₦airaland Forum

Forest Steven Whitaker

Film
Actor Year Title Role Notes
1982 Tag: The Assassination Game Gowdy's Bodyguard
1982 Fast Times at Ridgemont High Charles Jefferson
1985 Vision Quest Balldozer
1985 North and South Cuffey
1986 The Color of Money Amos
1986 North and South, Book II Cuffey
1986 Platoon Big Harold
1987 Stakeout Jack Pismo
1987 Good Morning, Vietnam Edward Garlick
1988 Bird Charlie "Bird" Parker, Jr. Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
1988 Bloodsport Rawlins
1989 Johnny Handsome Dr. Steven Fisher
1990 Downtown Dennis Curren
1991 Diary of a Hitman Dekker
1991 A Rage in Harlem Jackson
1992 Article 99 Dr. Sid Handleman
1992 The Crying Game Jody
1992 Consenting Adults David Duttonville
1993 Bank Robber Officer Battle
1993 Body Snatchers Major Collins
1994 Blown Away Anthony Franklin
1994 Prêt-à-Porter Cy Bianco National Board of Review Award for Best Cast
1994 Jason's Lyric Maddog
1995 Species Dan Smithson, Empath
1995 Smoke Cyrus Cole
1996 Phenomenon Nate Pope Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor – Drama
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
1998 Body Count Crane
1999 Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai Ghost Dog
1999 Light It Up Officer Dante Jackson
1999 Witness Protection US Marshal Steven Beck
2000 Battlefield Earth Ker Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor
2000 Four Dogs Playing Poker Mr. Ellington
2001 The Fourth Angel Agent Jules Bernard
2001 The Hire: The Follow The Employer Uncredited[64]
2001 Green Dragon Addie
2002 Panic Room Burnham Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actor
2002 Phone Booth Captain Ed Ramey Theatrical release was delayed due to the Beltway sniper attacks in October 2002[65]
Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
2004 First Daughter Narrator Also directed
2005 A Little Trip to Heaven Abe Holt
2005 American Gun Carter Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
2005 Mary Ted Younger
2006 Even Money Clyde Snow
2006 The Marsh Geoffrey Hunt
2006 Everyone's Hero Lonnie Brewster (voice)
2006 The Last King of Scotland Idi Amin Academy Award for Best Actor
African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
BET Award for Best Actor
Black Reel Award for Best Actor
Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Hollywood Film Award for Actor of the Year
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
London Film Critics' Circle Award for Actor of the Year
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
National Board of Review Award for Best Actor
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association for Best Actor
Nominated – BIFA Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a British Independent Film
Nominated – Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
2nd Place – Awards Circuit Community Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
2007 The Air I Breathe Happiness
2007 Ripple Effect
2007 The Great Debaters James L. Farmer, Sr. Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
2008 Vantage Point Howard Lewis
2008 Street Kings Capt. Jack Wander
2008 Dragon Hunters Lian Chu (voice – English version)
2008 Winged Creatures Charlie Archenault
2009 Powder Blue Charlie
2009 Where the Wild Things Are Ira (voice) Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Voice Performance
2009 Lullaby for Pi George
2009 Hurricane Season Al Collins
2010 Repo Men Jake Freivald
2010 My Own Love Song Joey
2010 The Experiment Barris
2010 Our Family Wedding Bradford Boyd
2011 Catch .44 Ronny
2012 Freelancers Dennis LaRue
2012 A Dark Truth Francisco Francis
2012 Ernest & Celestine Ernest (voice)
2013 Fruitvale Station Producer
Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Artist of the Year
Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Movie of the Year
AFI Award for Movie of the Year
2013 The Last Stand Agent John Bannister
2013 Zulu Ali Sokhela
2013 Pawn Will
2013 Lee Daniels' The Butler Cecil Gaines African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Actor
AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Grownup Love Story
Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Best Actor
Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Artist of the Year
Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble Cast
Nominated – Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Ensemble Cast
Nominated – BET Award for Best Actor
Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2013 Black Nativity Reverend Cornell Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Artist of the Year
Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble Cast
2013 Out of the Furnace Wesley Barnes Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Artist of the Year
2014 Repentance[66] Angel Sanchez
2014 Two Men in Town William Garnett
2015 Taken 3 Franck Dotzler
2015 Dope Narrator Also producer
2015 Southpaw Titus "Tick" Wills Nominated – Indiana Film Journalist Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
2016 Arrival Colonel Weber
2016 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Saw Gerrera
2017 Burden Reverend Kennedy In post-production
2017 Finding Steve McQueen Howard Lambert In post-production
2017 LAbyrinth In post-production
2018 Black Panther Zuri In post-production
2018 Sorry to Bother You Producer; filming
Director Year Title Notes
1993 Strapped
1995 Waiting to Exhale
1998 Hope Floats Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Best Director
Nominated – Black Film Award for Best Director
2004 First Daughter
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1982 Making The Grade Episode: "Marriage David Style"
1983 Cagney & Lacey Night Manager Episode: "The Grandest Jewel Thief of Them All"
1984 Trapper John, M.D. Lewis Jordan Episode: "School Nurse"
1984 Hill Street Blues Floyd Green Episode: "Blues for Mr. Green"
1985 Diff'rent Strokes Herman Episode: "Bully for Arnold"
1985 The Grand Baby Television movie
1985 The Fall Guy Friend Episode: "Spring Break"
1986 Amazing Stories Jerry Episode: "Gather Ye Acorns"
1987 Hands of a Stranger Sergeant Delaney Television movie
1990 Criminal Justice Jessie Williams Television movie
Biarritz International Festival of Audiovisual Programming Award for Fiction: Actor
1993 Lush Life Buddy Chester Television movie
1993 Last Light Fred Whitmore Television movie
Nominated – CableACE Award for Actor in a Movie or Miniseries
1994 The Enemy Within Colonel MacKenzie 'Mac' Casey Television movie
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
1996 Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault Mr. Rucker Television movie
1999 Witness Protection Steven Beck Television movie
2001 Feast of All Saints Daguerreotypist Picard Television movie
2002 Door to Door Television movie
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie
2003 Deacons for Defense Marcus Clay Television movie
Black Reel Award for Best Actor: T.V. Movie/Cable
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
2002–
2003 The Twilight Zone Host / Narrator 44 episodes
2006–
2007 ER Curtis Ames 6 episodes
Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
2006–
2007 The Shield Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh (Seasons 5 and 6)
Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
2007–
2009 American Dad! Daniel Turlington 3 episodes
Voice role
2010 Criminal Minds Sam Cooper Episode: "The Fight"
2010 Brick City Television movie
Executive producer
Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking
2011 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior Sam Cooper Lead Role; 13 episodes
2012 Serving Life Narrator Documentary; executive producer
2013 Africa Narrator Documentary series
2016 Roots Henry (Fiddler) 4 episodes
2017 Star Wars Rebels Saw Gerrera Voice role

Blair Underwood

Blair Erwin Underwood[1] (born August 25, 1964) is an American television, film, and stage actor and director. He played headstrong attorney Jonathan Rollins on the NBC legal drama L.A. Law for seven years. He has received two Golden Globe Award nominations, three NAACP Image Awards and one Grammy Award. In recent years, he has appeared as Andrew Garner on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The New Adventures of Old Christine, Dirty Sexy Money and In Treatment and was in NBC's The Event

Lemar Obika (born 4 April 1978), professionally known simply as Lemar, is an English singer, songwriter and record producer. Lemar has had a run of chart success in the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia. He rose to fame after finishing in third place on the first series of British talent show Fame Academy, which was won by songwriter David Sneddon.

