₦airaland Forum

I wonder why Omotola started singing. She is not that good. I've listened to some of her songs and they are average. She needs to focus on her acting career and look towards breaking into Hollywood full time. She has what it takes to act in high profile movies abroad [ Though Racism still exists in Entertainment ]. To me, she is still a local champion. Apart from IJE, we need to see Omotola in more solid movies with an International Production team. I wish her the best though. Cheers.

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I'm always impressed with Uncle Wole Soyinka's aproach to national issues If Christian and Islamic leaders were allowed to see the ailing president, Traditional worshippers or priests should also be allowed to visit Aso Rock and see things for themselves. I'm still surprised that in a country like Nigeria which has many Newspapers, Magazines and Television Channels, we've still not been able to see a picture of Yar'Adua since he came back from Saudi Arabia. This kind of thing will not happen in America or Europe. Anyway, it is clear that Yar'Adua is in a pretty bad shape. He should be taken back to Katsina State where he will live the rest of his days out. I feel for him and his family but Nigeria's destiny must not be altered because of the sickness of a man. The Country needs to move on. Cheers.


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Nigerian Music is actually on the rise. We have a good number of highly gifted artistes who are being listened to by People in Europe, North America and Asia.  I have been following Nigerian music since the 80's when I was old enough to write and comprehend things.  I remember the days of Edmund Spice, Alex O, Blackky, Oritz Wiliki, Sound On Sound, The Lijadu Sisters, Orlando Julius, Mike Okri, Christy Essien Igbokwe, Evi Edna Ogholi, Onyeka Onwenu et al. The artists I have mentioned were stars back in those days but were not known by the outside world. The internet has helped our current music stars break into the European and American Markets. Today, Europeans and Americans watch Nigerian Music Videos on YOUTUBE and other video sharing websites. I just started a music blog early last month [ I'm a trained journalist with International exposure and contacts ] and one of my blog followers is Carribean. She told me she loves Asa's music though she does not speak Yoruba and does not understand what she's saying in some songs. She's also an aspiring musician.

My research on Nigerian music has revealed that we still have to do some things to make more impact internationally. Some originality has to be injected into our music. That's why I like Dagrin and a few other rappers who spit rhymes in Nigerian languages. They are gradually building a fan base all over the world. South African music is distinct and when a South African song is played on radio, you'll know it is South African immediately. South African beats are unique. Some Nigerian musicians sound like Americans. This will get us nowhere That is why artistes of the 80's and early 90's in Nigeria sound more Nigerian than the artistes of today. Fela Anikulapo is worshipped in Europe and America because of his originality and high creativity.  It seems we have more performers in Nigeria today than real musicians. How many of our artistes today can play at least two musical instruments? It is all about the Computer and Computer generated beats these days. That is why Asa sounds different. She went to a real music school for a year and learnt the rudiments of music. Ditto for Nneka Egbuna. Music is going live these days and many of our artistes are going to lose out unless they start learning how to play music instruments.

I have a lot to say about Nigeria's music industry but I'm still unearthing material that will help our artistes go back to the basics. What I know is that Nigerian Music is going places. We only need to put some structure in place and get the real music coys back into Naija [ Alaba marketers are not helping issues ]. I'm talking about EMI, Sony Music, Universal Music etc etc. I must also add that we have a lot of wack artistes in Nigeria right now. Many of them don't even know what a 'Crotchet' or 'Semi Quaver' means  I only listen and write about the good ones. God bless Nigeria.


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Kai, a lot of childhood memories are just streaming back into my head as I go through this thread. My mother had this habit of patting her head constantly while she was not engaged in any activity. I would be wondering what was in her hair that she was trying to kill Then she was very good with words and spoke very fluent English. She used to pick on me then as she practised her vocabulary. Here she goes: '' Stop behaving like a slowpoke!!, [ The patting of her head goes on ] '' Don't join the Junk Journalists when you grow up'' [ The patting of her head continues ].

As for my dad, there was one day I came back from my friend's house at Ikeja. I had just bought some new clothes and trainers then, so I was looking good. As I stepped into the sitting room, my dad looked at me and winked '' Hmn, so how did it go with the girl?. Talk to me. '' I was just laughing that day


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I'm dying of anxiety here, mates.



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Chelsea needs to step up their game once more. I know Manchester Utd will want to equalize and win the game but it won't be easy for them to do that  Kalou can do the damage.  Chelsea needs another goal to gain more confidence. Mikel has tried today jare.

Go on Blues!!!


