₦airaland Forum

Aside from the winner of the different seasons of the Big Brother Naija reality show, one contentious figure whose image is built around a pool of dissension and discordance springs up. This person's role is likened to the proverbial mentally-deranged woman dancing at the market place. Everybody enjoys the sight of the exhibition of shame except the relatives of the person.

The prodigal figure suddenly becomes popular and gathers so many fans not because he or she is loved or doing some things right but because there is a need to instil some madness in the reality show for the purpose of entertaining the audience. This sort of craze exhibited by the person is tagged the needed 'spice'. This person in question becomes an irritant who is to a large extent unwanted and disliked by the other housemates. For this reason, the person is regularly put up for the weekly eviction but the fans who are enjoying the lunacy displayed by the individual dole out cash to support the person with votes to keep him or her in the house.

In simple terms, they draw so much entertainment from the flagrant bad behaviours of the person and other misdeeds which might reek of poor upbringing, undying bad habits, lack of courtesy, pride and other oddities one should be ashamed of in saner climes. This is a winning strategy which the show has been projecting since 2017 thereby making celebrities out of uncouth and unrefined individuals of questionable characters. In 2017, the maiden user of this strategy was Romania returnee, Tokunbo Idowu, 35, self-styled Tboss. She was a very caustic figure who went hard on individuals who crossed her path, she was very defensive, outrightly boastful and she promoted the culture of being a 'king' over men. At some point, she boasted that she was going to expend the N25 million prize money of the show in just one week and that men with private jets flock around her. She was soon branded a 'strong woman' and a feminist by individuals who have a jaundiced view of feminism. Her beauty as well as free will to show off her boobs and bum also endeared her to some perverts who must have pictured her in their heads while engaging in the act of masturbation.

Tboss, later on, became more popular when a fellow housemate, Kemen was accused of groping her while they shared a bed together in the middle of the night. She went on to become a finalist at the end of the show. Several business brands rushed to grab their share of the attention she was getting from the general public. Tboss would later on in 2019 have a child without a father. As Tboss' antics were televised and supported by her fans on social media, a younger generation was also watching and some of them who wanted to participate in the subsequent edition of the show adopted her style deemed the winning strategy or game plan. One a normal day, every housemate is expected to have a game plan that will enable him or she outlast the other 19 or more competitors gunning for the prize money that runs into millions of naira.

In the year 2018 when another season of the reality show started, a younger lady named Cynthia Nwadiora, 26, aka CeeC copied Tboss' style and even made it worse with her 'rare talent' of deep bitterness. She picked a sparring partner in a lopsided show and made a fool of him. The partner, Tobi Bakre who was hopelessly in love with CeeC was so mesmerized that there were frequent incidents of outrage by the audience who took to social media to express their grievances. From Tobi, CeeC spread her tentacles across the house and started clashing with other housemates. Just like Tboss, she once claimed that some of the housemates are privileged to share the same roof with her. As expected, the audience who are like fans of combat games cheering at the sight of blood was excited about the drama she brought to the house and they laboured to keep her in the show till the final day. She even went close to winning the reality show. When the show ended, CeeC like Tboss was swarmed by brands with endorsements. They just wanted a bit of the attention she was getting. It was a move for publicity and subsequently profit. It's a trend in Nigeria; Instagram comedienne Etinosa Idemudia started getting endorsement deals and more movie roles after she stripped naked during a live video session on Instagram. These mushroom companies associated with her just liked the fact that she was in the news, the reason means nothing to them.

As CeeC gathered over a million followers on Instagram in a matter of months, another younger lady was also watching her and hoping to be like her and this person is Tacha. I am sure Tacha must have boasted to herself of her ability to behave worse than the sullen CeeC in the bid to be rewarded for it. The self-acclaimed Port Harcourt First Daughter made it to the current season 4 of the reality show of the year 2019 and she has been stinging anybody that comes her way. Men like Seyi and Mike have been verbally battered severally by Tacha. She even extended her rudeness to the organizers of the show. Something her predecessors in the business of bad behaviours were scared to attempt. In fact, Tacha is so dramatic that she has been tagged the 'real pepper' of the show. Tacha who carries herself as a celebrity expressed similar views with CeeC by claiming her colleagues in the house should cherish the opportunity of being around her. She also bragged that she has achieved a lot at the age of 23 even more than what Seyi, the grandson of late elder statesman, Chief Obafemi Awolowo has achieved at 30. One can perceive a similar script being acted out by the controversial trio.

Tacha's madness is so loved that she has been getting the highest votes during eviction sessions. The dancer who garnered over 200,000 followers from practising all manners of obscenities on Instagram is so sure she is doing what the audience wants that she boasted from the inception of the show that she would win it. According to her, she has fans who vote with the last drop of their blood to keep her in the show. So far, she seems very right. Tacha, the ambassador of colourism has suddenly become one of the hottest entertainment topics on social media all for the wrong reasons.

Inasmuch as many believe the BBNaija show is a mere game one should read deep meanings into, the trio of Tboss, CeeC and Tacha are reflections of the stench and rot among the 21st century Nigerian females needlessly competing with men under the guise of feminism. These women have lost their African values as they compare themselves with their counterparts in the western world. They are women with an embarrassing sense of entitlement, importance and egotism. Most of them can't cook, clean or even maintain healthy relationships. They are bereft of intelligence and riddled with an acute inferiority complex. They are the ones that easily go under the knife to enlarge their boobs, hips and bums to boost their sex appeal. They never pay attention to what they have upstairs. They value having large followings on social media than real-life achievements. These people support Tboss, CeeC and Tacha because these individuals are reflections of them, so they relate with them easily. This is a far-reaching quandary in Nigerian society. Young men seeking for future partners will admit that finding sex is as easy as breathing in and out while finding a wife could be as hard as stopping the politicians from stealing public funds. We are sitting on a keg of gunpowder and as long as the reality show is allowed to strive, more figures like the trio will surface with stinking characters.


It will be worse if Tacha realizes her dream of winning the reality show and bagging N60 million in prizes. The wrong person is about to be positioned at the centre stage as a role model. Ace comedian Basketmouth was forced to admit that he would be depressed should Tacha win the show in a couple of weeks. As a father and adult, he knows what it means to have someone like Tacha as an influencer. We can only pray to God for a spiritual intervention!

Osayimwen Osahon George is a journalist and a doctoral student at the University of Ibadan.


Source: http://www.villagetowncrier.com/2019/09/bbnaija-tboss-ceec-and-tacha-as-serious.html

Let me start this article with a very short story about a personal experience. One day, I was at a bar at the Festac Town area of Lagos State in 2016 watching a football match when a potbellied full-figured man passionately unloading some empty bottles of alcohol started analyzing politics with his friends in a very distracting tone. His voice was so reverberating, and he reiterated his views with so much confidence. Gradually, he started to win over the attention of everybody including me. The latest way of winning or dominating arguments in such places is to shout on top of your voice and remain defiant even if you are not making sense. It works like magic.

"The solution to the problems of Nigeria is to gather all our leaders and set them on fire, burn them to ashes!" he echoed.

His friends whose eyes and brains must have been failing them gradually due to alcohol intake cheered him. As I walked home from the bar after the match that night, I thought about his extreme 'revolutionary solution' and disagreed fundamentally. For every corrupt politician that dies in Nigeria, there is a competent replacement amongst us, in fact, we have a clone or a replica. The Nigerian State is a reflection of its people. My usual prayer is that God should save Nigeria from Nigerians. A perfect example of such a cantankerous figure masquerading around as a freedom fighter, history maker and game-changer is Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The South-easterners are very religious people; predominantly Christians and I believe they are special in the sight of God. Confirmation of my view is the failure of the secession cause of Nnamdi Kanu under the banner of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. If Biafra had worked, Nnamdi Kanu in the bid to reap the 'fruit of his labour' would have forced his way to the driver's seat and a fatal accident would have been the case. Biafra and South Sudan would have been competing for the best case study for why secession is never the solution to the challenges of a minority group in a country. I trust my colleagues in academia to jump on it and win awards with the research.

Nnamdi Kanu is a man of theatrics and he never fails to entertain. My problem is that his jokes are becoming too expensive and they have been taken too far. The world has seen 'good comedians' in politics. While some have failed, others have gone to achieve great things. The 41-year old president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky was a comedian and actor who brought his role in a movie to reality, beating a sitting president at the polls this year to gain power. He is presently reforming his country and commendably secured the release of some Ukrainian sailors detained by Russia. Others with clownish antics are President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and maybe President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines. The 51-year old Nnamdi Kanu who has secured himself with a British passport is far below the class of these world leaders. He seems to be reading the playbook of a former Iraqi diplomat and politician, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf nicknamed Comical Ali who came to worldwide prominence around the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He successfully did a 'Lai Mohammed-like job' while he was the Iraqi Information Minister under Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, acting as a spokesperson for the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party and Saddam's government.

Nnamdi Kanu is quite smart but I must say he isn't smart enough. He understands how fragmented the Nigerian society is due to identity crisis. He knows how much we all play the victim card; every Nigeria feels cheated and has a justification for every unscrupulous act. He also knows trust in government is considerably low due to corruption over the years. He understands that there is always an information gap coupled with a high level of illiteracy and ineffective educational system. The loopholes are well exploited by him and he has been feeding fat on them making money from his sympathizers. Using the power of the new media, Kanu smartly leveraged on the secrecy of the medical treatment of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017 at a London hospital to announce that he was dead. As his proclamation started to gather momentum, Buhari surfaced although looking like he just rose from the grave. Nnamdi Kanu must have felt disappointed but accepting defeat was not an option. He later went on to announce that Buhari was actually dead and the man that is the leader of Nigeria is one Jubril Al Sudani from Sudan, a body double in simple terms.

Kanu went on to make a series of YouTube videos buttressing his views and the blogs gave him the needed audience. The media system in Nigeria is so flawed and you have everybody competing for traffic and advertising revenue at all costs. Nobody really pays attention to credibility anymore and Kanu became an instant beneficiary. He pushed that Jubril narrative until it gained not only national attention but became a global issue.

The Vice President Atiku Abubakar must have been enjoying the hit on Buhari when Kanu attacked him and claimed he is a Cameroonian who isn't constitutionally qualified to be the president of Nigeria. That joke of a claim later ended in court with Buhari's lawyers alluding to that view probably as delay tactics.

Nnamdi Kanu urged IPOB supporters never to participate in the electoral process but in the last minute made a U-turn. Rumours have it that some political stakeholders cut a moneyed deal with him. According to analysts, Kanu's initial campaign for the boycott of elections accounted largely for the low turnout of voters during the 2018 presidential election in the South-east. He threatened most South-eastern governors with political annihilation but all that failed and his morale dropped. Kanu faded and started to feel irrelevant but later gained resurgence in a more dramatic and daring fashion.

His present charade is taking 'Biafra to the world'. He announced recently that he spoke to the European Union parliament in Brussels, Belgium and circulated his speech among mainstream media platforms. The Punch, Vanguard and The Guardian brazenly published it without due diligence. Till date, there is no video of Kanu meeting with the EU leaders, no photo-ops, no details of the event on the EU website and no information about the proceedings of such a gathering. In fact, the EU parliament never convened on the 10th of September which is the said date he allegedly delivered his speech. One wonders when the EU whose scope is largely economical with a focus on Europe has now developed an interest in local politics in Nigeria.

When questions were asked, his supporters photoshopped a picture of him purportedly delivering a speech at the EU parliament. The quack job that can't even convince a blind fool looked him he was making a rap song presentation on the floor of the parliament. Kanu's camp went on to further mock his audience by releasing a video of him delivering an informal speech outside the EU headquarters. Isn't that loopy?

The latest move is that he will be visiting the United Nations office in Geneva, Switzerland. As usual, the details are very unclear. The UN whose body language hasn't favoured reasonable secessionists like the Catalonians has maintained a deafening silence while Kanu's team continues the lap of honour over a phantom achievement that could be better imagined than actually realized. IPOB's reasons for the unclear details is to deter any form of sabotage by the Nigerian government. One might be forced to think Kanu might be going to pay a personal visit to his friend who works at the UN and is using that avenue to hoodwink the public.

My only concern is that some people actually buy these works of fiction and they might be contributing their hard-earned money to fund it as Kanu has admitted. Kanu is really blessed with such an easy life!

All of a sudden, Nnamdi Kanu's father rumoured to be missing and probably dead has returned quietly to his palace two years after it was invaded by the military. One wonders when all these lies will end. Will Kanu ever run out of lies? When will his supporters realize that he is just a 'political entrepreneur' exploiting the system ridden with despondency?

Kanu's jokes are actually not funny anymore. He needs to be stopped through proactive measures to protect his followers from him. With someone of Kanu's nature on the prowl, nobody will take Nigeria seriously. An intelligent and vigilant foreigner who encounters him will see more danger looming through his deceitful eyes.


Osayimwen Osahon George is a journalist and a PhD student at the University of Ibadan.


Source: http://www.villagetowncrier.com/2019/09/nnamdi-kanu-latest-clown-in-town.html

CC Lalasticlala Seun Ishilove Mynd44 Dominique MissyB3 Fynestboi

I remember when letter-writing was in vogue; you scribble some words on a piece of paper as a message for a relative or friend living within the same country with you or abroad, package it in an envelope and get it delivered via a variety of means. We did that with excitement but today, social media has eroded this. You don't need to even go as far as loading an internet page to send him/her private messages, you can simply make a video call with the person via FaceTime, WhatsApp or other instant messaging applications. People can now save themselves the stress of visiting the market places and haggling over prices by buying goods and services online, it's simply called e-commerce.

The transportation system has also changed significantly too. You can stay in your house and order for a ride to anywhere within your locality and not panic about being cheated with prices or your safety as a credible value system has been put in place by companies providing that service. What about making financial transactions simply from your mobile phones without visiting the bank? The use of facial recognition to track people rather than the painstaking human surveillance beats one's imagination. The list goes on and one but there will be some costly sacrifices for these convenient changes.

The world is going through an evolution and it's happening faster than we thought especially with the advancement of information technology. Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Automation are gradually taking over duties performed by human beings and there is a projection that it might worsen in the coming years. Research has posited that robots could replace humans in a quarter of U.S jobs by 2030. Specifically, about 36 million jobs could be at high risk of automation, according to a report by the Brookings Institution.

The headline of this article might seem to be a screaming one considering how late development reaches Africa but we never say never. The world is a global village and we have become more connected than ever courtesy of the media and the internet.
The progress made by technologists in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Intelligence means that several jobs performed by human beings might be taken away especially the 'transitional ones' as Canadians will say. We have heard of robots working tirelessly in factories especially in the printing press, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), and others. Some have been successfully deployed in supermarkets and earlier this year, the Chinese state media, Xinhua News Agency did a test-run of robots working as news anchors. Xinhua has been experimenting with AI-driven journalism in recent years. One of its projects, Jia Jia, a Chinese-manufactured robot who resembles a young woman dressed in historical clothing, interviewed AI expert and Wired magazine co-founder Kevin Kelly at an event in Hefei in 2017.

The rationale behind this innovation is that machines are cheaper to use in the long-run and they are not prone to hassles associated with human beings like sicknesses, emotional breakdowns, fatigue, depression, human rights demands and other challenges that could militate against the smooth-running of any organization. This doesn't make the robots perfect, they do malfunction too and the errors could be very expensive.

One of the latest breakthroughs of AI technology in the labour sector is in the area of Customer Service. This has attained massive success in North America as reported by in August 2019 by Bloomberg and companies are adopting it rapidly due to its cost-effective nature. One of the brains behind this is a 23-year old interactive chatbot designer named Laura Morales. The bots solve simple queries on their own. Bots today are everywhere and the people who design their speech are in high demand. The job is like writing a dry screenplay with a choose your own adventure element for the many ways customers will respond. The has been designed to engage in text and voice chats with customers patronizing call centres. It has to deal with keywords pertaining to common questions and problems faced by customers using the product. The robot responds like a human being with a reasonable level of accuracy. Any complicated issue that needs human attention is escalated to a supervising customer care agent. According to a documentary, the application is very easy to configure and doesn't need too much expertise or programming knowledge. This bot works effectively round the clock unlike human beings and it has become attractive to business owners as it reduces operational costs. The ripple effect here is that the workload of customer care agents has significantly reduced and demand for customer care agents in the country might drop if the bots are perfected. Most experienced agents now employed only play supervisory roles over the bots. Several agents have been left without jobs.

"A bot is never late, a bot doesn't get sick or pregnant. Those are specific human situations you can't fight. Automation is about to take that out" Laura Morales said during an interview.

Now how does it affect Nigeria and Africa? Hundreds of programmers in Nigeria and Africa have been showing interest in AI and their innovations are gradually been introduced into the market. One of the leading commercial banks in Nigeria, the United Bank of Africa unveiled a program named 'Leo' to attend to customers online and it has been efficient to a large extent. As a result of its success on Facebook, Leo was integrated with Whatsapp. With Leo on WhatsApp, customers who are users and lovers of the app can now perform basic banking services including checking their balances on the go, transferring funds, paying bills, among other services.
More financial institutions are expected to follow suit in this feat of digital creativity and innovation just like how the idea of the Automated Teller Machines and automated security doors took over the financial sector and other areas.

A 23-year old lady and former Big Brother Naija housemate, Jackye Madu is championing a strong campaign for the wide adoption of the AI products in businesses with much concentration in the area of customer care and manufacturing. She promises the products will be very affordable and regular updates will be guaranteed to make it better. Her AI project known as Conversa has been launched in Nigeria but details about it have remained scanty for now. Her dream is to make Nigeria the hub of AI in Africa. Her newfound fame, beauty, intelligence and eloquence have made the idea an easy sell to small and medium scale enterprises in the country. Believe me, this might seem like a tall order at first glance but it's not. Once it's well tested and an influencer in the business industry successfully tests the product, others will follow in their thousands. It will become a trend and nobody will want to be left out.

The implication is that those in the Customer Service industry will take a heavy hit. The instant effect will be the issue of a higher supply of labour over demand thereby leading to a sharp drop in prices attached to their services. This will make the profession less attractive to people as a result of its unsustainable nature. Although there have been ethical concerns over the use of AI technology in a business but I believe the arguments will not stand the test of time. Most entrepreneurs want to save costs and maximize profits to sustain their enterprises.
A recent admission made by the giant firm, IBM that workers need to retrained is a confirmation of the progress made by AI so far which is a threat to human beings.

Artificial Intelligence is apparently ready to get to work. Over the next three years, as many as 120 million workers from the world's 12 largest economies may need to be retrained because of advances in artificial intelligence and intelligent automation, according to a study released last Friday by IBM's Institute for Business Value. The good news is that advancements in AI are expected to not only displace jobs but also create new ones.

Whether you are a grocer, factory worker, or journalist, all of our jobs will soon be reshaped by automation. Some will benefit from the new work that will emerge, and others will watch their jobs disappear with no clear path to another means of livelihood. Managing this transition will be the defining challenge for us in the decades ahead and we need to be ready for it.

My strong belief is that in the nearest future, AI will not only take over the Customer Service sector but as well as most jobs that do not require human contacts especially the menial/low-wage ones.


Osayimwen Osahon George is a journalist and a PhD student at the University of Ibadan.

