Young carer Have you just been turned down or lost in a competition? Well, the story of Oritse Williams, 22, a member of the British pop group Jack the Lad Swing aka JLS may inspire you. It is not often that you see a young man taking care of his family as the breadwinner in the UK with a deep ‘attachment’ or commitment.
Oritse did not have a normal childhood because he became his disabled mum’s carer while he was in secondary school. He is very passionate about Multiple Sclerosis (MS) which is the ailment his mum suffers from. He 'broke down' on air (ITV) because he did not expect to make it as a singer when he got the news that JLS topped the UK singles charts with Beat Again. The tears looked like a form of therapy; from years of a dream deterred. Awards JLS won the 2009 MOBO Award for Best UK Newcomer and Best Song for the single Beat Again; Best Unsigned Act at the Urban Music Awards 2007. JLS was the runner-up in the 2008 X Factor competition but surprisingly proved X Factor judges wrong when the band became No.1 in the UK singles charts in July with the track Beat Again.
According to Wikipedia, “JLS are only the second non-winning act of The X Factor to achieve a number-one single, after second series contestant Chico Slimani.” The group of four young men worked extremely hard to make JLS a success but they may need to work more on stagecraft; which is time consuming. 'Failed' in Nigeria For Oritse, ‘Failure’ does not seem to be in his dictionary. According to online reports, he previously lived with his father in Nigeria. He was involved in community care and youth development. He was also interested in music and recorded a song but was dropped for another artiste that he ‘refused’ to name in a tough competition.
He was denied the opportunity to make it in Nigeria but he did not give up. His dreams were shattered because his motive to become a singer was to raise money and fund MS research; so that sufferers can be cured of the ailment. After his A levels, he moved back to England to live with his mum, became a university student, got a payless job in the music industry in order to gain more experience and formed the group JLS. As they say, every disappointment is a blessing in disguise. Number one Today, Oritse is a famous singer, sex symbol and pop idol. He is probably the favourite of the 'boy band' because he shockingly received panties from girls 'with his picture on.' A lot of girls are just crazy about JLS. The band is so hot and had to apologise to fans that were injured in a recent Birmingham concert crowd surge. More than expected thousands of fans were at the Birmingham Christmas Lights 2009 gig which was supposed to also feature other artistes and Reuters says that “at least 60 people” were injured.
According to Contact Music, “Bandmember Marvin Humes says, "We are so, so sad to see people got injured... It was meant to be a great event. We're just gutted that everyone's day was spoilt”. Nevertheless, Everybody In Love is JLS’s second No.1 single this year and the debut album titled JLS is currently No.1 in the UK album charts. Another single, Close To You will be released next month. For JLS, it has been No.1 after No.1 and another No.1... Dozens injured at Birmingham Christmas lights gig JLS - JLS APOLOGISE TO FANS JLS stars reveal celebrity crushes JLS (band)
JLS Band: Aston Merrygold, (red) Oritse Williams, Marvin Humes and JB Gill
The first black Miss England, Rachel Christie, 21, 'had' to resign after she was arrested and accused of assaulting Miss Manchester, Sara Jones, 24, in a Manchester nightclub during a row over a former Royal Marine Commando, David McIntosh, who was a contestant in the Gladiators TV show. Christie allegedly "hit" Jones "in the face several times," says The Daily Telegraph. According to NY Daily News, Jones flashed a text message from McIntosh, 22, before Christie ‘attacked’ her during the brawl. Even if Jones had flashed the text to provoke Christie or make her jealous should she not have curtailed her temper as Miss England? McIntosh aka Tornado had a relationship with both beauty queens and “had moved on to Christie after a prior romance with Jones.” The beauty queens probably fell for his physique, fame and swagger... The new Miss England is a white British soldier who has served in Iraq. Lance Corporal Katrina Hodge, the former first runner-up is to represent England in the upcoming Miss World competition in Johannesburg, South Africa next month. Rachel Christie, who is the niece of famous Olympian sprinter Linford Christie, hopes to train and compete in the 2012 Olympics. She is 'out on bail until January 2010' and the police are looking for people who witnessed the incident, according to media reports.
