I am not having a ball in Lagos.
It has been quite challenging since I returned to Lagos in August.
The mega city is exciting and thrilling if you have no scruples and if you careless about honesty and transparency.
A managing editor was engaged in a "You Scream - I Scream" hot exchange with the boss yesterday and his insolence could cost him his job. It was at a very critical point of production. I had to call the reliable Editorial Consultant who came and addressed the problem and the Yoruba man solved the problem that made two Igbo men to swear at each other. The Publisher was glad the Managing Editor was suspended on the spot. He wanted us to remove his name from the Editorial Team and I advised him to leave it until the next edition of the magazine.

The second edition of the magazine will be out next Monday and I would be glad, because there is a lot at stake in the future of the magazine. I have called it the miracle edition for the cover story on the handsome Nollywood star actor Michael Okon who has never graced the cover of any magazine until the Publisher of the magazine made the wise choice of having my namesake on the cover and Michael is looking so hot! Gosh!
This miracle edition is going to open new doors of success to him locally and internationally and I am determined to recommend him for a leading role in a major film on the Niger Delta crisis to be shot on the West coast from 2009.
I met with Minangoy, the French co-director of the film last Tuesday at the French Embassy in Ikoyi, Lagos.
I went to introduce Emeka Enyiocha and Chidi Wokeabia to him and we spent over two hours on the past, the present and future of the Nigerian film industry. It was a good meeting. Minangoy, the Regional Audio-Visual Attache was brilliant and I was quite impressed as he enlightened us on the secrets of success in the making of world class movies like Faruk Lasaki's first feature, Changing Faces. 

After the meeting with Minangoy, we returned to the office and studio of Emeka and Chidi on Modupe Johnson Street in Surulere to relax. Then Emeka and I left for the Tejuoso market in Yaba, where he bought some textile material that he gave to a tailor off Ojuelegba Road before I left for my temporary residence in Ifako-Gbagada.

I disappointed my sweetheart, because I postponed going to visit her in Calabar. We have to meet before she leaves for the University of Nsukka and before I leave for the UAE where some writers are already expecting me and where I have to write a new book. I will not leave for the UAE until I have collected the copies of the miracle edition of the Supple magazine.
We are taking this proudly made in Nigeria international magazine to places no other Nigerian magazine has ever been to.
We are lifiting Nigeria higher in France, the US and the UAE.

The Publisher of the magazine has been a good friend and host. But there is a great demand for charity in Lagos. I have to dip my hands into my deep pockets often to respond to the needy ones and asked God to help me whenever I ran out of funds.
I have been moved to tears more than once when I could not help many people who were looking dejected on the street.
The governor of Lagos State, Raji Fashola is not only a brilliant lawyer, but also a good administrator and he is doing his best to make Lagos a beautiful and comfortable state. I am giving two thumbs up for his remarkable work on the Marina. The place is now looking like a tourist attraction for a postcard!

The banks and telecommunication companies are booming in Lagos and the employees are happy, but the others in other struggling companies are still grumbling as their meagre salaries cannot even afford three square meals a day. Renting a good apartment in Lagos is very expensive for the underpaid workers. The musicians and comedians are making more money and feeling cool, but most of the writers are still looking gaunt, because their books are not selling. Majority of Nigerians are not interested in reading intellectually challenging books, except the social gossip newspapers and magazines like the City People and the photo magazines on celebs and fashion.  These people prefer their romantic escapism and impressionism to reading serious writings. The best selling CDs in Nigeria show what they prefer.

Thursday October 23, 2008.

We left for our appointments from the house and drove straight to the Ikoyi Hotel where the Publisher of Supple had an important appointment and then we left for Victoria Island where we went to the Cool Link and later went to the office of Multichoice Nigeria and left with good news. It has been a beautiful day of divine favours of success. We went on to meet with a good printer in Yaba, to get a quote for printing the next edition of Supple.

Yesterday, I had a discussion with Christabel, a current beauty queen in Lagos. I invited her to the office and we sat down to chat.
She is a tall and slim African beauty with a very nice smile. I wanted to know what she has been doing as the winner of a beauty pageant and she told me that she needs more support. I responded on the spot and gave her the card to see Monsieur Robert.
"I hope your French is as good as Alliance Française," I said.
"The French Village is actually better," Christabel replied.
She asked for another complimentary copy of Supple and I gave it to her before she left.