Source: http://www.villagetowncrier.com/2019/09/customer-service-agents-might-go-hungry.html

Ayokunle Oladimeji (not real name), 21, a best-graduating student of the Department of Economics at a popular tertiary institution located in the South-western part of Nigeria walks down the corridor of the Social Science Faculty wearing a long face on a very sunny day. He sweats profusely after sitting for hours in a crowded event hall that experienced embarrassing incidents of power outage. He had bagged several awards after finishing top of his class with a distinction. His grim expression on his day of glory wasn't far from his fear of his future despite his skills-set and excellent academic records.

"This certificate might not get me a good job. I have to relocate to Canada for greener pastures. I don't want to end up as a Yahoo Boy (internet fraudster) like most youths in my neighbourhood" he tells a news reporter during a parley.

It has become a norm for youths to return to the homes of their aged and possibly retired parents to feed on their meagre resources after higher education as a result of scarce economic opportunities in Nigeria.16 Nigerian youths died during stampedes while jostling for jobs in the Nigerian Immigration Service in 2014. The government agency had received 520,000 applications for just 4,556 job vacancies after paying a sum of N1,000 ($3) as application fee. Other agencies have also received similar loads of applications thereby prompting clandestine recruitment processes laced with prebendalism, favouritism and corruption.

Nigeria which is the most populous nation in Africa mirrors the major challenges of the continent. Nigeria produces over 500,000 tertiary institution graduates every year with just a small percent of the large figure securing jobs. 23 million Nigerians are presently unemployed, the GDP growth of the country according to the National Bureau of Statistics recently shrank from 2.4% to 2.01% in Q1, 2019 amid credible fears of a return to economic recession as experienced in 2016. Hundreds of companies are closing down relative to the speed they were established, food production has plummeted due to adverse weather conditions, coupled with insecurity and lack of adequate support from the government for farmers; balance of payment deficit, over-reliance on oil, dwindling currency value and gargantuan corruption at the corridors of power.

This myriad of challenges is not peculiar to Nigeria alone, Africa has a high level of poverty that it could conveniently export them across the countries of the world. According to The Brookings Institution, the average poverty rate for sub-Saharan Africa stands at about 41 percent, and of the world's 28 poorest countries, 27 are in sub-Saharan Africa all with a poverty rate above 30 percent. With the accelerated increase in population across Africa coupled with a high level of poverty, African youths seem to have lost their sense of belonging; there is a need for a new place they could call home.

Lawyer and human rights advocate, Bolanle Folawiyo has always argued on national Television that migration of youths in Africa to the Global North countries will never stop until the local economic hardships are attended to by governments in the continent.

“As a result of climate change, animals migrate from their natural habitats in search of food for survival and this is also applicable to human beings who will not hesitate to leave the immediate environment in search of greener pastures. So, in my own opinion, massive migration in Africa is a failure of successive administrations which have failed to tackle poverty” he emphasized.

According to the IOM and UNHCR estimates, around one million migrants and refugees arrived in Europe in 2015 until 21, December 2015, three to four times more than in 2014. And 5 years later, the figures are still on the increase.
The latest choice of destination for Nigerian millennials is Canada through the Express Entry program and other streams which actually don't come cheap. The IELTS which is the Achilles heel of most Nigerians keeps gulping the scarce resources of candidates targeting competitive band scores.

The antidote to the 'epidemic' of indiscriminate or legal migration lies in the hands of African leaders who need to invest in human capital development and create opportunities for the growing populations.

Osayimwen Osahon George is a PhD student of the University of Ibadan.

Source: http://www.villagetowncrier.com/2019/08/ayokunleoladimeji-not-real-name-21-best.html

Many people have expressed mixed feelings since information filtered in that a certain curse said to be a part of the tradition and custom observed in some parts of Delta state forbids a married woman from cheating on her husband. Failure to obey this tradition results in the death of her children and husband.

More impetus has been added to the story since photos of Regina Daniels surfaced online showing her being initiated into womanhood according to Anioma culture and drinking from a cup given to her by her husband, Ned Nwoko.

Netizens are worried if the curse is true or not, as some will not want to marry from such a place.

From extensive research which I have gathered, I will present the facts to clear the air on some false information being circulated about this particular tradition. I will also tell you what I believe.

First and foremost, such a tradition is in practice - yes, when a woman married to a man from Delta state commits adultery, it will not only result in the death of her children, her husband also risks losing his life if the woman fails to confess. It is a very well known tradition in the state.

According to the tradition, the cheating woman's family will be struck with mysterious death, starting with her children, then ultimately to her husband. If she doesn't have children, then her husband will be the one to lose his life.

But, rarely does it reach that level, because when such curse takes effect, the husband of such a woman is likely to know and take drastic steps to save his life and that of his children.

This custom and tradition is popular among the people of Anioma (Enuani, Ika and Ndokwa/Ukwuani). I have also heard that it is also practiced by Isoko and Urhobo people of Delta state.

Traditional facts you must know:

1). In some parts of Delta, the curse is commonly referred to as Ishi/Ishia Ishi - confession of infidelity.

2). This custom applies only if the woman is traditionally married and her bride price paid. So, if her bride price has not been paid, nothing will happen to her if she cheats.

3).If the cheating woman cooks for husband with goodies or money gotten from her adulterous partners, then the curse will affect her husband.

4). A woman cheating on her husband cannot prepare food for him.

5). The man will be struck with swollen belly and legs. If the couple have kids, the kids will die one after the other mysteriously.

6). The man must be from any of the communities in Anioma - Ukwuani, Enu-Ani (Ibusa, Ogwashi-Uku, Asaba, parts of Igbodo, Ilah, Isseles, Idumujes, Onichas etc); Ika (Agbor, Umunede, Owas etc) and Aboh.

7). If the man is also from any of Isoko and Urhobo communities, the custom applies.

. It does not affect a woman from any part of Delta state married to a non-indigene of Delta state.

9). The man can cheat with as many women as possible and nothing will happen to him.

10). Nothing happens to the woman and the men whom she is cheating with.

11). If she confesses, in some instances, she's expected to task the men she has been cheating with - if they are reachable - to contribute for the ritual to avert the curse on her family.

12). For the curse to be averted, the woman must confess and perform rituals to free her husband and children.

Conclusion:

This tradition/custom/curse is a concept from a misogynist mind and cannot stand modern day test. As an advocate of equity, I believe this tradition is set out to achieve one way objective - to keep the women folk at bay while the men have the sexual freedom they have always desired.

It is true that this tradition has helped keep most women who marry from Delta state from cheating on their partners, however, it will not be unwise to say that the gods who formulated this curse/custom/tradition were indeed lacking of wisdom.

How can you allow a man or men cheating with a married woman go scot-free, yet go ahead to punish the woman's innocent children and husband? It is a waste of punishment!

The curse should be for the woman and her cheating partners and should have nothing to do with the innocent husband and her innocent children.

As a millennial youth, I believe this custom and tradition is outdated and should never be included in our traditional practices. It does not accommodate the principle of equity. It is meant to subdue the woman while giving freedom to the menfolk to desecrate the marital bed with no consequences.

Finally, I do not believe in the efficacy of this tradition and custom. It is in my opinion a scare-tactics invented by our forefathers to keep their women at bay.

I will never encourage infidelity, but I believe a tradition/custom/culture that tends to subjugate one gender while giving another gender the license to engage in unwholesome attitude without any consequences does not mean well for the society.

It is left for you to believe what you want to believe. As for me, I do not believe in this practice.

Alexander Thandi Ubani is an Editor at Tori.ng
If you have questions or counter-opinion: thandiubani@yahoo.com


Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/123450/the-truth-about-delta-tradition-that-forbids-marri.html

CC Lalasticlala Seun Ishilove Mynd44 Dominique MissyB3 Fynestboi

Oyewole Oluwafoyekemisola, a talented On-Air-Personality relocated from the city of brown roofs to Lagos State to pursue her big dreams and she is telling her story.

I was born, bred, buttered and jammed in Ibadan. I had my primary and secondary education in Ibadan. I made up my mind not to stay in Ibadan for my undergraduate studies, so I went to Obafemi Awolowo University. I stayed all my life in Idi-shin. My church was at ANCE building (Jesus Academy), so my life was essentially school, church and home; I didn’t really have a social life. Plus the fear of my mum’s beating was the beginning of wisdom for me.

I moved to Lagos finally on the 22nd of January 2018. I went for a training at the National Broadcast Academy at Adekunle Fajuyi. I was a bit skeptical about moving because I was scared of Lagos life and Mosquitoes(lol). Moving to Lagos was something I had to do so I left my fears behind and hit the road.

Trust me when I say the atmosphere in Lagos is really different. The hustle starts right from the toll gate unlike the peace and quiet we have in Ibadan. My first night at the academy I couldn’t sleep because there was no light and Mosquitoes did a welcome feast on me! Light was restored like around 6 am, I was happy that I could catch up on sleep a little then came the almighty train! I didn’t know when I started crying(lol); it was that bad!

I haven’t stayed up to a year in Lagos but, man, I have adjusted already o. Before I left Ibadan, I used to feel I couldn’t cope with waking up very early to go to work then come back late and all. At first, it was a bit challenging but now I am so used to it that once it’s 5am I am up; even on a Sunday morning!

Moving around has been fairly easy; Taxify has made my stay there very comfortable, God bless the person behind that. All you have to do is make a request and your ride will be available in the next 5minutes max; unlike the migration cabs we have in Ibadan.

However, I once had an interview in VI, so I requested for an Uber ride because I felt it was going to be more comfortable, little did know that my village people were waiting for me. The ride that was supposed to cost me max between N3,500 – N4000 cost me N8,000 because the driver kept on taking me round and round forming he didn’t really know where I was going to. Thank God I had enough cash on me if not, serious gobe! I later told a friend of mind about what happened, he laughed and said the Uber guy just welcomed you officially to Lagos! I was sad!

There’s never a dull moment in Lagos. I tell my friends that if I had known that this was what Lagos was like, I would have moved a long time ago. If you sell stones in Lagos, people will buy.

I miss the peace and quiet we have in Ibadan. A lot of times, I miss the original amala and gbegiri we have. I also miss the original fresh roasted corn we have in Ibadan a lot of times but, man, Lagos is the money making place, I can’t trade that for anything.

Source: https://awatiibadan.com.ng/never-a-dull-moment-inlagos/fbclid=IwAR2lRqDr4cZZ7iyCQM2O_REu7BaR2ZWuU9Pi88euw5QQlM3xKXVIcJu6Wmo

CC Lalasticlala Seun Ishilove Mynd44 Dominique MissyB3 Fynestboi

A Nigerian in diaspora has shed light on the reason why the Nigerian state is still underdeveloped despite having vast human and natural resources.

Nigeria is going backwards not exclusively because of incompetent or corrupt leadership.

But because of ass-lickers. People who feed on politicians ass and are filled. People who can't stand you in the eye and tell their leaders their flaws. This people complain of bad leadership but say otherwise when they get in front of these bad leaders. They praise these leaders because of dollars and political appointment. This reminds me oF Rubben Herberty.

To build our nation. We need people with balls. I mean citizens who have balls. Balls is becoming rare these days. Greed is spearheading homicide of balls. The vocals voice is lost to the pounding of pounce. If someone is talking too much, find some big meats to occupy his mouth, dude will be quiet.

Nigerian needs people whose intellectualism and sense of right judgement won't be clouded or eroded by sentiments, partisan, political or tribalistic allegiance.

To make matters worse, we have a culture that celebrates and hypes mediocrity. Recently I heard the VP speech at Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu's birthday lecture. Baba Osh was lying in board daylight about the achievement of this government. Blowing up figures in proportions. He was saying we feed these millions, empower millions. I ask myself who are these millions, how come none of them is in my contact. However, people don't look into the specifics of what he is saying, all that matters is that Baba Osh was eloquent like Obama and articulate all day. That was the discussion for the rest of the day.

Lol, I remember what the minister of work said: some parts of the country now experience 24/7 light. That was so funny because the statement was made in such a way that it couldn't be verified. It is believed that the youths don't check facts. Whatever they tell us. We accept it line hook and sinker.

For us to move this country forward, we all need to stop the nasty act of licking ass. Else we will become asshole country. Asshole is even a big compliment for us since at least asshole has one purpose, it lets out shit.

#GrowBalls.

Romans 12: 2 do not lick the ass of the world, Grow some balls and change the world. ( NiggaEdition)

Written by Yinka Adebayo

Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/120422/do-you-know-why-nigeria-is-a-backward-country-i-th.html

CC Lalasticlala Seun Ishilove Mynd44 Dominique MissyB3 Fynestboi

Etinosa Idemudia has revealed how singer MC Galaxy lured her into stripping on an Instagram live video session on March 16, 2019.
Etinosa Idemudia revealed she was broken after the nudity scandal she was involved in.

She revealed this while speaking with BBC Pidgin in a video recording that was translated by TORI NEWS. According to the young divorcee, she felt totally broken for the first 24 hours after her n*de video went viral.

It would be recalled that the Edo State native, actress and online comedienne stripped nude during an Instagram live video session sponsored by singer MC Galaxy.

"The next day, I wished I didn't expose my nudity online. My brain was filled with regrets but I had to let go," she said.

She debunked rumours that she is suffering from depression but admitted that she is dealing with personal issues just like every human being.

"I'm not depressed. We all have our personal challenges and struggles" she said.

She explained the drama would have been less complicated if MC Galaxy had deleted the adult video from his Instagram profile to prevent more people from seeing it and downloading it. She has also refused to blame him or hold grudges against the struggling singer on the spread of the disgraceful video.

She further revealed that she never planned to strip naked online. According to her, MC Galaxy reached out to her multiple times to join his life video session where ladies engage in obscenities.

"To my shock, MC Galaxy kept calling me to join him on his live video session on Instagram. His action really surprised me because he has been involved in controversies concerning a previous live video. He had earlier said he was done with the live video session. My comments about going Unclad in the comment section of his page were mere jokes" she also added.

"After the first round of MC Galaxy's nude video session on that fateful day, he called my phone number a second time reminding me of joining him and at that point, I wasn't in my right senses. I was drunk. I kept hearing voices in my head prompting me to take off my clothes and show my body to the waiting audience." she explained.

In all, Etinosa revealed that she will blame herself for everything as she is responsible for her actions.

Etinosa also added that she has been on a damage control measure since the nude video went viral. She set up a team that has been approaching media platforms to take down the lewd contents but the major challenge is that many people still have it on their phones.

Watch the full interview below:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/BwHnFIfHUD6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Source:
https://www.tori.ng/news/120321/how-mc-galaxy-made-me-go-nked-actress-etinosa-make.html

CC Lalasticlala Seun Ishilove Mynd44 Dominique MissyB3 Fynestboi

This is really interesting. Lalasticlala pls do the needful na

Open Letter To Daddy Freeze, The Hypocrite Deceiving The Gullible And Lost Souls

It is important that I make this clarification: I do not have any personal grudge against Ifedayo Olarinde aka Daddy Freeze. I am writing this because of the obvious contradictions and fakery associated with his person which I believe have been ignored giving him the ginger to continue on this path to perdition thereby deceiving the gullible.

(A little background: Daddy Freeze is an On-Air-Personality (OAP) who works with Cool FM. He considers himself to be the most intelligent OAP in Nigeria. He shows off his muiltimillion naira cars and expensive watches on social media and spends most of his time bashing men of God.)

To start with, Daddy Freeze is a con artist, a greedy punk who makes money through trickery. As a radio presenter, Daddy Freeze charges musicians huge sums just to play their music on air. Note: this is against rule of the radio station where he works. In fact, the act is called Payola which refers to an illegal practice of payment or other inducement by record companies for the broadcast of recordings on commercial radio in which the song is presented as being part of the normal day's broadcast, without announcing that there has been consideration paid in cash or in kind for its airplay.

My friend, a musician recounted his ordeal in the hands of Daddy Freeze to me. He was forced to jettison the idea of having his song played on Daddy Freeze's radio station due to the exorbitant amount he charged his team. This is even as a large inscription on the wall of the building prohibits OAPs from charging money to play songs. How ironic! The worst is that he doesn't charge what up and coming musicians can afford; his greed makes him to go for very high figures, all for his evil pocket.

As a con artist he always is, Daddy Freeze has justified himself for collecting money from artistes to play their songs using the guise of 'consultancy' after he was called out on Twitter. Consultancy for what? What is a musician consulting from a radio presenter like Daddy Freeze other than to give him his song to play? Is he a music guru, video director, song writer, producer or what for a musician to seek for consultation?

If you say you charge people for consultancy, then spell out the services you will be offering because taking songs from musicians to play on radio cannot be 'consultancy'.

Daddy Freeze is nothing but a dishonourable fellow with a twisted mentality. For every bad thing he does, he has a justification. In his small mind, he's a king that does no wrong.

Because of this greedy venture invented by him and his fellow OAPs, it is difficult for good artistes to have their songs heard because they do not have the financial strength. The industry is now left for the money bags who pay huge sums to Daddy Freeze and his likes to have whack songs promoted, thereby muffling those who are talented but poor.

Playing songs are supposed to be free, a selfless act for your audience/listeners meant to entertain and keep them glued to your radio. Since people like Daddy Freeze monetized the process, our ears have become a dumping ground for all manner of whack and meaningless songs because the good ones have been sacrificed on the altar of six figure checks.

These days, when you listen to some radio stations, you wonder how the songs made it to the playlist - all thanks to Daddy Freeze and his co-conspirators.

Daddy Freeze is the true definition of hypocrisy. Here is a man who rips artistes apart with dubious charges but jacks off on a daily basis by attacking the clergy at every given opportunity.

It is the height of foolery and hypocrisy that a man who dubiously siphons money from artistes in the name of playing their songs on air (which is totally against the rule of the station where he works) will have the effrontery to cast aspersions on clergymen who ask their members to pay tithe - an obligation gotten from the scriptures.

Here is a cheat who hides under the guise of consultancy to extort money from people, still open his mouth to preach the word of God on a daily basis. You teach people about the gospel, but your life is the exact opposite of what you preach. I consider such to be an act of sheer iberiberism (apologies to Rochas Okorocha).

This is the exact reason why many people do not take Daddy Freeze serious except for zombies. Even the gospel you preach all the time admonished you to be the light of the world. Yes, be of good conduct that by your action, you may win souls for Christ.

With the same mouth you curse, insult and make fun of people who share a different opinion with you on a matter, that is the same mouth you use to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The same mouth you use to preach the gospel, that is the same mouth you use to mock a man or woman on your page with physical deformity just because he or she disagrees with you. Shame on you, Daddy Freeze. You have knowledge but lack wisdom.

Pause for a moment Daddy Freeze and allow this to sink in: You may be gifted in the act of oratory display, be an eloquent speaker, but those who see beyond the flamboyant maneuvers you display cannot be deceived - all are a mere bombastic dribbling to deceive the gullible.

Do you Daddy Freeze even have a conscience? Or has it been smeared overtime by the many lies you've told yourself, that it is now a part of you?

A busybody who feels his opinion on every issue must be right, taken and accepted as the voice of god. A lily-livered chicken who blocks off those who have superior argument, but climaxes by attacking those he feels cannot match his sycophantic excesses.

You are a lost soul who claims to know the scriptures but cannot abide by its rules. What sense is there to have knowledge without wisdom?

A man who is versed in the scriptures but fails to follow the instructions contained therein, takes pleasure in teaching it to others but his life reeks of the exact opposite of what he teaches is nothing but a nitwit whose only objective is to show off. You remind me of the pharisees.

