Could Nigeria Stocks, Down 32%, Rally With A Muslim-Christian Ballot?

The crowded Balogun market, Lagos 

Investors in Nigeria have witnessed a roughly 7% drop in the country’s equities this month in advance of Wednesday’s primary elections. The opposition ballot is the one to watch, as incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan will be the sole candidate for the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Analyst Manji Cheto at Teneo Intelligence writes that there is a high likelihood of a split in the main opposition party, the All Progressive Congress Party(APC), after primary votes are tallied:

“The two men who will decide the fate of the APC will be former military head of state Muhammadu Buhari (tipped as the favorite to win) and ex-vice president Atiku Abubakar (the dark horse). Buhari enjoys more support at APC grassroots than any of the other candidates, thanks to his reputation as an incorruptible leader. However, he is far less affluent than the other candidates … a key weakness in an intra-party contest in which wealth is often a critical determinant … (the APC has 10,000 delegates). Atiku, on the other hand, has lost primary elections twice … and has the deep pockets to ‘buy influence’. Also, Atiku has proven himself to be the most articulate candidate when it comes to laying out plans for his government, making him a stand-out candidate. These two factors could help him spring an eleventh-hour surprise on Buhari….

The threat to Jonathan will also likely intensify if the APC manages to select a joint presidential-vice presidential ticket to reflect a balance of ‘Muslim-north’ and ’Christian-south’ … The APC has tried to play down this issue, dismissing this as incongruent with a maturing democracy. And while educated middle-class voters may agree with this view, poor working class Nigerians (who constitute the larger proportion of voters and are the most likely group to have a higher turn-out on polling day) are not likely to be swayed.”

The Global X Nigeria Index ETF (NGE) is down 2.2% today, down 7% this month, and off by 32% this year, while the Market Vectors Africa Index ETF (AFK) is down 1.5% today, 5.4% this month and nearly 13% this year. That compares to a 1.4% drop today in the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM), which is down nearly 3% this month and 3.7% this year.

The top holdings in the Nigeria fund, a beer purveyor and two banks, account for more than one third of assets: Nigerian Breweries, Guaranty Trust Bank and Zenith Bank. The drop in oil prices in recent months poses significantly greater risk for Nigeria’s market and economy. See our recent post, “OPEC Post-Mortem: Clear, Present Danger in Nigeria.”

This article was written by DIMITRA DeFOTIS For Wall Street Journal

The Rhythms Of The Future Awards Africa 2014

Oby Ezekwezili

Africa’s biggest youth event, The Future Awards Africa 2014 which held yesterday at the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel, was an unforgettable evening of inspiration. 

Osas & Iyanya

The awards which were hosted by Iyanya, Osas Ighodaro, Ice Prince and Flavia saw 10 outstanding individuals rewarded for their excellent work across different fields: business, entertainment, politics, science and technology and education.

Funke Akindele

A star highlight of the evening was the final phase of TFAA’s #STOPEBOLA campaign, which was held via an auction on a custom piece by A-List haute couture designer, Lanre Da Silva Ajayi. Blogger, Linda Ikeji bid a whopping sum of 1 Million Naira on the dress and the proceeds will go to the UN Ebola Response Fund.

Adebola Williams and Banky W

Gov. Rotimi Amaechi & Adebola Williams

Jimi Agbaje & Williams

Omotola with Hubby, Captain Matthew

Kunle Afolayan & Bolanle Austeen Peters

The event was also graced by high-profile personalities in persons of President Goodluck Jonathan, represented by Honourable Minister for Youth Development, Boni Haruna, Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Dr, Oby Ezekwesili, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Banky W, Funke Akindele, Seyi Shay, to name a few.

Waje

Some of the winners of the coveted awards on the night were:

The Future Awards Africa Prize for Young Person of the Year [Endowed by UBA]
Sangu Delle, Ghana, 27

The TFAA Prize in Enterprise Support
Bunmi Otegbade, Nigeria, 27

The TFAA Prize in Entertainment
Nasibu Abdul Juma (Diamond), Tanzania, 24,

The TFAA Prize in Technology [Endowed by Etisalat]
Joshua Okello, Uganda, 23

The Stella Adadevoh Prize in Public Service
Lukman Jaji, Nigeria, 30

The TFAA Prize in Community Action
Jake Okechukwu, Nigeria, 24

The TFAA Prize in Agriculture
Charles Nichols and Samir Ibrahim, Kenya, 24/24

The TFAA Prize in Education [Endowed by Access Bank]
Philip Obaji Jr., Nigeria, 29

The Tony O. Elumelu Prize in Business
Andrew Mupuya, Uganda, 22

The TFAA Prize in Advocacy
Kennedy Odede, Kenya, 29

The Future Awards Africa 2014 is headlined by Access Bank and UBA. It is presented in partnership with Etisalat, Microsoft, the Lagos Internal Revenue Service and the Tony Elumelu Foundation.