As a teenager, I watched two Caribbean friends of mine fight over a guy in the UK. Miss Y was constantly attacked by Miss X and they fought bitterly like men. Punches would fly all over the place until they were separated by schoolboys. When they refused to bury the hatchet I kept away from both of them. As far as I was concerned boys or young men were not worth fighting for. I probably did not understand their feelings or their lovely and ‘deadly’ motives. The last fight was bloody indeed. X hid a penknife in her bag. When Y pounced on her for a fight she allowed Y to hit her for a while before slashing her throat. Y fell on the floor and X ran out of town because she thought she had killed Y. Y was hospitalized on danger list but survived with scars on her neck. Honestly, a lot of people did not expect her to survive because she lost a lot of blood and the boxing area was stained for sometime. Some years after that, two Nigerian friends of mine fought over a popular young man in Nigeria. They did not fight physically but fell apart and the centre could no longer hold a la Chinua Achebe. An actress accused a TV presenter of snatching her MC cum PR buff sweetheart. I failed to settle the imbroglio because they swore never to make up. The guy did not marry either of them and they both moved on...
Miss York 2009
Nigerian-born Helen Lawal, 23, is the current Miss York and 'outgoing' Miss Black Britain. The medical student won Miss York in April although the organizers of the competition received a threatening phone call from a male racist who felt that a black person should not represent York. Lawal, who will soon relinquish her crown as Miss Black Britain 2008 did not make it to the final of the 2009 Miss England competition?
... As a result of this it is not wrong to speculate that Akunyili will gaffe because she will be doing the job that she is not naturally or professionally coined out to do, a job that does not fit her person and character. -----------------------Dr Bisi Adewole (2008)
Minister Dora Akunyili courtesy Nigeriaworld
Is Mrs Dora Akunyili, a Professor of Pharmacology cum Minister of Information and Communications not actually a Minister of Disinformation and Collaboration? At the recent NLNG Literature Prize Award Night where there was no recipient, Akunyili goofed by saying that a Nigerian woman won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Science? According to NEXT, Akunyili blamed the Press for not reporting the fake news. The Federal Government should have thanked God that such gaffes were not made in Europe where the global media would had a field day. Maybe the Nobel Foundation – Board of Directors which is opposed to new prizes should allow the creation of a Nobel Prize in Misinformation or Disinformation and award Akunyili in a flamboyant ceremony. Wouldn’t that be a good way to rebrand Nigeria? However, that would be a mirage because Nobel Prizes are for good initiatives and achievements and not for smirks and pranks. Professor Wole Soyinka is the only Nigerian who has won a Nobel Prize. According to Encyclopedia.com, "His powerful writing of novels, plays and poetry enabled him to become the first African writer, and the first Black writer of any nationality to win the Nobel Prize for literature in 1986". Akunyili could have searched the internet e.g. Wikipedia for a list of Nobel Prizewinners even if she could not browse the Nobel Prize website to confirm her source of information which was wrong. That was exactly the same way the troublemaker extraordinaire, Akunyili believed and acted irrationally on a ’forged’ petition against the 2.3 GHz spectrum sale which led to the cancellation of the bid and the arrest plus interrogation of NCC boss, Ernest Ndukwe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The CEO of Mobitel Nigeria Limited, Johnson Salako was interrogated and detained for eight days by the EFCC because the company was highly mentioned in the petition until a Federal High Court ordered his release but Mobitel later sued Akunyili and three others. Akunyili and Ndukwe went through a ‘silent battle’ with supporters on either side. Nevertheless, they both attended the ITU Telecom World 2009 conference in ‘harmony’. The petitioner, Olusegun Akinloye who disclosed that he did not use his telecom company’s letter headed paper to write the petition and Akunyili have not been arrested or interrogated by the EFCC; since the chairman of A3 & 0 Limited, Wale Adeyinka claimed that the petition received by Akunyili was not from the company. Was that not forgery and is forgery not a criminal offence in Nigeria? It was obvious that some Nigerians are above the law apart from the immunity clause. Black Nobel Prize laureates Nobel prize laureates (most recent) by country
Titled: “A Bill for An Act to Amend the Legislative Houses, Powers and Privileges Act, Cap L12 2004, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and for Other Related Purposes, 2009,” it was sponsored by Henry Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa). -----------------Festus Owete, NEXT
Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson courtesy NASSNIG