Brother, repent before it is too late.

Yours truly,
Alexander Thandi Ubani
thandiubani@yahoo.com

Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/120189/open-letter-to-daddy-freeze-the-hypocrite-deceivin.html?fbclid=IwAR0MX7liDB7a41TbnHH8YOQ_TP7fpCL4c7sjWME_pV3kbYTa3Pcn_lP6wPc

Regina Daniels who has been claiming to be 16 in the past four years but later discovered to be 21 years old has been in the news of late.

In less than two months, she announced the acquisition of a mansion for her mother as well as the purchase of two multi-million naira Mercedes Benz whips. Aside from acting in low-budget epic films that looked like kinds of stuff shot in less than 24hrs, Regina Daniels is not known to be involved in any other tangible economic activity. She is rumoured to be a student of the Igbinedion University Okada, Edo State.

So where is the windfall coming from? This is the question on the lips of many Nigerians on social media. The question has also been posed to Regina Daniels' senior colleagues who have always attributed their 'blessings' to God and hard work. It's no news that actresses in Nigeria live lifestyles that people who are gainfully employed abroad will kill for. They parade properties a top management staff of a reputable oil company might be dreaming of having. But this isn't the same story for their male counterparts who are always in the news seeking financial help to offset medical bills.

Top actors like Tinsel star Victor Olaotan, Baba Suwe, Abija, Fadeyi Oloro and some others have been in the news in recent times over their public appeals for assistance from their fans. These are heavyweight figures whose faces and voices sell films. One wonders why the males who work like elephants and eat like ants while it's the other way for the females. Are the males banned from visiting the United Kingdom, Hungry, United States of America, Dubai, Greece, Turkey and other top tourist destinations across the world for vacations? Have they been warned not to buy the designer clothes, shoes, houses and exotic cars but languish in penury? The simple answer is no! Then what is wrong? Their female counterparts are certainly doing things differently.

Actress Mercy Aigbe suddenly bought a house last year, 2018. According to her testimony, she had been struggling to complete the construction of her own house for years in futility. But surprisingly, a miracle happened and she bought herself a mansion. Just like that? The mystic event that didn't complete the initial building project you had on the ground brought a new one. As if that was not enough, she bought herself a Toyota Prado jeep a month later as Christmas gift. Mercy, a single mother of two also has an eye for expensive wears and overseas trips.
Many have wondered how she has been able to keep up considering the fact that she hardly stars in the blockbuster movies that gain national relevance. She is only seen in movie jobs that end up on Instagram as comedy skits and later on African Magic which has fast become a dumping ground for substandard Nigerian films. She was later alleged to be warming the bed of the outgoing governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, an allegation she has expectedly denied multiple times.

Virtually every week, we hear of at least two actresses announcing the arrival of new exotic cars while the pages of their colleagues of the opposite sex mostly smell of unfulfilled struggles. There is a popular social media joke that life for a man is so uncertain that the male barbie and cross-dresser, Bobrisky decided to be a woman as an escape route from hardship. Maybe that is what is playing out - the power of sexuality!

Being an established and wealthy actress is not about what you do before the camera, it's more of what you do behind it mostly in an adult game that is played by two people or more in some instances. How much do you think a producer will pay you from a movie? Most investors hardly recoup their investments when they put them into the industry which is largely unregulated and also riddled with wicked piracy. For example, in less than one month after Genevieve Nnaji premiered her high-budget movie - Lionheart, her Igbo brothers had already dubbed it, reproduced en masse and were selling copies in traffic at the rate of N150 each. The 39-year old would have been counting her losses if not for her moneyed deal with an American media-services provider, Netflix.

Nowadays, most producers tend to invest the kind of money they can afford to lose like what the infamous Ponzi scheme, MMM advised. On this note, most actors maybe excluding a few very established figures go home with peanuts and are forced to rely on the benevolence and magnanimity of their fans. This accounts for the reason why most Nollywood figures align with politicians and are used to cajole the electorate during electioneering campaigns. They don't even understand the visions of the politicians, its mostly about economic survival. We also have other actors trying to venture into politics while leveraging on their fame like Desmond Elliot, Kate Henshaw, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Kenneth Okonkwo, Yul Edochie and others.

When the curvy actress, Daniel Okeke was accused of sleeping with their firebrand preacher, Apostle Johnson Suleman of the Omega Fire Ministries International, it didn't take much efforts from the accuser, Stephanie Otobo for the public to believe. She rarely appears in movies, nobody really sees her work but she deals in more money than a commercial bank. She has a fleet of exotic cars and houses and spends much of her time travelling around the world. Daniella's biggest talent is her big backside and she never fails to parade it like a peacock when she shares her pictures. That single natural resource is as valuable as what crude oil is to Saudi Arabia.
Nollywood acts always claim to have other businesses which they never promote on their pages which get more traffic than some television stations.

Their sources of income have become an open secret in recent times and nobody cares as long as the end justifies the means.
Movie director and actor, Francis Atuma, once alleged that majority of the actress living colourful lives make money with their backs on the ground and their hands touching their toes. This has nothing to do with gymnastics, it's simply prostitution.

“If you are not a full time or semi-prostitute, you will not make it in Nollywood,” Atuma told TheCable Lifestyle.

“Our ladies are using what they have to get what they want. Even some of the guys who can use their a** are the ones making it in Nollywood.

“I am being very real here and they make it look as if they are doing well but they are not, they are suffering.

“Let’s stop deceiving the younger ones by keeping it real. We have to let the younger ones know how it is and what it is.” he concluded.

He went further to challenge actresses with clean hands to come out and counter his claim. Almost every actress, except Ruth Kadiri, avoided him like a plague.

The controversial Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing Sunday who features in the Yoruba section also corroborated the views of Francis Atuma indirectly. She once admitted that only Funke Akindele Bello and Toyin Abraham are the hardworking acts living off their handworks and that the rest of them "know what they do". If you are waiting for more clarifications from her, you are on a 'long thing' like it's being said on the streets.

Additionally, a Ghana-based actress of Gambian descent, Princess Shyngle who is famed for having a tiny waist has been in Lagos State, Nigeria for months virtually doing nothing. The 'biggest job' she has done recently is appearing in the comedy skits of an Instagram comedian Broda Shaggi who probably produces those contents simply for the visibility of his brand and not necessarily for money. She recently got a Brabus which costs about N54 million from her boyfriend coupled with expensive wristwatches and others. That's the way to go in the industry or else you will chop sand.

Not many have the heart to admit that you need to roll with sugar daddies like Ghanaian actress Moesha Buduong told a CNN anchor, Christine Amanpour.

Acting doesn't really pay the bills, it's just a decoy just like most internet fraudsters pose as musicians to hoodwink anti-graft operatives. In the age of social media, all you need to do is appear in movies even if it's for free. Don't bother about the roles. Open social media accounts (majorly Twitter and Instagram) and share the set pictures as evidence. The bulk of other pictures will be your personal pictures. Showcase your physical attributes ranging from the face, flat tummy, hips, breasts and bum. Make the pictures as lewd as possible to attract attention. The people love such contents but they will pretend to criticize you. You can twerk once in a while and share the videos online. They will surely go viral, that's a means of free promotion. Be ready for the dirty social media dramas, fights and other calculated publicity stunts like Nkechi Blessing Sunday stands up to her adversaries on Instagram.

Come online and make bogus statements once in a while like saying 'you can't date a man who can't undertake 6 rounds of sex per day', the entire country will give you attention. Entertainment journalists will rush you like Shoprite products for more juicy details to whet the appetite of their audience. You can also dabble into any trending issue like the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar does especially before he lost the recent presidential election. The blogs will feed on this but be ready for the backlash when they distort the information.

Post more indecent photos with daring captions like the fashion mogul, Toyin Lawani. Take pictures at topnotch places eating intercontinental dishes, wearing stylish clothes and posing with cars to boost your market value. Do giveaways, drop contentious comments on popular pages, viciously attack the trolls and cyber bullies to grab headlines, bleach the skin like OAP Toke Makinwa to become more attractive; I have read the showbiz industry favours light-skinned people. You can also take advantage of your birthdays to shut down the social media space with ungodly contents and see what happens in your DMs. The moneybags among your followers will start making bids like you are a proposed capital project they need to execute. Some of them are he-goats, they will do anything to satisfy their dirty fantasies. All they need from you is to send out the signal that you are open for business.

Princess Shyngle was once offered $100,000 for a one night stand by a white follower. She exposed the man's secret message as well as others dishing out lump sums. We are sure she did possibly because the offer was meagre to her. Many applicants with bigger offers could have been given provisional admissions into her honey pot.


Osayimwen Osahon George is a journalist, he writes from Lagos State

Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/119133/where-the-nollywood-big-girls-make-their-monies-fr.html

CC Lalasticlala Seun Ishilove Mynd44 Dominique MissyB3 Fynestboi

The last is yet to be heard about the controversy between Charly Boy and Deji Adeyanju over a suspected slush fund allegedly given to the former by Festus Keyamo.

The money which runs into millions of naira was paid secure the political support of the 67-year-old Charly Boy for President Muhammadu Buhari while Deji Adeyanju languished behind bars for over 70 days.

Charly Boy in his latest interview with Roots TV Nigeria has questioned the motivations of Deji Adeyanju and his foray into activism.

He revealed in another interview that he will make fresh revelations about the controversy which is capable of shaking Nigeria.

Here are 6 key things Charly Boy said about Deji Adeyanju during Roots TV interview:

(1) Deji Adeyanju is a PDP poster boy.

(2) Deji is passionate about activism but he is looking for publicity and quick fame.

(3) Deji prayed to be arrested but he didn't know his detainment would last that long.

(4) Deji wanted to boost his reputation with the arrest like Nnamdi Kanu.

(5) Deji lacks an understanding of what activism is all about.

(6) Charly Boy claimed he was already working on reforming the OurMumuDonDo movement and probably doing away with Deji and his men as they didn't have serious streams of income.

Watch the full interview below:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1kEeT5zI5w

Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/118973/charly-boy-reveals-shocking-things-about-deji-adey.html

A high school friend with a heart of gold named Jamiu decided to open a WhatsApp group to connect all the old students of All Saints' College (ASCOL) Jericho reservation, Ibadan - precisely 2004 set with each other.

I almost cried when I was added to the group. I loathe WhatsApp group chats and I always have difficulties leaving the ones I have been added to prevent making the wrong impression. Jamiu is a unifier and I will forever respect him for his humble and peaceful nature. He loves to stay in touch with the high school family. He endured the embarrassment of talking several supercilious folks into being members of the group. Trust my judgement, ASCOL had a lot of cocky guys who have achieved more than Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg in their imaginations. But that's not my focal point today.

In barely two months of the creation of the group, the death of one of us was announced on the platform. I rushed to check who it was and I was enveloped by shock when I discovered it was my secondary school crush, Boluwatife Ejiofoh. It was unbelievable and I apparently felt a blackout!
It was as if I instantly teleported back to the year 2001 at the SS 1 class when I first set my eyes on the wonderful soul.

I battled with low self-esteem when I got admission into All Saints' College, a private school where I spent the remaining three years of my secondary school education. You wouldn't blame me. I was coming from a public school - Government College, Apata, Ibadan (popularly called GCI till date) where vernacular was like the official language in the school. Most of my colleagues were generally from poor homes so we all felt comfortable with ourselves. All Saints' College was different, the students were divided into two major economic classes. The supposed children of the rich and that of the struggling. I belonged to the latter. While the pupils of the upper-class talked about designer wears, cars, houses, foreign music, exotic meals, computers, internet, new video game technologies, holidays and other good things of life, my gist couldn't meet up with theirs. They were even more fluent in the English language than me. For the first time in my life, I felt lost. I was difficult to deal with the feeling of looking like an outsider. Envy started to creep into my heart and I started wishing I was born into their class of families. During my days at GCI - an all-male school, I seemed popular among the girls at the extra moral classes I attended. I couldn't continue the feat at ASCOL. I thought I was a lion but I was just a mere cat, the one that makes funny noises around your windows at night.

I maintained a low profile relating with the people of my class. When I moved from the science class to the art class due to my challenges with my sums, Boluwatife was one of the upper-class girls that loved my style. She was interested in my story and my jokes. She was an open-minded beautiful, dark-skinned, busty and tall girl who appeared to have experienced life at the upper and lower strata. I think the massive size of her boobs made her easily noticeable among the female folks. She was a product of an intercultural marriage between Yoruba and Igbo individuals or so. We would sit down for long hours and talk about the Yoruba movies most people were ashamed of discussing. She particularly loved the characters of Baba Suwe, Moladun Kenkelewu and others in that circle. She loved laughing. She would laugh to the extent of shedding tears and at times might end up sitting on the bare floor. She was really crazy!

She will comfortably share my snacks with me and drink from the same bottle with me. She was to an extent careless with her body but not in an indecent way. She could hug you tightly despite being the opposite sex. She could sit on your laps while you guys talked. On some occasions, she would rest her soft bosom on my back while we discussed. I loved that feeling, I swear to God! Many started feeling erroneously that we were dating. As teenagers then we were excited about dating each other as we were just attaining puberty. I'm sure they wondered how an amateur and ill-equipped hunter like me would drag an elephant home from the forest.

My closeness to her helped me gain confidence and comfortability in my own skin. To my amazement, she easily looked down on the so-called upper-class guys which didn't go down well with them.

Most of them must have started feeling there was something special about me. Some of them would accost me on the road to make inquiries about Boluwatife. They wanted to know if we were dating. The feeling was so enjoyable even though there was nothing like that between us.

Gradually, I started proving my mettle academically as one of the top students in the school. I gathered strength that I was able to walk boldly around and tell my own stories from the world I belong to with the number of listeners increasing. Through me, Bolu became friends with other guys who later loved her personality. I liked Bolu but I didn't want to lose the friendship we shared so I killed the feelings. One thing my association with Bolu taught me was to be proud of who I am as well as my background. Till date, I confidently tell people my parents were civil servants and my first school fees at All Saints College was paid from a loan my father obtained from the bank for the purpose of giving me a better future.

In 2004, I passed my SSCE in flying colours and proceeded to the Obafemi Awolowo University while she went to Bowen University and we never spoke again. Then social media was absent. I joined Facebook in 2008 during my third year in school and I couldn't find her. Connecting with most of my old schoolmates was discouraging as many had moved on. They were very hostile and snobbish on Facebook. I moved on too and put the memories behind me.

I was devastated when I heard about Bolu's demise. She had already married with a lovely daughter. She stayed in the same city, Lagos with me and our paths never crossed. I wished I made extra efforts to connect with Bolu on Instagram while she was alive. I was told she died in the hospital on Wednesday night - 20th of March, 2019 after battling with an undisclosed ailment.

Even in the picture of hers that was used to announced her eternal exit, I could see the traces of pure laughter on her face. She was indeed a happy and free-spirited person. I have been staring at her picture for days now with guilt. I wish I reached out to her to express appreciation for the sense of belonging she gave me as a lonely and insecure young boy. I feel she might have lived if I prayed for her. I can't remember losing any close friend to the cold hands of death and I appreciate God for that grace. Since I heard the bad news, I have been feeling the grace could have been extended to Bolu if kept in touch as good friends again.

Death is inevitable but it comes with immense pains whenever it happens too early. Bolu died too young, she would have been 31 this year I think.
May God forgive her sins and grant her a special place in heaven. May He grant her family the fortitude to bear the loss. No amount of lamentations or tears will bring her back.
I want to use this medium to advise anybody reading this to cultivate the habit of checking on those special people who made positive impacts in their lives at different levels. We don't know what tomorrow holds. I wish I said a final goodbye to Bolu. I wish I could watch her laugh and roll on the floor as I share my regular childish gist. Sadly, dead bodies don't laugh.

Please, forgive me for not checking on you while that ailment squeezed your precious life out of you. You might be gone but you will always live in my heart. You are never over Boluwatife Ejiofoh.


Written by Osayimwen Osahon George; B.sc, M.sc, PhD in view.

Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/118909/and-death-took-away-my-high-school-crush-forever.html

One thing being a journalist and a Nigerian has taught me is that things are deeper than how they appear at the surface level. I have learned to trust my observatory skills and try to regularly juxtapose my findings with what the physical features tend to show in reality. This has helped in exposing discrepancies that foretell doom.

I focus more on the underlying factors that define events. I tend to dig into what an interviewee is trying hard to conceal and not really what he is letting you know.

When Deji Adeyanju, the convener of the Concerned Nigerians group collaborated with the eccentric Charles Oputa of the OurMuMuDonDo movement - a seeming good governance advocacy group for regular protests, I felt something was amiss. It was hard to concretely and empirically explain my feelings in a way that would make sense to the next person. A former colleague of mine at the newsroom was fond of Deji Adeyanju and Charly Boy. He was an ardent Twitter user which is like the base of both individuals. He was always eager to report their protests and also follow them up with updates. He so much believed in them that he would sing their praises like a chorister. His interest and passion were really intense and intimidating.

One day, I was forced to express my uneasiness about the duo and my colleague apparently shouted me down. He took my views personal and this affected our cordial relationship briefly. I only told him time would tell if my views are relevant or not. This didn't deter my colleague from giving the duo media coverage in a reinvigorated manner.

Many things Didn't just seem right about Charly Boy apart from his weird and confusing physical appearance. With due respect, I have always seen the former PMAN president as an elderly attention-seeker who just wanted his name in the headlines and two major incidents gave that mere feeling credibility. In 2011, Charly Boy gave oxygen to rumours about his bi-sexual orientation when he was pictured kissing media personality, Denrele Edun who many will swear with their precious lives that he is gay. Charly Boy leveraged on the alleged publicity stunt to promote his new music titled 'Ninja Bike'.

It took him 5 years to come out with an explanation summarized to be a promotional strategy. That extreme measure to me was deeper that what it seemed. Apart from this, the 67-year-old man graduated from uploading nauseating photos that could give a baby bad dreams to sharing his nude pictures online. He boasted that he was fit and strong at his age, challenging people in his age group to attempt such. Who does that at old age?

Moving away from Charly Boy, Deji Adeyanju is a product of the Peoples Democratic Party. He was the director of New Media of the main opposition party in Nigeria. Specifically, he was in charge of the official Twitter account of the PDP. According to a presidential aide, Lauretta Onochie, Deji who is a close associate of the Chief Editor and Purveyor of Fake News - Femi Fani Kayode frolicked with the numerous 'goats' that ate our 'yams'. Life was good for Deji and the instincts of activism were recessive in him. Deji and Fani Kayode share a major similarity which is the uncanny penchant for Fake News. The duo has contributed immensely to the spate of misinformation in Nigeria via Twitter where they are heavily followed. When the All Progressives Congress-led administration of President Muhammadu Buhari took over in 2015, the PDP ran into crises. The conduit pipe conveying the ever-flowing loot was cut off or let me say the looting changed hands and the PDP ran into threatening challenges.

The Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee moved to reform the party. The former governor of Kaduna State felt Deji was soiling the image of the party on social media so he axed him. Deji was left without a job so he decided to run for the office of the National Publicity Secretary of the party but that failed. The young man needed to survive desperately and also sustain his family so he delved into activism. He formed the Concerned Nigerians group and became a 'professional protester'. He listed some causes and decided to pursue them towards the reformation of Nigeria. Nigeria has uncountable problems and someone like Deji found reasons to protest every day.

