Gists in Nigeria

In case we have forgotten,this is Nigeria,where everything goes.
Just what seems like yesterday,a certain Prof. Maurice Iwu was vilified by everybody whose country alphabet starts with 'N' for what was called irregularity in elections.He left,and in came Prof Attahiru Jega,who seemed to do no wrong.
All is now history,as pressure continues to mount on Jega over the failures of the voters' registration exercise.But even he should know that every honeymoon in Nigeria doesn't last long.He is being judged harshly,but we all know this country is harsh on its own.
I just wish we would be a bit patient and realise our country is in a developing democrac


y.There's still work to do,but we would get there!

We all have our dreams.Some dream of making all the money in the world.others dream of making a family.Some dream of being a bit sweet-tongued to woo the best of ladies/men,yet others dream of making heave.Even the devil has a dream: the day he would grab as much souls as he could to hell.Therefore,it is no news if I had one.What might be news,however,is the content of my dream.And believe me,I have a lot.I dream of making heaven,but before then to reach the topmost level of my educational pursuit; to acquire wealth so as to be comfortable; to get married to a very pretty,and also well behaved,damsel; to have as many kids as possible(no kidding); to be alive and see my children's children,the way my parents and siblings would see mine; to be the governor of Abia State; and to witness the day Abia leader T.A Orji would be disgraced out of office(that would be very soon).
Of all these lofty dreams,however,what would be my most enjoyable dream would be seeing a new Nigeria,devoid of its current malaise,filled with joy and religious,as well as ethnic tolerance!
Even the biggest fool knows Nigeria is retrogressing,rather than progressing.Infrastructural development is at its lowest ebb,power is a luxury we cannot afford,security condition is a nightmare and poverty is gallopping fast on the common man.Why not,when we have bad leaders who stop at nothing to make matters worse?I can boldly say that Nigerian politics and its politicians are the worst in the whole world.They are illiterates,they lack conscience and CANNOT accept their faults.The past Tunisian leader,who relinquished power,might be a devil in his country,and rightly so,with the problems he has caused.But he would rub shoulders with the likes of the Biblical Elijah if compared with Nigerian leaders.
Do you know people survive in Nigerian hospitals by God's grace,rather than medical intervention?Do you know more than three-quarter of Nigerian graduates are as unemployed as they come?Nigeria is a failed nation,and the people do not deserve it.Our leaders are nonchalant to our needs.
Therefore,as the elections draw near,I dream our votes would count so that the corrupt leaders would give way for the less-corrupt,and at least reduce our pains(we know it wouldn't stop,with the sort of people in politics)
We therefore urge the INEC chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega to put his and all hands on deck to save us.Nigeria would change in years to come.That,I am sure of.That would be my sweetest dream turned to reality.I know,with the fulfil
lment of this dream,others would come to fruition...

While in Secondary School(for the umpteenth time,let me tell us it's the prestigious Government College Umuahia),I used to have a teacher whom we,the sttudents,all hated because he was 'wicked'.Each time we committed a crime,he always threatened to literally tear us apart. We detested him.He was a devil,or if he weren't,why would he remember only the bad things we did and looked away from the good?We cursed him.May his children be treated the way he was treating us,we begged God.As is always the case,it was not until we left the school and tasted life that we realised we actually showered blessings,rather than heap curses on him.If anyone would treat his kids half the way he treated us,then they would be useful in life.
Chief Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo was,or still is,like that teacher.He is determined,hard,always looking to do the right things his own way,oblivious of criticisms that trail him and is just nothing but what has shaped his life - a retired soldier.
Make no mistakes,Baba Iyabo has his faults.He could be arrogant,but he uses it to good effect.Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United would call it 'nice arrogance'.He could be outspoken,but he achieves the purpose for it.Jose Mourinho of Real Madrid calls it 'being a special one'.He could be vindictive,but that is only human.Former Tottenham Manager Martin Jol says it is 'getting one over your adversary'. But one thing Baba isn't is wicked.
All through his stay as the President of Nigeria,he has been vilified by everyone,including the mentally ill.If one's television packed up,then OBJ had caused it with constant power outage;if one's car had a fault,then the roads could be better;if one had malaria,then OBJ never cared to get the environment clean;if one was barren,then God had visited OBJ's curses on innocent citizens!!
While the above examples could be considered highly exaggerated,what we cannot deny is that the former president did the best he could.They might not have been good enough,but at least they were better than those before him.Nigerians naturally sulk,anyway.
But one thing I admire most about him is his 'I-don't-care' attitude towards criticisms.Spread rumours he has kicked the bucket,and he would tell you 'I dey kampe'.Challenge him,and he would tell you 'I deh laugh'.Contest the presidency while criticising him,and he would say 'I thought he wants to be Confederation of African Football(C.A.F) president'!
On a final note,it seems the curses heaped on him while in office by the aggrieved were actually showers of blessing,else he wouldn't be so much enjoying his retirement sniffing his inhaler,and mocking his adversaries!

