grouped into six confederations. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, FIFA's mission is to develop the game of football at all levels, to touch the world through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup™ and to use the power and popularity of football to build a better future for the underprivileged. For the Game. For the World.  

SOURCE Sony Music Entertainment  

CONTACT: FIFA: FIFA Media Department, Tel : +41-(0)43 222 7272, E-Mail: media@fifa.org; Sony Music Entertainment: Brian Garrity, Sony Music Entertainment, brian.garrity@sonymusic.com, 212-833-5891; Pitbull: Tom Muzquiz, Subterranean Media, tom@subterraneanmedia.com, 323-337-6563, or Sarah Weinstein Dennison, RCA Records, Sarah.weinstein@rcarecords.com, 212-833-5593; Jennifer Lopez: Whitney Tancred, Tancred@sunshinesachs.com; Claudia Leitte: Jacqueline Gonzalez, jacquelinegonzalez@textual.com.br, 11.3841.9551, 11.97147.7893




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Monday, January 20, 2014

Public Officials with Forged Certificates in Nigeria and the Hypocrites Among Us


It is common practice among Nigerians to point accusing fingers at anyone caught in the act of an immoral act or crime and they also often condemn, mob and lynch suspects without any evidence of being guilty of any crime.
So, be careful before you join Nigerians in public accusation and condemnation of anyone based on mere allegations, because false accusations and unfounded allegations are common in Nigeria. The best way to rubbish and tarnish the public reputation of a competitor or an enemy in Nigeria is to lie and spread false rumours against the person.
The cases of allegations of forged certificates are not new in Nigerian government since the disgrace of Alhaji Ibrahim Salisu Buhari, former Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1999, whose academic degree from the University of Toronto was false. But I can bet that he was not the only one with forged certificates in public office, but others cannot be disgraced until they are caught.
Of course the legions of Nigerians with fake educational qualifications are actually the millions of youths who have made cheating in academic and professional exams common practice. And there are thousands who also plagiarize theses and have gone ahead to claim first class and second class upper and lower degrees and diplomas and using them to secure dream jobs. But their incompetence in public sector or private sector expose their fraud.
We see them every working day in the offices in Nigeria.
Majority of them cannot defend their qualifications.
You see someone with MBA who cannot write an ordinary executive summary of a project.
You see another one who cannot even express herself in simple English.
I have seen women in the foreign service of Nigeria with certificates they got through the back door and by hired cheats.
But these hypocrites are among those living in denial of their own corruption and joining in the open accusation of Mrs. Stella Oduah, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation.
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, prize winning writer and author of "In the House of Dogs", "The Prophet Lied" and other books.

 
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Sunday, January 19, 2014

Inside Nigeria: Forged Certificates Made in Nigeria



 Forged Certificates

~ By Sonala Olumhense


The beauty of the Internet is that you can hear the world in thought.


Mrs. Stella Oduah, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, has been the subject of considerable fascination because of grievous allegations of corruption against her for which she was indicted by the House of Representatives.


She was found guilty of misappropriating funds of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, a department in her Ministry, “spending” a scandalous N255 million to buy two luxury cars for her own use. The cars were far less expensive that the sums she “spent” on them, in Nigerian parlance, she may simply have eaten the money.


I am one of the most fervent advocates of SaharaReporters, which broke the story in October 2013. If you understand that the principal mission of SaharaReporters (its editorial philosophy is available on the website) is to combat corruption, my support is not difficult to place.


To be sure, SaharaReporters and other serious corruption fighters (and they are very few in Nigeria), make mistakes. I do not know how anyone can report corruption in Nigeria and not make mistakes. That may explain why anti-corruption reporters in Nigeria do not carry identity cards.


Corruption in Nigeria is bad enough; to identify yourself in Abuja as reporting it is the equivalent of putting a gun to your own head and pulling the trigger. Those reporting corruption in Nigeria do Nigeria a favour.
In the government of Mr. Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs. Oduah may be the hardest-working person or the strongest fighter. That is not the issue.