Since then, Lemar has had seven top ten UK singles and sold over two million albums. He is seen as one of the most successful artists to come out of a reality TV show.[1] Lemar has also won two Brit Awards and three MOBO Awards to date[1] and released his fifth studio album in 2012

Awards and nominations

Brit Awards:

Winner 2006 - British Urban Act
Winner 2004 - British Urban Act
Nominee 2007 - British Male Solo Artist
Nominee 2006 - British Urban Act
Nominee 2005 - British Male Solo Artist
Nominee 2005 - British Urban Act
Nominee 2004 - Best British Breakthrough Act
Nominee 2004 - Best British Urban Act

Mobo Awards:

Winner 2006 - Best UK Male
Winner 2005 - Best UK Male
Winner 2005 - Best Album - Time to Grow
Nominee 2009 - Best R&B/Soul Act
Nominee 2007 - Best R&B Act
Nominee 2005 - Best Video - If There's Any Justice
Nominee 2005 - Best R&B Act
Nominee 2004 - UK Act of the Year
Nominee 2004 - Best R&B Act

Ositadimma " Osi" Umenyiora (born November 16, 1981) is a Nigerian-American former defensive end born in England who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Troy University and was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Umenyiora was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and holds the Giants franchise record for most sacks in one game. He is one of four British-born players to have won a Super Bowl, joining Marvin Allen , Scott McCready and former Giants teammate Lawrence Tynes .[1]
Career history New York Giants ( 2003– 2012) Atlanta Falcons ( 2013– 2014) Career highlights and awards 2× Super Bowl champion ( XLII , XLVI ) 2× Pro Bowl ( 2005, 2007 ) First-team All-Pro ( 2005 ) Second-team All-Pro ( 2010) 2× Southland champion (1999, 2000) All- Southland (2000) Troy University Sports Hall of Fame New York Giants Ring of Honor Early years Umenyiora was born in Golders Green, London to Nigerian parents. [2] He is of Igbo descent. [3] His full first name means in Igbo "from today on, things will be good". [4][5] Umenyiora's family moved from London to Nigeria when he was seven years old. At fourteen years old, Umenyiora moved to Auburn, Alabama to live with his sister and pursue a better education. [6] Umenyiora played only two years of high school football at Auburn High School where he was sixteen years old as a senior. [7] Umenyiora was high school friends and teammates with fellow future NFL defensive lineman DeMarcus Ware .[6] College career Umenyiora played college football for the Troy State Trojans , the only program to offer him an athletic scholarship. [8] At Troy, Umenyiora was moved from nose guard to defensive end .[8] In 2002, He set school records in tackles for loss in a single season (20.5) and sacks in a single game (four against Florida A&M ). He finished the 2002 season with 15 sacks, the second-most in NCAA Division I . He was inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. [9] Professional career New York Giants Despite not being invited to the 2003 NFL Draft Combine,[9] Umenyiora was drafted in the 2nd round (56th pick overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft by the New York Giants out of Troy University . Umenyiora established himself as a premier pass rusher in 2005 , his first year as a starter. [2] His stellar play earned All- Pro recognition and a trip to the Pro Bowl. Umenyiora achieved 14.5 sacks and 70 tackles, second only to the sixteen sacks obtained by Derrick Burgess of the Oakland Raiders .[2] On December 23, 2005, the Giants signed Umenyiora to a six- year contract extension for $41 million with $15 million guaranteed. [10] In the fourth game of the 2007 season, Umenyiora set a Giants franchise record by recording six sacks against the Philadelphia Eagles. At that point in the season, the Giants had 12 sacks, tying the NFL record. [11] He recorded his first career touchdown on October 21 against the San Francisco 49ers when he sacked Trent Dilfer, forced a fumble, recovered the fumble and ran 75 yards for the score. [12] By the end of the season, Umenyiora's 13 sacks helped the Giants to an NFL regular season-leading 53 sacks. [2] The Giants had a surprise victory in Super Bowl XLII over the New England Patriots, in part because of their strong pass rush performance. Umenyiora had four tackles in that game, three of which were solos. [2]
During a preseason game against the New York Jets , Umenyiora suffered cartilage damage in his left knee and was required to undergo season-ending surgery. [13] The finding by team physician Dr. Russell Warren was that Umenyiora suffered a torn lateral meniscus .[14] Umenyiora joined ESPN 's Monday Night Football crew on October 13, 2008. [15] In week 1 of the 2009 season against the Washington Redskins , Umenyiora recorded his second and final career touchdown, also on a sack, forced fumble, and recovery. On November 5, 2010 , Osi Umenyiora was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month after recording 18 tackles (10 solo), 7.0 sacks, and six forced fumbles in the Giants' four October wins. [16] Umenyiora and teammate Justin Tuck recorded 11.5 sacks for the year, and combined for 16 forced fumbles. On July 29, 2011, Umenyiora did not report on the opening day of the Giants' training camp. As a result, the Giants placed him on Reserve/Did Not Report. He reported to camp late the following day. Umenyiora has claimed that general manager Jerry Reese promised to renegotiate his contract after the 2010 season, but failed to do so. [17][18] Umenyiora began practicing with his teammates on August 15, but after three practices he had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. The team expected him to miss the season opener against the Washington Redskins on September 11. [19] Atlanta Falcons Umenyiora signed a two-year deal worth $8.55 million with the Atlanta Falcons on March 27, 2013. [20] Retirement On August 26, 2015, he retired from professional football as a New York Giant after signing a one-day deal. [21][22][23] Media career After retiring in 2015, he joined BBC Sport as a pundit for their NFL coverage working on the NFL International Series matches from London, a new NFL highlights show which is on every week of the season and the Super Bowl. He worked alongside Match of the Day 2 host Mark Chapman , Jason Bell , Nat Coombs , and Mike Carlson and their coverage has gained rave reviews from NFL fans in the UK

Personal life Umenyiora resides in Cleveland, Georgia and Edgewater, New Jersey . [26] In 2008, he made a cameo appearance in the music video " I Luv Your Girl" by The-Dream . In February 2013, he became engaged to Miss Universe 2011 , Leila Lopes . [27] They married May 29, 2015 in Luanda, Angola , the bride's home country, and he is fluent in Portuguese . [28][29]

Umenyiora Osi

Nneka Egbuna (born 24 December 1980) is a Nigerian hip hop/soul/reggae singer, songwriter and actress. She sings in Igbo, English and Nigerian Pidgin.

Music career

Since 2003, Nneka has been working closely with the hip hop beatmaker DJ Farhot, a producer living in Hamburg. As a young singer she first gained public attention in 2004 while performing as an opening act for dancehall reggae star Sean Paul at Hamburg Stadtpark. After much acclaim, Nneka was given a green light to record her first album.