So President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan(GEJ) has defeated the loud-mouthed but equally strong Abubakar Atiku. Hardly surprising,you may say.But that was just the easiest path towards re-election for our dearest GEJ. The rough path lies ahead.He has little or no time to convince us he has the mental toughness of Buhari,the bluntness of Ribadu,and the efficiency of Shekarau.Nothing suggests he cannot rise up to the challenge anyway.Afterall it takes mental toughness to avoid getting carried away against Atiku,bluntness to take on his opponents and efficiency to garner such support.But one thing worries me.
I would love our dear GEJ to have the guts to caution Governors who fail to do well.I can never forget in a hurry how he and others praised the Abia State Governor T.A.Orji for being the best thing to happen to Abia,when in actual fact the reverse is nothing but the case.In case he is unaware,not a few Abians hold grudge against him for that.Nobody says he shouldn't have friends,but what signifies your principle and dignity is when you are able to speak the truth,not minding whose ox is gored.Our dear GEJ never showed that in Abia,and we are the worse for it.Funny enough,while his best buddy seems not to be working,his worst adversary,or so it seems,happens to be one of the best performing Governors.
Chibuike Amaechi,in my opinion,has been the best performing governor this dispensation(apologies to the likes of Akwa-Ibom's Akpabio and Lagos' Fashola)yet he seems to be in constant run-in with GEJ.While the Odili effect cannot be dismissed,Amaechi's altercation with the first lady Patience Jonathan and GEJ's right hand man(or,you could say,boy) Governor T.A.Orji come to mind.If he isn't aware,GEJ should now know Amaechi is well loved by people as a visionary leader and therefore should be the type of individual he should bring closer to himself,rather than people like that Governor we know too well.
Aside these,GEJ seems to be the best thing to happen to Nigerians at the moment,so we could do worse than giving him our votes.He is cool-headed,ready to listen and approachable.He now has the chance to write his name in gold,and be revered forever or make a mess of himself and join the teeming list of disappointments.The ball is in his court,but the road ahead,surely is rough.

Fans of that explosive Television sitcom Desperate Housewives,especially the girls, must be wondering what made the daring Edie Brit (played by British actress Nicolette Sheridan) leave the Series. It must be recalled her part was killed off after the fifth season. Not a few people,myself included, were shocked at the way she left.Afterall,she was one actress that added much more than others to the movie and had gathered lots of fans,in my opinion. Some said it was because she had another comedy to shoot for CBS.
Well,that was not the reason. On exactly April 5 2010,the 47-year old Sheridan sued Desperate Housewives creator and producer Marc Cherry and ABS.Her reason? She was assaulted by Cherry and was then sacked from the show,albeit,wrongfully,when she reported the case.She also said other cast members were harassed.
Unfortunately for the embattled Sheridan,the confused and crisis-prone Susan Mayer(played by Teri Hatcher), the perfectionist Bree Van Der Camp/Hodge(Marcia Cross),the difficult Lynette Scavo(Felicity Huffman) and the ambitious Gabrielle Solis(Eva Longoria-Parker) all denied her. So now we know why she left. Who says assault and harassment happen only in Nollywood?

We have finally got an idea on how the coming election might be.INEC offices would be burnt down,bombs would be thrown,touts who support senators would kill an innocent man,a party would select and not elect a candidate,whether the people like it or not...and many people would be kidnapped.
The recent events before the long-awaited election are fearful,to say the least.Needless to say,politicians would scheme and scheme while the poor masses would fear and fear for their lives.So fearful!
All we pray for is this:let our votes count and let our lives be secured!!