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NB: Haha, Chelsea has scored another goal

@Toluxa
@Sun of god

Malouda is hot this season. I always knew he would develop to a world class player after seeing him in French colours at Germany 2006.  My best French players at the last World Cup were Eric Abidal, Flourent Malouda and Frank Ribery. With the way things are going, Malouda will be snapped up in the near future by Barcelona or Real Madrid. I can't wait to see him play in South Africa 2010. He is great.


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I just pray Chelsea FC will score two more goals to make victory certain in this match. Even if Rooney was on the pitch today, he won't do much to stop the rampaging guys from Stamford Bridge. I heard Roman Abramovich went to Chelsea's training grounds at Surrey and gave the players a dressing down The Russian Billionaire's reaction after the loss to Mourinho's Inter Milan has made Chelsea players become very focused in their quest to win the Premiership title this season. I won't be surprised if Malouda scores today. And I'm waiting for Drogba to be brought in after the interval.

Go on Blues!!!!


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@ Onye Babe,

While I respect your stand on this issue and recognise that you have the right to express your opinions, I feel you need to know some things. Have you visited local communities in Nigeria? Some of our towns, villages and hamlets are worse than Haitian towns after the Earthquake. I was shocked when I visited riverine communities in Ondo State while I was serving in 2006. I was a member of the Nigerian Christian Corpers Fellowship [ NCCF ] and personally attended three village outreaches through the Christian body. You need to see the level of poverty in places like Sabotu, Igbeme, etc. There were no tarred roads, the school buildings were dilapidated with ugly looking furniture [ I know these because Corpers slept on mattresses in the classrooms ], the Police Post at Sabotu was a joke, and I saw many Stone Age houses I saw so much poverty while we were preaching from house to house around the communities. Those sad images are still in my head as I type

The proposed $5m dollars meant for Haiti will alleviate the suffering of the people of Sabotu, Igbeme and many other poverty infested areas of Nigeria. Even in Lagos, I've seen many poor and hungry children living with their parents in shacks. You need to see Nigerians living in poverty in Ibadan and Akure, two State Capitals. In Akure, there is an area called Isolo. I lived in a flat in that area as a youth corper. The poverty in the area is frightening with goats sharing rooms with people. Many youths were unemployed and I saw many teenage girls becoming mothers at a young age. I had to give my personal belongings to people in the area when I completed my Youth Service. We need to sort out our own problems first before trying to help other nations. Is America not close to Haiti? So the Americans did not see the suffering in Haiti before the disaster? Who is fooling who here At the end of the day, it is the Charities [ Hmn, we know how much their executives earn ] that gain, and not the unfortunate citizens of Haiti. I'm not against helping others, but Nigerian communities have been in a perpetual state of poverty and underdevelopment. If Rtd Gen Tunde Idiagbon [ Rest In Peace, Great One ] was in power, I know he would have sent about $300,000 to Haiti while using the rest of the money to develop Nigeria. Hmn.


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While I'm not against the Federal Government assisting Haiti in its quest for redevelopment, I feel we need to sort out our own problems first. Charity begins at home. There are some local areas in Nigeria that look like disaster zones I've been to some villages in Nigeria that look like war zones and there is so much poverty in those places. I even wonder how people are surviving there Lets fix our own poverty infested towns and hamlets first before helping other countries. Cheers.


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The evil genius is simply plotting his way back to Aso Rock. He has started saying the right things and hanging around with ''politrickcians'' who can assist him in getting back to political relevance. Our politicians know that Nigerians tend to forget things easily and do not forcefully ask for change That is why they keep recycling themselves in power.  Before we know it, IBB will warm himself into PDP and emerge as the party's flag bearer for the 2011 elections. It is all about money, mates. And IBB has loads of cash he stole from the National Treasury when he was in power from 1985-1993. Right before our eyes, our politicians are re-mortgaging Nigeria's future. IBB's candidacy is being sold to us in a subtle manner with good things being said about him daily in our newspapers and Magazines. Our leaders think we are fools and we have to prove them wrong. Enough is Enough.


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@Teslim,

I was born in Lagos @ Lagos University Teaching Hospital [ LUTH ], Idi-Araba. I've lived in Lagos all my life. Lagos has always been an immigrant state. I know you might be one of the native Lagosians and I respect your heritage, but many Lagosians of today have roots in other states of the federation. Former Governor, Bola Tinubu, had roots in Osun State [ or is it Ogun State ]. Lets celebrate our diversity. I know a lot of Igbo guys and gals who were born in Lagos and speak yoruba fluently. It is just sad that we always like to highlight our roots during elections and when seeking political appointments. One Lagos, mate.