THE BEST 5 NOLLYWOOD ACTRESSES OF 2014 BY CHARLES NOVIA

Charles Novia is a damn good movie director. With many blockbusters to his credit, when he talks, especially on any issue relating to film industry, many had no choice than to listen. He has for some time added blogging to his resume and have been dropping some interesting articles. One of it is this story on Best Five Nollywood actress in 2014. 

On this list, Novia stated that his choice of actresses were judged based on universal  templates for acting and not on what he term 'perceived popularity' on red carpets, social media or feisty fan clubs. 

"There is a clear difference between being an overt socialite with tepid performances in afterthought movies 'just to be relevant' and wholeheartedly taking the business of acting seriously," he said.

Charles Novia

Novia continued: "In 2014, there was an improvement in the acting capacities of a number of actresses, both old and new. With special mention to Africa Magic's Original Films and 'Tinsel', one could appreciate the trajectory of purpose many of such offerings gave to Nollywood. However, I believe those soaps, serials and films might just be tilting us away from the 'Africanness' in our acting styles. Many of the up and coming actors in such programmes act more Westernized and far removed from the organic characterizations which our early and classic Nollywood movies were known for. But that is an aside and one which I will leave poignant till I elaborate more on a later, incisive post. Using criteria such as interpretation, characterization, internalization, enunciation, and actor's visualization among others, the following are my top five Actresses for the year 2014." Enjoy 

NUMBER 5: KEMI LALA AKINDOJU

A lot of readers might not have seen Tunde Kelani's  'Dazzling Mirage', a film in which Lala Akindoju plays a young, frail sickle cell patient, Funmiwo. I watched the movie at a film festival in November and I was impressed with Lala's portrayal of the lead character. A true-to-type physical casting by the Director first draws some empathy from the audience towards Lala and as she goes through the emotional and physical demands of the movie, the viewer is taken in by Lala's internalization of the character as we begin to see and understand what it is to be a Sickle Cell victim. Of course there were tentative moments when Lala seemed not to have fully measured up to the dictates of the role but one could also appreciate that those moments were few and far between. In 'Dazzling Mirage', the viewer laughs with her, cries with her, feels her pains and many could very well finish watching the movie believing that Lala is a Sickle Cell sufferer in real life. Such a performance should not go unnoticed. Kemi Lala Akindoju, in her first major role in a feature length, is one to watch out for in the future.

NUMBER 4: QUEEN NWOKOYE

More-often-than-not, many tend to dismiss the 'Asabawood' genre of movies as crass, without structure and lacking in linear progression of plots. While a lot of movies from that axis, juxtaposed with the so-called 'New Nollywood' movies, can be a critics nightmare to watch, there is no denying that a few actors and actresses in that genre of movies have given us some performances which deserve applause. Queen Nwokoye is one of such worthy of mention for 2014. Whilst researching a bit more on her movies for 2014, I was authoritatively told that she is presently the most commercial actress in the Asaba movies, ever since Mercy Johnson went on maternity leave, with her movies selling in the millions. While such information does little to influence my artistic evaluation of her acting prowess, it was certainly important enough for me to file away in my memory bank that Queen must have something which appeals to the buying audience of such films. After watching her in a spawn of top-selling Asaba movies in 2014, I understood why.

In the movies 'Adaura'and 'Ada Mbano' and their nebulously-plotted sequels, Queen Nwokoye's performance as a typical village lass from an Igbo village speak volumes about her abilities for research, interpretation and characterization. I am told that she commendably speaks the Imo dialect in the movie, even though she is from Anambra state. Obviously, she put in a lot of hard work in that regard and if Oscars have been given in Hollywood to actresses who research accents and use effectively for characterization, there is no reason why Queen should not be given special mention for achieving this feat in these parts. The most interesting aspects of her acting in these spawn of movies is her intrinsic ability to make the viewer suspend disbelief when watching her in her comical tantrums. Borrowing from the popular street terminology, one can safely say 'Queen finish work' in the afore-mentioned movies, within the scope of the Production ambitions.

NUMBER 3: OMONI OBOLI

Two movies which featured Omoni Oboli were enough to convince me that Omoni deserves to be on this list. They are 'Render to Ceaser' and 'Being Mrs Elliott'. Watching the two movies, I could appreciate various levels of Omoni's acting abilities. Artistically, she come across sometimes as being restrained in her delivery in some roles but she more than makes up for these pardonable inhibitions by her powerful ability to really, really act with her face. Her facial expressions reveal the right emotions which her lines try to convey. Few actors can achieve that in Nollywood as what we see mostly these days are bland expressions in the delivery of interpretative dialogue.

But it is in 'Being Mrs Elliott' that Omoni comes out smoking. Her character has various levels of emotional and perhaps repressed comical transitions and Omoni delivers when it matters most in aspects of such artistic requirement. A wardrobe malfunction at the Presidential Villa during a special premiere and the buzz it created made me curious to watch the movie and while aspects of its directorial ambitions were a bit arrested, one was not disappointed much by Omoni's acting in the movie. Indeed, she gave her best in the movie. And her best is good enough to be on this list.