Charly Boy birthed his the 'OurMumuDonDo' movement around the same period of time with Deji's pressure group and the duo later morphed into one technically. One factor which made me uncomfortable about them was that they were available to protest against any issue that came up in the political space and they did it virtually every day. As a realist, I was more concerned about how Deji was surviving the harsh economic realities in Nigeria. A man with a momentous means of livelihood will not engage in public protests every day like the Arab Spring except the act pays the bills. Even the almighty Yellow Vest protest in France is done during the weekends as the participants have lives outside the movement.

Most public protests and advocacies in Nigeria are hollow and artificial. They are mostly serving the agenda set by a politician who is ready to fund the exercise and pay the participants. A perfect example is the influential Occupy Nigeria group, a socio-political protest movement which gained prominence when it marched against the removal of fuel subsidy by the ex President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration in 2012. We were shocked to later find out that the group was being funded by the popular godfather in Lagos State. The group went silent when Buhari removed the same fuel subsidy in 2016 thereby confirming the elitist interests they actually serve.

Inasmuch as Deji's tainted history affected his public acceptance as an activist, he used his contacts in the media to massively promote his causes. The unprofessional nature of our security operatives made Deji, Charly Boy and their other hungry-looking counterparts look like victims and some people showed them sympathy. I soon discovered that Deji was promoting his public page on Instagram and Facebook simultaneously as a 'politician' with other free titles added to it. I sensed his direction; apart from the perks he would have been entitled to for running a 'protest company', he was also building his profile as an activist purportedly fighting for the liberation of his people like Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela. This could have given Him political advantage in the future as a reformer.

Fast forward to March 2019, Deji returned from prison after 78 days and Charly Boy collected money from a spokesman of the camp that locked up Deji. While Deji was behind bars, Charly Boy was loudly quiet. Rumours have it that Charly Boy was bribed to speak against the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar. It has also been revealed that the OurMumuDonDo movement has been collecting money from international donor agencies to execute 'projects' and Charly Boy has refused to be accountable and transparent with financial records presumably for selfish reasons.

“We cannot be criticising others outside without following some of those things internally. Do you what it means, if you get XYZ million Naira for a campaign in Sokoto or Anambra and the project team spends about 20 percent and the rest is unaccounted for?” a source in the circle of the OurMumuDonDo movement told the Vanguard newspaper.

As Charly Boy accused Deji of wanting to use the movement to generate and share money like a political party, Deji has released an audio tape in which Charly Boy admitted he collected a Greek Gift from Festus Keyamo as 'support' for the advocacy group. Nigerians are not fools!

Charly Boy brazenly claimed in an interview with Roots TV that he recorded a song to taunt Atiku and Keyamo paid him handsomely in the tune of 8 to 9 figures to use the song for political advantage. He alleged that everybody around him including Deji wanted a part of the money he received for the song he recorded. Trust me, the song was produced after Charly Boy was paid by Keyamo.

Both parties are criminals and they came together to grab their share of the national cake. They have been seeking relevance to position themselves for lucrative political deals. The OurMumuDonDo movement is nothing but a transactional group set up to be hired by powerful hands who could afford their clamourous services.
If Charly Boy had shared the money Festus Keyamo gave him with Deji, I can bet my life that the latter would have remained silent like a dead man. Deji who has been away for three months needs cash to settle bills and stand as a man. He feels hurt that Charly Boy has swindled him and he decided to sue him to the court of public opinion. It's heartbreaking that an achiever like Charly Boy who hails from a very honourable family of the late Chukwudifu Oputa GCON - who was Judge of the Supreme Court of Nigeria from 1984 to 1989, will soil his image for a few coins.

Most Nigerian influencers are for sale. They pose as analysts when indeed they are advocates. They worship money and make a fortune off the despondent who see them as messiahs.

This is an endemic societal malaise. Even the Nigerian pastors reportedly collected billions of naira during the build-up of the 2015 presidential election to campaign against the then-presidential candidate of the PDP, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. (Rtd). Today, some pastors are churning out fake prophecies about election results for the purpose of currying the favour of the political class who could pay them big. Nobody is totally clean in this part of the world. We love illegal monies like monkeys love bananas.

The shameful story of Deji and Charly Boy will serve as a wake-up call to weak-willed Nigerians who follow people sheepishly without having critical, discernable and analytical minds to unravel their ulterior motives. Mark my words, Charly Boy will NEVER recover from this scandal. He is gone!


Osayimwen Osahon George is a journalist, he writes from Lagos State.

Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/118836/how-charly-boy-and-deji-danced-naked-in-the-market.html

If you watched the x-rated action film produced by MC Galaxy (originally known as Innocent Udeme Udofot) and Etionosa with a surprise, then you are outrightly a novice.

This isn't the first time such content will be released and it will certainly not be the last. Nigerian IndecentStar, KingTee has done something worse than that with different women who might one day end up as the wives of some unfortunate men. Instagram slay queens like Peace Olayemi, Sussylicious, Symply Tacha, Savage Trap Queen and others are already showcasing their private parts for different fees with subscribers flooding their networks.

MC Galaxy is not the problem, he is just a mere symptom of a full-blown viral ailment on Instagram. He is a premonition about an impending doom set to befall the younger generation who are begging the aged and recycled leaders for the mantle of leadership. A generation that constantly misses the message and purposely sticks to the worthless noise.

Social media is a curse and its also a blessing. Inasmuch as it has boosted political consciousness among citizens, created publicity about businesses, created jobs, encouraged networking among professionals, promoted friendly interactions in a cheap way; its the home of obscenities particularly transactional sex and nudity. It's the forest when married men with fat pockets hunt for 'bushmeat'. Most ladies are overtly and covertly selling their bodies without any iota of shame. Social media is also a major channel through which fake news, hate speeches and other divisive contents are disseminated by faceless and unscrupulous people for nefarious motives.

An anecdotal study of Instagram (the Nigerian space) by this writer has shown that the platform is peopled by a low percentage of the intellectual class who could engage in quality discussions that solve problems and advance life. The other class of people who approach life recklessly constitutes at least over 70% of the demography of Instagram with another percentage sitting on the fence. It's either a male is showcasing his wealth to serve as a trap or bait for the next girl, or a female is showcasing her private parts to lure the next guy into a private discussion that will end with her back on the ground and her bank account is credited accordingly.

We have a group of people showcasing their epic stupidities in the name of comedy skits. With due respect, some online comedians like Baba Adan, Broda Shaggi, MC Edo Pikin, Maraji, Lasisi Elenu, Klinton Cod, Twyse, Nedu Wazobia FM, Woli Arole, Woli Agba etc are doing commendable jobs on Instagram. Majority of the artists on the platform promote junks in the name of comedy skits, music, and music videos. Others who have monies to throw around, organize regular giveaways to gather followers they later struggle to engage with meaningful contents.

Singer, comedian and dancer, MC Galaxy and Etinosa Idemudia fall in the class of people with huge followings but no substance to sell to their immediate audience. In the absence of quality products, a desperate trader sells the inferior ones to make money and keep business afloat.

MC Galaxy has been struggling to stay relevant since the release of his hit song titled 'Sekem' in 2014. MC Galaxy must have been lucky to have such a song which gave life to parties within and outside Nigeria. It was like a national anthem!
Since the success of that song which reportedly brought him so much money, he has continued to struggle to replicate such a feat. His best could be termed as coordinated noise to the ears. In saner climes, MC Galaxy will never be recognized as a musician. His vocals are as bad as his lyrics; the only thing admirable about him might be his dance steps. Despite huge promotions and quality videos, his songs have all failed to gain traction but MC Galaxy isn't giving up anytime soon. He has nowhere else to go and I see him staying in the music industry to force more garbage on his audience who have turned permanent deaf ears towards him without his knowledge. In order to stay relevant, MC Galaxy had been involved in a myriad of publicity stunts and other attention-seeking ventures.

The Akwa Ibom native has gone as far as placing bloggers on salaries to fervently report his less newsworthy activities. He went as far as engaging the popular cross-dresser, Idris Olanrewaju Okuneye aka Bobrisky to promote his music but all the moves were dead on arrival. Wack/substandard music is hard to sell at times because they are readily available to listeners who have already had enough from friends, family members, acquaintances, neighbors crossing their boundaries with music too - they love music but music isn't reciprocating the feeling. Instead of MC Galaxy to choose a new vocation like singer Banky W who ventured into politics, he has adopted the 'Slay Queen' strategy of desperate publicity which is very rampant among female celebrities who go as far as stripping naked and labeling the act 'artistic'. Everything is for the likes and more followers and they are not apologetic about their actions. They constantly bring very irritating and directionless private issues to the social media space like its a Court of Arbitration. They also jump on public issues without any meaningful stand as a way of following trends.

Over a week ago, MC Galaxy had a ' big break' on social media on social media when he asked young girls to strip naked for prize money of N50,000 during an Instagram live video session. He has denied this despite a shred of video evidence buttressing the accusations. His odious actions became the talk of the media. The drama was far cheaper than the others he sponsored with his money. People like Galaxy who seem poorly educated believe 'publicity is publicity' whether positive or negative. The magnitude of the scandal which came with no consequences motivated MC Galaxy to turn it into a viable publicity strategy. He adopted the same concept on Friday, 15th of March, 2019 to promote another seemingly dead song of his titled 'Ogbono'.

It wasn't hard for MC Galaxy to find a partner-in-crime who shares the same personal and career attributes with him. He recruited a pseudo-celebrity to actualize his plan. Etinosa is not different from him. She separated from her husband, a naval officer whom she accused of physically and verbally abusing her. She maligned the man's image on her page at some point. Etinosa just like MC Galaxy has a large number of followers on Instagram but has nothing tangible to sell to them. She has been involved in several dry comedy skits and a couple of Nollywood movies begging for recognition which they may never get. Etinosa is one of those ladies whose survival in a money-consuming city like Lagos has become some sort of mystery. This is simply because no serious means of livelihood is linked to her. But trust me, she is doing well at least considering her public appearances at star-studded social events in Lagos.

Etinosa did the unthinkable by stripping stark naked on live video and bragging about it. She admitted being drunk and ranted about breaking loose from the shackles of people around her to be herself. She flashed the camera on her boobs as she grumbled. Many pleaded with MC Galaxy to save the lady's face by terminating the call but he never listened. He only pretended like he was not in support of her actions while he stylishly enjoyed the dance of shame. As the blogs fed on the issue like the previous one, MC Galaxy strategically went quiet on social media to allow the fire to burn while he monitored the effect like an achiever. Etinosa also placed her profile on private so as to gain more followers as she anticipated unprecedented visitors. These are the normal trends of social media drama episodes.

I refuse to lay blames at the doorsteps of both parties. Apart from the fact that they are adults responsible for their own actions, they only exhibited the lifestyle of Instagram users. Their actions reek of the deep cultural practices of the online community. Most people hypocritically criticizing the erring duo are loving the drama. They begged for the video, watched it over and over again with a strong lust for more while they shared among friends. MC Galaxy and Etinosa might have raised the bar too high this time around, but believe me, another set of people are coming to perpetrate a more despicable act that will overshadow theirs.

Instagram is a colossal waste of time and internet bundle except if you have a business you run on the platform. Concrete discussions don't sell on Instagram as we have on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Instagrammers just love the comedy skits, the hook-ups, showboating, the rumours, the gossips, the trolls and other ephemeral things they believe could ease their dull moods.

As for MC Galaxy, his musical career ended many years ago and he can't revive it no matter how much he tries. He isn't a musician but an irritant making noise on good beats. His condition is so bad that even if he is recruited by the Boko Haram sect as a suicide bomber, he will never 'blow'. Not every musician in Nigeria has the grace of relevance like Innocent 2Baba Idibia, not everybody could come back like Duncan Mighty after being frozen out by competitors. The best MC Galaxy can do in the music industry is to sign good young artists to his music record label and promote them. This drama has come and it will go without the Ogbono track making any gainful impact. Even if MC Galaxy plays the song while live-streaming a sexual session with his girlfriend, it will not still sell. Music isn't his way, neither is comedy. He was just fortunate with Sekem; it was a fluke!

As for Etinosa, rumours have it that she has been battling depression prior to the act. If true, I hope she finds happiness and peace of mind as she recovers from the social media backlash. The internet never forgets, her actions will certainly outlive her. The good news is that the new generation gives no damn about morality as far as you have money to show for it. After all, those who peddle sex around purportedly marry the best and rich men while their decent counterparts are fasting and praying at the Redeemed Camp/Prayer City for suitors amid skyrocketing ages.

Osayimwen Osahon George is a journalist, he writes from Lagos State.

Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/118465/a-clearer-picture-of-mc-galaxy-and-etinosas-brazen.html

CC Lalasticlala Seun Ishilove Mynd44 Dominique MissyB3 Fynestboi

In early 2014, talks among different political parties coalesced into a grand coalition that gave birth to what is presently known as the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party was an amalgamation of different political entities comprising majorly of a large segment of the All Nigeria’s Peoples Party (ANPP), the totality of Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), breakaway faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other smaller political parties.

The coalition building efforts were aided by the widespread disenchantment with the seemingly uncontrollable corruption of the then PDP-led government and dwindling fortunes of the average Nigerian. Key figures of that coalition include Bola Tinubu, Muhammadu Buhari, Bukola Saraki and Rotimi Amaechi. It was a marriage of convenience among strange bedfellows but united in their pursuit to snatch power from the former president, Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP.

The coalition strategy worked, and APC became the government in power since 2015. While euphoria greeted the alternation of power, and INEC under Jega was praised, the desperation of APC since then in its quest to use and maintain power has resulted in further destabilization of the institutions of governance. Two examples would suffice. First, given the heroics of INEC in 2015 leading to the alternation of power, and the subsequent exit of Professor Attahiru Jega, many have expected INEC would become better and improve its services. Rather, successive elections after Jega and under his successor, Professor Mahmood Yakubu has become an eyesore, resulting in several inconclusive elections.

Public trust has plummeted, and its actions viewed with suspicion. As at now, one Mrs Amina Zakaria, a supposed nephew of the president, is believed to be leading a faction within the Election Management Bodies (EMB) with encouragement from the ruling party, separate from Yakubu, who is heading another. These actions, including the propriety of Zakaria's stay in INEC has further hurt the integrity and credulity of the EMB. At a time in 2019, it was speculated that Mrs Zakaria was to be made INEC Chair!

INEC is now derisively known as 'Inconclusive National Electoral Commission'. The second example closely resembles the first. In this case, some perceived ‘enemies’ of the ruling party in the judiciary have been the target of the so-called anti-corruption drive. This has resulted in the illegal suspension of the Chief Justice of the Federation, Walter Onnoghen not following the laid down constitutional provisions. And this is from a party that promised to do things differently and according to the rule of law! What is the import of the above explanations? It follows that the impunities and infractions committed and associated with the party stems from its erroneous belief that with its coalition, spawning geo-political zones, dislodging it from power would be difficult. Yet that is more theoretical than practical. Coalitions might be built and yet power might not be attained.

But what has this to do with political settlement? In its elementary form, political settlement is synonymous with both politics and economics, in this case, political power and economic benefit, mostly through rent distribution. Therefore, political settlement speaks to how the balance of power is maintained among groups with access to commonwealth, mostly through economic benefits. The sharing of political offices, appointment of certain persons to governmental offices, distribution of oil blocks, and several acts of patronage points to acts of political settlement. In real politik, APC, particularly Tinubu’s penchant for coalition building among political friends and enemies, falls squarely within the ambit of coalition building with the promise of political settlement to coalition partners.

Therefore, while coalition-building efforts have worked and might work, like it happened in 2014, 2018 Osun elections between the APC and the Social Democratic Party of Nigeria, SDP (Tinubu and Senator Iyiola Omisore), there are instances where it might not work as it happened in 2019 gubernatorial elections in Oyo state, even with the promise of political settlement.

Further instances can be seen in the North, especially in Kano State (Ibrahim Shekarau and Abdullahi Ganduje versus Rabiu Kwankwaso and others). It is therefore instructive that for the political strategist of the APC and other political parties of whatever orientation, it is necessary to understand the limitations, benefits and constraints associated with coalition building and the negatives associated with political settlement that drives corruption in Nigeria.

This is because in its crude form, political settlement is not about public good/interest but about individual and group elite interest that are channels for political and grand corruption. In some cases, coalition building, and political settlement might not work as a mass of the people become wise to the antics of the parasitic elites that literally dot the Nigerian landscape.


Olugbemiga Samuel Afolabi holds B.Sc, M.Sc and PhD degrees in Political Science and teaches same at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/118168/apc-and-the-theory-of-coalition-building-the-inver.html

cc Lalasticlala Seun Ishilove Mynd44

Human life is so cheap in Nigeria. So cheap that we have exhausted our sympathy for victims of accidents, conflicts, crime, natural disasters and others.

When the news of such incidents break, we read the headlines, take note of the casualty/damage rate and then move on to the next news item with ease. The victims if they are lucky to tell the story live with the pains and indelible marks from painful recoveries and in the event of their demise, their families relieve the harrowing experience of losing their loved ones under very avoidable circumstances.

As the politicians share the spoils of war from the recently concluded 2019 presidential elections, they will hardly remember the over 30 common people who reportedly died as a result of electoral violence across the country and several others who died in the course of celebrating the victory of the incumbent leader, President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Lagos floods constitute a yearly ritual in the financial hub of Nigeria where people pay exorbitant amounts of money for house rents with minimum utility guaranteed. When the torrential rains fall, pictures of the woes of people and the accompanied gory tales are shared on social media and in the online media, people mostly motivated by eye-service sympathize with each other and it never stops there. The state government releases an official press statement condoling with the affected victims, the governor may visit the affected places, pretend to be working until tension subsides and then moves on with life till it It happens again. Its a vicious cycle!

In most parts of Lagos, one thing you will notice is that the gutters don't flow. The lack of good drainage facilities and poor town planning will forever haunt the city which houses over 21 million Nigerians fighting hard to survive the stranglehold of high cost of living and poor social amenities. This further confirms the unwarranted recognition of Lagos as one of the worst cities to live in across the world.

The stagnant gutters don't only produce massive stench and flies, fat mosquitoes flourish in them. Some Lagosians who believe they are the smartest in the world also dump refuse inside the gutters when rain falls. Majority of the posh young people and adults you see on social media live with these gutters and heaps of refuse but they will never show you that aspect of their lives.

The gutters in the Ago Palace Way area of Okota Lagos are very large but they hardly flow. The stagnant waters are so deep that they even harbour massive cat fishes which are harvested regularly by some folks from the north and middle-belt region either for consumption or for sale.

When I moved to Ago Palace Way in the year 2017, I sensed the clogged gutters were disasters waiting to happen but in Lagos, nobody talks about the gutters. If you do, people will wonder if you are interested in living inside them with some reptiles. When rain falls, we lament and pick our steps across the emergency 'streams' around us. Several times, I have had the cause to take off my shoes and socks to walk through the waters while on my way to work thereby exposing my feet to the danger of sharp objects or loitering reptiles beneath the coloured waters.

In my first week at Ago Palace Way, I noticed a small family was living in a makeshift house situated in the middle of a swamp and it appeared everything was fine. I wanted to interview an elderly man in the small compound and make a story out of it but my efforts were futile.

Well, it appears I don't need his story anymore. Life has given me my own story in a sacrificial and painful way.