The Federal Government recently told us what we no longer suspected, but knew.The recent bomb blasts were politically motivated.
Hear the Interior Minister, Capt.Emmanuel Iheanacho,'...people are entitled to have political differences.But certainly they are not entitled to try and interfere with other people's lives by planting bombs...'
This statement,while being able to rank as one of the biggest understatements of our time,only succeeded in reinforcing what appeared to be our preconception.
It is highly baffling and begs belief how people would claim innocent lives just to attain power,lives they never gave at the first place.What gives them the assurance it would guarantee them success?And when they end up not attaining power,what happens?The dead would rise again,I guess? What a country.
I know it has probably become a cliche,but he who lives by the sword surely dies by the sword.I need not prove it!

When she came into Nollywood, many thought she would fade out immediately like a smoke but she has been billowing from strength to strength that today she has a very good command in the industry. Jennifer Eliogu tells in this interview how she came into industry and mastered it so much that she has no rival.

YOU frequently visit Abuja and Asaba these days which makes it difficult to reach you. What business do you have in these cities?

Well, I have a lot and I rather keep them to myself for now, I just trust God that all things work well, but I know it will.

How do you cope with the stress of travelling from one place to the other all the time?

It is crazy but we have to do what we have to do

Every last quarter of the year seems to be very busy for all the producers and director, does it mean that more films are done during this period?

Towards the end of the year, everybody tries to tidy up things that they have so that you don't have to carry over old things to the New Year; you want to start the New Year afresh. You will want to see that everything you started and every goal and objective you had from the beginning of the year, that you are able to put a concrete end to most of it.

Are you really sure you are enjoying this job?

When I am busy, it is not just my acting because I have so much I am doing, it bothers on entertainment and charity but I think I love what am doing and I do because of the passion I have for it and I can say I am enjoying it. The travelling is stressful coupled with the fact that I am staying away from my kids and family every now and then is also stressful but you need someone to compliment the other.

How do you cope being an actress and a mother?

I always create time for them. Anytime I am around I try, I do all I can to spend time with them. I spend a lot of time with my kids. I don't allow my job or my business to take me away like that. Every little time we have, we make sure it is quality time.

How does your husband manage with having a travelling wife?

I don't travel every day but when necessary. He understands what I do, he knows what I do, he understands and appreciate what I do and he married me doing this job but I try much as I can to create time for my family.

People have this believe that travelling from one place to the other is one of the reasons for the marriage break-ups in Nollywood; do you think along that line?

I can't speak for everyone in Nollywood; people have different reasons why they have problems. No marriage is faultless. Most marriages have problems but it your ability to try and fix it together that matters. It takes the grace of God and not just your ability and you working hard to make it work. I don't think travelling is a problem. If you are going to get a wife, we talk about compatibility, both of you having chemistry and that is why you must date each other but not necessarily sleeping with each other. You date for a while, get to know each other and find out if you can live with each other's shortcomings before you can get married. You don't just jump into marriage. If your husband knows the kind of job you do and marries you and all of a sudden says he can't take it anymore, then he did not marry you for love. He should know you enough to know if he can do with it. That is more reason why marriages all over the world not just in the (entertainment) industry crashes and that is when there is 'oh, I can't take it anymore' because most marriages were built on faulty foundations; lies, deceit, cheating and all. That is why marriages crash not it's not just about Nollywood.

Are you saying that your job as an actress has not caused any problem in your marriage?

It cannot cause any problem in my marriage because we understood each other before we went into this institution. He knows what I do, I know what he does but if he decides to do something apart from what I know he does, that might cause a problem and if I decide to do something apart from what he knows I do, then that might be a problem.

What if your husband wakes up one morning and tell you to quit acting, what will you do?

For now I don't want to give that a thought, I won't even think about it. The bible said that as a man thinks in his heart, so he is. I don't want to think about that, all I know is that I have a passion for what I do, I love what I do.

So, what is the special thing happening in your life now?

Being alive and healthy is one special thing I thank God for, and having a family like mine, I have amazing children. My daughter is so sensitive; she prays for me, she says things that you don't expect a five year old girl to say. My family, my siblings and parents are enough to thank God for. I have every reason to thank God, though every now and then there are ups and downs, but God has been faithful.

Where and with whom do you intend to spend the forthcoming Christmas with?

For now, it is with my family of course. You should know that but where, I don't know, Nigeria, America, Switzerland or in my village. It could be anywhere, for now we have not decided but wherever it is. We are going to have all the fun in the world which I can assure you.