After releasing her debut EP The Uncomfortable Truth with the music label Yo Mama's Recording Company, she performed on her first tour with Patrice Bart-Williams in April 2005, playing shows in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

She finished recording her first album in the autumn of 2005. Entitled Victim of Truth, it was released not only in Germany but also in England, France, Netherlands, Nigeria and Japan. Garnering rave reviews from the media, the UK's Sunday Times later declared it “the year’s most criminally overlooked album”, comparing it favourably to 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'.[1]

Following the release of the album, Nneka enjoyed a sustained and successful period of touring, performing at festivals such as Chiemsee Reggae Summer, Haarlem (Bevrijdingspop), Den Haag (Park Pop) and Saint-Brieuc (Art Rock Festival) as well as in respected venues like La Maroquinerie and New Morning in Paris, Tivoli in Utrecht, Paradiso in Amsterdam and Cargo and ULU in London. She has also supported artists such as Femi Kuti, Bilal, Seeed, and Gnarls Barkley.

In 2006, Nneka also performed with a group of dancers from Münster on the German TV channel WDR. there she performed her single "Gypsy" while the group performed their dance routine they had worked on specifically for the song gypsy. The dance group was supported by the organization Schlauberger.

In February 2008, she released her second album, No Longer at Ease. The title of the album is taken from a novel of the same name by Chinua Achebe and reflects the lyrical content of the record. Most of the songs are political, talking about the plight of the Niger Delta and the corruption in Nneka’s homeland. “No Longer at Ease” combines the political and the personal in “a winning mix of soul, hip-hop and reggae”.[2] The lead single from it, "Heartbeat", became her first song to break into the German Top 50.[3] In September 2009, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number twenty.[4]

The following months saw tours in France, Italy and Portugal, while she also supported Lenny Kravitz on his French tour in April 2009.

Nneka was nominated in three categories for the 2009 Channel O Music Video Awards,[5] and won an award for Best African Act at the 2009 MOBO Awards.

In late 2009, she was chosen as of one Beyond Race Magazine's "50 Emerging Artists", resulting in a spot in the publication's #11 issue (with Bodega Girls and J. Cole on the cover), as well as an exclusive Q&A for the magazine's site.[6]

In November 2009, Nneka staged her first concert tour of the United States where she performed shows in New York City, Vienna (Washington DC), Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Furthermore, she was a special guest on The Roots Jam session. Her first US release Concrete Jungle was set for 2 February 2010.

Her track "Kangpe" is also featured as a soundtrack on the EA Sports FIFA 2010 video game.

In January 2010, Nneka appeared in Late Show with David Letterman in New York before getting her US tour underway.

In June 2010, she won the reggae category of the Museke Online Africa Music Award 2010 with her hit song, "Africans".

She agreed to go on tour with Nas and Damian Marley to help them promote their Distant Relatives (2010) album. She has done a remix of her highly rated track, "Heartbeat" with Nas, which was released via iTunes on Oct 05 2010.[7]

She participated in the 2010 Lilith Fair Concert where Tegan & Sara, Sarah McLachlan, Kelly Clarkson, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Corinne Bailey Rae, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna and others have performed. She performed also in Washington, Raleigh and Charlotte (United States).

Nneka recorded a song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa called "Viva Africa". It is a tribute to the premier mundial on African soil.

Nneka also won the award for best indigenous artist in Nigeria at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards (NEA) 2010, which was held in New York, U.S.A. Since then she has won the NEA award for best international artist several times

Lachi is a vocalist, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist and author based in New York City. Having released numerous albums and singles, Lachi's music is often described as Pop, Dance, or Singer Songwriter.

Early life

Daughter of Author and Professor Dr. Marcellina Offoha and the sixth of seven children, Lachi began writing songs and short stories at a very early age, and performed in musical ensembles throughout her school years. Lachi has a congenital visual impairment, Coloboma of the retina causing legal blindness. Lachi overcame her severe low vision through music, writing and performing.

Lachi attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she created the all female a cappella group The UNC Cadence. She then moved to New York City to embark upon her music and writing career while working towards a master's degree in Music at New York University. Apart from obtaining side music gigs, Lachi worked at the New York District's United States Army Corps of Engineers.
Career

Lachi's music can best be described as Pop, soul and electronic dance music with empowering messages.

She completed her first project album, "And This Is My Life," full of solo piano pieces released June 6, 2006. The album is an intimate array of jazz, blues and mellow piano songs heavily influenced by life experiences throughout her college years. On January 24, 2009, she released her piano-driven alternative rock EP "Ugly Beautiful," full of messages of inner growth. This EP demonstrates Lachi's strong songwriting prowess, and though rock, still harbors much of her jazz influence through colorful chord progressions and random spouts of scatting.

She then got picked up by Fanatic Records/EMI-Caroline Distribution, who spotted her at a South by Southwest showcase and signed her for one album. On July 27, 2010, her self-titled piano-driven alternative rock album "Lachi" was released, which though edgier and more confident, held her message of inner growth and strength. The album garnered her a good deal of press and attention, landing her on Oprah Radio and winning her national TV and radio spins. During this time, Lachi performed at PrideFest (Milwaukee) (where she opened for Patti LaBelle).

Lachi then teamed up with Ray Archie to put out “It’s Our Time,” a song she wrote to aid in the launch of social music collaboration platform, Mixluv. This was a collaboration with Gary Pine, Shea Rose, and Kiyano Kim. She also flew out to L.A. to record tracks with Trend Def Productions while putting the finishing touches on her first full-length novel, “The Ivory Staff.”

In June 2015 Lachi released The Boss EP through Trend Def’s Sony Music Entertainment imprint. Again an album of empowerment, the EP is a high-energy foray into commercial Pop/Dance touched with Dubstep. The single "Boss" found a prominent feature on Oxygen Networks's Bad Girls Club.

In October 2015 Lachi released her Fiction narrative, The Ivory Staff, under the name M. Lachi through the independent publisher, Library Tales Publishing.

Lachi spent most of 2016 songwriting and composing for independent production companies and artists. In August 2016, Lachi teamed up with Israeli World Music producer Zafrir Ifrach and Moroccan vocalist Maxime Karouchi to create the Mediterranean-infused EDM track Dalale.

[s]

BeautifulMind2:
Blair Underwood

Blair Erwin Underwood[1] (born August 25, 1964) is an American television, film, and stage actor and director. He played headstrong attorney Jonathan Rollins on the NBC legal drama L.A. Law for seven years. He has received two Golden Globe Award nominations, three NAACP Image Awards and one Grammy Award. In recent years, he has appeared as Andrew Garner on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The New Adventures of Old Christine, Dirty Sexy Money and In Treatment and was in NBC's The Event

[/s]




Wetin this man got to do with ibo?



lmao.




Den don take stealing swear for you people..

Chinyere Kalu... First female commercial pilot and former Rector, Nigerian Aviation school.