It has been said in several quarters that the custodians of law were most likely to break the law. Honourable Henry Dickson is a member of the Nigerian House of Representatives aka House of Tongues; where you can literally eat your way to the top and become a millionaire with or without passing a motion. Former Attorney-General It is still baffling that Hon. Dickson, a former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Bayelsa State sponsored a bill to give members of the house immunity from police arrest, interrogation and prosecution etc. It would allow lawmakers to commit crime and get away with it. May God deliver Nigerians from the House of Tongues? The notion is that the masses are powerless but since some election votes were bought and rigged are the masses not powerless? Recall Dickson Now? Dickson should be removed as the Chairman of the Committee on Justice because he is a disgrace to the judiciary. His constituency in Sagbama/Ekeremor of Bayelsa State should caution him or simply recall him from the House of Representatives. The bill has passed its second reading but the best thing would be for it to be dumped in the garbage heap or thrown out for good because Nigeria is no longer under military rule but improper democratic rule. Immunity of Presidents and Governors “The immunity clause, as spelt out in Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution, only covers the offices of the President, Vice President, Governors and Deputy Governors”, Festus Owete. For Dickson to believe that legislators should also be immune from offences and prosecution is absurd. Constitutional Court quashed Italian Prime Minister’s legal immunity Italian Prime Minister and media mogul, Silvio Berlusconi was recently disgraced when the constitutional court struck out the immunity law to enable him to face prosecution. Berlusconi now has about three court cases which could force him to resign. When will the immunity clause be abolished from the Nigerian constitution? In 2008, the Croatian Parliament stripped lawmaker Branimir Glavas of his immunity so that he could face charges of war crimes. “However, his trial was suspended and he was freed from jail Friday when a court ruled that he had automatically regained immunity with the formation of the new Parliament _ to which he was re-elected,” AP. In 2007, Lulzim Basha, the Albanian foreign minister was stripped of legal immunity to enable him to face charges of corruption and abuse of power. “The lawmakers voted 107-12 in favor of investigating Lulzim Basha over allegations of improperly favoring a U.S.-Turkish joint venture in the awarding of a highway construction contract while he was transport minister”, AP. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) The *EFCC once complained about some undisclosed legislators. May we ask the EFCC if Hon. Dickson was actually one of them? A lot of Nigerians in the Diaspora who have watched Dickson as a vocal political commentator on satellite TV are now disappointed in him because of his latest agenda to ‘push’ lawmakers above the law or amend the immunity clause. Clinton, CIA and FBI *At the same time, the EFCC is not 'clean' because of allegations of fraudulent malpractices which were under investigation... How can you fight corruption if you are also corrupt? It will be recalled that Hillary Clinton, the United States Secretary of State was lambasted by the EFCC as being “ignorant” of EFCC objectives and accomplishments for daring to say that the EFCC derailed over the last two years. How can one of the most powerful women in the world be ignorant in that aspect? The CIA and FBI have their own data on Nigeria but the embattled EFCC went too far with its defensive comments. Nwodo, Aliyu and SSS If the bill is stubbornly passed into law then the State Security Service (SSS) should stop arresting people who call for the military to take over Nigeria because they have the right to express their views. A former Minister of Information and Culture, John Nwodo and a former member of the House of Representatives, Farouk Adamu Aliyu were arrested at different times by the SSS for making statements in favour of the military. May God save Nigeria!
British Yob Culture
Above is what turned out to be the 'funniest' online video of the week. The Sun tracked down the man who defended himself and his family with a single karate blow not even karate chop... He turned out to be Jason Smith,35, a Gulf War veteran and former bodyguard to famous people with two black belts in karate and jiu-jitsu. Yobs are 'everywhere' committing ‘yobbery’ and terrorizing innocent people everyday. How was your week?
Sunday 4th of October is Grandparent’s day. According to the History of National Grandparent’s Day, the purpose of the day is: • To honor grandparents • To give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children. • To help children become aware of the strength, information and guidance older people can offer Although the official flower of the day is the Forget-me-not other flowers can be given to grandparents. Cards and gifts could make grandparents happy. A telephone call just to say Happy Grandparent’s Day is just as important especially if they live far away. I wish grandparents a wonderful day. In France, grandfather’s day will be celebrated on October 4 although grandmother’s day was celebrated last March. In the UK, US and Canada grandfather’s and grandmother’s days are celebrated on October 4.