Towards 2am on the 1st of March, 2019, I got an unwarranted visitor. It was a familiar disaster I have always had a premonition about. It happened that rain started falling and the hot weather got cosy gradually. I woke up to look around my house was I had earlier suffered from the problem of leakages around the roof. Trust me, the house isn't cheap, its not a shanty, its an average Lagos apartment of a room and a parlour.

I retired to my room to play around Instagram and WhatsApp pending on when sleep would come calling again. I finally slept around 4am and woke up at 6am to prepare for work. To confirm time, I decided to check my phone which is like a daily routine for me. As I reached out for my phone which was on the ground, I noticed the back was wet. It was shocking. I felt I had left a half sachet of pure water on the floor and it had poured while I slept. I couldn't remember leaving any sachet water anyway. I picked up my phone and switched on the flash light as the room was dark. I noticed there was a heavy flow of water from the living room and the under of my bed was wet. I got so scared and apprehensive. I swiftly rushed to the living room only to discover it had been transformed into a fish pond; the kind that is used to raise fingerlings. My extension boxes were submerged. The saving grace I had was that they were all switched off including the one meant for the refrigerator. I could have been electrocuted. I quickly made my way to the central fuse and switched it off to prevent any possible electric shock. My furniture was affected, the speakers of my home theatre swam in the flood and other belongings. I peeped into my kitchen and I was heartbroken. It was also flooded with some of my food materials affected. My bathroom wasn't spared too including the veranda. It was as if I offended a mermaid as some superstitious people would tease. I ran out of the house to call the attention of the gateman. My phone battery was dying and I knew I needed to document the awry event and also contact certain people.

"Abdul! Abdul!! Abdul!!!, come see oh, water don enter my house" I said in local parlance, Pidgin English.

He wasn't too shocked. He must have seen it coming I thought as the compound and outside the house were in bad shapes.

"Oga, the thing enter your house sef? Na three of una e affect for the compound and them dey pack water since" he said.

He followed to my apartment and he shook his head in sympathy and disgust. I gave him my phone to charge for me while I carried my cross in flowing tears towards Calvary.

I got a big bucket from the bathroom and started scooping water from my apartment. It was like a futile exercise. I later noticed that the water came from underground and it was as if the water level kept increasing as I scooped out water.

A concerned neighbour looked at me with pity and said: "I think you are wasting your time scooping out the water, its flowing back into your house. You better relax and wait for the water level to drop in general".

She was somehow correct, the gutters were full as usual and showed no signs of flowing. There were stagnant waters around the house. They had the capability of predisposing kids to the danger of drowning. I couldn't just leave my house in that bad shape and fold my arms. I continued to evacuate the water. I later got my phone and decided to make a video recording to present at work to buttress my unplanned absence. I contacted appropriate authorities at work in between the laborious work. My entire house was in a bad shape overnight, it was like a real nightmare.

Neighbours started trooping in one by one to sympathize with me. I have only heard about flooding all my life, I never experienced one. It was a common occurrence in ghetto areas in Ibadan where I grew up. The issue was hard to deal with. For about 5 hours I was still evacuating the water. I was tired, weak and hungry but it was hard to stop. Its an event I will never wish my worst enemy.

As I bit my fingers and licked my wounds, I was later told my absence at work which wasn't well 'communicated' had backfired and I was going to be sanctioned. All attempts at providing explanations and apologies proved ineffective. It was as if the world was against me. My world was crashing before my very eyes.

I wept in my heart as I spent the entire day cleaning up my house and sun-drying my properties. The flood ushered in hundreds of mosquitoes which my insecticide couldn't effectively eliminate. As the mosquitoes kept my company all through the night, I slowly counted my losses. My appetite for food dropped and I struggled to sleep coupled with recurrent issues of absentmindedness. The job threat was a paramount concern but I appreciated God for the gift of life. I could have been electrocuted if any of my extension boxes was switched. I only stopped switching on the refrigerator overnight just two days to the incident. I could have died a cheap death with all my dreams and aspirations gone just like that. I can bet my life that the devil would have ushered me into hell fire if I had died because I was flirting with a heavy-chested Canada-based Nigerian lady via WhatsApp that midnight.

Most of us live with looming disasters but we bank on God to protect us from them like the Spiderman. Nobody takes due precautions anymore. They share wonderful testimonies when others are affected by avoidable disasters while little or no efforts arr made to prevent or mitigate any future re-occurrence.

I hope my story changes the mentality and approach of someone to similar issues so that we could make a difference in our localities.


Written by Osayimwen Osahon George

Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/117506/how-i-slept-in-my-room-and-woke-up-in-a-river.html

CC Lalasticlala Seun Ishilove Mynd44 Obinoscoppy Dominique

Rumours have it that operatives of Nigeria's foremost anti-graft - Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has adopted a more technical way of tracking suspected internet fraudsters popularly known as 'Yahoo Boys'.

There is palpable fear among internet fraudsters in Ibadan, Oyo State following the mode at which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been harvesting their colleagues with precision.

Some of the internet fraudsters have alleged that the EFCC agents might be tracing their locations via their Wi-Fi connections. This has forced several young men engaged in the criminal act to adopt the usage of 'dongles' in surfing the internet with their laptop computers.

Multiple sources contacted by Tori News explained the usage of Wi-Fi facilities to access the internet makes the sting operations of the crack teams easier.

A source said; "Sincerely, I don't know how it works; it's like a rumour on the streets that the EFCC is tracking the boys through their Wi-Fi connections. A friend who is versed in information technology even confirmed to me that it is very possible. He said they will hack into your network and breach your internet privacy"

Another source also revealed to a correspondent that he has gone broke due to inability to 'work' amid the fear of arrest by the EFCC. He complained that he has been technically hiding to evade any possible arrest.

"Things are hard presently, we (Yahoo Boys) can't work freely and make money. I haven't been able to use my Wi-Fi connection to prevent getting into trouble. For now, I have left my house for that of a friend which is more secure for now. The raids have refused to stop and the development is worrisome" he said.

He explained that he has been able to use the Wi-Fi connection of a new generation bank close to his home but the major challenge is that the internet speed is very poor when connected to a laptop device.

The Ologun Eru area of the Ibadan North-west zone which is close to the Eleyele axis is a developing area in the city with new buildings being erected. The population is a mixture of the rugged people and a few enlightened ones. It used to be serene and peaceful with several Yahoo Boys safely taking refuge there to prevent the prying eyes of security operatives.

Today, it has been receiving the regular and unwanted visits of EFCC operatives accurately hunting for Yahoo Boys using the street as their hideouts.
Many Yahoo Boys in other environs within Ibadan have also ditched their flashy cars at safe places as they move around town using public transport.

Others have also been moving around town with spare phones which are devoid of incriminating scam materials in order not to be caught in the web of the 'Stop and Search' exercises by EFCC operatives.

Due to the menace of unemployment which is pegged at 23% presently, thousands of Nigerian youths have been actively engaged in all manners of internet fraud with the discreet ones using other businesses as fronts to cover up their shady activities.

Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/116714/efcc-devises-discreet-means-of-tracking-yahoo-boys.html

CC Lalasticlala Seun Mynd44 Dominique Obinoscoppy

Internet fraudsters in Ibadan, Oyo State popularly regarded as 'Yahoo Boys' or 'G-Boys' have been going into hiding as the foremost anti-graft agency in Nigeria - Economic and Financial Crimes Commission continues its massive raid of their hide-outs.

The EFCC stemmed up its harvest of the fraudsters across Nigeria with serious arrests recorded in Ibadan, Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ilorin and other major cities in the country this year thereby unsettling the scammers living flamboyant lives.

One of the largest cities in West Africa - Ibadan, of late has become a safe haven for Yahoo Boys taking refuge in the suburbs of the city of brown roofs.

The story seems to be different this year as agents of the EFCC have been raiding the fraudsters at different locations with their suspected proceeds of fraud seized from them.

A panicky source told Tori News he has been keeping a low profile to avoid the prying eyes of the EFCC.

"I have parked my car at a safe place. I'm not using it until the EFCC reduces its tempo of arrests. I can't even use the bank to obtain money from my clients. I have also being avoiding beer parlours because one doesn't know who is who presently." he said.

Tori News was also informed that some Yahoo Boys have been taking up menial jobs temporarily to hoodwink the EFCC operatives who they believe are operating undercover in Ibadan.

Another source named Gabriel (not real name) revealed how he has been unable to drive the fairly used multi millionaire Honda Crosstour he just purchase with his loot.

"I can't drive my new car around town. The street is not safe. These guys (EFCC operatives) are ruthless. They will seize all your properties and still parade you. I can't stand the disgrace of having my pictures on social media pages and blogs with the tag of a 'Yahoo Boy'. In fact, I don't leave my house unless the reason is important. That's how we are surviving now" he concluded.

Another fraudster, a young man in his late 20s who doubles as a music record label owner complained to a Tori News correspondent that the 'fraud deals' have been slow of late due to the activities of the EFCC officials. He alleged they seem to be working in concert with members of the controversial Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS or prostitutes popularly regarded as 'Oloshos' in intelligence gathering.

"This EFCC guys are not joking, there raids are done with so much accuracy. The house they raided around the Ologuneru area last week was close of mine. I almost rented an apartment there but I changed my mind. Just last week, I was apparently running helter skelter with my friend because they were at strategic locations in town and we had to avoid them" he said.

Most of the Yahoo Boys this paper contacted believe the heat is nothing but a 'momentary madness' which the EFCC can't sustain.

"We have seen this before now, it happened early last year in Lagos and many of my friends had to leave the Island area to avoid arrest and asset seizure. Today, the guys have returned to their homes and they are working freely." one young man named Haruna said.

Haruna revealed that they expect the war on Yahoo Boys to wind down in two months time. He went on to explain that the officials of the anti-corruption agency are hard to 'negotiate' with.

"Its very difficult to bribe these guys. They will dig out everything you are hiding. Even if they will set you free, they will make sure they strip you naked financially" he added.

Rumours making the round in Ibadan revealed the EFCC arrested one popular and established Yahoo Boy named Leke and rendered him bankrupt.

5 exotic cars, over N100 million and his house in Lagos State were confiscated after investigation. The former 'poster boy' who purportedly sleeps with ladies at will is presently moving around town on commercial motorcycles as he is completely broke.

Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/116069/exclusive-yahoo-boys-in-ibadan-go-into-hiding-as-e.html

In the late 90s, the musical career of a former bus conductor, Abass Akande Obesere flourished like a tree planted by the riverside.
He promoted vulgarity, semi-nudity and promiscuity with his Fuji music. His quest to satisfy his millions of fans mostly in the Southwestern part of Nigeria prompted him to team up with Cossy Ojiakor to produce the visuals of his song - ‘Apple Juice’.

Nigerians were stunned to see the Anambra State native in a scantily-clad outfit flaunting her humongous mammary glands while she wore the smiles of a notorious porn star on her face. Most media houses distanced themselves from the Apple Juice video clip for obvious reasons.

Cossy looked like a misguided orphan who was missing proper parentage and upbringing. Cossy's boobs constituted a rare phenomenon those days compared to now that cosmetic surgeries are now widespread. Many suggested the boobs were grown with fertilizers while some men even joked about a vulcanizer helping her inflate them at regular. Her courage and boldness in parading them before the camera became a hot topic of discussion across the country.

Obesere got the attention he craved for and subsequently made money from the music while Cossy registered her face in the minds of men who kept investigating the enigmatic size of her breasts.

In no time, the video vixen with a perpetual kittenish voice ventured into Nollywood and her audacious breast display was taken to the next level. Cossy was a huge distraction from a movie's storyline. The eyes of the viewers ended up being lost in between her boobs. No Nigerian director bothered to cast Cossy for decent roles. She was either a prostitute, home-breaker or a seductress and she did good jobs interpreting those roles. Cossy's boobs came in handy in attracting the attention of movie lovers as they colourfully appeared on posters. She also killed video advertisements. Minds were polluted, controlled, innocence abused and bodies unsettled at the sight of Cossy. The breasts were like the game-changer for her. In the course of Cossy's foray in the film industry, only a handful of people have ever admired her acting skills or talents, it has always been about her elephantine watermelons which are also the cynosure of all eyes at social gatherings.

The head-turner soon bit more than she could chew when she purportedly slept with a dog in a 2002 Chico Ejiro film titled 'Itohan'. Many believed the awkward bestiality scene was real and she actually did it for $10,000 instead of an actual meager fee of N30,000. According to her account, her family's named was soiled with the scandalous stories that emanated from the film.

Her fame also came with considerable wealth, clearly not from the film industry. She got herself the cars and a mansion in the highbrow Lekki area in Lagos State in 2012. The house was named the 'Playgirl Mansion'. She was also reported to have acquired 12-plots of land in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The busty actress pushed her luck too far by venturing into music probably thinking her mammary glands could pave a way as usual. She launched her first 15-track album on December 15, 2012, but recorded no positive impact. She ran away from music for about 6 years before announcing a comeback that never happened.

It’s been 17 years now and Cossy is still maintaining her old marketing strategy which has become obsolete and ineffective. The Almighty Cossy is now like the legendary Gianluigi Buffon at PSG, Peter Cech at Arsenal or the latter days of Paolo Maldini at AC Milan. She seems to have forgotten to switch her style or bow out of the stage when the ovation was loud.

Her Wikipedia page says she is 34 and nobody is buying that. The human age is treated like an ATM passcode in this part of the world. 'Teenage' actress Regina Daniels has remained between 16 and 18 for the past 4 years now and nobody is raising any alarm. The age equation of Cossy might be balanced if we add about a decade to the age on ground to make it 44. Yes, 44 seems okay.

Cossy just like most of her colleagues has been linked with several men in the past. In September, 2013, a man named Emeka who she was purportedly seeing then proposed marriage to her but the nuptial knot was never found not to talk of being tied. And also, in October, 2015, romantic pictures of her licking the face of a white man in Paris, France surfaced. On the 6th of January, 2016, Cossy announced she was getting married, but it happened that she was getting married to herself.

As a suitor never came, Cossy soon continued with her naughty lifestyle of posting sultry photos/videos, engaging in raunchy talks, touring clubhouses in scandalous outfits, dancing crazily and drinking to stupor.

In the year 2017, Cossy was in the news again in the light of the alleged romance between Stephanie Otobo, a Nigerian singer based in Canada and the founder of Omega Fire Ministries - Apostle Johnson Suleman. Two other actresses with unfounded wealth and suspicious lifestyles - Iyabo Ojo and Daniella Okeke were linked with the fiery minister. Cossy in an indirect manner threatened to open the Pandora’s Box. She hinted that she was a love-vendor and arranged ladies for a man whose description fit the 'man of God'. She promised to publish a book on her slut stories. This just the promises of most politicians never materialized!

“It’s almost Easter… And if this lady (Kemi Omololu Olunloyo) remain in prison this Easter I will boldly post my statement of account…. Where your name showed… Thanks for the tithe money u sent to me… Besides your not the first man of god to give me such offerings.. .. I don’t run an NGo…like the rest of your girls…am a big sinner.. So you obviously were not paying for my repentance…..HELP?" she partly posted on her Instagram page.

In 2018, decent photos of Cossy finally emerged. She was almost totally covered in white native attire. It wasn't that she became Born Again, her father died and she was in a mourning mood. The awkward thing that picture gave was an idea of the real age of Cossy, she wasn't just a girl anymore; she had grown into a woman. After the burial, Cossy returned to her old ways. She announced she was going for a butt surgery. Cossy's butt in the real sense might not be different from that of a slim man like singer 9ice.
In September, 2018, Cossy did the unthinkable to probably compensate her male fans. She announced on Instagram she was Hot and needed a quickie.

"Am so fucking Hot tonight....am at Slay lekki 1,....where are u....Hope ur not lousy just chop and clean mouth. if u talk! ama do all ya friends. Hmmmm #mood #tonight" he posted online.

Her followers were asked to apply on the condition that they will 'chop and clean mouth' meaning that they will not kiss and tell. The comment section of the post was more competitive than the recent Big Brother Naija auditions. Even some married men submitted their applications at the risk of their marriages.

Inasmuch as much a lot of people covertly love Cossy out of lust and greed, it has become crystal-clear that she is getting too old for her kind of lifestyle and 'industry'. Cossy needs to retire, cover up her boobs, take a bow and turn a new leaf. She needs to also take her colleague and close pal, Anita Joseph with her while using the exit door. They have become too old for the system. No act of breast display by Cossy moves the social media space anymore. The only thing left to amaze people will be her sex tape. Cossy's market has an age limit; younger ladies like Symply Tacha, Gifty Big Brother Naija, Jane Mena, Peace Olayemi, Phat Chyna, Sussylicious and other ‘wicked’ slay queens have already taken her spot.

The next question is what Cossy will retire to. Loneliness is scary for celebrities who are used to having several fake and real people smiling around them. The heavy-chested Instagram star, Roman goddess once took a hiatus when she married a white man, in less than three months, she was back in the market trading with her wares restocked.

If aunty Cossy doesn't leave the market willingly, age and 'consumer apathy' might forcefully take her out in the coming years.


By Osayimwen Osahon George

Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/115863/time-for-actress-cossy-ojiakor-to-cover-up-her-boo.html

CC Seun Lalasticlala Ishilove Mynd44 Obinoscoppy Dominique

The Big Brother Naija reality show which is known to promote all manners of sexual immorality and foulness is here again and Nigerians are rushing to join the family like it’s the gate of heaven.

The auditions organized on the 1st and 2nd of February, 2019 across 8 states in Nigeria have been attended by thousands of Nigerian youths with an estimated average age of 21 seeking for better opportunities in the face of an economy which is in a dire situation. The fact that the first audition held on a working day and still recorded such a huge turn-out by young people exposes the rate of joblessness and hopelessness in the land. The level of unemployment has been compounded by the ongoing ASUU and ASUP industrial strikes with the so-called leaders of tomorrow lazying around and disturbing social media spaces. Very soon, they will graduate from school and a company will tell them that the job vacancy has an age limit - mostly 24-26 for graduate trainee jobs. They will be forced to settle with the mushroom companies that guarantee nothing positive about personal and career development or respect for labour laws.

Nigeria has a population of 198 million people with about 23% of them unemployed. Several millions of people also remain under-employed with economists not giving them the necessary attention. The under-employed are living on take-home-pays that can't actually take them home with the cost of living in cities skyrocketing amid a surge in the number of dependants. Between the year 2016 and 2017, 7.9 million people lost their jobs under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. In the latest statistics on unemployment released by the National Bureau of Statistics, about 3.3 million people joined the labour market in search for non-existent jobs. In the face of a blatant failure of the government to create an enabling environment for human development, every Nigerian youth will be seeking desperate measures within and outside the law to escape poverty and this has been expressed through armed robberies, kidnappings, blackmails, online prostitution, illegal migration, peddling of drugs, internet scam, ritualism and others.

With a reality show promising the hungry, idle and struggling youths a whopping sum of N45 million in prizes coupled with quick fame and three months of free food, they will be desperate enough to walk on people to make it to the presence of the judges who might not be actually judging anything . We know how such things work in Nigeria. Corporate organizations learnt that deceit from the public institutions. You announce a job vacancy to the public and collect thousands of applications when the anointed and unqualified candidate is at a beer parlour unwinding simple because he knows the influential people at the helm of affairs, it’s called 'man-know-man' in local parlance. This is worse when we think of what the Big Brother Naija reality show which promotes South Africa above the host country stands for. The reality show is a huge distraction and it has produced more high profile prostitutes and other broke young men who can't cope with the financial demands of stardom. They always enter stardom with no services or products to sell rather than social media controversies and dirty fights.