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My greatest rap album of all time is Dr Dre's '' The Chronic ''. The album has '' Nuthin But A G Thang '' which is one of the greatest rap singles till date. I was sent a copy of the album back in 1995 by a cousin of mine in the United States of America. '' The Chronic '' remains a classic album. I also love albums released by Scarface. Then I can't forget Blackmoon's '' Enta Da Stage'' [ 1994] with the hit tracks '' Got Ya Opin '' and ''Buck Em Down ''. Cheers.


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The current Pope will not resign that easily. He's known in Catholic circles as the Rottweiller [ A very strict priest ]. The scandals bedevilling the Catholic church lately, and the recent intense media scrutiny, is due to Pope Benedict's openess and desire to call erring Catholic priests to order. I'm not catholic, but I admire Pope Benedict XVI greatly. Cheers.


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This is not the first time the Federal Government will be giving out Buses to our tertiary institutions Our leaders donated Buses to Nigerian Universities through the Petroleum Trust Fund [ PTF ]. UI got two of the big buses and the Student Union Department of the school was given one of the buses. I know how the bus was driven badly, battered and left to rust in the rain. I did not see the other bus for a long time but I heard it was parked in The Vice Chancellor's lodge [ I don't know if this is true o ]. Our Universities have a bad maintenance culture. Personally, I feel the FG should have used the 2 Billion Naira to bring University and Polytechnic libraries to a high standard. E-libraries are not too expensive to set up nowadays. May God help our leaders. Hmn.


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The Old Boys Network exists in Nigeria. It has been in existence for a long time. My father attended a Technical School in Abeokuta, Ogun State, called Blaize Memorial Technical School in the 60's. Those were the days when Technical Schools and Colleges were functioning properly in Nigeria My father and a good number of his school mates founded a Social Club called THE BRIGHT FUTURE CLUB after they graduated. They helped themselves and awarded jobs to each other's companies. The club also organized yearly Christmas Parties and we the children of the members got to know each other as time went on. I discovered that the members had a hand in each other's building of houses and other life events. My father's bestman during his wedding was a member of the club. The club had both Yoruba, Edo and one or two Igbo members. Though the Club has fewer events these days and some members have died, the surviving members still see one another from time to time.

My alma mater, University of Ibadan, has a active old boys association that cuts across various sets. Members network with one another and help each other out. However, I also believe that regardless of cliques, one can make progress in life. Eagles soar alone. Cheers.


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@Sannimoe,

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to come to Eko. They were the ones that gave the name '' Lagos '' to the area that is Lagos State today. This usually happens when European explorers discover new places. For example, New York in America is an ofshoot of York in England. There is a city called York in England. Ditto for the capital of Liberia which is Monrovia. The name '' Monrovia '' is coined from the name of a US President, James Monroe. And don't forget that Liberia remains the only former colony of The United States of America in Africa. Portugal colonised Brazil [ other South American Countries were colonised by Spain ] and it is right for me to say a good number of Lagosians have roots in Portugal. Some families from Lagos Island also have ancestors who worked as slaves in Cuba. Some of them returned to Lagos in the 1900s and settled in Idumota, Iduganran and other places. They bear surnames like Maja, Carreira, Majaji etc. Lagos was formerly governed by the Benin Kingdom of Edo State. ''Eko'' is a Benin word. It means ''War Camp''. This is not History Class anyway. Do your research. Cheers.


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@The Saintz

You're the one that needs to get true knowledge. FESTAC 77 is not the cause of Nigeria's economic problems. Don't attribute the celebration of Black culture and history to the worship of the devil or false gods. Nigeria remains a third world country because of corruption and our general nonchalant attitude towards development.  China and India probably have more local deities and festivals than Nigeria, but they have left us behind when it comes to economic and infrastructural development.  What about Brazil? Brazil has people in Bahia and other regions of the South American nation who are still ardent Sango, Ogun and Obatala worshippers. That has not given God the excuse to make Brazil underdeveloped. Brazil's economy is growing stronger yearly. Brazil's currency, The Real, is okay. It is like 1 Real is 65 Naira. Do your own research concerning this issue. I'm a Christian but I am also proud of my African roots and heritage. Cheers.