NUMBER 2: ONYEKA ONWENU

Despite my reservations about the film adaptation of 'Half of a Yellow Sun', one of the delightful comforts for me from the movie was Onyeka Onwenu's fantastic role as 'Mama'. With an elegant career in music which has spanned over thirty years, Onyeka's moonlighting to Nollywood seems to have finally found its artistic rewards in HOAYS. Her mannerisms, facial expressions, voice modulations and characterization as an over-protective mother are all almost flawless in the movie . It's as if in HOAYS, she set out to prove a point and only the blind would argue that she did not achieve her artistic aim.  It must be quite a fulfilling experience to straddle, and arguably successfully too, two important sectors of Nigerian Entertainment; music and movies. Onyeka Onwenu deserves our commendation. Well, at least she has mine!

NUMBER 1: NSE  IKPE-ETIM

And my Number One Actress would be Nse Ikpe Etim (maritally known as Nse Sule). And why wouldn't  she be ? Having watched her in three movies released in 2014, there was little one could fault in her powerful sense of interpretation, internalization and 'chameleonic' characterization  in the movies 'Devil in the detail', ' I Come Lagos' and 'Purple Rose'.

To the trained eye, when an actress does her research, it is easy and quite a pleasure to watch that thespian mesmerize the audience. Nse falls in that category of silent but sure actresses whose works speak more for her than anything else. In 'Devil in the Detail', she gives us a self-assured portrayal of a wife whose fidelity is called to question by her suspicious husband. Nse's nuances, dramatic pauses and body language in the role leaves one awe-struck. This is a lady who knows her onions.

While some might view her acting in 'I Come Lagos'as a bit exaggerated, given that she plays a village girl from Akwa-Ibom in the comic flick, I could see her obvious attempt to veer away from the intense, brooding roles she is sometimes known for. And in that comedy, she effortlessly shows us the other side of her skills and leaves no one guessing about her being in a distinguished class by herself when it comes to histrionics.

Indeed, Nse is an Actor's Actor and I daresay she is an unsung method actor. And method acting is an elevated technique in acting which only the best strive to achieve. I could safely say Nse is Nigeria's version of Cate Blanchett if one takes into consideration her incredible ability to absorb her characters and show us layers of talent each time she features in a movie.

When the real acting gems are sifted from the coarse stones in Nollywood, an Nse would undoubtedly be one of the few shining stones displayed on the shelf of excellence. Nse, my standing ovation.

The story was culled from www.charlesnoviadaily.com.

HOW TINUBU MADE ME A GOVERNOR

This story was shared some years back at a conference in Harvard, United States by His Excellency, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN. I believe it's auspicious at this time to refresh some memories of how the fantastic Lagos State governor, was chosen to lead the state by Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu in 2007. Here is an excerpts of the narrative.

The story of how I became the Governor of Lagos State is one of the most profound experiences of my life. It validates the scriptures that God, in whom I absolutely have faith, is a miracle worker and that power truly belongs to him. It would be an appropriate subject for a book and therefore cannot be discussed within the time I have been allotted to speak.
However, no precision in star gazing or clairvoyance could have foretold it as I was the most unlikely person within myself and to unbiased observers. I dislike Government and public service as a young man to my regret and I am now wiser.