As videos of the sea of heads at different audition venues were released on social media, my heart bled. Some youths desperately slept at the venues of the audition so as to be attended to first by the panel of judges. Some arrived at the venues as early as 6 am in the morning while others, shockingly ladies resorted to dangerously scaling over barriers to make it to the audition rooms. A lot of people collapsed due to overcrowding, stress, dehydration and poor crowd control measures. These challenges didn't deter people as they saw the show as their own Canaan land as Nigeria has become their Egypt.

Yesterday in Lagos, the Big Brother audition wasn't only a problem to itself; it was also a menace to other uninterested people going for work. At the Allen area in Ikeja, there was a serious traffic gridlock that hampered the movement of other people innocently hustling for their daily bread. The auditions which looked like crusade grounds were organized with the employment of inadequate safety measures like First Aid facilities, crowd control, adequate security and other emergency facilities because whatever fate befalls the hopefuls isn't the problem of organizers with capitalist orientations. They are not alone, the government thinks like that too.

I hope its isn't true that President Muhammadu Buhari who is being paraded as the next best thing after Jesus Christ or Mohammed doesn't read like the Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi said in a leaked conversation he has neither admitted or denied. I wish Buhari could see the youths he promised a better life in 2014/2015 seeking desperate measures to make their lives count. I make bold to say that most of the purported achievements of the Buhari administration can't survive any credible fact-checks by independent bodies.

We are sitting on a keg of gunpowder and very soon, no level of private investment in security will save a rich man from being eaten by the poor for survival.

I hope the teeming youths could channel their energies into the right directions so that the right candidate can be put in power. One of the major challenges Nigeria has faced since inception is leadership. When the head of a fish is bad, it also affects the body.

I wish all the youths attending the two-day auditions could stage a protest as large as what is obtainable in Venezuela presently as led by the opposition leader and 'interim president' Juan Gerardo Guaidó. I also wish they could dedicate that same positivity into obtaining their PVCs, shunning votes trading, violence and coming out to vote for their leader with a realistic roadmap to take Nigeria out of the wilderness. Nigeria would have certainly been a better place for us all.

We have no business being the poverty capital of the world and there is a stinking projection that there will be 100 million extremely poor people in Nigeria in the year 2020. The IMF is only forecasting a 2% growth in the GDP of Nigeria which is just slightly better than its last 1.8% growth. This is not the progress we want. Nigeria is blessed with an abundance of human and natural resources, we only need to get our politics right to fix the country.

Dear Buhari, the large turn-out of youths at the audition venues of an ephemeral show that mostly benefits the winner and just another two out of 20 contestants paints the bold picture of how your administration has failed to create opportunities for the youths and giving you another chance will be a high risk only valiant warriors can take.

Permit me to end this opinion editorial with the Facebook post of a Nigerian journalist named - Fredrick Nwabufo. It has been playing over and over in my head since I read it.

"These young people (Big Brother Naija hopefuls) are the bravest. They took a chance to save themselves from Nigeria.
You understand Nigeria better after the national youth service. One year after, no job, no benefactor; nothing. And your girlfriend just dumped you. You long to go back to NYSC, so that at least you could get some cash at the end of the month.

I am not sure of any statistics, but I think guys experience more heart-breaks immediately after university or NYSC than at any other time in their lives. That is between the age of 23 and 27. And this is the most trying time in the life of a young Nigerian male.

But this is the time ladies experience a boom in the dating game. So, they would not like to stick around with a loser. It is natural. It is all about survival. BBN will give these young people a chance to be reckonable; and a chance to survive. Most of them are at a point in their lives where there is no direction.

I only wish the programme can take all of them. Nigeria is already too hard to mock young people who are only trying to survive. It is not about priority. It is about survival."

Osayimwen Osahon George is a journalist and a media consultant. He writes from Lagos State.

Source: http://www.villagetowncrier.com/2019/02/what-huge-bbnaija-crowd-is-telling.html

CC Lalasticlala Seun Ishilove Mynd44 Dominique Obinoscoppy Tonyebarcanista

More pictures

Despite the rains and the cold weather in London, United Kingdom, a group of Nigerians in diaspora came out en masse to campaign against the political developments in Nigeria.

A group of Nigerians in the United Kingdom under the aegis of the Concerned Nigerians Living in the UK (CNLUK) have strongly condemned the suspension of the number five citizen of Nigeria, CJN Walter Onnoghen amid other political issues in the public domain.

The group described Onnoghen's suspension as an attempt by the executive arm of government under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to undermine the judiciary and the override the essence of the rule of law in Nigeria.

Speaking through its convener - Dr Wilson Diriwari during a protest under the bad weather at 1:00pm (London time) at Nigerian High Commission in London, the group accuses Buhari of incumbent government of President Muhammadu Buhari is unleashing fear and terror on opponents from other parties.

The group cautioned the present government against taking the path of violence, anarchy and national unrest.

Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/115547/nigerians-in-the-uk-brace-bad-weather-to-protest-a.html

One salient treasure the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC has lost in the last three and a half years is public trust.

This present administration was able to easily increase fuel price, electricity tariffs, delay setting up a cabinet, enjoy relative calm when the economy was in recession coupled with the depreciation of the Naira and prosecute high profile public figures without any major protests on the streets because people believed in the government.

Today, the approval rating of the APC might be below 20% if measured and this has grave implications. A major sign of loss of legitimacy is that the people will start to perceive every action or inaction of the government wrongly. The goodwill of the government of the day will be overshadowed by noise, conspiracy theories and criticisms. This signifies a disconnection between the government and the people. If this is not well managed during an election period, the government should be ready to pack its bags unless it wants to be like President Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, President Omar al-Bashir in Sudan, President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, Pierre Nkurunziza in Burundi, Paul Biya in Cameroon, Faure Gnassingbé President of Togo, Bashar al-Assad in Syria and other very unpopular governments.

Before I delve into Buhari’s lapses fully, I will like to make reference to a similar issue around the world which has to do with the essence of public trust. The youngest lawmaker in the US, new Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez proposed a 70% tax rate for the rich. A senior columnist at Yahoo Finance – Rick Newman discredited her proposal citing the distrust in government in the U.S.

According to Rick Newman, in 1958, 73% of Americans said they trusted the federal government to do the right thing most of the time. By 2017, that had fallen to 18%. Surveys show that a majority of Americans don’t trust Washington with their tax dollars, and voters think the government wastes about half of all the money it collects.

This issue of public distrust will hinder any government from making bold moves without any public opprobrium like what President Emmanuel Macron is facing with the Yellow Vest protesters in France due to his rising fuel prices, high cost of living and other economic challenges.

When a former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan removed the fuel subsidy in 2012, it was like he committed political hara-kiri. He also infamously explained that 'stealing is not corruption'. Intellectually speaking, he was right but because of his low approval ratings at that point in time, his explanation was misconstrued by the public and his image was further tainted. The backlash even lived after his administration.
Today, it’s the APC turn to face the downsides of public distrust in which the people listen to public speeches with their ears blocked and also read press statements upside down.

The APC has costly started the year on a very bad note and they are in for more stumbling blocks. The leaked audio tapes of the Minister of Transport , Rotimi Amaechi who doubles as the Director-General of the Buhari 2019 presidential campaign in which he disparaged his principal is like a gully erosion that will eat up the foundation of the Buhari campaign structures. Amaechi has been presented as a conman selling a product he doesn’t use or believe in. Apart from this, the arrangement of Buhari’s rare interview with the Arise TV network in which the presidency rejected the plan for a live interview, barred Arise TV correspondents from conducting the interview, prevented them from using their equipment but rather allowed the national TV station, NTA to record and hand over the raw files to Arise TV reeks of suspicions. Many have asked; ‘What are they hiding?’ ‘Is he truly suffering from dementia or is he actually the impostor Jubril Aminu Al Sudani as separatist leader, Nnamdi Kanu claimed?’

The Federal Government's decision to abandon due process and prosecute the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen for false declaration of assets has been interpreted as a futuristic move of President Muhammadu Buhari to compromise the judiciary ahead of a possible unfavourable presidential election result. Many have wondered the motive behind the speedy trial of Onnoghen when the petition against the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola by Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders. CACOL hasn't been attended to. The same government which ignored the Ganduje's dollar bribe videos, petitions against Rotimi Amaechi, Governor Kayode Fayemi and the clamour for the prosecution of the former SGF, Babachir Lawal, former DSS director, Lawal Daura and several APC faithful with questions to answer.

There is a palpable fear that votes will not count on the 16th of February which is the day of Nigeria's presidential election. The ordeal of Onnoghen is seen as a plan of Buhari to hold unto to power like former President Laurent Gbagbo did in Ivory Coast in 2010. The top gainer is the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar who is seen as Buhari's major challenger and viable option considering his popularity and party's deep-rooted structure in Nigeria.

Last week was a long one for Buhari. His performance at the ‘The Candidates’ town hall meeting further explains why his media team has been hiding him over the years. The president suddenly became a spectator while dressed as a player. He stared at his Vice President Yemi Osinbajo like he was transmitting the messages to the latter's brain through infrared. Many people who didn't believe U.S President Donald Trump called him 'lifeless' had a rethink.

In Kogi State, Buhari slipped during a presidential campaign. While that is normal, this has been weaponized and many have attributed that to his rumoured health and age. Another video also showed Buhari missing his steps as he tried to take a seat at an APC rally in Kaduna State.
Buhari gave credibility to those who claim he is suffering from dementia when he said he assumed power on the 19th of May, 2018 instead of May 29 the same year. He also reportedly said he assumed power as a military ruler in 1984 when he actually did in December, 1983.

As his supporters fought hard on social media to dominate after the myriad of faux pax, the 76 year old leader was unto the next gaffe. He apparently endorsed Great Ovedje Ogboru in Delta State as the "presidential, senatorial and 'governortorial' candidate' of the APC while handing over the party's flag to him originally as a gubernatorial candidate. The video was widely shared on social media to ridicule him and it has been very effective.
Atiku, 72, on the other hand has been diligently rolling out his plans for Nigeria should they give him a chance and some economic experts have been endorsing his views e.g. the sale of the state-owned oil company, NNPC.

Atiku also travelled to the U.S with his entourage after 12 years of staying away to make a political point which is that, America's Department of Justice has no criminal case against him. The news reduced the morale of Buhari's supporters while it increased the confidence of people selling the Atiku product. Rather than ignore the noise of the campaign period and focus on the messages, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed probably after reading the draconian books of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt announced that Atiku would be questioned on his return to Nigeria as regards the collapse of Bank PHB which happened over 8 years ago. It would be recalled that Sisi technically contested against himself in the April 2018 presidential election in Egypt securing over 90% of the votes after forcing all his opponents to step down.

Many Nigerians who are even apolitical have frowned at the underhand tactics employed by the government which also delayed signing the Electoral Amendment Bill that backed the usage of card reader machines and electronic transmission of election results. It’s on paper that Buhari benefitted immensely from the usage of incident forms.

An INEC report showed 10,184,720 votes representing 75 percent of the total votes cast were from states won by Muhammadu Buhari, then presidential candidate of the APC, while 3,351,591 votes representing 25 percent came from states won by Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP.
Many suspect a repeat of the Kano incident in 2015 where cows reportedly voted and waited behind to defend their votes.

The APC is indirectly painting Atiku as the victim paying the golden price like Jesus Christ for trying to free Nigeria from captivity. This is making him more popular. This is giving him public sympathy. The electorates are very fickle-minded and their support can be swayed at the final minute.
The more people lose faith in Buhari, the more they consider Atiku as his replacement.

Atiku on Saturday goofed by failing to take advantage of Buhari’s expected absence at the presidential debate to shine. Nigerians hailed him as he flew into the country from the U.S and briefly prepared for the debate. We were shocked when he dramatically made a U-turn after storming the venue of the debate using Buhari’s absence as an excuse.

Buhari got away with his non-participation at the presidential debate in 2015 but this time around, it will be a minus on his scorecard. People will not only question his intellectual capacity but they will also discuss his mental and physical fitness to lead a nation of 198 million people out of the doldrums.
Finally, Buhari's media team needs to restrategize. They are not acting like journalists or Public Relations specialists at all; they are more of voyeurs who are more interested in the next door neighbour’s apartment thereby neglecting their houses and exposing them to attacks. There is too much of the mention of Atiku's name on their lips. Their attacks are the same and have become boring in the media. They need to reduce the publicity and visibility they are giving Atiku through the regular criticisms while they focus on Buhari's achievements.

Their offensive campaign strategy reminds me of the making of Trump. He was an unconventional candidate with the African style of political campaign. In Africa, political campaigns are less of issues and more of character assassination. The media publicized his utterances and gaffes which were alien to the American political space. The platforms like CNN, New York Times, Washington Post and others enjoyed the views from Trump contents but unconsciously sold his brand for free. Even people who were not interested in politics enjoyed and laughed over the drama Trump brought to the table. They began to love what they were seeing, they were indoctrinated by his views and hence, they cast their votes for him at the end of the day.

Buhari's foot soldiers should learn from history and get over the undue obsession with Atiku as we have over 70 candidates gunning for their principal's job, although unrealistically.


Osayimwen Osahon George is a journalist and a PhD student of the University of Ibadan. He writes from Lagos State.
Email: G.osayimwen@gmail.com

Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/114782/how-buhari-is-rigorously-campaigning-for-atiku.html

CC Lalasticlala Seun Ishilove Mynd44 Obinoscoppy Dominique Tonyebarcanista

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP - Alhaji Atiku Abubakar flew from Washington DC, United States of America and arrived Nigeria hours to the presidential debate yesterday - 19th of January, 2019.

In a matter of hours Atiku, stormed the venue of the presidential debate in his flowing Agbada and posed for pictures. He publicized his activities on social media and Nigerians were applauding his drive and energy without knowing the Old Fox had a different plan which he was about to hatch expertly.
As the moderator, Mark Sugar was about announcing his name, he got a note that Atiku had backed out of the debate. Atiku ‘intelligently’ cited Buhari's absence as his reason behind his U-turn. What a disrespectful, insensitive and despicable move!

Don't be deceived, Atiku never really planned to debate. Buhari was just a convenient excuse for him to leave the kitchen and avoid the heat.
Right from last year, 2018 since the date of the presidential debate was announced, Nigerians knew that a cold president like Buhari who only organized one media chat which is supposed to be on a monthly basis in December, 2015 was never going to debate and the reasons have been over-flogged. Even his media team never gave any assurance that the ‘Baba Go Slow’ was ever going to participate in the exercise.

Atiku and Buhari belong to the same retrogressive class of politics where they mostly strive on the failure of the middle class to participate in politics. They take advantage of the uninformed voters/plebians and sway them with populist views. If you have noticed, the presidential campaign is like a fake news contest between the PDP and the APC.

This is why most honest political analysts have called the APC and the PDP two sides of the same coin. They are just the same rats in different holes constantly changing formations to beat the intelligence of the masses. If Atiku had any serious message for Nigerians, the debate podium would have been the viable spot to preach his sermon to Nigerians and the world who would be weighing his ideas against that of the other popular candidates.
Atiku only came for the pictures and his plan worked out with Buhari's assured absence.

Frankly speaking, Atiku wasn't going to outshine eggheads like Fela Durotoye, Kingsley Moghalu and Oby Ezekwesili. His resume, experience and intellectual capacity don't match that of these individuals who mounted the podium with clean records. Atiku only sounds brilliant because he has the financial muscle to acquire the best talents to work with him.

Atiku must have been wary of intimidation by the offensive nature of Oby Ezekwesili who has always tagged him and Buhari as 'Butiku' with a promise to retire them from the political space. Moghalu who has also been a part of the engine room of Nigeria's economy - the Central Bank of Nigeria would have been also waiting to slay Atiku with facts and figures. Atiku must have feared that the absence of Buhari would mean an overdose of pressure on him as the candidates would have been ready to hold his party responsible for Nigeria's woes since the adoption of democracy in 1999.

If Buhari had attended, he would have absorbed 80% of the attacks while Atiku might have had a little do deal with thereby giving him much space to overlap, attack and retreat. His dramatic U-turn was a well choreographed move which would do him more harm than good in the long run among the elites especially now that politics in Nigeria is gradually evolving. This is evident in the record number of registered voters – 84 million (approximately 15 million new voters) who want to participate in the electoral process instead of merely joining the conversations on social media and other public spaces.
Instead of engaging in a fight you are not sure of winning, Atiku decided to use the exit door in style and his flowery and timely press statement looks good but Nigerians know better. He has only reminded us that he is still that smart businessman/politician that is good at manipulating the political system for his own personal gains.

Here is the gospel truth; Atiku and Buhari are terrible options. Atiku might beat Buhari at the presidential election but Nigeria will not experience any serious positive change under him. It’s impossible to solve a problem you were a part of. It’s also hard to change a system of unequal exchange and imbalance that made you. If the Nigerian system was built on integrity, transparency and probity, Atiku wouldn’t be who he is today financially speaking.
When Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe was removed in November, 2017 through a democratic coup, his country people were thrown into wild celebrations thinking Emmerson Mnangagwa aka the crocodile would right the wrongs of Mugabe. They had forgotten that Mnangagwa was an ally of Mugabe for over three decades; he was part of the rot in the land. It’s over a year now since his assumption of office and Zimbabweans are on the streets protesting against the increment in fuel prices amidst grave economic hardship in the country.

The only answer Mnangagwa seems to have is to deploy security forces to use live ammunition against him, injure several people, arrest them and kill a few to finally suppress them.

I have a question for Atiku, as a businessman with blossoming establishments across the country, will he employ a Managing Director who skips the interviews and opts for an assurance note that he could do the job?

Fellow Nigerians we are in trouble! People are frustrated and they are losing hope because our politics has become a type of cancer in our lives. This is evident in the high rate of suicide, drug addiction, depression and migration across the country.


Osayimwen Osahon George is a journalist and a PhD student of the University of Ibadan. He writes from Lagos State.

Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/114710/the-undisclosed-reason-why-atiku-didnt-participate.html

cc Lalasticlala Seun mynd44 obinoscoppy dominique

Despite his perceived popularity and vantage position to win the 2019 presidential election, President Muhammadu Buhari may face some major stumbling blocks which might overwhelm him if the obstacles are not well managed.

The lanky leader of the most populous black nation in the world has several hurdles to scale as he throws his hat in the ring with a very low approval rating. His major challenger is a former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who is a member of the main opposition party in Nigeria, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The 2019 presidential election is expected to be a close contest between Atiku and Buhari despite producing a record of 73 presidential candidates from different mushroom political parties.

Popular views have it that Buhari would come out on top in the February 16 presidential election but some Achilles’ heel might militate against his success despite the perceived power of incumbency.

Political analyst, Osayimwen Osahon George examines some factors that could affect Buhari's chances of success in the forthcoming presidential below:


(1) General under-performance:

Aside the record investment in infrastructural facilities (N1.3 trillion in 2016), is there any positive change Buhari has brought that the masses can boldly attest to? The war against corruption has been blighted by politics. Only three high-profile cases have been concluded in the past three years with no transparency in the recovered loot. The economy slid into recession and has been able to muster just 1.8% growth since recovery. Over 90 million Nigerians still live in extreme poverty as Nigeria consolidates her stand as the world's poverty capital.