Chinyere Kalu, MFR (née Onyenucheya) is the first Nigerian
female commercial pilot. She served as the rector and chief
instructor of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology
between October 2011 and February 2014. [1]
Life
A native of Ukwa East in Abia State, Eastern Nigeria , Kalu
grew up under the care of her mother after the separation of
her parents.A woman grew up in a very supportive big family.
She decided to begin her career in Aviation because of her
adventurous aunt. [2] She had her primary school education at
Anglican Girls Grammar School, Yaba , Lagos State, before she
trained as a private and commercial pilot in 1978 at the
Nigerian College of Aviation Technology , Zaria in Nigeria
under SP.12 Batch.[3] She subsequently took several aviation
and transport courses in the United Kingdom and the United
States before she received her license as a commercial pilot
on May 20, 1981, from the Nigerian College of Aviation
Technology // .[4] In October 2011, former president Goodluck
Jonathan appointed her the rector and chief instructor of the
Nigerian College of Aviation Technology. In February 2014,
she was succeeded by Captain Samuel Caulcrick. [5][6]
Recognitions
She is a member of the Nigerian Women Achievers Hall of
Fame and also a member of the Order of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria, which was conferred upon her in 2006.

Chinyere kalu

deomeelo:
[s][/s]




Wetin this man got to do with ibo?



lmao.




Den don take stealing swear for you people..

Can't you see they have claimed Forest Whittaker too?
because he was given a title in Ikwerre, he is now an Igboman . Na wa for all this claiming o, make I no talk too much before mod ban me

deomeelo:
[s][/s]



Wetin this man got to do with ibo?


lmao.



Den don take stealing swear for you people..

Genealogy tracing In the 2003 PBS program African American Lives , Bishop T.D. Jakes had his DNA analyzed; his Y chromosome showed that he is descended from the Igbo. [15] American actors Forest Whitaker and Blair Underwood have traced their genealogy back to the Igbo people. [16][17]
Igbo Americans - Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org › wiki › Igbo_.

hilroy007:
Can't you see they have claimed Forest Whittaker too?
because he was given a title in Ikwerre, he is now an Igboman . Na wa for all this claiming o, make I no talk too much before mod ban me

Remember him? If u've seen the series 'Dirty sexy money' then
u'd know him. He starred as Simon Elder, the percieved
nemesis of New york's richest elite family- the Darlings.
Suprise to discover that his roots have been traced to
Igboland, Nigeria. First, it was Forest Whitaker, then Wesley
Snipes now it's Underwood. Who knows? Calvin Broadus
(Snoop Dogg) mite be next
Blair Underwood
Actor
AA: How has the knowledge of your African ancestry (that we
provided) has impacted you?
Mr. Underwood: It given me a sense of community and
satisfied a lifelong curiosity. A welcome surprise that my
people are from Nigeria & Ibo people.
AA: Why do you believe this knowledge of ancestry is
important?
Mr. Underwood: The knowledge has given me a better
understanding of the person I've become. I believe our DNA
plays a large part. It explains certain characteristics, traits, be
it personal, medical or culturally.
AA: What have you done with your African Ancestry results?
Mr: Underwood: Distributed among every Underwood I know
and family members at a recent Family Reunion.
Source: http://africanancestry.com/testimonials/index/html

Written by Ogbonna Amadi Saturday, 11 April 2009 For Forest Whitaker and his compatriot Danny Glover it was sweet home coming on Sunday April 5, 2009, when the traditional ruler and people of Nkwere, Imo state welcomed him with a chieftaincy title after taking part at the just concluded African Movie Academy Awards in Bayelsa. The sleepy town went in wild jubilation when the motorcade entered the ancient palace of Eshi of Nkwere while the traditional drummers and women dancers welcomed the guests with songs of praises. The African-American A-List Hollywood stars were introduced to the people and chiefs of the ancient town by Chief Nze Chukwuka Anyiam-Osigwe, the eldest son of the Anyiam-Osigwe brothers who also is a title chief of Nkwerre. The elated Anyiam-Osigwe told the jubilant crowd at the palace of Eze Dr. Chijioke Jeki Okwara IV, that the coming of Danny Glover and Forest Whitaker was the greatest thing to happen to black history as history was made on the day the two men re-establish their connection with their root. Forest Whitaker has done a DNA which revealed that he has Igbo ancestral root and a link with Nkwerre people. The eldest Anyiam-Osigwe said, ‘’This is our lost brother. We have found him and brought him home. It is only an Nkwere man that can find his way home after many years. We are a people from unparallel kingdom. We are pride of Igboland. Today our brother Whitaker and his friend Mr. Glover will be made Nkwerre Chiefs and it is not an easy task to be an Nkwerre chief because there are only 30 Nkwerre chiefs in the whole world,’’ he said. After introducing the Hollywood stars to the people and chiefs, the King ordered they be brought inside the inner chamber for traditional rites preceding their final confirmation as chiefs. It was an emotional one for Whitaker who has been working all his life to establish direct contact with his ancestral Igboland and the quest was made possible by attending the UBA-AMAA awards in Nigeria as a star guest. After the traditional rite of hand washing before the breaking of Kolanut which signifies purity and cleansing the Eze Okwara IV, Eshi of Nkwere called on the Eze Anyiam-Osigwe, the eldest of the Anyiam Osigwe brothers to once again confirm if the guests are worthy to be made Chiefs of Nkwerre. Before the 20 heads of Villages that made up of Nkwerre, Eze Anyiam-Osigwe proclaims that worthiness of Glover and Whitaker Forest Whitaker, Nwannedinamba of Nkwerre land and Danny Glover, Enyioma of Nkwerre land in Imo State after their conferment at the Eshi of Nkwerre palace on Sunday after the AMAA Awards.to be chiefs of Nkwerre. ‘’Danny Glover is a member of our family for his attitude and ways of assistance to us. Being an Nkwerre chief will help us socially, culturally and economically as our dream of a film village and film institute will be realised with Danny and Whitaker as chiefs of our town. They are good people. We present them as worthy of being chiefs of Nkwerre,’’ Anyiam Osigwe declared. Upon the public affirmation of the duo as worthy of the honour, Eze Okwara asked the palace chief to bring out a live eagle, a symbol of strength, vigour and power to complete the chieftaincy rite. The king removed the feathers of the eagle and stuck it in a red cap before both men wore their caps as red cap chiefs of Nkwerre. Whitaker was honoured with the title of Nwannedinamba of Nkwerre which means a brother in foreign land while Glover had the title of Enyioma which means a good friend of Nkwerre. Chief Nze Chukwuka Anyiam-Osigwe the Eshi of Nkwere and Forest Whitaker, Nwannedinamba of Nkwerre land after the conferment at the Eshi of Nkwerre palace on Sunday.The traditional ruler of Nkwerre told the people at the ceremony that good things are happening to black race with a black man becoming American President. ‘’The black race is an intelligent race. You will see how the Obama stimulus package will bail out the world economy already in recession. It is the same level of black intelligence that made it possible for our son and brother to get to the height of their career as Hollywood stars. ‘’When you get to America tell them you have discovered your root,’’ he told Whitaker. He went further, ‘’This meeting today will bring a relationship of partnership between Nkwerre and African-American through cultural exchange and economic opportunities,’’ the monarch explained. While accepting the honour, the two men thanked the people and the king for accepting them and recognising their achievements as movie stars and for finding them worthy to be honoured. They promised the people that they will live up to the demand of their traditional offices. Vanguard Online Edition - Whitaker gets chieftaincy title after DNA reveals his Igbo identity #1 Apr 11, 2009