Where Were They? (A Dirge for Chief Gani Fawehinmi)
Where were they? When you were trapped with mosquitoes, roaches and lizards in the dungeon Oppressed by the military, political embezzlers and dangling truncheons 32 times in dark cells with prayers against the bludgeon... Where were they? Six times, when Abacha bared his fangs How many Gulag phones rang? To ease your family from pain and pang Where were they? 17 times, when the regime of Babangida sent you to jail, Relieved to send you to Gashua without daily mails The Aftermath of sickness without a trail Where were they? When cancer engulfed your lung(s) Now that you’re gone Who will re-do the wrongs? Where were they? When ‘wanted’ Ribadu appeared in your home from exile Accompanied by Femi Falana, he gave the last salute on the Morgue tile Woefully, the *IG lied to save his uniform for a while
Where were they? During your transition to glory Now the oppressors and dictators need not worry Shamelessly, they mourned with eulogies without saying sorry. *Inspector General of Police.
Van Jones, the White House Environmental adviser resigned and claimed that there was a conspiracy against him. Jones was the Green Czar who once said that oil companies were killing people with genocide in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. A journalist said that Jones was partially silenced for defending affected Nigerians. Recently, he was accused of making derogatory statements against the Republican Party and apologised but the apology was ‘not’ accepted although he made the negative remarks after his appointment. He was also accused of signing a 9/11 petition that suggested that the government allowed terrorists to bomb the World Trade Center. Was he not screened before he was appointed? The truth of the matter is that Van Jones is one of the most influential political radicals in the United States. He is also a political risk to the government because of his affiliations, strong policies and history of past activism. Jones could easily sway the masses to support his green jobs agenda. According to TV host and political commentator Glenn Beck on Fox News, Jones used the Social Justice, Green Movement and Labour Unions to form the super power group called APOLLO ALLIANCE. Becks argued that Jones is a self-proclaimed communist. President Barack Obama was allegedly linked to the Apollo Alliance and the best thing for Van Jones to do was to resign in order not to tarnish Obama’s image apart from the fact that he once called the Republicans “Assholes”. For the Obama camp, it was good riddance to bad rubbish but why employ a ‘communist’ in the first place? The popular environmental activist may never call anybody an “Asshole” again because the so called “Assholes” diplomatically forced him to resign. *In the US and UK, people can be held accountable for previous statements. As they say, he who lives in a glass house shouldn't throw stones but Jones threw (verbal) missiles and paid for it with his ‘green job’.
Gani Fawehinmi: Death of a Legal Icon
Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi, SAN (1938 - 2009)
Chief Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi (SAN) died after a battle with lung cancer last Saturday morning and threw Nigerians worldwide into ‘global mourning’. His death at 71 was very painful; especially to those who ‘worshipped’ him as their hero. Nevertheless, heroes do not die like ordinary human beings because they continue to ‘live’ by the memories and legacies they leave behind. The man who was described in some quarters as a ‘one man riot squad’ because of his boldness to fight oppression will be remembered as a great African, legal icon and Nigeria’s foremost human rights activist. Fawehinmi was the Madiba, Nelson Mandela of Nigeria but the major difference was that he never ruled Nigeria as a president. He was the ‘Godfather’ of the downtrodden who fought military dictatorship by insistently dragging Military leaders and the Federal Government to court. He was arrested, detained and jailed several times for ‘fighting’ injustices and holding political rallies. He was a philanthropist who sponsored the less privileged to school. He also sponsored Nigerians (on holy tours) to Saudi Arabia as a dutiful Muslim. Fawehinmi is an irreparable loss to Nigeria. RIP.
Speech Therapy and the Mercury Prize
A new female rapper, Speech Debelle won the 2009 Mercury Prize for the best British album titled Speech Therapy. A lot of people were surprised because it is her first album and it is not yet in the UK album chart. She told the BBC that she wanted to do something different from other rappers and came up with Speech Therapy. Speech Debelle is 'down-to-earth'.
The Big Brother Affair
Glamour model, Sophie Reade aka Dogface won Big Brother 2009 (UK). She went through ‘hell’ when viewers thought she was pregnant just because she had a short affair with Kris in the house. She actually put on weight. A mini ‘kebab belly’ does not mean that a woman is pregnant. She denied the allegations even after telling a fellow housemate something about Kris. Whether she was pregnant or not was nobody’s business, was it?