Immediately after my call to the bar after completing my professional training in the Nigerian Law School, I was posted to the Ministry of Justice in the old Bendel State in Nigeria’s Niger Delta area in 1988.
For 3 (three) days, nobody could assign me a desk or a responsibility because the Solicitor General was away on an official assignment that took her out of the State. When she returned my mind was made up that that was not the place I wanted to start my professional career. I was adamant and she let me go to a private law firm which was legitimate even though at that time I had no placement with any firm but ultimately secured one.
After that year of compulsory national service, my father had concluded arrangements with his friend in a public parastatal of the Federal Government but I refused even though I had no job.
I went job hunting on my own until I got another law firm and remained in private legal practice from 1989 until 2002 when my immediate predecessor, Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who had been elected as Governor of Lagos State on Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999 demanded that I come to serve as his Chief of Staff in 2002, to replace the then incumbent Chief of Staff who was leaving to seek elective office in another State.
I was retained as Chief of Staff when Governor Tinubu was re-elected for another 4 (four) year term in 2003 and as he served out his term, I was preparing to return to private law practice having worked at least 14 hours every day for four and half years; at the time 15 (fifteen) candidates, 11 (eleven) of them from within the cabinet were jostling to succeed him.
I was not one of them, I was not interested in politics even though I enjoyed what I was doing, rebuilding our State after many years of neglect and lack of development. I was content to have been a member of the team that started what I thought was an audacious reversal of negative fortunes of underdevelopment.
He had consulted me on the choice of a candidate and I had offered my advice as to who I thought merited the privilege of his endorsement which was and remains a huge political capital because, he had always been a much loved grassroot politician and given the mass appeal of the Party at the time, it was easy to guess that the candidate he endorsed was almost inevitably going to be elected.
He confounded me when he called me to his house one morning after shockingly broaching the subject on the telephone and I had evaded giving a response, to ask me if I would run as Governor. I told him I did not desire to be Governor, as I had seen him suffer at close quarters. His response was that this was an assignment and he was speaking as my boss. So began my journey to my first ever election of any type.
My nomination broke the party, a new one was formed, compromises were sought and achieved, we confronted the opposition parties and we won with 828,484 votes with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd runners up scoring 389,088, 114,557 and 29,836 votes respectively.
In terms of a vision, it is difficult for me to state that this was my vision. In my time as Chief of Staff, I have been involved as a cabinet rank officer in the debates and formulation of policies for the development of the State. We had evolved what we called the 10 (ten) Point Agenda addressing Security, Agriculture, Education, Healthcare, Housing, Environmental Sustainability, Poverty Alleviation, Transportation, Financial independence of the State, and because I was persuaded by the quality of what we had collectively articulated, I resolved that it fairly captured the challenges being faced globally by City-State and national leaders, it was therefore not necessary to re-invent the wheel.
After that discussion with my predecessor and my acceptance of the assignment, I took a week off from work with a copy of the 10 (ten) Point Agenda which had become a State Policy, our Party’s manifesto and a Charter of Objectives of the Millennium Development goals.
I locked myself in and wrote in long hand, what I thought should be done in respect of each sector and resumed work on the 6th November, 2006 to type it out. When I finished typing it, I drafted a resignation letter and went to my boss’s office to hand him both documents, making sure I put the resignation letter on top.
He was not pleased with my decision to resign and he explained to me how he had made plans to move me to head a Ministry where I would have more contact with people and become more visible and known to the public before the elections that were 5 months ahead, because before then, I had worked in the back room in the Governor’s Office managing daily administration and rarely attending public functions. I spent my time planning and organizing those functions of State and ensuring as best as I could that they succeeded.
I explained to him that if he truly was serious about me running for office, I needed to disengage from office to devote all of my time to the project and I did not see myself giving my best while running a Ministry and campaigning at the same time and that this would adversely affect the public service delivery of the Ministry. He agreed and let me go. The rest is history as they say.
From then on, I woke up earlier than 6 am to attend Radio and TV interviews as other candidates had been doing. I had a lot to catch up. I had no posters, but while that was being designed, I embarked on a grueling tour of 57 Local Government, sometimes covering 3 or 4 Local Governments a day, I got home to read materials about projects in those areas, books written by politicians, how to speak politically and so on. From then on until the elections in April 2007, I slept less than 3 hours every day; and lost 10 kilograms in the process.
But in all, from the document I wrote which became an Article of Faith that I titled “My Contract with Lagosians”, I explained at every opportunity what I intended to do and what the obligations of citizens would be in terms of support, payment of taxes and obedience of laws, maintenance of peace and the promise of what lay ahead.
After the elections, another round of late nights started, building the blocks for implementation. The question in my mind was not what we wanted to do but how and who to do it.
I picked a team of serving public officers in Health, Transport, Waste Management, Justice and invited bankers, economists and some other members of the private sector who volunteered their time and we met at a hotel every night for a month from 10pm to 4am detailing what the problems were, planning solutions, articulating costs, and methodology of implementation.
The day after inauguration, I began a tour of our Government Ministries, that was followed by a meeting with the leadership of all Government Departments who gave my Deputy and I reports of the work they had been doing and what was outstanding.
The truth is that I did that for the benefit of my Deputy Governor who had never served at that level of Government, even though she was a public servant herself.
I reckoned that if we were to move at the pace I intended, it was fair to start slowly to enable her catch up on the things I already knew in order for her to be able to share the responsibility.
We ran the Government for about 2 months with Permanent Secretaries who were senior management level career public officers while I was consulting with the leadership of the Party and other sectors about selecting the team of political office holders, Commissioners as we call them, who would lead the various Ministries and Departments.
By July 2007, we had constituted the team, and each person came on board with a clear mandate (based on what we had drawn up by the Committee of the Public and Private Sector that I referred to), of what we expected him/her to deliver.
There were 42 (Forty Two) of them, Commissioners and Special Advisers of diverse backgrounds, lawyers, bankers, economists, educationists, private businessmen, politicians and all.
I ensured that many of them were my colleagues in the last Government with a few first timers into Government. This was intended to help us start quickly, using the experiences of the old hands, while the new ones acquainted themselves with the nuances, culture and communication skills of the public service which are quite different from what obtained in the private sector.