Intimidating statistics

Nnewi city with most Naira-Billionaires per capita in Nigeria
Let me take a look at the great City Nnewi ( Anaedo) ..The city of super rich
Shortly before Nigeria’s independence in 1960, Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu, reportedly Nigeria’s first black billionaire, and founding President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. The royal honor came after he helped the British during World War II with his fleet of trucks. He was so wealthy that during the Queen’s visit in 1956, she was chauffeured around in his Rolls-Royce – apparently the only one in the country at the time – on the request of the colonial administration. Profiled in September 1965 by TIME magazine, Ojukwu made his money by importing dried fish for resale, and diversifying into textiles, cement and transport. When he died a year later, his wealth was an estimated $4 billion in today’s economic value. His son, Chukwuemeka, who also ended up a billionaire, returned from Oxford University at 22 with a Master’s degree in History and led his fellow Igbos into the Nigerian civil war as head of the secessionist state of Biafra in 1967. Their hometown, Nnewi, in the southeastern state of Anambra, either by good fortune or hard work, has bred more naira billionaires than any other town in Nigeria, and possibly Africa. The Igbos, who sometimes refer to themselves as the ‘Jews of Africa’, have entrepreneurship in their blood. They have built themselves from the ground up, with little help from the government, after a controversial policy left them all with 20 pounds each, regardless of their bank balance, at the end of the Nigerian civil war in 1970. Nicknamed the Japan of Africa, Nnewi is famous as a hub for automobile spare part dealers, and most recently, Innoson, Nigeria’s first indigenous car assembly plant. The town is also known for its factories that manufacture household goods and is home to the biggest road transport companies in the country. Nnewi, with a little over two million residents, is a 30-minute drive from the Onitsha – the biggest outdoor market in West Africa – on the banks of the River Niger. These are 10 of the most prominent naira billionaires from Nnewi, in no particular order: • Cletus Ibeto: The Ibeto Group has been described as the largest industrial enterprise in southeast Nigeria. Starting out as an apprentice to an already established auto spare parts dealer, Ibeto eventually branched out on his own and effectively ended importation of lead acid car batteries in Nigeria in the late 80s. The result is a conglomerate dealing in hospitality, motor products, real estate, petrochemicals, agriculture and cement. • Cosmas Maduka: One of the country’s foremost car dealerships, Coscharis Group, is the brainchild of a man who lost his father at four and had to drop out of school to sell bean cakes, a popular food staple. His company, one of the largest car dealerships in Nigeria that deals in BMW, Jaguar, Range Rover and Rolls-Royce, has diversified into agriculture. • Innocent Chukwuma: Another school dropout, he is the founder of Innoson Nigeria Limited which produces sport utility vehicles, commercial buses and passenger cars at the first indigenous assembly plant in Nigeria. The company has factories in Nnewi and Enugu and has the governments of Anambra and Enugu States, as well as a few federal agencies, among its customers. • Gabriel Chukwuma: The elder brother of Innoson, Gabriel is invested in sports, real estate and hospitality. As chairman of Gabros International Football Club, he oversaw its rise into the Nigerian Premier League and partnership with English side, West Ham FC before selling to fellow Nnewi entrepreneur, Ifeanyi Ubah. He began business as a patent medicine dealer. • Alexander Chika Okafor: Chicason Industries, and one of its products – A-Z Petroleum, are household names in Nigeria. The conglomerate has made significant inroads in the mining, manufacturing, and real estate in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Okafor, its founder and chairman, was named in 2011 by the Senate as one of the beneficiaries of the subsidy fraud under the Goodluck Jonathan administration, pocketing as much as N18 billion ($54 million). • Augustine Ilodibe : An orphan and mass server in the Catholic church, young Ilodibe was gifted £35 by one of the priests and he initially invested in motor spare parts trading. By the sixties, he pioneered the interstate luxury bus transport service; for years, he was the sole importer of these buses. After helping organise vehicles for the Biafran side during the civil war, he established the hugely popular Ekene Dili Chukwu Transport, his main cash cow and later diversified into brewery and agriculture. • Ifeanyi Ubah: The flamboyant businessman funded parts of the Goodluck Jonathan campaign ahead of the 2015 presidential polls and unsuccessfully ran for the governorship of his home state, Anambra, in 2014. His wealth comes from investments in oil and gas, as well as exportation of motor spare parts and, recently, from sales of football players. In June 2015, Ubah – described by one Nigerian newspaper as ‘the new sugar daddy of Nigerian football’ – completed the purchase of Gabros FC for N500 million and renamed it Ifeanyi Ubah FC. • Louis Onwugbenu: The head honcho of Louis Carter Industries dropped out of school in 1967 when the Nigerian civil war broke out. He got his nickname from weekly trips to Lagos to sell motor spare parts under the popular Carter Bridge in the city. His reinvested profits allowed him to diversify into manufacturing car batteries and pipe fittings, agriculture, food processing, real estate and, by the age of 30, he was already a naira multimillionaire. The headquarters of his conglomerate sits in the Carter Industrial Estate, spanning many acres in Nnewi. • Obiajulu Uzodike: Nigeria is one of the foremost cable producers in the world due to many indigenous manufacturers across the southeast. One of the top cable companies is Cutix Nigeria, whose founder, Obiajulu Uzodike, cut his teeth in the business as a staff at a US-based aircraft and military wires and accessories’ company. By 1982, the Harvard Business School alumni and civil war veteran set up Cutix with N400,000 ($1,200), nurturing it to eventually become one of the first indigenous firms in the southeast to be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. • Culled from Forbes Africa

No town or city in Nigeria has been recognized to possess this number of super rich per capita..


Another Igbo town I shall look into is Ibusa, Ohafia and Arondizuogu

Kelly Washington (the Django unchained Lady) and her Igbo husband

Now, let me Go to Nigerians working in World bank..

When Oyibos go for employment, they seek the most competent and qualified unlike Nigeria where favoritism,nepotism and tribalism displace meritocracy..

Mediocrity is the mother of recession..

WASHINGTON, November 8, 2016 — World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim today announced the appointment of Sandie Okoro as World Bank Group Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “Sandie Okoro is a highly regarded thought leader with a strong track record of developing new legal approaches in the field of international finance,” said Kim . “Her experience managing legal and financial risks at global financial institutions will make her a great asset for the Bank Group and our Board. ” Okoro, a British national, is currently the Global General Counsel for HSBC Global Asset Management. She is also Deputy General Counsel of HSBC Retail Banking and Wealth Management and a member of the Executive Management Committee of HSBC Global Asset Management. Before joining HSBC, Okoro was Global General Counsel at Barings. She has also been appointed to the Management Board and Panel of Experts of The Hague-based Panel of Recognized International Market Experts in Finance, which assists with the settlement of international disputes of complex financial transactions. Okoro played a leadership role during the financial crisis particularly in respect to the mitigation of counterparty risk exposure. Okoro has received several accolades for her work and volunteer efforts. Most recently, in July 2016, she was named as one of the 100 Women to Watch by the Female FTSE Board. As World Bank Group Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Okoro will be the principal adviser and spokesperson on all legal matters. She will also serve as the legal adviser to the Board, management, the Inspection Panel, and the CEO of the Global Environmental Facility Program. Okoro will lead the World Bank’s Legal Vice Presidency, which is responsible for all legal services provided to internal and external clients.