As Aviation Minister, she may have built 100 airports and renovated another 100. That is not the issue.
The issue is that, particularly in a government which claims to be “transforming” Nigeria, she was found guilty of shameless acts of greed and corruption. As it turns out, that was Act One.


Last week, reports emerged that she may also be a certificate forger, in a country where forgery is a crime.
She may well be innocent, but the allegations are extremely disturbing. First, she claimed to have obtained an MBA, a rather distinguished and specialized advanced degree.


She also claimed to have obtained it from a school which has never had a Masters’ programme, and to have obtained it in the same year in which she was serving in the National Youth Service Corps in Nigeria. That is, she claimed to have been in Nigeria and the United States at one and the same time.


As it turns out, she could not have obtained the MBA because the institution has never had such a programme. In other words, Mrs. Oduah must have printed the certificate in Oshodi or Aba or Isale Eko.
Finally—one hopes this is the final entry in the infamous dossier—she claimed to have been honoured with a Ph.D by another institution.


This time, it turns out the ‘awarding’ institution does not even exist. That certificate may have been printed by anyone, anywhere.
What this means is that we have in the federal cabinet someone who had no compunctions about lying to the Senate or to the people of Nigeria. Now, to hear some Nigerians speaking on the Stella Oduah story, these allegations are the product of a “conspiracy” and against the Igbo. For my readers who do not know, Mrs. Oduah is Igbo.


In simple language, Mrs. Oduah has been indicted for fraud. The material evidence examined by the House showed that, contrary to the provisions of the budget under which she was acting, she spent federal funds on herself: excessively, insensitively and irresponsibly.
To the best of my knowledge, she did not take that decision on behalf of her ethnic group. She took the decision because of the prevailing and debilitating culture of impunity in Nigeria, and because she is irresponsible and greedy. She took that action because she cared far more about herself than about the people she swore to serve.


In most other countries of the world, Mrs. Oduah would have been punished under the law. In Mr. Goodluck Jonathan’s Nigeria, she did not even receive an official reprimand.
On account of her impunity, and aided by the weakness of Mr. Jonathan, the Minister attracted considerable public attention, and further media scrutiny.


Some people have not noticed, but the mass media has evolved. It has now grown to involve players who think that journalism may be too important to be left to journalists. They call themselves citizen journalists or citizen reporters. They go where the traditional media would not. They go where the traditional media cannot. They take advantage of their passions and emerging technologies to report their world with greater ferocity. You cannot blame them for reporting crimes you should not have committed.
As difficult as it may be for some Nigerians to believe, some of these reporters cannot be bought with money, no matter how many bales of it are on offer.


That is why, at a time that only the truth could have set the Minister free, it turned out she has been in the lying business for a very long time.
To be fair to Mrs. Odua, people have always forged certificates. In times past, however, the media, even if it was interested, lacked the resources to dig into these things. For certificate forgers and assorted official liars, that has changed. Today, you can print the same certificates or make any claims you wish, but you ought not to complain when you are found out, cruelly.


Some crooks will not be found out, ever. That has always been the nature of things: some people get away with murder and mayhem. Some others, alas, only have to spit in the wrong place, or at the wrong time.
When Mrs. Oduah was making her claims, she was not doing so with her ethnic group or her family in mind. She was driven by her personal ambitions and her greed. She wanted to get ahead of others.
Mrs. Oduah is an embarrassment to herself, but she has embarrassed her country even more, and she ought to pay the price. Actually, but for Nigeria’s weak and groveling leadership, she ought to have paid the price months ago.


Anyone who knows Nigeria knows the Igbo are an enterprising and hardworking people. Oduah’s certificate scandal is a sad comment on all Nigerians who work hard for their qualifications. It is an affront for anyone to say that in Mrs. Oduah, the Igbo are being victimized for crimes that she committed, or that someone is being paid to report her crimes as a person.


What this really underlines is how pathetic the so-called Transformation Agenda is. It lacks an ethical foundation, just as it lacks purpose, and is unveiled as the cheap propaganda tool that it is. Again and again, Mrs. Oduah has provided President Jonathan with the opportunity to go beyond the words people put in his mouth and act like a man who can lead.