As for security, data from the Nigeria security tracker showed that since the beginning of the current administration, crisis situations mostly Boko Haram attacks have caused the death of 10,108 persons in the north-eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. Armed bandits are still having a field day in Zamfara, Katsina, Adamawa, Kaduna, Taraba, Plateau and other areas. In the last two years, armed bandits have reportedly killed over 3,000 people in Zamfara state. At least N1.2 billion has been paid as ransom to secure the release of those abducted during the period. The governors of Borno and Katsina States recently ate the humble pie as they admitted that their domains are no longer safe.


(2) Divided Army

One of the greatest mistakes the APC made was the appointment of a former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole as its national chairman. Oshiomhole has been confusing the leadership role with his days at the helms of affairs of the Nigeria Labour Congress. He has presided over one of the most controversial and corrupt primary elections in Nigeria which Aisha Buhari raised her voice against. The resultant effect is the divided loyalties of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Governor Rochas Okorocha, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Senator Magnus Abe, APC Zamfara crisis, Adamawa crisis and the mass exodus of lawmakers. Members of the APC are either openly or discreetly aggrieved. Buhari will be approaching the 2019 election with a divided and uncoordinated army. As at October, 2018, 15 governors alongside their allies in the presidency reportedly wanted the chairman out of office.


(3) Health factor

Political analysts believe the health of a president determines that of the country and that is why the mental and physical fitness of a leader will always be paramount in politics. President Buhari spent a cumulative period of 6 months in the UK recovering from an ailment that almost claimed his life. He is 76 and will be president till the age of 80 if given a chance. His sickness has been rumoured to be lingering prostrate flare-up, Crohn’s disease, amnesia other chronic conditions amid lack of transparency by his handlers. Considering Buhari's age, recent health history and work demands; there is the possibility that he will suffer a relapse in the nearest and the dreaded cabal might seize that opportunity to rule by proxy. There might be a replay of the late Umaru Musa Yar'Adua scenario in Buhari's second term in office.


(4) The Obasanjo factor

The ex president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is a powerful force as far as Nigerian politics is concerned. He is one man in a million. Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan underrated him and learned the hard way. He has apparently installed several Nigerian leaders including Buhari in 2015. An ordinary open letter from him in January, 2018 which reinforced over flogged issues trended for months in the media. He has turned his back against Buhari and backed Atiku.

Obasanjo's cause to oust Buhari will also be backed by a coalition of angry military generals namely; former military president Ibrahim Babangida, General Aliyu Gusau, General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma and others in their class. Will the Ebora Owu get it wrong this time around or will he be missed as Real Madrid secretly does about Cristiano Ronaldo? Time is about to tell a shocking story.


(5) Buhari's perceived clannishness:

President Buhari is seen more as the president of the north rather than the Nigerian president. Nigeria has never been this divided due to his actions and inactions. 16 out of 17 service chiefs are from the northern part of Nigeria. In October, 2017, there was a controversial report by the BusinessDay newspaper that 81 of the president’s 100 political appointees since he assumed office in 2015 are northerners.

Buhari excluded the South-South, and the South-East from Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC board thereby generating uproar in the senate. His alleged pampering of Fulani herdsmen and brutal crushing of the Biafra separatists will forever linger in the heads of the Igbos despite all the capital projects he allocated to the region. There will be protest votes in 2019. The Southeast will not follow him. Buhari sold a dummy to the South-south with the promises of restructuring and Ogoni clean-up exercise. They will be aiming to pay him back with their voter's cards.


(6) Fear of the unknown:

With due respect, Buhari is a democrat by face and dictator by heart. He recently blamed the judicial system for allegedly derailing his anti-corruption war. Buhari also daringly told a community of lawyers at the 2018 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference in Abuja that the rule of law would now be subservient to national interest and national security. That sounds fascist!

The controversial Presidential Executive Order 6 and travel ban reek of the human right abuses during his days as a military Head of State in 1983 to 1985. His refusal to release the former NSA Sambo Dasuki and the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria – Sheikh Ibrahim El Zakzaky despite existing court orders for their release is a tip of the iceberg on the doom that might await Nigerians and his political enemies in his second coming. He is already used to the speedy but inexpert trial of suspects by Kangaroo military courts. Most of his critics have been silenced by the DSS, police and the regular state weapon, EFCC.

There is a general fear that Buhari could show his hidden or suppressed colours when given a second chance as this time around, he would have no reason to be accountable to Nigerians. The fate of the economy of a 23.1% unemployment record from the 14% Buhari met it alongside our burgeoning foreign debts also constitute contemplative fears among people. Nigeria might head the Venezuela way under President Nicolas Maduro if nothing changes positively till 2023.


(7) Poor media relationship:

Buhari is one of the few if not the only president in the world that hates the local media. The monthly media chat has been observed only once by him and that was in December, 2015. Yet, Buhari has spoken with the CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera and other international media platforms outside Nigeria.
What we get mostly is regular press statements and written speeches he might have only aligned with for political correctness. Buhari has also showed no signs of participating in the upcoming January 19, 2019 presidential debate. There seem to be a disconnect between him and the people and this gave credibility to the spurious Body Double claims made by separatist leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

Buhari's campaign team appears grossly incompetent with one of his media aides, Lauretta Onochie unrepentantly spreading fake news on Twitter. There is no clear cut strategy to market Buhari. Rather than focus on his achievements, and sell the Next Level agenda, they are more fixated on how corrupt Atiku has been in the past and how Nigeria might be sold if the billionaire politician is given a chance. That song has been overplayed on radio!


( Similarities between Atiku and Buhari

The 2015 presidential election between Buhari and Jonathan was close despite the euphoria that ushered in the latter. The difference in votes was just 2,571, 759 million. Apart from the contentious Kano votes of 1.9 million, Jonathan gave a tough fight in Buhari’s political strongholds. Majority of the northerners followed Buhari on ethnic and religious grounds. The followership was sparsely motivated by his vision or leadership qualities. It was more of a contest between Christians and Muslims and also the north and south. Today, the Atiku candidacy seems immune to religious and ethnic differences. He is an Hausa/Fulani Muslim just like Buhari with a considerable popularity in the north. There will be a fair fight in the northern part which is Buhari's major support base.


(9) Influence of pressure groups:

The minimum wage debate will either make or mar Buhari. The Nigeria Labour Congress is a lethal pressure group that could shape the public perception of the Buhari administration. The influence of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU and Academic Staff of Union of Polytechnics, ASUP also counts. They are on strike and the longer the strike lingers, the more damage it causes to the image of Buhari.


(10) External factors:

The HSBC, The Economist, IMF, World Bank, Brookings Institution, former Secretary of State for International Development in the United Kingdom, Priti Patel, the Defence and Foreign Affairs Department of the International Strategic Studies Association and other influential international bodies have picked faults in the Buhari administration which can be translated to lack of faith. Nigeria has also been topping odious charts across the world and this has reduced the morale of the supporters of Buhari.

Osayimwen Osahon George is a Political Scientist, journalist and PhD student of the University of Ibadan. He writes from Lagos State.


Source: http://www.villagetowncrier.com/2019/01/how-buhari-might-lose-2019-presidential.html

CC Lalasticlala Seun Ishilove Mynd44 Obinoscoppy Tonyebarcanista

In the month of October, 2018, a young man with dreadlocks who claimed to be abroad raised an alarm about internet fraudsters doing rituals with the panties of ladies to spiritually empower them to enjoy easy windfalls from scams.'

According to him, the panties were sold at the black market from the price range of N200,000 to N350,000 depending on how much residues/body fluids they contained. Only a few people took him serious. Netizens laughed about it in the comment section of the Instagram page. A few days later, the man's revelation started gaining traction in the media. Reports of people stealing panties from washing lines started emerging with confessions made by culprits mostly in the face of jungle justice.

In December, the panties of a popular American video vixen and model, Symba and that of her friend were reportedly stolen at the Villa Thirty Three Hotel in Lekki, Lagos State by one of the hotel cleaners. She raised the alarm on social media and immediately, the ladies got the message that the desperate hunt for their panties was real.

The internet fraudsters who are majorly young men were fingered in the diabolic act of wicked ritualism. According to reports, the implication of this is that the victim whose panties were used for rituals might fall sick, die mysteriously, run mad or be bewitched with ill-luck till her last day on earth.
The situation seems worse in Delta State with gunmen allegedly robbing women of their underwear.

But how true are these stories? Hope they are not one of these periodic social media hoaxes that are click baits set by bloggers and online journalists hungry for traffic?


Nigeria’s social media space and its penchant for fake news

Nigerians have an unimpressive record of wilfully spreading fake and odd news. A section of the country once spread rumours that there was a sinister plan by the ruling All Progressives Congress to islamize Nigeria and turn it into a country like Turkey. You can also remember how rumours emanated from the South-East geo-political zone in 2017 that the Nigerian Army was using a medical exercise to inject poison/monkeypox virus into the people to depopulate the South-East against the 2019 general election.

We have also heard unfounded claims of people picking monies on the ground and turning into yam tubers or other objects which are easily stashed away but the culprits who planted it. What about the issue of 'killer phone number or phone call'? A strange number calls your line and immediately you respond to the call, you start to vomit blood and die. Another close one that was popular in Ibadan where this reporter grew up is 'manhood theft'. A stranger will accost you in public space to ask for direction and the next minute after your response, your manhood shrinks.

Just of late, people believe there are piggy banks (kolo) that are laced with juju. The money saved in them will gradually disappear without your knowledge. All these and many more are spread from mouth to mouth and on social media with people taking it hook line and sinker without any empirical evidence. But the moment you try to verify the report, the proponents feel uneasy due to lack of substance and begin to retrace their steps.

As the story of a lady who vomited naira notes at the Effurun market area of Uvwie local government area of Warri, Delta State after her pant was allegedly stolen at her residence few weeks ago pervaded the internet space, fear gripped female folks especially the ones who discreetly sell their bodies on the internet. Wearing panties to the house of a man you don’t trust has become a high risk. People became vigilant about the young men with unsubstantiated sources of wealth in their neighbourhoods also called the ‘Benz or Nothing Boys’ on social media due to their affinity with exotic Mercedes Benz automobiles.


Using the panties of ladies isn’t part of our line of trade – Yahoo Boys

As this reporter enjoyed the ambience of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on his way back to his home-city for the Yuletide, he thought about the panties rituals and was determined to get to the root of the issue due to the fact that most of the journalists who have worked on the stories lack optimism in their reportage.

Yahoo Boys are not ghosts, they live around us. We grew up with some of them. They share their scam escapades and proceeds at beer parlours, club houses and social gatherings in the midst of like-minds. They are very approachable as long as you are not a security operative and the principle of confidentiality is assured. I got a couple of phone numbers and started to set up interviews with them on the craze of panties being used for black magic. It was a very herculean task but funny enough the Yahoo Boys I spoke with were willing to talk. I even got referrals to other fraudsters for necessary information.

To my greatest shock, the several seemingly established ‘hustlers’ as they call themselves claimed to have heard the rumours on social media. Most of them admitted that internet fraud had taken a spiritual dimension a long time ago but the issue of panties being used at the detriment of the owner was out of place.

“Your questions are very funny; I haven’t heard such news of the pant ritual on the street (among friends). just like you, I read it online. I know boys do juju so that their magas (victims) could pay big cash on time but the reported fate of the victims is synonymous to pure blood money” a suspected scammer of South-east descent who spoke under the condition of anonymity told this reporter.

Not satisfied, the reporter was able to set up a meeting with another young man in his early thirties who is in the illicit business. He paraded one of the latest iPhones, Apple laptop, jewelleries. He spoke to this reporter with a wrap of weed on one hand, a mixture of unknown alcoholic substance on the other with mostly ladies constantly interrupting the brief interview with phone calls. After being assured of his safety a second time, he slowly started singing like a bird.

“I can boldly tell you that most of the guys out there are pure ritualists and not Yahoo Boys. They know nothing about this work. My old friend who has no email address bought a Maserati car worth N60 million. I don’t know if you know the car....he is based in South Africa. I have asked him to give me tips for work but his brain is empty. People close to him have told me that he only uses his laptop for Facebook. I suspect pure blood money as he isn’t doing drugs. He comes to Nigeria periodically maybe to renew his jazz (hoodoo). People will think such a guy is doing Yahoo but I doubt bro. That’s the problem we are dealing with” he said.

When probed further about the infusion of black magic with internet scam, he admitted that voodoo plays a huge role in the criminal industry.

“I nor fit lie you, juju dey and people dey use am wella. Most of these herbalists have a book of spells and they can make such charms to jinx white people. The problem is that most of them are fake. I have done some in the past but they never worked for me. I still believe in pure hard work and I know very successful guys in Lagos who own properties here and there doing fraud without juju” he added.

He further explained that some herbalists use human skulls recovered from burial grounds, tongues of human beings, breasts and other parts to make potions. According to his account, these materials are grinded into power to make soaps, drinks or food for the scammer and a procedure is followed to bring good luck. He accused the “Benz Boy” of indulging in that level of fraud to cater for their flamboyant lifestyles.

This reporter also spoke with another very wealthy young man, an Osun State native in his mid thirties who shuttles between Nigeria and Malaysia. He is happily married with two kids. He owns several cars, landed properties and businesses used as fronts for fraud. He abruptly denied having any knowledge of the panties ritual.

“Internet scam has been around in Nigeria for almost two decades now and the issue of panties of women being used for money never came up until recently. What is so special about the panties of ladies? I’m in touch with guys and I have never met or heard of one using the panties of ladies to attract goodwill. That’s pure blood money and my mind tells me the politicians might be involved. This is an election season and desperate politicians need spiritual powers to play dirty politics” he alleged.

This reporter came close to making a breakthrough in meeting two victims of the panties wizardry when he spoke with one partly uncooperative hustler around the Ologuneru area of Ibadan who initially insulted the reporter. On being quizzed on the issue, he mocked the journalist during the telephone interview.

“Guy you dey mad oh!, which kain question be this one na? Who tell you say I dey press?” he asked amid laughter.

When the journalist explained the objective of the investigation to him and how he had spoken with his colleagues with much progress made, he toned down his utterances.

“I have never seen any guy using the pants of ladies. Apart from what we read on Instablog (Nigeria’s popular microblog on Instagram), no one has ever informed me that it’s the new method of making cash or that someone he knows is involved. The reports are very strange to us. Most of the guys doing such are into blood money and not Yahoo Yahoo. I can assure you. Thats all I know” he said.

He later called this reporter to tell him about two ladies whose panties were reportedly used for rituals. According to the rumours he heard, the young ladies slept with the big boys for money and ended up in the hands of the ritualists. He was told the ladies started falling sick later on with their bodies shrinking and oozing a foul smell. All efforts to speak with the purported victims failed as people contacted had uneasily feelings about the reportage.


Youths now follow Ifa (West African religion and system of divination) for financial benefits

The reporter also met a 25-year old alumnus of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso. The school is famed for housing some of the most notorious fraudsters in the South-western part of the country. Segun Quadri (not real name) drives a Lexus 350 jeep; he has built his own house and has invested in fish farming. He has a start-up that sells fish feed on a large-scale. He looks so innocent and no one would ever suspect he is into to internet fraud. He also claimed ignorance about the panties voodoo.

“I don’t believe any Yahoo Boy is using the panties of any woman. It’s all fake news. Most of the stories are hard to prove. The major problem is that most people are now into money-making rituals. That is not internet fraud. There are some rituals that you will do to prosper whatever you lay your hands on. On the conclusion of the spiritual exercise, the native doctor asks you to go start any business. Even if it means selling ordinary slippers, you will become rich and famous from that cheap venture” Segun narrated as he swung his car keys in the air as if he was coordinating a group of choristers in a church.

“People in Lagos are now ‘doing Ifa’, the process is very deep and hard to explain. It’s like joining a secret cult. When you do, worshiping Ifa becomes your second religion. It doesn’t disturb the first one. It’s like joining the illuminati. You just have to admit that you now have a second god in your life” he added.

His narration reminded the reporter of one popular and super rich suspected internet fraudster named Femi at the Jericho area of Ibadan of Ibadan who was purportedly caught performing a ritual in the middle of the night at a three-way junction. According to reports, he was dressed in all-white clothes. The suspect later admitted openly that he is an Ifa worshipper who has refused to align with Christianity or Islam.

The reporter asked him if these Ifa faithful he described are engaged in rituals in the class of what Femi did and he affirmatively said no.

“You don’t have to perform such rituals except you need certain powers. These Ifa faithful are given some fetish structures they simply worship in their houses. Mostly, they are given a calabash containing other spiritual materials. You will pray on it and pour a quantity of palm oil inside of it as part of the rites involved. The palm oil is expected to dry up before the day ends. This in turn brings good luck to the worshiper” he said.

When asked about clues to identifying members of the Ifa confraternity, he spoke further;

“Some of these Ifa members only wear white dresses. Their cars are white, houses have the same colour and most of their belongings. They will tell you they have some sort of obsession with that colour but it’s not true. Most of them have forbidden food materials like fish, snail, pig, cow meat and others. Eating these has become a taboo for them. Their wealth could cease if they break the rules” he emphatically stated.

After enjoying Segun’s utmost cooperation, the reporter felt indebted and couldn’t summon courage to ask him about his personal involvement in black magic. Rumours have it that his early success might have come directly from the devil’s altar.


People are truly using the panties of women for juju – native doctor

A native doctor who also spoke on the issue under the condition of anonymity due to its sensitive nature claims the panties of female folks are actually being utilized by unscrupulous elements for rituals. According to him, it’s a very potent source of the Midas touch in life.

“The panties of women are actually being used by Yahoo Boys. The panties work for different things depending on the wish of the person in question. It’s capable of unlocking the destiny of the ritualist. He stands a good chance of being prosperous in whatever he lays his hands on be it business or internet scam. I will not lie to you, people are indeed using the underwear of women for rituals” he said.


Written exclusively for Tori News by Osayimwen Osahon George

Source: http://www.villagetowncrier.com/2018/12/the-truth-about-yahoo-boys-using.html

Of recent, I saw a picture of a young boy who cried profusely on sighting the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during the contentious Trader Moni Empowerment Scheme exercise in the Southern part of the country. The poor boy was starstruck!

The image was reminiscent of how the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha felt when he shook hands with the former U.S President Barack Obama while visiting the White House with President Muhammadu Buhari in July, 2015.

The picture was on a popular page on Instagram and many commenters were mocking the child. I was forced to rise to the child's defense. I boldly commented that I could do the same if I have a personal encounter with President Muhammadu Buhari. I love his personality but detest his leadership style. He is tall, handsome, funny, quiet and above all very modest. Being modest deserves some accolades especially in a country that culturally celebrates materialism especially unfounded wealth. I used to be a Buharist and I have no regrets about that. Life is a teacher, the more we live, the more we learn.

The President did no wrong in my sight till I started lying to myself to uphold the belief that my idol is the panacea to the myriad of challenges bedeviling Nigeria. I lost my objectivity, balance and professional skepticism in the process. These are the golden values that make or mar a journalist or academic.