Sandie Okoro

The envy of Afonja...
Arunma Oteh
Arunma Oteh , OON (Officer of the Order of the Niger), is the Treasurer and Vice President of the World Bank . She became the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Nigeria in January 2010. In this position she was responsible for regulation of Nigeria's capital markets, including the Nigerian Stock Exchange. [1] In July 2015, after her tenure in the SEC, she was appointed the vice president and treasurer of the World Bank .
Early years Arunma Oteh is of Nigerian/British nationality. She is from Abia State. She studied at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, earning a first class honors degree in Computer Science. She went on to the Harvard Business School where she obtained a master's degree in Business Administration. She co-edited the book, African Voices African Visions . [3] Oteh worked for various institutions including the Harvard Institute for International Development and Centre Point Investments Limited of Nigeria in corporate finance, consulting, teaching and research. She joined the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 1992. [3] She was a Senior Investment Officer/Senior Capital Markets Officer from 1993 to 1997, then Division Manager Investments and Trading Room from 1997 to 2001 when she was appointed the Bank's Group Treasurer responsible for fund raising and investments in major international capital markets. [4] Oteh was appointed Vice-President for Corporate Management at the ADB in March 2006, responsible for Language Services, General Services and Procurement, Human Resources, and Information Management and Methods. [3] SEC Director General Ms. Oteh was nominated as the Director-General of the Securities & Exchange Commission by President Umaru Yar'Adua in July 2009. [4] Arunma Oteh became Director General of the SEC in January 2010, after being confirmed by the Senate. [5] In a June 2010 interview with the BBC Oteh listed "wash sales, market rigging, pumping and dumping shares" as some of the abuses in Nigeria's capital market. She said the SEC expected to charge about 200 individuals and entities in civil or criminal cases. She faced resistance from the powerful Nigerian rent-seeking elite, but expressed confidence due to the backing she had received from President Goodluck Jonathan . [1] In August 2010, as a result of some of the identified market abuse issues, the Securities and Exchange Commission removed the leadership of the Nigerian stock exchange. [5] The House Committee of Capital Markets and Institutions launched a public inquiry in April 2012 into the near collapse of the Nigerian capital market in 2008. [6] Oteh and the committee chairman had a heated exchange over the focus of the hearing, leading to the chairmans resignation from the committee after allegations that he had asked for a bribe to influence the House Committee inquiry, and that he had collected public funds to attend a workshop in the Dominican Republic but had neither attended the program nor returned the money[7] The SEC released two statements explaining their position on the allegations made during the public hearing. The First press statement made on 19 March 2012 focused on the varied allegations made by the committee[8] In June 2012. The second press statement stated that "[n]o financial overtures have ever been made to the Hon. Hembe by Ms. Oteh, DG SEC or any staff of SEC." [9] A new eight-man Ad hoc committee was set up by the House of representatives to complete the hearing on the near collapse of the capital market. [10] As a possible fallout of the events that had taken place at the public hearings, Arunma Oteh was asked to proceed on compulsory leave by the SEC board, pending an independent investigation into the management of Project 50, a program packaged by her to commemorate 50 years of capital market regulation in Nigeria. [11] On July 18, 2012, Oteh was called back to resume work after an independent investigation by the board-appointed firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers , cleared her of any financial impropriety. [12] Oteh's concluded her 5-year tenure as SEC DG in January 2015. In July 2015, Jim Yong Kim , the president of the World Bank appointed Arunma Oteh, Vice President and Treasurer of the institution. [2] Awards and Achievements In 2011 Oteh was made an Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) in "recognition of her contribution to economic development and to transforming the Nigerian capital markets". In 2011 she received the "Distinction In Public Service" award from the Commonwealth Business Council/ African Business. [13] In 2014, Oteh won the CNBC Africa All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) Business Woman of the Year category for West Africa.

Arunma Oteh

This woman has the physical features of Afonja but intellectually superior to any Afonja dead or alive.


Oby Ezekwesili ex VP,World bank

Obiageli Ezekwesili (popularly known as Oby Ezekwesili) is a
Nigerian chartered accountant. She was a co-founder of
Transparency International, serving as one of the pioneer
directors of the global anti-corruption body based in Berlin,
Germany . She served as Federal Minister of Solid Minerals
and then as Federal Minister of Education during the second-
term presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo . Since then, she served
as the Vice-President of the World Bank 's Africa division from
May 2007 to May 2012, she was replaced by Makhtar Diop .[

Education
Ezekwesili holds a master's degree in International Law and
Diplomacy from the University of Lagos, as well as a Master
of Public Administration degree from the Kennedy School of
Government , Harvard University . She trained with the firm of
Deloitte and Touche and qualified as a chartered accountant.
[2]
Prior to working for the Government of Nigeria, Ezekwesiili
was working with Professor Jeffrey Sachs at the Center for
International Development at Harvard.
Obasanjo government
Ezekwesili started off in the Olusegun Obasanjo administration
as the Pioneer head of the Budget Monitoring and Price
Intelligence Unit (aka Due Process Unit). It was in this
position that she earned the sobriquet of "Madam Due
Process" for the outstanding work she led a team of
professionals to do in sanitising public procurement or
contracting at the Federal level in Nigeria. She was the
architect of the Bureau for Public Procurement legislation, the
NEITI legislation and the new Minerals and Mining legislation
during her six and a half years stint in government.
She was appointed Minister of Solid Minerals (Mines and
Steel) in June 2005 during which time she led a vibrant reform
program that led to Nigeria's global recognition as a credible
mining investment destination. She was also the Chairperson
of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
(NEITI) and led the first ever national implementation of the
global standards and principles of transparency in the oil, gas
and mining sector.
In June 2006, Ezekwesili was appointed the Federal Minister
of Education , holding this post until she took up her World
Bank appointment in May 2007. [2]
Later career
In March 2007, World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz
announced the appointment of Ezekwesili as Vice-President
for the Africa Region starting on 1 May 2007. [2] This year,
she successfully completed her stint as the World Bank Vice-
President Africa Division, a position to which she was
appointed in 2007. As vice-president she was in charge of the
bank's operations in 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and
supervised a lending portfolio of over $40 billion.
She was a co-founder of Transparency International and
served as one of its pioneer directors. As a senior economic
advisor for Open Society, a group founded by billionaire
George Soros, she advises nine reform-committed African
heads of state including Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Ellen
Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia .
On 1 October 2012, one of the world's leading
telecommunications firm, Bharti Airtel, with operations in 20
countries, named Ezekwesili as a director on its board. She is
also on the boards of World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the School
of Public Policy of Central European University , The Harold
Hartog School of Government and Policy, New African
magazine, The Center for Global Leadership @ Tufts
University .
In May 2012, Ezekwesili was awarded an honorary Doctor of
Science (DSC) degree by the University of Agriculture,
Abeokuta in Nigeria. She was selected as one of the BBC's
100 Women in 2014. [3]
Advocacy and #BringBackOurGirls campaign
In March 2014, she delivered a keynote speech at the national
summit of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the leading
opposition party in Nigeria. She criticised the many migrating
governors and urged the party to have "a conversation deeper
than how you're going to chase (the ruling) PDP out of
power". [4]
In the aftermath of the nearly 300 mainly Christian girls were
abducted from Chibok by the Islamist militant group Boko
Haram ., [5][6][7] Ezekwesili was instrumental to the start of
the viral #BringBackOurGirls campaign on social media, which
trended internationally. She had on 23 April, at the opening
ceremony for a UNESCO event honouring the city of Port
Harcourt as the 2014 World Book Capital city, urged Nigerians
to not just tweet but actively participate in efforts to "bring
back our girls". [8][9]
As she prepared to board a British Airways flight to London to
appear on the BBC programme Hard Talk in July 2014, she
was detained by Nigeria's secret service, the SSS , who also
seized her passport. [10][11] She was later released that
morning.