President Yar'Adua and Mrs. Clinton courtesy Xinhua/Reuters
Arrival United States Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton was recently in Nigeria but was ‘snubbed’ when the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ojo Maduekwe and other dignitaries were unscrupulously absent from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. However, the (unconfirmed) Nigerian Ambassador to the US, Professor Tunde Adeniran, US Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Robin Renèe Sanders and Airport officials were at the airport to welcome Mrs. Clinton to Nigeria. It was highly embarrassing for uncountable Nigerians in the Diaspora who watched the undiplomatic behaviour of the Federal Government on a satellite TV programme, Focus Nigeria (AIT - Sky Channel 187). EFCC Clinton’s comment that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) derailed over the past two years was later rebuffed by the EFCC who felt that she was misinformed. Rather than accept constructive criticism the commission ‘argued’ that it was not a failure but who is fooling whom? Electoral Act The Senate President, David Mark disagreed with Clinton’s comment in a press statement on the Electoral Act. He felt it was alright the way it is probably because it favours the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the dominant Nigerian political party that he belongs to. Of course the PDP also disagreed with Clinton. Political Robbery and Single State After engaging in political robbery by election rigging in some states, the PDP may be in favour of a one-party state by encouraging Governors to join PDP. A few days ago, the Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Garba Gadi was impeached for mainly refusing to join the PDP. Within 24 hours, he was replaced by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly. It must be emphasized that the Governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda is President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s in-law and he became a PDP convert on 27 June, 2009. Imo State Governor, Ikedi Ohakim decamped from the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) to PDP in July. It will be recalled that Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka recently warned the nation of the danger of a one-party state. May God save Nigeria! Full transcript of US Secretary of state, Hillary Clinton speech in a meeting with civil society groups in Nigeria
Transatlantic Row Over Lockerbie Bomber
The Great Train Robber, Ronnie Biggs is terminally ill and was recently released from prison on compassionate grounds. The Scottish Government was planning to release the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi who 'killed' 270 people in 1988 on compassionate grounds. There were arguments on TV between UK/US legislators and families on the sensitive issue but it was clear that the Americans may ‘never’ forgive British people (especially the Scots) for such a release. The American families of those who died in the bomb blast prefer the bomber to die in prison and not return to Libya alive while some of the UK families of the dead thought it was OK for him to be released because he is dying of terminal prostate cancer. Al-Megrahi was denied bail last year but now has less than three months to live. He recently dropped his second appeal in order to pave the way for his release. The strange thing about the case were public comments that he might have being innocent all these years. Were such comments made on compassionate grounds and did the 270 people die on compassionate grounds?
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has personally urged Scotland's justice secretary not to free the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing. -----------BBC
Do you love taking 'obscene' photographs aka love pictures? If you do, you could be published on the internet free-of-charge (FOC) without your permission. Two married employees of a mobile telecommunications company were unlucky after they did the obvious and 'misplaced the memory card'. They decided to have a fling but it is now causing them a lot of embarrassment. A few commentators told a blogger to remove the naked photos but nay. What a shame! If you cannot stand the sight of ‘flesh’ don’t bother to click or follow the link... THE ZAIN UGANDA OPERATIONS DIRECTOR’S SEX SCANDAL
10 Reasons Why Men Cheat
1.Sex: Some husbands are not ready to discuss what they prefer to do and vice versa. The notion is that some wives are old fashioned in bed so the next thing is to try younger women and commit adultery. Well, the choice is theirs as long as they don’t pay the price like late footballer Steve McNair.
2.Heavy pregnancy and childbirth: Some men prefer to have affairs during such periods because they don’t think they should restrain from sex... Some men also find it very difficult to run a family. As soon as they start having kids sex may become a problem; they could lose interest and have affairs. That is why some wives deliberately avoid getting pregnant within a few years of marriage. Some men believe that women pay more attention to the kids and neglect their sexual responsibilities.
3.Location: Men who work far away from their women could have affairs and vice versa. A popular man left his young and beautiful wife in Nigeria while he worked abroad until his family caught her red handed with her lover after a tip-off from nosey neighbours. She was unrepentant because she had a high sex drive and was deprived.
