Friday, February 4, 2022

Tribute To A Great Mother: Ma Margaret Murray-Bruce

Dear Senator Benedict Murray-Bruce, OON;

Beloved mothers are irreplaceable.
Beloved mothers are unforgettable.

The Yorùbás say "Iya ni wura" meaning Mother is gold.
Your beloved great mother, the beloved Matriarch of the Silverbird Group, Mrs. Margaret Murray-Bruce was more than golden.
She was priceless.
Beloved daughter of God.
Almighty God blessed her with beautiful long life and wonderful children.

Great mothers breed great leaders and your mother was an exemplary role model of such a great mother to millions of NIgerians who never met her, but knew her through you, her great son and your brothers and sisters.

I saw your mother on several occasions as I frequented your Domino Stores and attended the St. Dominic's Church in the same neighborhood of Yaba with your family and we attended the same famous St  Gregory's College on the Lagos Island. I was in the same 1975-1980 set with one of 
your younger brothers, Guy Murray-Bruce.
These are unforgettable memories we will cherish in our hearts as we remember your beloved mother.

"Everybody has to be born again. Our leaders and all Nigerians have to give their lives to Christ and let the fear of God live in them. As our father would say, ‘go straight, you will never go wrong’. This is the only way. People should do what is right."
- Ma Margaret Murray-Bruce
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2021/10/24/margaret-murray-bruce-if-i-were-to-return-to-school-i-might-end-up-being-a-journalist/

I thank Almighty God for blessing NIgeria with such a great mother as your beloved beautiful and highly favored mother.

Faithfully,
Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
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, February 3, 2022

Chief Joseph Momah Pays Condolence Visit to In-Laws

Chief Joseph Momah Pays Condolence Visit to In-Laws

The burial was grand. It attracted many Very Important Personalities, VIPs across the country. Ichi town had never seen such a gathering in recent history.

Chief Joseph Momah (Ajose) was the cynosure of all eyes as he dazzled all with his galaxy of friends and associates. He contributed in no small measure in making the burial grand.

Notedly, on January 4th, 2022, a Lagos-based business mogul and industrialist, Chief Joseph Momah brought to the fore, the essence and beauty of in-lawship in Igbo culture when he led a powerful delegation of family, friends and business associates to pay a condolence visit( Akwa -Ogo)  to his in-laws, the Obimdikes of Umuezeabu village, Ichi in Ekwusigo local government area of Anambra state over the death of the family's matriarch, late Sir Julius Ndukaife Obimdike.

Chief Momah is married to the late Sir Obimdike's daughter, Mrs Ozioma Momah.

Essentially, in the Igbo socio-cultural setting, in-laws are highly regarded because marriage inextricably connects and unites families as one so much so that what affects one affects the other.


It was against this backdrop that Chief Momah, a director of Fairpoint Limited, Marketers of Mega foods( Mega sardine, mackerel and seasonings), Eggovin & Sterling Reserve Whiskeys paid a colourful but powerful condolence visit to his in-laws to mourn with them.

Among high flyers and dignitaries that accompanied him to the condolence visit include  IKENGA Ichi and chairman of the Ekulo Group, Sir Emma Bishop Okonkwo, Chief & Mrs Sam Okonkwo (Enyiagboso), Pharm (Chief) Sam Ubachukwu( Nkpu -Ogiliga), Arc.Tony Nkwonta, Chief Emma Aniakor, Chief Tony Okonkwo( Dream Cosmetics), Barrister Apo Nwankwo, Barrister Dozie Eriobu and Chief Kenneth Okafor (Dofas).Others include Chief Josiah Mgbemena( Okenwa Neni), Nze and Lolo Azubike Okonkwo, Chief Chidi Unachukwu, Chief Nnaemeka Onyeanusi, Prof.Nwadialo E.O., Chief Ben Uluabuike( Bego),Mr Emeka Oramadike, Chief and Mrs Unigwe, Madam Big Ben, Chief Martin Udeaja, Ifeatu Okonkwo, Sir Dume Okenwa Ofodile, Chief Chuka Igwe, Chief Dan (Danduco) Chief  Bennet Anekwe (Ben Gold Ltd). Also in the delegation were Chief Ingram Osigwe (EnyiOha na Akokwa), Chief Afam Ubachukwu, ChiefJoseph Okonkwo (Nwachinemelu), Chief Ezekiel Okeke, Chief Emeka Nmeka, Chief Nathan Okonkwo( Ezeugo), Chief Ossy Okonkwo( Akurienne), Nwakaibeya Ichi and members of Alpha circle club.

A Knight of St. Christopher, three Anglican Bishops officiated at the late Sir Obimdike's burial. They include Bishop Ndubisi Obi of Nnewi Diocese, Bishop Chinweike of Nkalagu (Enugu Diocese) and Bishop Okpala (Retired).
Until his demise, Sir Obimdike  was the Chairman of Ichi Anglican Knights.