The President who is being tagged 'Mr Integrity' might be a good man with sincere intentions as he is being portrayed by his party - All Progressives Congress but the million dollar question is if he is good enough for Nigeria considering the present tumbledown state of affairs. Honesty is an intricate leadership attribute but it’s pointless as far as its not accompanied by the competence to effect a positive change. Even his wife, Aisha Buhari has insinuated severally that her husband isn't in charge.

The former British Prime Minister, David Cameroon had the honesty and competence to preside over the affairs of the United Kingdom but he resigned honourably in 2016 as his vision didn't align with Brexit. Theresa May took over to oversee the divorce of the United Kingdom from the European Union and it has been a wild goose chase all along with several of her top advisers namely Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, David Davis, Esther McVey, Shailesh Vara, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, and Suella Braverman apparently abandoning her in the snow without a jacket.

It is not debatable that Nigeria is terribly ill and it was in the dire need to rescue her life in the Emergency Ward that 'Doctor Buhari' was called upon in 2015 through the ballot box. But the question is this; is Nigeria showing any signs of recovery from her numerous ailments? The sincere answer lies in us. It’s time for us to undertake a truthful process of self-evaluation and introspection in order to take the right political decisions in the 2019 presidential polls. We need to do a comparative study of where we are and where we are coming from as well as our destination. The truth nowadays has not only been doctored, it has also been 'lawyered and engineered' for low-hanging political gains.

I have no issues with those who support Buhari on the basis of family ties or bloodline; I could have done the same if I were in their shoes. I hold no grudge against those who are paid to campaign for Buhari and launder his image, they are only doing their jobs diligently as professionals and they have their family members to feed. I also have no issues with those directly or indirectly enjoying the proceeds of a political appointment awarded by the presidency to their benefactor, it’s really hard to "talk while you are eating"; table manners should be duly observed. My major grouse is with the die-hard supporters of Buhari who have tasted nothing close to good governance or personal benefits in the past three and a half years of his administration. I mean the 88 million Nigerians living in extreme poverty and the 20.9 million people who remain unemployed not to talk of the underemployed whose take home pays never take them home.

The issue of 'Uninformed Voting' is a huge quandary even in developed countries. It has militated against the efficacy of democracy. It is worse in Africa due to the challenge of illiteracy and rise in populism. Politicians tend to take advantage of the over 60 million illiterates in Nigeria. The fact that we have over 40 million people with mental illnesses in the country also threatens the 2019 general election. Who can vouch for their political judgement? We pray most of them don't have PVCs because they could end up voting for nothing. The level of poverty in the land has been a catalyst for vote-buying. Many opinion leaders today believe the Federal Government is the biggest vote-buyer in the country through its Trader Moni programme. The resultant effect of all these is the presence of an opportunist or unfit leader at the helm of affairs.

Buhari campaigned on three cardinal points in 2015 namely; the economy, fighting corruption and combating security. Can we sincerely say there has been any major upswing in these key areas? Unemployment is rocking the economy, the supply of electricity which is the lifeline of every modern economy remains short on demand, investment in infrastructures is only experienced on paper, the naira has continued to share the same value with a used contraceptive, cost of living is very high and there is food crisis in several remote parts of the country. Today, every Nigerian is dreaming of migrating to Canada for a better life. In the same vein, no fewer than 10,000 Nigerians have died between January and May 2017 while trying to illegally migrate through the Mediterranean Sea and the deserts according to the Nigeria Immigration Service. The European Union had also disclosed that 22,500 Nigerian illegal migrants crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Europe between January and September 2016. We all know what is chasing them.

On corruption which is like Buhari's economic plan, it has become glaring that the president is fighting the opposition party under the guise of corruption. As far as the dollar bribe videos of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje who promised Buhari 5 million votes from Kano State remains accessible through Google amid his freedom, the anti-corruption fight remains a mere charade. Even the Transparency International scored the anti-graft war low. Eight prominent politicians accused of a gargantuan fraud of over N232 billion are also supporting Buhari's re-election bid. Buhari must be a magician to believe he could combat corruption in the face of abject poverty and weak governmental structures.

What about security? 3,641 people died in the last 3 years according to the embattled Amnesty International and a former minister of defence, General T.Y Danjuma (retd), alluded to the conclusion of the international body. With over 100 Nigerian troops reportedly dying in the infamous Metele attack in Borno, our soldiers now fear the Abu Musab al-Barnawi faction of Boko Haram sect more than their creator. Even as some of us prepared for Christmas, the sect killed 13 soldiers including a policeman in an ambush along the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway during the eve. What about the sorry plight of the Internally Displaced People in various camps across the country?
What about the regular massacre of farmers with their crops set ablaze by the insurgents? Contrary to the claims by the Federal Government that Boko Haram has been decimated and no longer holding territories, the chairman of the House Committee on Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, Sani Zorro, recently gave a staggering revelation that 17 local government areas are occupied by terrorists and they are allegedly collecting taxes from the locals.

If the lives of Retired Major General Idris Alkali and that of Chief of Air Staff (retd) Alex Badeh could be cheaply taken away from them, then that means the ordinary citizens are not just surviving on the grace of God, they are only alive today because they are of no use to the assailants.

With the way Nigeria is competitively chasing the records of oddities across the world, I can see the road to Venezuela without the aid of binoculars. May that day not come when we will begin to feed from the dustbins and migrate in millions to other neighbouring African nations due to hunger and public unrest like we have in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. The convenient and effective excuse is that the purported 16 locust years of the main opposition party - PDP led us to where we are and Buhari is cleaning the mess. But the truth is that the mess might be getting messier with lack of any visible headway. Today, Buhari nicknamed 'Baba Go Slow' even brags about his 'snail-speed' leadership style which is at the detriment of the people.

Below are other disturbing indices that you should consider before casting your votes in 2019 (credit to Clifford Ndujihe, Vanguard newspaper):

Nigeria is the 11th worst place to be born (2018), second worst country with electricity supply in the world (2017), third most terrorized country in the world (2018) of which, as of November 30, 2018, no fewer than 6,652 Nigerians had been killed through terrorism, Boko Haram insurgency; farmers/herdsmen, ethno-religious and cult clashes, and armed robbery among others.

Other indices include: One of the most dangerous places in the world to give birth and third country with the worst maternal mortality rate (2018), seventh worst country on World Bank’s Human Capital Index (2018), worst police in the world (2017), third worst city to live in the world (2018), worst country in the world at fighting inequality (2017), 10th worst army in the world (2018), highest number of children out of school – 13.2 million (2018), one of the most corrupt countries in the world (2018), the fourth country with the highest deforestation rate in the world (2018), the country with the highest number of road fatalities in Africa (2017, FRSC), and the 9th most dangerous country for women (2018), Nigeria is projected to be the highest importer of rice behind China in 2019, Nigeria to overtake India in open defecation with 47 million Nigerians lacking basic toilet facilities - UNICEF, 2018, the World Justice Project in its 2017/2018 Rule of Law Index ranks Nigeria 97 out of 113 countries. Nigeria made the list of the top 7 Sub-Saharan African countries with the highest foreign debt which stands at $22.08 billion.

Inasmuch as I agree that most of what constitute this muddle have roots in the past, and can't be resolved in 4 years, but can we beat out chests that there has been any major rectification in the last three and a half years? The truth nowadays is not the truth. It has become relative. It depends on who you ask and where the person stands. What some people call 'corruption' is what others regard as 'connection'. A vote for Buhari is an endorsement for the continuation of the present hurdles and it might get worse in the coming years as The Economist, HSBC, IMF, World Bank and other reputable bodies have projected for Nigeria.

As we vote, we should think about the fates of incarcerated people like Sheikh Ibrahim El Zakzaky, Sambo Dasuki, Deji Adeyanju and the hundreds of people reportedly housed in the underground cells of the Department of State Security, DSS considering the fact that they remain innocent until proved guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Osayimwen Osahon George is a journalist and a PhD student of the University of Ibadan. He writes from Lagos State.

Source: http://www.villagetowncrier.com/2018/12/2019-what-vote-for-president-buhari.html

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As far as you are an active Instagram user, you would have consciously or unconsciously come across the name 'Bro Segun also spelt Brah Segun' which is regularly littered around the popular pages of the picture and video-uploading platform.

Lasisi Elenu became so prominent in the Nigerian social media space that the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo once spoke about him during a symposium at the beginning of this year. The number one ranter in Nigeria as he is fondly referred to, who has over 1.2 million followers on Instagram was used to buttress the VP's point on the quality of human resources in Nigeria.

In less than a year, Lasisi who mostly drops one-minute comedy skits on Instagram lamenting about one issue or the other starting with the popular phrase "Sum Just Happen Right Now" attained stardom in less than a year. He has become a major brand influencer with top commercial brands dealing with him.

But this story isn't entirely about Lasisi Elenu, it's about a certain young man directly unconnected with Lasisi who is benefiting immensely from his fame.
That is one handsome, soft spoken, stylish and classy young man identified as Ifeanyi Nwakaudu who is impersonating a fictitious character steadily mentioned by Lasisi in his comedy skits and that is 'Bro Segun Abereowo'. He is Lasisi's church member and number one irritant as heard in the dramatic rants. Before now, Ifeanyi struggled with about 1,000 or thereabout followers on Instagram. Immediately he spotted Lasisi, he took advantage of the personality of Bro Segun. The University of Nigeria Nsukka graduate of English Language and History edited his bio to align with Lasisi and fun-seeking social media users started following him in droves. He calls himself a "professional troublemaker" and a "certified food taster".

"In the past, I used to struggle to get the attention of ladies on Instagram but of late, I don't sweat it. They contact me first because of the Bro Segun identity" Bro Segun boldly told a Tori News correspondent during an interview organized around FESTAC Town in Lagos State.

"I have also made good cash from doing advertisements for some small businesses via my page. I also get paid to attend high-profile social events and also create awareness about them via my page. Aside this, I'm also building a platform through which work place issues can be discussed and resolved and people have been participating" he continued.

Ifeanyi explained that there is no cordial relationship between Lasisi and himself although he regularly comments on his posts like he is responding directly to him. He comments with the hashtag - "BrahSegunResponds". This hoodwinks fans of Lasisi into believing they are close and they begin to associate with him. Ifeanyi also shares Lasisi's comical contents on his page. The seeming harmless and symbiotic relationship backfired earlier this year, 2018 with Lasisi blocking him on Instagram. He didn't believe this eyes. According to the picture he painted, being blocked by Lasisi was like appearing in naked in the market place in broad daylight with your senses intact.

"Lasisi once followed me back on Instagram and he always responded to my comments on his page. This gave me more credibility and also spiced up the believability of his rants. But things started changing when advertisers and potential clients started reaching Lasisi through me. He got uncomfortable and blocked me around March, 2018. It was disheartening" he said.

For weeks, Ifeanyi couldn't reach out to his host page anymore and like a river that forgets his source, there was stagnancy in the growth of his page. He said he had to reach to Lasisi through some means to explain he meant no harm to his brand and the ban was subsequently lifted.

"When he (Lasisi) unblocked me, I reduced my activities on his page to the barest minimum and since then, we have been cool. No personal relationship between us till now through" Ifeanyi added.

His brand is becoming big and he wishes to stop leaning on Lasisi to survive. He doesn't have the kind of comical skills possessed by Lasisi but he has a mastery of writing and engagement skills. He regularly engages people on a variety of topics through live Instagram videos.

Building his brand on Instagram has been tasking. Bro Segun once revealed he takes his mobile phone to the bathroom regularly to track events and respond to people. He wishes he could conviently type messages while taking his bath. That sounds really crazy but he means his words.

The supervisor at a start-up who is starting his Masters degree programme at the University of Lagos, Akoka very soon worships his phone like an idol, he sleeps on it, dreams on it, and wakes up on it. When the battery dies, he acts as if oxygen is about to be withdrawn from his body. It sounds like madness but Bro Segun believes its a momentary sacrifice for a brighter future.

"See people think I'm crazy but I'm not. I swear to God, I'm just fine and chronically focused. Just like yesterday, some regular netizens were accused of being jobless, today there are brand influencers, social media consultants and managers making so much money. Social media is the future of marketing and advertising in the world. Who says I can't be as big as brands like Instablog9ja, TundeEdnut, TheShadeRoom and others?
They all started small and slowly on Instagram and look at how big they are today" Bro Segun concluded with so much optimism as he quickly replied a fan's message with a big smile on his face.

The person could have been a lady but he was reluctant to reveal this to the reporter.


Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/113593/how-i-made-it-from-faking-it-tale-of-lasisi-elenus.html

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The best way to be sexually aroused nowadays is not really by watching adult films. All you need to do is pay attention to the trending secular songs which are virtually wherever you go.

The sounds and visuals are potent enough to resurrect a manhood which has been flaccid from inception. You will see the best quality of high definition videos flashing the well-exposed waists, hips, boobs and bums of young ladies in your face.

As we have unsound music videos, so also we have second-rate lyrics which are worse than nursery rhymes designed to enhance the learning ability of kids. The mediocrity of the so-called talented heads is laced with melodious beats and instrumentals to easily penetrate the minds of unsuspecting listeners.

It’s like the key to dropping a hit song in Nigeria is by using unmeaning, silly and unintelligible lyrics that portray and glorify s*x, drugs, internet scam, thuggery, promiscuity, alcoholism, civil disobedience and unfounded wealth. These are the common vices the youths easily identify with and it gives the brand of the artistes wide acceptance. The music industry has continued to deteriorate that good profane music is beginning to become extinct except you want to consider the religious songs.

For a male artiste to appeal to the audience, he has to portray himself as a slave master who manipulates the hottest ladies at will and for that female artiste to be given attention, she has to project herself as a sex idol that can win the heart of any man who sights her. Wizkid and Tiwa Savage fit perfectly into this description.

Music has continued to adversely shape our perception of life in Nigeria. It has helped in making abnormal things normal and this can be traced to the problem of globalization. Through this, foreign culture, tradition and behaviours have been imbibed to show exposure and class on the path of the performers. When I was growing up, it was a big shame to pay for sex. Men who patronize prostitutes did it with utmost secrecy to save their reputation. Today, sleeping with a prostitute has become a competitive sport which could attract a gold medal. This might not be far from the way some vulgar celebrities like Olamide, the late Da Grin, Reminisce, Lil Kesh and others have admitted to sleeping with hookers popularly regarded as "Oloshos".

I remember the popular song which says " Bata re adun koko ka, ti o ba kawe re, bata re a dun koko ka" meaning that "You will excel in life if you are educated". This song added real value to our lives and helped improve our mentality towards personal development. Today, good and inspirational lyrics have been replaced with songs that celebrate internet fraud and inexplicable wealth. Songs that demean women and reduce them to mere commodities which could be acquired in the market places if their prices are triggered dominate the airwaves.

Music video directors now hire video vixens that perform sexual acts painstakingly to impress their paymasters while the Hot audience feed their lust. They now pay millions of naira to enhance their bodies through cosmetic surgeries to make their body parts more attractive and intoxicating.
The leadership of the Nigerian Customs Service has been constantly intercepting container loads of Tramadol worth billions of naira. A society which tolerates and applauds songs like ‘Codeine Diet’ and ‘Science Student’ by Olamide shouldn't be shocked about the crisis of hard drugs as vulnerable people might think getting high is the only way to experience Utopia.

I remember how the Ibale tradition in Yorubaland which encouraged women to remain virgins till they get married instilled discipline and decency among female folks. I also remember how single mothers were called 'Adelebo'. The latter sounded like the stigmatization of women involved in failed relationships or broken marriages but it helped us in maintaining sanity in the marital institution. Today, being a 'baby mama' to a wealthy person is bigger and more enviable than working at Shell or Chevron. Musicians now indiscriminately sleep with young ladies unprotected and consequently impregnate them.

Legendary musician, Innocent ‘2Baba’ Idibia once boasted in his song, ‘Enter The Place’ about his virility although he later regretted his actions after having 7 kids from three different women at a young age. Davido even went as far as featuring his two baby mamas, their children and also his reigning girlfriend, Chioma in his ‘Wonder Woman’ music video. The 26-year old is also under pressure to accept another child from an Ibadan-based lady he reportedly had a one-night stand with.

With the advent of social media today and the desperate quest of multinational companies to make money at all costs, some of these celebrities who are outright bad examples in the society are now paraded as mentors under the banner of ambassadorial roles with cooked up successes stories that mislead the younger generation.

In all sincerity, these songs which are produced with hot beats and attractive choruses easily captivate the minds of the younger generation; mostly taking them unaware. These poisonous contents unconsciously pollute their minds and they later see life from the corrupted lenses of these celebrities. Music is powerful and often times underrated. One of the purposes of music is to express and modulate emotions. We use it to soothe, psych up, woo, enrage, sadden and cheer each other, or ourselves.

The societal decay is so prevalent that it appears any artiste making good songs with meaningful lyrics is unserious about his musical career.

One wonders how the promising and intelligent rapper, Skales of the defunct music record label, Empire Mates Entertainment retrogressed from the crooner of the inspirational song "Heading For A Grammy" to a questionable song like "Booty Language". The popular excuse is that he is only producing what the society wants to consume as that is the only way to make good and quick money.

Most youths now want to get rich quick and acquire belongings that will attract numerous girls to warm their beds with ease. Women have been reduced to fortune-hunting elements that generously spread their legs at the sight or smell of Naira notes.

Watching Nigerian music videos have boosted the sexual fantasies of men who wish they could have replicas of the video vixens to sleep with them. It’s even worse for married men who are given clues of what their aging wives aren’t giving them. Morality and shame have been thrown into the dustbins with ladies now advocating on social media for long sexual sessions. They have even tagged some men "one minute or Indomie men". Who else has noticed sex drugs advertorials have taken over Instagram with popular pages showcasing nothing less than three brands of sex enhancers per day? The companies producing and marketing these drugs have become so bold that they hire young ladies who make sultry appearances in short videos to talk raw in attestation to the efficacy of the drugs. Reports have it that men are patronizing these start-ups massively in the bid to satisfy the women in their lives in the ‘other room’.

These are signs of insanity and absurdity being normalized by the young folks who are supposed to be the future of the country. The destiny of 67 million youths appears to be at stake with the ailment of cancerous music eating up the audience towards the destruction of their psyche.

Music is deeper than how it sounds and its clandestine effects on the lives of human beings can’t be overemphasized.

Scientists have proved that sound affects our bodies; sound affects us physiologically in very powerful ways. This is because hearing is our primary warning sense. A sudden sound will start a process. It releases cortisol (steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex), it increases your heart rate, and it changes your breathing.

Music can improve mood, increase intelligence, enhance learning and concentration, and ward off the effects of brain aging. This is why one needs to be careful about the musical contents he/she consumes consciously and unconsciously.

Also, according to an entertainment writer, Ronald Urbina - music is the reflection of the society. The fact that music reflects the community is well-known for more than a century. This is why the investigation of tribes that lived in the past is conducted through exploration of their way of life, which includes music. People like to express their state of being through songs.

The way a Nigerian will dance to bad music in the heat of the moment is the same way he will show indifference about poor infrastructural facilities, bad government policies, corruption, moral decadence and other forms of societal challenges.

This is who we are in Nigeria, we just don’t care. We suffer and smile. We easily overlook budding challenges until they become insurmountable. Those bad musical contents are reflections of us no matter how much we deny it.


Written by Osayimwen Osahon George, a journalist and PhD student based in Lagos State

Source: https://www.tori.ng/news/112737/dont-watch-blue-films-just-watch-nigerian-music-vi.html

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