4.Bisexual: Some men are actually bisexual and won’t admit it so they cheat from time to time.
5.Gigolo: A gigolo will cheat anytime he comes across a woman who fancies him as long there is monetary gain in the act aka money for hand and back for ground. Gigolos constantly buy Viagra etc.
6.Boredom: Are you aware that unemployment could make some men cheat? Some women don’t allow their husbands or partners to work because they have betters jobs. So what do you expect a young virile man to do while you are at work? A woman caught a girl in her house and the girl claimed that the woman’s husband went shopping for her. The woman did not argue with the girl instead she gave the girl a taxi fare and said, “That man is my jobless husband and this house was our wedding gift from my millionaire father. It is true that we don’t have kids yet but he is just using you. Don’t ever come back here”. He lied to the girl that he was a rich single man. It was so funny...
7.Nagging: Men are like kids when they are nagged too often. It is easy for a man to be petrified and keep away from home. Some men who suffer from nagging are usually found in pubs and social clubs without their wives. They dread going home... They do it on purpose to make naggers worry with the hope that the nagging would stop but nay. They could easily start having affairs... A broadcaster used to avoid going home until late at night when his nagger would have slept. He did not have a girlfriend but he was always at the club. One day, his close pal told me, “On TV he looks happy but deep down he suffers from depression because he is married to a nagger; that woman is terrible and he is probably scared to divorce her”. ***If you are a nagger please do not hammer on the same topic like old 'skool' DJ, MC Hammer most of the time.
8.Suspicion: A man who suspects that his wife is cheating on him without concrete evidence may cheat due to lack of confidence.
9.Friends: Womanizers flock together; the type of friends you keep matter because they can influence or persuade you to cheat on your wife.
10.Insatiable: Some men are just greedy... Even if their wives were as beautiful as beauty queens they would still cheat. Womanizers lack pride and dignity because all women are the same to them. They are the type who chat up women and give eye signals while they are shopping with their wives. It could be very embarrassing because such wives automatically become ‘beauty-fools.’
Kenneth Tong holding his shoes: courtesy The Sun Model Karly Ashworth
Recently, cute Kenneth Tong admitted that he was "really stupid" and made a big fool of himself in the UK Big Brother House on Channel 4. In fact, he ran away before eviction day. He initially entered the Big Brother House after the eviction of his girlfriend, glamour model Karly Ashworth. The Kenneth scenario was funny although I did not watch the reality show from the beginning. It was not easy for a young millionaire to mingle with average people as he showed off his pair of shoes; which was worth £3,000. Some people have never bought shoes for £100 so you can imagine how inferior Kenneth made them feel. Letting housemates know that he had three bodyguards was another problem because it made him look like a VIP. On the other hand, a few on-line commentators made negative remarks on Kenneth’s status and qualifications. Nevertheless, it was easy to accuse Kenneth of being flamboyant but if other contestants were as rich as him some of them would probably have snubbed the house... Flirting with his girlfriend’s friend (Dogface) was his biggest blunder. At times, money can ‘control’ our brains but it could be 'far' from Kate Hardy’s medical romance and upcoming novel, Falling for the Playboy Millionaire. The expensive joke that if Dogface got pregnant for him she would become rich was sickening indeed. Maybe she should have given him the finger sign or was it not allowed? Who will become the 10th UK Big Brother, 2009? Rachel Rice won the competition in 2008 and a Nigerian Prince, Brian Bello won in 2007. UK Big Brother Winners
Craig Phillips Series 1 2000 Brian Dowling Series 2 2001 Kate Lawler Series 3 2002 Cameron Stout Series 4 2003 Nadia Almada Series 5 2004 Anthony Hutton Series 6 2005 Pete Bennett Series 7 2006 Brian Belo Series 8 2007 Rachel Rice Series 9 2008
Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was legally floored and literally flogged by the Leadership Newspapers Group last June. The chemistry teacher, governor cum president dragged Leadership Newspapers to court for defamation of character; because of a publication on his absence from public functions which was true in the first instance. Why did his counsels not tell him that his immunity would not allow him to sue anybody personally before instituting a legal action? Clinging to the immunity clause backfired on the president. The precedent and 'implication' of the case is that journalists are now free to tear him into shreds in print or broadcast form since he can only sue them when he is out of office and how many of them would he sue by then? Most of the so called ‘illiterate’ military leaders were more intelligent and active than him. Well, the court told him off and threw his rule of law maxim to the cleaners. Rule of Law, my foot? However, the broadcast media may not have the same privilege since the National Broadcasting Commission could easily pounce on them by using the State Security Service to terrorize and shut down broadcasting houses. *Yar’Adua’s latest victim is Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) of Lagos State. Yar’Adua once tried to cow the press by suing Leadership newspapers but now the leaders can raise glasses of chilled champagne, laugh and shrug with victory. Guys, I doff my hat and clink my glass... To the Yar’Adua camp or those who wrongly advised him to go to court, it is a national disgrace and they should bury their faces in shame or ‘faeces’. The choice is theirs... Update: *President Yar’Adua has denied giving Governor Fashola a 14 day ultimatum to shutdown 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) in Lagos State. The ‘armchair’ president aka Baba-go-slow should stop picking on the active governor, 37 LCDA chairmen and councillors. It must be emphasized that Fashola is currently the best governor in Nigeria. Yar’Adua and his cohorts are 'jealous' of Fashola’s achievements in Lagos State. If Fashola and Yar’Adua were to swap seats for six months Nigeria would not remain as bad as it is. 37 Additional LGs: COSEG Drags Yar’Adua To Court Lagos State Adjudged Leader In Good Corporate Governance Fashola has made Lagos of our dream a reality The president and Lagos local councils City on a hill
In 1983, more than a million Ghanaians were expelled from Nigeria. In their rush to flee the country, these refugees turned cheap bags of woven plastic into makeshift luggage. A bag of this sort is now commonly referred to in Nigeria as a “Ghana must go.” ---------------------Ivelisse Estrada: Radcliffe Quarterly
Nigerian football fan courtesy New Nigerian Politics
Ghana must go bags are produced in different colours e.g red, blue, green and black. They are used worldwide and can be as cheap as £1 per bag. According to Koranteng Ofosu-Amaah,
The "Ghana must go" designation resulted from the various expulsions of immigrants that Ghana and Nigeria engaged in between the 1960s and 1980s. Many were only able to pack their belongings in such bags before fleeing, expelled with barely hours or days notice. Thus Ghana must go is ironic at best, and has mocking overtones at worst.
During the Rawlings Chain lean years in the 1980s when it wasn't simply a matter of returning immigrants and the whole country was facing political and economic difficulties (Revolution! Ghana), they were simply called "refugee bags". We were all refugees then.
In 2007, fashion design label, Louis vuitton came out with its version of Ghana must go bags and Africans were shocked probably because they were used to buying the old cheap brand. Some commentators alleged that expensive Louis Vuitton copied Ghana must go bags. Louis Vuitton gave the bags a corporate image instead of the former perception that they belonged to the downtrodden or rugged people. Nevertheless, who is the original maker of Ghana must go bags? The President of the United States, Barack Obama was recently in Ghana on official visit. For choosing to visit a small country like Ghana instead of Nigeria which is the most populous black nation in the world is evident that Ghana is more respected in the international community. Ghanaians who have suffered from the stigma of Ghana must go slogans for about 26 years can now have the last laugh. What Obama 'missed' out in his speech was probably NO MORE GHANA MUST GO!
Ghana’s No. 1 Reggae star and former protégé of Nigerian star Ras kimono
Postscript...
Tears For Ace Footballer... Steve McNair
Widow Mechelle McNair with one of her sons: Photo by George Clark/AP
American footballer, Steve McNair aka Air McNair, 36, died unexpectedly on July 4. The married father of four cute boys was allegedly shot while he was asleep by his jealous girlfriend, Sahel Kazemi who also killed herself. She suspected that he was having an affair after assuming he would divorce his wife and marry her. According to media reports, Miss Kazemi was in a financial mess and relied on McNair. His wife, Mechelle McNair did not know that he was having an affair with a 20 year old until he died. On the other hand, a member of Miss Kazemi’s family did not believe that she committed murder-suicide. It was a tragedy that left his fans, family and friends in a tearful mood. He was buried on Saturday July 11. The next time spectators watch the Tennessee Titans play they will definitely miss McNair. Adieu Air McNair... The late lovers, Sahel kazemi and Steve McNair
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