Sir Iheaku, the Stockfish Mogul Bows Out

Sir Iheaku, the Stockfish Mogul Bows Out

- By Chief Ingram Osigwe

According to the Holy Bible, there is time for everything- time to be born, time to grow, time to procreate, time to die. The irrepressible Sir (Dr) Godson Nwosu Iheaku (Omenkeahurunnaya 1 of Osina) has completed the cycle and has gone home to be with his maker.



He had seen it all and has, therefore, bowed out, in a blaze of glory and at a glorious age of 85. Sir Iheaku hailed from Osina town, in Ideato North local government area of Imo state.

This quintessential business mogul who brought to the zenith, east of the Niger, the trade in stockfish, popular and revered in Igboland as "Okporoko" was one of Osina's first Eleven- earliest wealthy men, business moguls and captains of Industry who brought the town to the limelight.

Apart from Sir Iheaku, in this league of great men, Osina's first Eleven, include Sir Chief D.U Nsudum( Akwaja Ahuogu 1 of Osina), Chief G.O Offor ( Omeokachie), Sir Peter Umeh, Sir Augustine Umeh, Nze F.I Onwadike(Omereoha 1), Sir B.U Ohanugo(Onwa), Chief Benniah Ume (Agubata) and Chief R.O Nwabueze.

The common denominator here is that all these great men have all gone to be with their creator long before Sir Iheaku joined them in that ecclesiastical journey.

He was Born on the 10th of September, 1936 as the first son of the family of Nze Iheakubiara Agwunobi Nwaebube and Mrs Akuoma Iheaku (nee Umezurike), both of blessed memory. The family belongs to Umuokearukwa kindred in Akpaka-na-Ezeala Village, Idima Autonomous Community (formerly, Of-eke Osina), Ideato North Local Government Council of Imo State, Nigeria.

Growing up, the young Godson was imbued with uncanny intellect. He was a brilliant pupil who dazzled all with electrifying academic performances that stood him on a pedestal for higher educational pursuit.

Had the interplay of factors not collaborated to eventually steer his life trajectory towards trading, Sir Iheaku would have ended up an erudite scholar with loud academic accomplishments. In fact, during his lifetime, Sir Iheaku was often referred to as "the Academic Giant" Osina never had.

However, the laurels and glories that he would have garnered in the academic world, Sir Iheaku got in the arena of trading and merchandising.

Thus, from 1951 when he ventured into business as a merchandise trainee/ apprentice till he breathed his last, Sir Iheaku was on a steady upward swing of success, conquering and dominating the business environment with his trademark importation of Stockfish.

Indeed, the dutiful young Godson, who started life in 1951 as a simple apprentice trader, had, before he joined the saints,  metamorphosed into a world-class business giant. Notedly, in addition to stockfish merchandising, Iheaku also veered into Agriculture and allied ventures, birthing in the process, many business subsidiaries.

Before his demise, Sir Godson Iheaku was the Chairman and Chief Executive of a Mega Group of Limited Liability Companies, including:

*G. N. Iheaku and Co. Ltd 

*Gincolin Associates Ltd 

*United Fish Merchants Ltd

*ICCI International Ltd

*Integrated Fisheries Ltd.

A large-hearted man, Sir Iheaku trained and mentored several young men from different parts of Nigeria in trading. Many of them are today successful businessmen in their rights.

There is hardly a Stockfish trader in Nigeria that does not have a business relationship with him; directly or indirectly.

His impact on the Stockfish business has been so profound that his mentees and business beneficiaries go as far as almost unionising to keep alive his business legacy. His business footsteps will surely remain indelible in the sands of time.

Sir Iheaku was not a slave to wealth. He believed in good living to demonstrate the goodness of God in one's life. This explained why, during his lifetime, he was fashion-conscious. It was not unusual to see him dressed in well-made, trendy traditional wears- Ishiagu, Agbada, French suits,Senator etc.

A community leader who was passionate about the development of his community, Osina, Sir Iheaku meritoriously served his beloved home town in different capacities from 1972 till he breathed his last.

Worthy of mention too are his services to the Church. He was a Christian of the Anglican Communion and was equally one of the pillars of St. John's Osina and St. Andrew's Onitsha. His services at both the local church and diocesan levels were subsequently recognized by the then Bishop of Okigwe-Orlu Anglican Diocese, the Rt. Rev. S. C. N- Ebo who, on 5th November 1989, conferred on him the Knight Order of St Christopher.

A consummate family man and a doting husband, father and grandfather, Sir Iheaku got married in 1962 to his heartthrob, then Miss Esther Ugbondu Aghajiuba from Ikpa, Urualla.

The marriage is blessed with several children and grandchildren.

All the children, well educated, are accomplished and have excelled in their various callings.

No matter how smooth and flowery it appears to be, life could sometimes be full of valleys, roadblocks and obfuscations, such that task one's emotional stability, faith and trust in God.

The above was Sir Iheaku's lot 13 years ago, precisely December 17, 2009, when kidnappers abducted and murdered his lawyer first son, Chijioke then aged 40, even after the family had parted with a ransom of 7million Naira. 

It was an agonising sight watching the then 72-year-old Sir Iheaku mourn and weep uncontrollably over the brutal murder of the first product of his loins.