Looking at your life so far as an actress, do you think you are moving forward in this business of acting?

Yes of course, people think that when you feature in many films means you are moving forward. For me that is not exactly what it is. Like I always tell people, I am not the everyday actor but I have made impact in the job that I have featured in, and I work depending on the script, depending on the cast but the goodwill we have as Nollywood ambassadors have opened doors and we are using this good will to do good and that is moving forward for me. A lot is happening, but for now we need to be grounded.

Who would you say are your rivals in the industry?

I have never had one, you know why? I have never seen myself as a super star, I see myself as ever growing in and out of season. I have no reason to rival with anybody. I am me, uniquely me. I talk me, I walk me, I dress me, I don't live like anyone, I don't talk like anyone, it is just me I my small world. My job is my job, any role I play is because it is meant for me, I don't assume oh that is what should have been given to me. I am not particular about playing lead role, it doesn't matter to me if it is lead role or anything, what matters to me is giving it the best interpretation so I don't have to rival with anyone.

What are those qualities that you will love your dream man to possess?

What am I dreaming for again? I have one already. It is impossible to find everything that you want in every human being, it is impossible but basically, a God fearing man, he has to be good looking but not necessarily handsome. Though beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, he has to be a good dresser because I like men who dress well, I like men who speak well, men who I can learn from, I like one who is open minded. You can't have it all, but basically you must have over 50%.

What are those things you don't like hearing from people?

I don't like people telling me this is impossible, I don't believe in impossibility, I will give it a trial. I know impossibility is in my dictionary but I will consciously overlook it. I hate being limited

Can you tell us about that day that you can never forget?

The day that I can never forget in a hurry is when I was in labour for my first child for 18 hours in Switzerland, I didn't want to go through caesarean but at a point they said we can't wait anymore, you have to go in and I went in and said to God that if it was how he wanted it, then whom am I to say no. that experience was painful, it was my first time so it was painful but while I was rolled into the theater, luckily for me, my child came so I didn't have to go under the knife. The second wasn't like the first and looking at them today, I thank God for that mercy.

Which good news should we be expecting from you soonest?

When the time comes, I can't break good news when it is hasn't come. Let me complete the cycle before I break the good news

How do you cope with your male admirers?

You have to cope with them, I try to be nice but sometimes if I have to be harsh, I would be. Some of them are very persistent, they think that after some time she is going to give in. they are human beings and God has made you the way you look and there is nothing you can do about it. You will always have male friend and they contribute a great quota to your popularity so you have to be nice with them but I know where to draw the line and when that time comes, whether they like it or not, they have to draw the line.

What are your challenges in the industry?

I think my greatest challenge is that I have to juggle work taking care of my family and running my business and secondly, people's expectations of you are high, they see you as a role model and the fact that you can't just be yourself at every moment. There are some times that you want to be yourself, you can't go out, you lose privacy, you can't spend time with your family alone, you can't do a lot of thing that that normal people do. That is just it.

Which message do you have for your fans?

They know that I love them, I tell them that all the time. Without them, there would be me but maybe not much of me, so I owe to them after God.

So Nigeria is set to have a Minister for Terrorism(even the title looks awkward).The spokesman of President Goodluck Jonathan,Ima Niboro says so. That is historical,but for the wrong reason.
It seems like yesterday when a certain Mutallab was arrested and Nigeria was placed amongst terrorist nations.Everyone,even the mentally challenged,kicked against it.Rightly so,since Nigeria was never known for such acts.Never had there been a bomb blast in the country,they said.
Just over a year on,we are set to eat our words to the International community.
Appointing a Terrorism Minister makes it even worse.But who is to blame?The president?The politicians?We,the 'innocent' citizens?
One thing is a fact.Appointing such a minister indirectly confirms what the world saw before giving us such 'title' but at the same time,it is hardly the worst thing the president could do because we actually are a Terrorist nation,on evidence of what is going on.
What nation would a single individual instigate crisis in a region because they do not support western education?What nation would a single individual kidnap almost the whole state and do it with such aplomb?What nation would individuals(or group)bomb a nation's capital on Independence Day celebration,throw bomb in a state on christmas,throw bomb on a nation's capital on New Year day and CLAIM lives?
It is only a terrorist nation that would do that and we are doing ourselves no favours.
We need to have a change of heart and realise violence does not pay.Let us save our dear nation.