We developed a few invariable rules. Being efficient with time, we resolved to meet weekly on Mondays at 9am and imposed a fine for lateness. There were initial complaints that it was too early but with time we got used to it. On two occasions, I went to those Monday meetings without taking my bath because I had slept late and woken up late and did not want to be the violator of the rule.
We resolved to keep promises and deadlines we made to the public whatever it took and at the earliest awareness that it would not be feasible, we went back to them to notify them and explain why. Our word was our bond.
We worked as a team, debated vigorously at meetings, voted when there was deadlock, but everybody respected and implemented the team’s decision whether or not he disagreed in the voting.
We sought knowledge and best practices from every part of the world, sent people to value adding trainings and tours, but more often brought the experts to Lagos so that the largest number of us could benefit and we could manage costs.
Before the Commissioners embarked on their work, I had commissioned a poll asking people what they expected of the Government they had elected. When I received the results, I suggested that we undertake a fresh tour of the 57 Local Governments.
I did so for 2 (two) reasons, first to hear from the citizens themselves what they expected and in that way validate the result of the poll; and secondly, to enable the team know all the Local Governments and see for themselves how real and bad things were, so that we could eat, sleep and dream the problem on a daily basis until we found solutions. It was a real wake up call.
I had been privileged to read Rudolph Giuliani’s book on Leadership about the transformation of New York whose population and complexities, ethnic and religious were not significantly different from Lagos. I had also read Lee Kwan Yew’s seminal work from “Third to First World” and just as we concluded our Local Government tour I attended the International Bar Conference in 2007 held in Singapore.
I had also fortunately been invited to an investment summit in September 2007 in New York. My trip to Singapore was again by coincidence routed through Dubai at the peak of its construction boom. I went to those places not as a tourist but as a City Manager, looking to see what I could learn, trying to relate what I had read in those books with what I saw.
I asked and was obliged the privilege to meet a few people who had been involved in those remarkable transformations, including Lee Kwan Yew with whom I spent about 30 minutes and a firm of Consulting Engineers in Dubai. The lessons of those visits and coincidental experiences were that, nothing was impossible.
I returned to Lagos with an almost angry determination to transform our State as quickly as possible. I shared my experiences with my colleagues and urged those who had not been, to visit those places. We established an inter-governmental relationship with some critical agencies in those countries and shared their knowledge and experiences
We set about the implementation of our plans with the understanding that law and order was the cause of difficult living in our State. We came to the understanding that not all people were deliberately lawless but that they had become desperate in a bid to survive. They broke traffic rules in a bid to get out of excruciating traffic jams because no new highways had been built in Lagos for almost 30 years until the return of democracy in 1999, and people were daily buying cars and needed to move about.
People traded on sidewalks because the last major markets built in the State before 1999 were built in the 1970s. The same applied to schools, hospitals, water supply and many public infrastructures.
We re-ordered the budget of the State from consumption to investment in infrastructure. We changed the expenditure profile to a 60:40 ratio in favour of capital over re-current expenditure and applied the proceeds to equipping the Police, building schools, roads, hospitals, water supply projects, sports centre, and reclaiming open spaces for parks and greening.
We made ourselves accessible to the public by publishing our email addresses and telephone numbers in the newspapers and responded as best as we could to complaints and suggestions. Till date, I receive an average of 300 text messages and about the same number of emails daily.
The response was most encouraging. Before the efforts started yielding results, we were getting feed backs of credibility. People trusted us. They believed that we meant well. They were ready to endure traffic because they saw construction going on and believed it would get better when we finished. In places where we needed to claim more land to build expanded roads, people voluntarily pulled down their walls so that our contractors could start work.
We embarked on a huge tax drive and rather than complains, we began to receive enquiries about how and where they needed to go to pay their taxes. It was a huge sign on that everybody seemingly wanted to be a part of.
My colleagues and I seized on this huge capital to take difficult but public benefit decisions. We started clearing out slums that had been in place for over 30 years and seemed immovable.
We used this enormous public support only for public good. We confronted groups and unions that had lived above the law with the public support behind us and succeeded in getting them to obey the law.
The investment in the Police by way of patrol cars, uniforms, insurance schemes, improved allowances and equipment brought down violent crimes by 79% at the end of 2009.
The private sector belief and support was enormous and we did our best never to abuse it and we never took it for granted.
Bank robberies became stories of the past, traffic congestion was daily being reduced, jobs were being created at construction sites, and in new businesses springing up as a result of renewed investor.
The public service gradually became attractive to many who had deserted it and we now have increasing requests for jobs or appointments into the service or to be part of our team. A large number of Nigerians abroad have seen Lagos as a choice of relocation in the thick of the global economic crises.
Lagosians now speak of their State with a lot of pride and belief that nothing is impossible. I know that we are very far from being a finished article and that a great distance still lies ahead on this journey, but I am humbled to have been the leader of the team that received a torch of hope from the last government and is able to keep it alive with seemingly endless possibilities.
A critical lesson for us was the realization that the people had lived on a diet of broken promises for 3 (three) decades of political instability and that democracy, as a more stable form of Government, at least in terms of predictability of tenure, offers the best platform for addressing humanity’s problems because it provides opportunity to plan and implement.
Seizing that opportunity is of course another matter, and for those who take public office or seek to do so, the best way to seize that opportunity is to prepare for it and plan to use it for only one purpose - public good.
The reality is that in the pursuit of public good all our individual needs are met and secured. We will use the roads we build, the hospitals we build, the security we put in place and benefit from the economic prosperity that we help to create in a situation of harmony as distinct from chaos, aggression and desperation where the privileged lived in fear of revolt or crime from the under privileged.
The truth is that, a leadership that cannot protect the poor will be unable to protect the rich.
Before I conclude, I wish to say that I have heard people speak about a success story in Lagos but the truth is that the Lagos I dream of still lies ahead. As I said earlier, it is not a finished article; indeed it is just starting; but my optimism that it is achievable, is fired by the enormous belief and support of our people which inspires me to no end.
I will like to conclude by expressing my appreciation for your time and to apologize that I may not have told you anything you have probably not heard before or read about. The responsibility for that, as I said belongs to those who brought me here and to them I remain truly grateful