As a devout Christian that he was, Sir Iheaku was to accept the grim reality of the untimely demise of his first son with equanimity while hoping that justice would be done. 

In a funeral invitation signed by his son, Sir Chineme Iheaku( Okosisi), Omenkeahurunnaya will be  laid to rest on Friday 18th February 2022 at his Country home, Osina, Ideato North LGA Imo state after 10 am burial mass at St John's Anglican Church Osina.

Osina has indeed lost an icon, a trailblazer and a good man

In the words of Sir Tony Ezenna( Ijele Akokwa), Chairman, Orange  Group, "during his eventful life on earth, Sir Iheaku was driven by diligence, patience, and tenacity of purpose, honesty and hard work- rare virtues that greatly endeared him to all who encountered him, including his family,  business partners, associates, friends and indeed the people of Osina, his community, and the ancient kingdom of Ideato as a whole.

"Omenkeahurunnaya was an illustrious son of Osina who gave his all to the community- serving it in various capacities thus contributing immensely to making the modern town it is today"

###

Chief Ingram Osigwe( Enyioha)  writes from Akokwa.


Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Top 20 Emerging Filmmakers Shortlisted For Netflix & UNESCO’s African Folktales, Reimagined Competition


PRESS RELEASE


Top 20 Emerging Filmmakers Shortlisted For Netflix & UNESCO’s African Folktales, Reimagined Competition

The shortlist contains a dynamic group of African creatives from across 13 countries in the region

Access Multimedia Content

https://www.africa-newsroom.com/press/media/top-20-emerging-filmmakers-shortlisted-for-netflix-and-unescos-african-folktales-reimagined-competition

LAGOS, Nigeria, February 2, 2022/ -- Shortlisted candidates from 13 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa; six winners will create short films that will premiere on Netflix (www.Netflix.com).

Netflix and UNESCO are excited to announce the 20 shortlisted candidates who will go forward in the exciting short film competition ‘African Folktales, Reimagined’. What’s more - the quality of submissions received resulted in one extra candidate being added to the list, making it 21 filmmakers on the shortlist! The candidates were selected following a rigorous evaluation process by a wide-range of industry professionals from across the continent who assessed over 2080 applications from across the continent in multiple languages. The shortlist contains a dynamic group of African creatives from across 13 countries in the region.

The  shortlisted filmmakers include (in no particular order): Nosa Igbinedion (Nigeria); Ebot Tanyi (Cameroon); Loukman Ali (Uganda); Tongryang Pantu (Nigeria); Walt Mzengi (Tanzania); Venance Soro (Côte d'Ivoire);Mark Wambui(Kenya); Volana Razafimanantsoa (Madagascar); Mohamed Echkouna (Mauritania); Nader Fakhry (Côte d'Ivoire); Anne Catherine Tchokonté (Cameroon); Mphonyana Mokokwe (Botswana); Anita Abada (Nigeria); Samuel Kanyama (Zambia); Machérie Ekwa-Bahango (Democratic Republic of Congo); Oprah Oyugi (Kenya); Ndiyathemba Modibedi (South Africa); Gcobisa Yako (South Africa); Akorede Azeez (Nigeria); Katya Aragão (São Tomé and Príncipe) and Voline Ogutu (Kenya). 

The 21 emerging filmmakers will go on to the next phase of the competition where they will be required to pitch their stories to a judging panel comprising of the mentors; Nigeria’s Femi Odugbemi, South Africa’s Bongiwe Selane, Leila Afua Djansi from Ghana, David Tosh Gitonga from Kenya, and Jean Luc Herbulot from Congo as well as representatives from Netflix and UNESCO who will act as guides in the process. The panel will select the final six filmmakers who will receive a production grant of US$75,000 (through a local production company) to develop, shoot and post-produce their films under the guidance of Netflix and industry mentors to ensure everyone involved in the production is fairly compensated. Each of the 6 winners will also receive $25,000.

“Congratulations to those who have been shortlisted! They should all be proud of the quality of their work. This competition showcases the extraordinary cultural richness that Africa has to offer that we want to share with people all over the world, as Africa is a priority for UNESCO.” - Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture. 

Adding to UNESCO’s congratulatory message, Ben Amadasun, Netflix Director of Content in Africa siad, “We also want to thank our panel of independent industry professionals who undertook the mammoth task to read over 2080 applications until they found 21 strong submissions! The response from all the aspiring filmmakers who took time to submit their application also proves that there's a wealth of storytelling potential and talent in Africa and we at Netflix are excited to be part of this journey for more talented new voices to share their stories with the world.”


For more information about the competition, please visit www.netflix-growcreative.com/unesco.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Netflix.

About UNESCO:

We are the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. In 2021, UNESCO published The African Film Industry: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities for Growth the first complete mapping of Africa’s film and audiovisual industries. In 2022 UNESCO will convene the Global Mondiacult Conference on Cultural Policies and Development, in Mexico.


About Netflix:

Netflix is the world's leading streaming entertainment service with 222 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries, feature films and mobile games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

SOURCE

Netflix