He has demonstrated, instead, that he lacks the capacity. In the end, Mr. Jonathan’s frightening achievement may not be the children he failed to send to school or the roads he failed to build, but his subtle re-definition of right and wrong, creating a new Nigerian on the road to hell.


sonala.olumhense@gmail.com
Twitter: @SonalaOlumhense

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Saturday, January 18, 2014

Oscars 2014 Nominees: What A Year!

Oscars 2014 Nominees: What A Year!
What a year for Oscar. The nominations are in for the 86th Annual Academy Awards and the stars are graciously thanking the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the acknowledgment of ... Do you know that 60% of nominated films with American in their titles have won the Oscars. See more on nominees by numbers.
 
 

 
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Please, Immature and Insecure People Should Not Marry


 Whenever I see immature and insecure people rushing to marry, I shake my head in pity.
And majority of poor couples suffering in poverty today should not have married, because if you cannot afford three square meals and cannot pay the school fees for good functional education for your children and cannot afford to pay medical bills for their quality health care, PLEASE I beg you in the name of everything that is good, DON'T MARRY to save yourself and the rest of your family and community from the miseries of a dysfunctional marriage and dysfunctional family caused by your financial insecurity.

Marriage of convenience is the most common marriage in Nigeria today and such marriages need prayers to last.
Most people in these parts marry from insecurity..
Majority marry from peer pressure.
But they forget that God did not create you to impress your peers. But to fulfill your destiny.
Others marry just to have children to bear their last name and that is their greatest achievement on earth, even if their children are liabilities and public nuisance like majority of the children of the poor who in most cases worsen the problems of the society, because they have immature and insecure parents.
Parents who never had good parenting and so cannot be good parents themselves.

The root of the widespread poverty and insecurity in Nigeria and other poor countries is useless marriages. Because, any couple that cannot guarantee three square meals, functional good education and good healthcare for their children, should not marry until they can do so.
The stupidity of poor couples rushing to marry and make babies in abject poverty is a social malaise.
That is why you see the widespread poverty jeopardizing the lives of millions of innocent children like the ones on the 'Okada" motorbike shown in the picture above.
To me the most evil and wicked people on earth are couples who bring innocent children to suffer the misery of their poverty.
It is stupid and wicked to have children you suffer gladly as you put them in great disadvantages of life in a dog eat dog capitalist society.
If you are poor, PLEASE, DON'T MARRY and save innocent children from the misery of your own failures.

You complain and whine about lack of money to pay rent.
Lack of enough money to feed well.
Lack of enough money to pay school fees.
Lack of enough money to pay medical bills and so on.
But only fools will breed kids they cannot feed.
I remember that my father sent me to the famous St. Gregory's College in Lagos when it was a private and prestigious secondary school in the late 1970s and he never failed to pay my school fees until I left and would have been able to pay my fees to St Aldates College, Oxford, if not for his protracted terminal illness.
He always shopped for us at the popular Kingsway shopping mall on the Marina in Lagos.
We had more than three square meals every day.

So, couples who are still struggling to make ends meet, should never marry.
Marriage is not by force.
And if increasing the population of poor people in the world is an achievement to you, then you are insane.

Many girls who are not secure and not sure of their future marry as a safety net.
But I prefer every Nigerian girl or woman to be Miss Independent of the African American singer Neyo in class and career before getting married.
A marriage is not a job or a way to escape from insecurity.

The world is still suffering from the horrible and terrible consequences of dysfunctional marriages of dysfunctional families, so don't worsen the miseries of poverty plaguing humanity.

Let only those who are truly intellectually and financially ready marry.


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, author of Children of Heaven, Scarlet Tears of London, Bye, Bye Mugabe, In the House of Dogs, Diary of the Memory Keeper, The Prophet Lied, co-author of Naked Beauty, editor of The Language of True Love and Publisher/Editor of NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® SERIES.








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