Thank you for listening.

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN

Governor of Lagos

Monday, April 12, 2010

Source:  Africa Focus 2010 @ Harvard:  http://africafocusatharvard.com/events/speakers/

A CONVERSATION WITH TONYE PRINCEWILL BY CHARLES NOVIA

I spent a couple of hours last week Thursday with Tonye Princewill, a PDP Gubernatorial aspirant from Rivers State. It was quite an impromptu meeting preceded by a personal phone conversation he had with me at the instance of Ego Efiok, his media consultant and listening to him speak over the phone, my curiousity got the better of me and I requested to see him that night in Maitama, Abuja.

I drove to his house in Maitama and was ushered in to his living room, where he stood up to shake my hands. H ws casually dressed in a Manchester United T-shirt and near knee-length shorts and his grip was warm backed with a warm smile.

Now, to put things in perspective, I have met lots of celebrities and political figures in the course of my career as a filmmaker and social commentator and I try my utmost best to be apolitical when it comes to meeting politicians. That is primarily because I always do not want my decisions influenced by a linear fear that meeting a politician would mean that I was seeking for favors of any kind. So, I meet with those I chose to meet and more-often-than-not, I study them and draw my silent conclusions through their body language and conversations. And I have met quite a number of obtuse politicians too who have no idea of what they would do when they are elected or selected into public office but just wish to get there at all costs. That is a sad reality we face in Nigeria today.

And so, with Tonye Princewill, I wanted to find out more about the person, primarily because I had read more about him through his financial interventions in my constituency, the entertainment industry. Let me be candid and a bit selfish. I tend to applaud any one , irrespective of political leanings and financial background, who takes his or her hard-earned money to invest in the entertainment business. Knowing how entertainers get the rough end of the deal where talent begs for material support all the time, I am always pleased when someone from outside the sector puts his time and money into the business. That gesture does a lot to prop up the lives of many within that sector and most importantly builds on people's self-beliefs and will to achieve.

I knew Tonye Princewill had invested in two huge movies in the recent past. The first I knew of was the sci-fi 'Kajola'which had an arrested run in the cinemas in 2009. And the other is the yet-to-be-released 'Lions of  '76' by the talented Izu Ojukwu.

'Why has that Izu's film not been released three years after it was shot?'I asked him as we settled down to some pieces of the popular Yahuza chicken suya which indeed is the best in Abuja and was Tonye's first time of tasting it at my recommendation, with an endorsement too by Egor.

'Now, is not the time' Tonye replied. He speaks in a soft-spoken manner which belies his royal roots as a Prince of the Kalabari kingdom. You would have noticed that I have shied away from adding his royal titles to his name as I write because from the moment we met, he impressed me as the prototype 'Boy Next Door' and I want to keep it that way in the tone of my review.

He continued ' The '76' movie, I daresay, will be a classic whenever it is released and everyone would be completely blown away when it hits the screen. Charles, I invest in talent. I don't mind where that talent lies, be it in movies, music, information technology, artisans, education or medicine. I believe talent is a hidden gift which privileged people who have the funds should aid in exposing such to the world. I believe in the entertainment industry. I don't like to talk much about what I have done as an individual for the industry in my own little way but a few of your colleagues can attest to how I have been a pillar for their dreams to stand on'

Tonye told me that he has so far sponsored four Nollywood movies and that he never really cares whether they make money or not. 'To me, I have helped nurture a dream and that is that. I understand the pains of the practitioners and I can promise that when I reach the Government House in Rivers State, I will unfold a huge plan for larger Nollywood within a few days after my swearing-in. I do not boast. I don't even talk much. My actions speak louder'

'You sound very sure of winning the Primaries' I said as I weighed his quiet self-assuredness.

Tonye smiled. 'I have won the Gubernatorial ticket before but forces truncated my winning the General election that year. I still stand by the belief that I won that election but that is in the past. The truth is that my antecedents and my being a Homeboy in Rivers State  have positive spiral effects in my state. Everyone knows me. I interact with everyone irrespective of who that person is. I don't have airs around me. I will not change who I am because of political office. My aim is to be the servant always because it is all about service as far as I am concerned'

'So, what will be your agenda then for the people if you are voted in?'

His reply to that question really impressed me.

He looked me in the eye and said 'I intend to implement only ONE agenda. My agenda is JOBS. Creating millions of jobs is my agenda and I will do it. When jobs are created, it spills over to all other sectors which are usually itemized  as agenda by other politicians. Education, Health, Youth Empowerment and even Transformation will be appendages of my ONE agenda through JOBS! That is how it works. My people need jobs; gainful employment. They will get it'

We talked a bit more about his plans and programmes, his family and his background. By the time I stood up to leave, he walked me to my car and shook my hands.