This woman has the physical features of Afonja but intellectually superior to any Afonja dead or alive. Oby Ezekwesili ex VP,World bank

Ngozi Okonjo Iweala..


In fact, a new thread challenging any Afonja dead or alive in intellectuality needs to be created and dedicated to this woman.

I know Afonja are already shivering at the mention this Mighty name..

The greatest Woman alive in Nigeria just after my own lovely mom.

I challenge any Afonja to mention a single person from Afonja kingdom that can match this woman in accomplishments and awards.

The woman that can never be intimidated or challenged in the field of economics in Nigeria and Africa ..

The Superwoman!
The greatest African woman alive.
The embodiment of intelligence and organization.

The description of competence and prudence..

The woman that believes in facts and figures!

The pride of women.
The pride of black race.

The pride of Nigeria

The pride of Igbo race.

The pride of Civilized minds.

The Threat to Afonja.

BeautifulMind2:
Blair Underwood

Blair Erwin Underwood[1] (born August 25, 1964) is an American television, film, and stage actor and director. He played headstrong attorney Jonathan Rollins on the NBC legal drama L.A. Law for seven years. He has received two Golden Globe Award nominations, three NAACP Image Awards and one Grammy Award. In recent years, he has appeared as Andrew Garner on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The New Adventures of Old Christine, Dirty Sexy Money and In Treatment and was in NBC's The Event

Enjoyed his role in Quantico. Never knew he was igbo.

This thread tastes like strawberry

hilroy007:
Can't you see they have claimed Forest Whittaker too?
because he was given a title in Ikwerre, he is now an Igboman . Na wa for all this claiming o, make I no talk too much before mod ban me

He's from Imo state
Nkwerre in Imo state not Ikwerre

FOREST WHITAKER FINDS HIS ROOTS IN IMO STATE NIGERIA.

April 6 was a really beautiful day. The people of Nkwerre village in Imo State, Eastern Nigeria might have thought they were just luckky to have a day as nice as this but the reason that day was all shiny and new was because a lost son had returned.

Forest Steven Whitaker,an Academy Award-, Golden Globe-, and Emmy-winning actor, producer, and director returned home to Nigeria.

I was the only journalist that got luckky to be right there as he was welcomed with fellow star, Danny Glover. Right there before my eyes, they were given prestigious chieftancy titles reserved for nobel and well respected men.

Whitaker, sorry chief Whitaker was given the title-"Nwannedinambe Of Nkwerre" meaning "A Brother in Foreign Land" while Chief Glover received the title- "Enyioma of Nkwerre," this means "A Good Friend."

It took me a while to believe I was actually there with world stars in a small village in Nigeria. I have not fully recovered.

I was really proud to be who I am when Chief Whitaker thanked the King for allowing him to breathe the air and feel the wind in a different way. To feel his blood differently. I was moved to tears and filled with mixed emotions when he said "Now I know where I stand, it is the greatest gift anyone can receive."

Chief GLover was also honoured and said this was home for him. We all moved on to the Ayiam-Osigwe family house to celebrate. I took in slowly, the priviledge of seeing them dance to the beats of Africa and savouring every mouth full of Jollof-rice, semovita and egusi soup, our native dish.

For me, a 24 year old Newswatch magazine senior staff writer in Lagos, I would never forget this day. Since I got back to my desk, I have recounted the stories to my colleagues over and over, now I want to tell the world.

I beleive his visit, his new identity, his title, his words and who he is would inspire Nigerians especially those on the road to shunning corruption and believing in hardwork.

Even TD Jakes is an Igbo

Her Majesty, the visible economics god Mrs Ngozi Okonjo Iweala..
Personal details Born 13 June 1954 (age 63) Ogwashi-Ukwu , Delta State, Nigeria Alma mater Harvard University Massachusetts Institute of Technology She served two terms as Finance Minister of Nigeria (2003-2006, 2011-2015) and was previously Managing Director of the World Bank (2007-2011). She currently chairs the Board of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) and the African Risk Capacity (ARC). She is also a Senior Adviser at Lazard. Education and personal life Okonjo-Iweala is from Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State, where her father Professor Chukwuka Okonjo is the Eze (King) from the Obahai Royal Family of Ogwashi-Ukwu. Okonjo-Iweala was educated at St. Anne's School, Molete, Ibadan, the International School Ibadan and Harvard University , graduating magna cum laude with an AB in Economics in 1976, and earned her PhD in regional economics and development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1981. She received an International Fellowship from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) that supported her doctoral studies. [1] She is married to Dr. Ikemba Iweala, a neurosurgeon from Umuahia , Abia State, and they have four children, including Uzodinma Iweala . [2]