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I don't think the Lagos Carnival is an avenue to embezzle money. Lagos is a unique State with a lot of international attention. I'm not surprised that the carnival is being organized yearly. There are lot of Lagosians who have roots in Brazil and Portugal. Brazil is known for her famous carnivals like the Rio Carnival and the Olodum Movement, which organizes a solid festival every year in Brazil's Favelas. Isale Eko [ Downtown Lagos ] has a lot of Nigerian families with Portuguese connections. There is a city in Portugal called Lagos. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to  arrive Lagos. I don't want to take you back to History Class today, but what I'm trying to say is that Lagos needs a yearly carnival that will demonstrate her strategic position when it comes to international trade and commerce. I saw pictures of last year's carnival on Nairaland and was impressed. God knows how many foreigners saw the pictures. The Lagos Carnival could boost the state's tourism potentials as time goes on. I feel the carnival should be expanded to the outskirts of Lagos like Ketu, Alagabado etc. Is it not the same Fashola administration that has revived the Principals Cup with the help of GT Bank? BRF, keep achieving jare Cheers.


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Yes, I still watch Nigerian Films. However, I'm selective in the kind of films I watch. Films produced by the likes of Tunde Kelani, Amaka Igwe, Lancelot Imasuen and Kunle Afolayan will make my list. I respect the Producers I've mentioned because they're good and can do better if they have access to more money and modern film technology. However, it is pertinent to note that Nollywood still has a long way to go. Many movies being churned out these days are not good enough for the international market. Our Film producers need to find unique stories with good scripts that will satisfy the expectations of the viewing public. New actors and actresses need to be unearthed from time to time. I feel Film Producers in Nigeria need to go back to books written by Nigerian authors in the 60's, 70's and 80's for story ideas. Kola Onadipe's '' The Boy Slave '' and '' The Return of Shettima '' will become box office and cinema hits in Nigeria if they are turned to Films. What about Cyprian Ekwensi's '' The Passport of Mallam Ilia'' ? The Pacesetter Series has many Nigerian writers with unique stories that can be made into solid films. The key to Nigeria making an impact internationally in Film Production lies in the material and stories in novels and novellas written by our great authors. Kunle Afolayan has started well with '' The Figurine ''. We need more Film Producers who think out of the box Cheers.


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I thought Manchester Utd would win the game yesterday I'm miffed with the loss against Bayern Munich. Though I'm a Chelsea fan, I respect the coaching and Managerial abilities of Sir Alex Ferguson. The second leg at Old Trafford will be a tough game. I just hope the Mancunians can contain Bayern's assault in their bid to progress in the tournament. I'm also thinking about the Arsenal-Barcelona game. God help the Gunners. Hmn.


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I feel we need to forgive Nedum Onuoha for rejecting Nigeria in the past. He has decided to play for his country of birth now. These kind of things happen. We need to search for players of Nigerian origin in Europe who are gifted and are ready to play for the country. Growing up and living in Europe exposes players of Nigerian origin to real professionalism, discipline, good coaching, good nutrition, solid sports facilities and modern tactics in football. I remember how Coach Samson Siasia maximised the skills of Everton's Victor Anichebe by taking him to the Beijing Olympics. We need Onuoha and others like him. There is a guy called Solomon Taiwo who played for Dagenham and Redbridge FC in England. The club is not in the English Premiership or Championship League 1. It is in League 2 but Taiwo is a good player. I think he has left the club for a better one now but I followed his performances for some time. We have talented players all over Europe. Let us discover them and make good use of them for Nigeria's soccer glory. Cheers.


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@Moderators

I can't see my post. Why was it deleted? There is nothing offensive in the post. Let people learn from the post unless you guys have a hidden agenda Cheers.

I love Gospel Rap. Guys, have you heard about GRITS? I love their music and they've been around for some time now. Their songs make a lot of sense and is also good to dance to. Their beats are also well crafted out. There was also a guy called Car Man in the early 90's. Cheers.


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Nigerian Students fail JAMB Exams for different reasons.

1. Laziness: Many youths and teenagers in Nigeria today are not ready to spend quality time studying. They're not disciplined academically and cannot create a schedule of studying for themselves. They're so good at complaining about the lack of textbooks and study materials, while they do not make any effort to locate libraries that might have such books. I studied for my JAMB Exams back in 1999 with a JAMB Syllabus brochure that I purchased at a bookshop. I covered the topics one by one and also got textbooks [ though they were old and dirty, it was worth the effort   ] to aid me in my study. I also bought past questions and answers from the bookshops. I studied hard and avoided watching the television all the time for my 3 months of intense studies. Many students nowadays will prefer to use their money to maintain their mobile phones and buy 7-Pack movie DVD's which are sold all over the place. I used up packets of candles and never bothered about PHCN's frequent blackouts. teenagers and youths these days will use PHCN as an excuse for their failure