'I just came for a visit to satisfy my curiosity about you, ' I said 'And I must let you know that I intend to blog about this meeting and also to warn you a bit that I write from my heart, the way I feel, the way it is. I am not a political writer or journalist. I am just a social commentator and what impresses me or doesn't get mentioned'

He smiled. 'I respect that. I have read about you and heard about you. I read your articles at times and before today wondered about how different you are among other writers I read in Nigeria'

I waved goodbye and drove off that night pondering a lot of things about our political system in Nigeria. There is no doubt that I was quite impressed by Tonye. Apart from being down-to-earth, he is intelligent. He came across as one who is ready to change lives if given the larger platform. He did say he is rich enough and does not seek wealth when he gets into office. His only obsession is to change lives.

I do not know much about politics in Rivers State  and I expressed my opinion that I thought it would be a battle for him to win the ticket but I remembered his answer. 'I will win if THEY allow a level-playing field. And all candidates have pushed for a level playing field in the primaries. I am not scared. I have what it takes'

Indeed, my gut instincts tell me Tonye has what it takes. But my guts are already in a fight with my nagging feelings about that level playing field he asks for. Will he get his wish in a few days?

Most Women Don’t Care About My Polygamous Life, Says K1

After forty-three years in the music business, King Wasiu Ayinde Anifowose, popularly known as K1 The Ultimate, seems not ready to slow down. A crowd puller any day, K1 was on stage at Eko Hotel & Suites last Friday for his much anticipated K1 Live Unusual. Recently, the Fuji music super star spoke to FUNSHO AROGUNDADE about his brand of music, women and state of the nation

 

 

Why did you put up K1 Live  Unusual?

I have been so busy travelling in and outside the country to perform and I believe I owe my fans a special concert. Even though it’s some people’s idea, I injected some beautiful ideas into it to make it a great show.

 

You have spent 43 years playing Fuji music. How has the experience been for you?

The best way wine makers make more money is when they have their stuff stay so long in the cellar. That is, the longer it is, the richer it becomes. Same with musicians. The experience I have garnered all these years has been so rich and diverse, not only locally but globally. I have featured in many world class concerts in Nigeria and abroad. I am a good export for Nigeria. I just returned from the first phase of my world tour. What I have been doing for Nigerian music especially Fuji is to bring them to global reckoning. As much time I spend performing at social functions, same at concert circuits. I recently presented Fuji music at the Royal Festival Hall. I have presented Fuji music at The Barbican and also at the WOMAD, which is the biggest musical expo. And we are gaining tremendously from all these exposition. What I have observed was that we seem to be looking down at what we ought to be celebrating. Out there in the western world, you will be shocked as millions of them appreciate Fuji music. They listen and dance to the music at their various homes. Most times, I have come across some people who could not utter a sentence in Yoruba but will shock you when they sing the line K’omode yii jo funmi. You will be surprised. That is the power of our music that we don’t know.

Waziu Ayinde

 

What is your take on those who say Fuji music is for the touts and dregs of our society but not for a decent, corporate audience?

It is ignorance that makes those people who have tried unsuccessfully to brand Fuji music as such. Who are the decent, corporate audience? I think, it is lack of knowledge and understanding of the music. Fuji music that Almighty God has bestowed on me to propagate has been embraced by every class of the society. I enjoy tremendous support from different people and command followers from every segment of the society. It is same thing with Fuji music artistes like Adewale Ayuba and others.

 

In terms of music composition, how do you handle that?

I do my composition by myself. I am gifted and give thanks to my God.

 

What message are you sending out in your latest album, State of The Nation?

I have always loved to use my music as a tool to address happenings in our nation. That also applies to the State of The Nation album. There are a lot of problems in our country at the moment and the problem is getting worse every day. Since there is no peace and tranquillity in the country, I feel we need to address this issue as musicians. I believe only two things can keep this country together: music and sports.  These two activities are in the same area and they are the only things that can keep us united. The political class cannot. Already they are divided and would want to divide us alongside their own thinking.

 

You featured Olamide, in the album, what was the experience working with him in the studio?

I give kudos to that boy because you will know a good artiste by his studio act. I didn’t write his line on that song for him. We have something in the studio that we call management; that is where you are jumping and merging tapes. But during our very little session time inside the studio, unknown to him, I gave him a test. I gave him his line and told him where he will come in during the recording and asked him to put something on it. He bowed for some minutes, took out a pen, jotted some lines and in a jiffy he came up with that perfect line. And you need to know that the session didn’t last more than 45 minutes. That experience makes me see that brighter future in him. And I pray that Almighty God will continue to keep him and make him continue to grow in the industry.

 

How would you assess his remix of your song, Anifowose in his own album?

When Lagbaja did the remix of Baby Mi Show Colour, not many as at that time ever thought you can have Wasiu’s song made into such remix. And the track was a masterpiece and success. To the glory of God, a young artiste like Olamide, has also taken another of my song and turned it into another masterpiece. I was out of the country when the music was released but when I returned home and listened to the song, I said Wow! I feel these are some of the greatest things that could happen when you are still alive. All the glory that I am seeing truly shows that God Almighty has bestowed something great on me and I can’t thank Him enough.