Okonjo-Iweala served twice as Nigeria’s Finance Minister and also as Minister of Foreign Affairs. She was the first female to hold both positions. During her first term as Minister of Finance under President Obasanjo’s Administration, she spearheaded negotiations with the Paris Club of Creditors that led to the wiping out of US$30 billion of Nigeria’s debt, including the outright cancellation of US$18 billion. [3] In 2003 she led efforts to improve Nigeria’s macroeconomic management including the implementation of an oil-price based fiscal rule where revenues accruing above a reference benchmark oil price were saved in a special account, “The Excess Crude Account” which helped to reduce macroeconomic volatility. [4] She also introduced the practice of publishing each state's monthly financial allocation from the Federal Government of Nigeria in the newspapers. This action went a long way in increasing transparency in governance. [5] With the support of the World Bank and the IMF to the Federal Government of Nigeria, she helped build an electronic financial management platform-the Government Integrated Financial Management and Information System (GIFMIS), including the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), helping to curtail corruption in the process. As at 31 December 2014, the IPPIS platform for example had eliminated 62,893 ghost workers from the system and saved the Nigerian government about $ 1.25 billion in the process. [6] Okonjo-Iweala was also instrumental in helping Nigeria obtain its first ever sovereign credit rating (of BB minus) from Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor's in 2006. [1] Following her first term as Minister of Finance, she returned to the World Bank as a Managing Director in December 2007. Okonjo-Iweala had also previously spent the first 21 years of her career as a development economist at the World Bank. As Managing Director, she had oversight responsibility for the World Bank’s $81 billion operational portfolio in Africa, South Asia, Europe and Central Asia. [2] Okonjo-Iweala spearheaded several World Bank initiatives to assist low-income countries during the 2008 – 2009 food crises and later during the financial crisis. In 2010, she was chair of the IDA replenishment, World Bank’s successful drive to raise $49.3 billion in grants and low interest credit for the poorest countries in the world. [7] In 2011, Okonjo-Iweala was reappointed as Minister of Finance in Nigeria with the expanded portfolio of the Coordinating Minister for the Economy by President Goodluck Jonathan . Her legacy includes strengthening Nigeria’s public financial systems, stimulating the housing sector with the establishment of the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Corporation (NMRC). [8] She also empowered Nigeria’s women and youth with the Growing Girls and Women in Nigeria Programme (GWIN); a gender responsive budgeting system[9] and the highly acclaimed Youth Enterprise with Innovation programme (YouWIN) ; a highly acclaimed programme to support entrepreneurs that created thousands of jobs. [10] This program has been evaluated by the World Bank as one of the most effective programmes of its kind globally. Under her leadership, the National Bureau of Statistics carried out a rebasing exercise; the first in 24 years, which saw Nigeria emerge as the largest economy in Africa. [11] She took a lot of heat, more-so than any other government official for the fuel subsidy removal policy by the Nigerian government which led to protests in January 2012. [12] In May 2016, the new Nigerian administration eventually removed the fuel subsidy after it became apparent that it was unsustainable and inefficient. [13] In September 2015, she joined Lazard as a Senior Advisor[14] and in January 2016 she was appointed Chair of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). [13] She is co-chair of the Global Commission for the Economy and Climate, with Nicholas Stern and Paul Polman. [15] In July 2017, she was named the independent non-executive director at standard Chartered PLC, which will be effective from November 1, 2017 [16] International development leadership and non-profit work Okonjo-Iweala is Chair of the Board of the African Union's African Risk Capacity, an innovative weather based insurance mechanism for African countries.[17] She is also Chair of the Board of the Nelson Mandela Institution, an umbrella body for the African Institutes of Science and Technology and Chair of the Board of the [African University of Science and Technology]] in Nigeria. [14] In addition, she is a member of numerous boards and advisory groups, including the Rockefeller Foundation, the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government ’s International Advisory Board, the Harvard University Advisory Council, the University of Oxford Martin School’s Advisory Council, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank International Advisory Panel, [18] the International Commission on Financing Global Education (Chaired by Gordon Brown), the Center for Global Development, [19] the Mercy Corp Global Leadership Council, the Women’s World Banking, Results for Development Institute, the World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders Foundation, the B Team (Co-chaired by Sir Richard Branson), the Commission on the New Climate Economy (co-Chaired by President Felipe Calderon and Lord Nicholas Stern) and the Global Development Network amongst others. Previously, she served as the co-Chair of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation [20] and Chair of the World Bank’s Development Committee (2004). She was also a member of the International Monetary and Finance Committee of the IMF (2003-2006 and 2011-2015), the United Nations’ Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, the Danish-Government-led Commission on Africa, the World Economic Forum Global Leadership Council on Transparency and Corruption , and the renowned Commission on World Growth, led by Nobel Prize winner Professor Michael Spence. She has served on the advisory board of the Clinton Global Initiative and the ONE Foundation. Okonjo-Iweala is the founder of Nigeria’s first indigenous opinion-research organization, NOI-Polls. [21] She founded the Center for the Study of Economies of Africa (C-SEA), [22] a development research think tank based in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital and is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Center for Global Development and the Brookings Institution. In 2012, Okonjo-Iweala was a candidate for president of the World Bank, running against former Colombian finance minister José Antonio Ocampo and the nominee of the United States, Dartmouth College President Jim Yong Kim . If elected, Okonjo-Iweala would have been the first female president of the World Bank, and the first president not nominated by the U.S. Okonjo-Iweala lost to Kim. [23] Honors and awards Okonjo-Iweala has received recognition and a number of awards. She was named one of the "50 Greatest World Leaders" by Fortune magazine in 2015, [24] one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World" by Time magazine in 2014, [25] and one of Foreign Policy magazine's "Top 100 Global Thinkers" in 2012. [26] Okonjo-Iweala has received honorary degrees from Yale University (2015), [27] Babcock University (2014), [28] the University of Pennsylvania (2013), [29] Amherst College (2009) [30] Trinity College, Dublin (2007) [31] Brown University (2006), [32] and Colby College (2007). [33] Works Reforming The Unreformable: Lessons From Nigeria – an account of Ngozi's work under Obasanjo's administration between 2003 – 2007, published by MIT Press, (2012) Shine a Light on the Gaps – an essay on financial inclusion for African Small Holder Farmers, published by Foreign Affairs (2015), co-authored with Janeen Madan Funding the SDGs: Licit and Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries, published by Horizons Magazine (2016) Chinua Achebe: Teacher of Light – a biography of Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, published by Africa World Press, (2003), co-authored with Tijan Sallah The Debt Trap in Nigeria: Towards a Sustainable Debt Strategy – an academic piece, published by Africa World Press, (2003), co-edited with Charles C. Soludo and Mansur Muhtar Want to Help Africa? Do Business Here – A Ted Talk delivered March 2007[34] Aid Versus Trade – A Ted Talk delivered June 2007[35] Don’t Trivialise Corruption, Tackle It – A Tedx Euston Talk delivered January 2013 [36] Refe

Igbo Americans
From Wikipedia, t
Igbo Americans Total population
(220,000 [1])
Regions with significant populations
Throughout the entire South (especially Virginia) as well as the New York, Philadelphia, Missouri, California, Newark, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Miami, Boston, Chicago, Houston municipal areas, and Puerto Rico.
Languages
American English, African American Vernacular English, Igbo
Religion
Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Igbo people, African Americans

Igbo Americans, or Americans of Igbo ancestry, (Igbo: Ṇ́dị́ Ígbò n'Emerịkà) are residents of the United States who identify as having Igbo ancestry from modern day Nigeria. There are primarily two classes of people with Igbo ancestry in the United States, those whose ancestors were taken from Igboland as a result of the transatlantic slave trade before the 20th century and those who immigrated from the 20th century onwards partly as a result of the Nigerian Civil War in the late 1960s and economic instability in Nigeria. Igbo people prior to the American Civil War were brought to the United States by force from their hinterland homes on the Bight of Biafra and shipped by Europeans to North America between the 17th and 19th centuries.

Identified Igbo slaves were often described by the ethnonyms Ibo and Ebo(e), a colonial American rendering of Igbo. Some Igbo slaves were also referred to as 'bites', denoting their Bight of Biafra origin, and other names were used in reference to their home lands in Africa. Their presence in the United States was met with mixed feelings by American plantation owners because of their 'rebellious' attitudes to enslavement. Many of the enslaved Igbo people in the United States were concentrated in Virginia's lower Tidewater region and at some points in the 18th century they constituted over 30% of the enslaved black population. Igbo culture contributed to the creolised African American culture and is perhaps evident in such cultural vestiges as the Jonkonnu parades of North Carolina. Igbo Americans introduced the Igbo word okra into the English language.

The recent migrant population from Nigeria settled in many of the United States' larger cities and urban centres and had come largely in search of economic opportunities in the late 20th century. Because of the realities of slavery and its erasure of African heritage and customs, most people who identify as Igbo in the United States and speak the Igbo language at home are from these families that arrived in the 20th century and forth. Since the turn of the 21st century genealogy tracing by means of DNA testing is in part revealing the Igbo ancestry of African Americans, some notable celebrities including Blair Underwood and Quincy Jones.