2. Lack of Counselling and Mentorship: The problem starts right from when candidates purchase their JAMB Exam forms. Many of them do not quite know what course they want to study in the University. This problem crops up because there are no career counsellors in our secondary and primary schools  If a student is able to decide the actual course he wants to study at the University, he or she will be strong in the subject areas pertaining to the course. For example, a student who wants to study Theatre Arts and has a natural flair for acting  will be fairly good in subjects like Literature In English, History, Bible Knowledge, English etc.  Those are the subjects he or she should be encouraged to study for and take in the JAMB Exams We need career counsellors and mentors in our secondary schools especially.  A mentor could be a scholar who is doing well at the University or has just graduated with at least a 2:2 Degree or a Upper Credit from the Polytechnic. The mentor will then be assigned to a group of students to guide them and give them study tips towards their exams. There is no way the situation will not improve if mentors are used to inspire JAMB Candidates.

3. The Inefficiency of JAMB Itself: JAMB as an Examinations body is not efficient in its services in general terms  Enough information is not being distilled to students about the Examination Process and how the papers are graded. The JAMB site itself sucks JAMB needs to be proactive and innovative in their approach to conducting exams that will get students admitted into our higher institutions. The body needs to start getting students informed and groomed towards their exams right from JSS1. JAMB has to start organising seminars and lectures in different secondary schools all over the nation. Students should be made aware of how JAMB operates and the role the body plays towards their securing admission into our Universities and Polytechnics. Dramas and playlets could be inculcated into the seminars to warn students about the dangers of cheating during exams. Solid information will get students prepared for the JAMB Exams far ahead of time.

May I also add that many teachers in our secondary schools are not even qualified to teach their students. Some teachers do not update themselves about new stuff in their Subject area and have not gone for retraining in decades. Dilapidated buildings and classes without windows, empty libraries and schools without roofs also contribute to failure psychologically. Cheers.

Manchester United should pull through this Sir Alex Ferguson and his boys look good to get to the final of the Champions League this year. Whether the Mancunians will win the trophy is another matter Ferguson has a real battle in his hands as he'll want to make sure his players are not injured as he plans for the game against Chelsea FC this weekend. My fingers are crossed


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Lovely thread God Bless the initiator of this thread. Office politics can be taken to abnormal levels, mates. I'm still wondering why some people like to snitch on fellow workers. I'm going through a phase of bad experiences in the place I work right now. Naturally, I'm a quiet fella [ That does not mean I'm dull ] and I like to keep to myself. It is not that I do not like to make friends but I choose my friends carefully. Like someone said earlier on, friends can sometimes stab you in the back so that they will progress at a faster rate than you. I know a lot of things are being said about me by some of my co-workers but I just focus on my job. I observed that when a new guy joins the company I work for, a group of established ladies there will attempt to sleep with you They have this process of pulling you in and having their way with you. However, they do not intend to marry you or have a long relationship with you. I know this because they've been there for a long time and seem to be favoured by the Managers. When you refuse to yield to their advances, they start a campaign against you which could get you sacked

I'm not narrating a fairy tale here, mates. One of these ladies boldly walked to me and asked me '' Don't you want to f***k? '' I have survived their attacks by turning to God The truth is many of those who engage in office politics are insecure people. They are stuck in their jobs and are not really happy. They have a crowd mentality and are surprised when you do not join their group. I'm not gay and I know the kind of women I relate with. I don't like office romance because it burns people up in the end. The peeps in my workplace are somewhat scared of me now but some of them respect me and seem to agree with my stand. They've gone to ascertain my status and came back defeated I come across a lot of people in the places I've worked who have multiple personalities. Watch out for these kind of people. They're dangerous and they can get you sacked by reporting you to the Managers of the company. God help us all. Cheers.


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Unfortunately, Nigerians will keep fleeing the country until we put capable leaders in power either through a revolution or through well conducted elections God help us all. Amen.

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Lars Lagerback has started well. I hope he'll not be corrupted by the Nigerian way of doing things We need a total overhaul of the Super Eagles Squad. We have many players in Europe who are very good but have been largely locked out of our national team because they don't have godfathers who will promote their interests in the national team. Lagerback should check the lower leagues in Europe for more Nigerian talent. Some of these dynamic players have not even been to Nigeria before. They were born in Europe to Nigerian parents or are half-caste [ Having at least a Nigerian parent ]. The NFF should also extend Lagerback's contract for 3 more years. He needs to be given time to prove himself. An English guy who lives in Sweden told me two days ago that Lagerback is not loved in his country. He criticised our coach badly. Anyway, I believe Lagerback will prove him wrong. Cheers.

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