 

What is the state of your relationship with other Fuji artistes?

It is very cordial and good. I am okay with everybody. It annoys me each time I read that K1 and Obesere are at loggerheads or Osupa and I are quarrelling. I don’t feel happy about it. These are great artistes in their own right, I may be their seniors but the truth is that I have good relationship with every one of them. There is no problem at all.

 

You have five of your children involving in music.

Yes, I am lucky.

 

Did you groom them all to become artistes like you?

Not at all. They were born into it and it is in their blood. They took it from their father. I also took music from my mother’s blood. We are already at number five, who knows whether another one will be coming? I am blessed just like the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti. We have seen Femi and Seun Kuti taking the music to the next level just like their father.

 

Your last wife, Titi Masha, recently gave you another baby. How do you feel being a dad once again?

It was an awesome feeling. I was so busy and we had our new baby while I was on the road. I was in the middle of the ocean on my way to Mexico when the baby arrived. It was a wonderful feeling and we are still going to have the Nigerian leg of the party for the baby.

 

You are one of the known celebrities married to many women. How have you been coping as a polygamist with numerous children?

The truth of it is that it is my own doing. But on how I have been coping as a polygamist, may be King Solomon would have been able to answer that. This is a man said to have married 700 wives and had 300 concubines. So, someone with such number of women will definitely have thousands of children to show for it. But in spite of what people may think, I have not done anything extraordinary to keep my home intact and devoid of controversies. The fact is that any woman that meets me today, what I will not hide from her is my track record.

 

A track record as a womaniser?

Well, I don’t know o. I meet different women every day of my life; may be because I am lucky with them or by virtue of my situation as a popular musician. However, I give thanks to God for making me to keep my home without rancour. There are also other men who have large families and have been able to handle things with no problem.

 

As an artiste who performs longer hours, do you also take drug to energise yourself?

The truth is that some artistes take alcohol and drug to enhance their performance, but for me it is not many way. I don’t take any drug or smoke. Of course, I used to smoke cigarette in my early days as a musician but I was able to stop the habit before I became famous. When people see me performing energetically on stage for hours, it wasn’t enhanced by anything than the fact that I live a very healthy life. There is no drug or alcohol but I love what I do as a musician and anytime I am on stage, the energy always comes naturally.

 

What is the secret of your success and sustaining power?

Apart from the grace of God, the secret is know what you are doing. I give thanks to God for the gift of talent. I believe I am truly gifted because of what I have been able to achieve in the last 43 years of my music life. I was at a performance in Mohican Bay in the Coast of Scotland, where I was honoured with the Global Legend of Music. I was on duty for four hours, two times. I am an energetic performer. I have a staying power of six hours non-stop. I can hold the stage for that longer hour. You can imagine the lines of songs that can sustain me and keep my audience there on the dance floor with no dull moment and variety of classical music. So, the major secret is what is worth doing at all is worth doing well.

 

Do you have any personal dream?

God has been so good to me in all spheres of my life. But there are still a lot I wish to achieve musically, too numerous things to mention. But basically, I still dream to be one of the greatest artistes in the world. As Americans talk about Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson; the British talk about Mick Jagger; same way we talk of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, I want to be talked about in that positive light.

 

What about wishes?

If there is one thing I wish I could have now, it is to have loose $40 million in my account.

 

What do you need that huge money for?

I need that money to buy myself holiday homes in Los Angeles; Miami, Florida; Johannesburg; London; and Lagos (Banana Island).

 

Original story was published by P.M.NEWS

 

Asa To Headline The Future Awards

Asa, Nigeria’s international Soul singer will be leading a posse of talented singers that will be performing at this year edition of Africa’s biggest youth event, The Future Awards Africa, TFAA, 2014.

A release from the organisers stated that Asa, whose recently released third album, ‘Bed of Stone’, has been garnering rave reviews across the world, will exclusively be performing songs from her latest album at the strictly by invitation’s black-tie event holding on Sunday, 7 December at the Intercontinental Hotels in Lagos, Nigeria.
Asa will be joined by another multiple award winning singer, Iyanya and 2014’s breakout artiste, Yemi Alade, who debuted her album ‘King of Queens’ this year.

Ohimai Atafo, fashion designer and Chairman, TFAA’s Central Working Committee, said also expect to be on stage during the awards’ night are Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Genevieve Nnaji, Banky W and Lanre Da Silva Ajayi.

“They will be driving the content of the awards through calls to action and award presentations,” said Atafo.
Four anchors that will direct the event have also be announced. They are Nigeria’s Ice Prince, Iyanya and Osas Ighodaro; and Ugandan Channel O VJ, Flavia Tuminise.
Hosting the red carpet will be EbonyLife TV’s Bolanle Olukanmi and Zainab Balogun. They will be joined by fashion bloggers, Denola Adepetun and Zina Anumudu of StyleVitae who have defined the culture for fashion over the past year.
The Future Awards Africa 2014 will be broadcast live on Channels Television.