₦airaland Forum

It seems Nigerian Prisons are more comfortable than living, like late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti would say, 'in the outside world'. We are often fed with news on how detained ex-Governors and such live large while they are being held in the prisons. Virtually everything is provided for them; Quality food, airconditioners, literature, televisions, mobile phones and even generators! The only right withheld from them is free movement(though I suspect that can be arranged, ). It was no surprise when I heard that the self-acclaimed 'Jesus Christ', Reverend King has gotten one of his NUMEROUS girlfriends pregnant while in detention. The lady in question is a regular visitor to the prisons, bringing food and such to the death row inmate. It is also alleged that the man was sleeping with her sister while carrying on the affair with her. He was said to have used the death of the lady's mother to send some emissaries to her village to begin the modalities of marrying her, but his plan backfired as the lady's siblings forcefully ejected her from their family home. The elders of the village have also banished her from the village for daring to have anything to do with a convicted murderer,

If you need any info on travel related matters,
travel documents
contact: vikiviko2002@yahoo.com

Nelson Mandela personifies struggle. He is still leading the fight against apartheid with extraordinary vigour and resilience after spending nearly three decades of his life behind bars. He has sacrificed his private life and his youth for his people, and remains South Africa's best known and loved hero.

Mandela has honorary degrees from more than 50 international universities and is chancellor of the University of the North
He was inaugurated as the first democratically elected State President of South Africa on 10 May 1994 - June 1999

Nelson Mandela retired from Public life in June 1999. He currently resides in his birth place - Qunu, Transkei.

He remains Africa's finest and best.

Nelson Mandela personifies struggle. He is still leading the fight against apartheid with extraordinary vigour and resilience after spending nearly three decades of his life behind bars. He has sacrificed his private life and his youth for his people, and remains South Africa's best known and loved hero.

Mandela has honorary degrees from more than 50 international universities and is chancellor of the University of the North
He was inaugurated as the first democratically elected State President of South Africa on 10 May 1994 - June 1999

Nelson Mandela retired from Public life in June 1999. He currently resides in his birth place - Qunu, Transkei.

He remains Africa's finest and best.

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua's request for the write-off of the $50 million owed Nigeria by Liberia, has been recommended to the House of Representatives for approval, by its Joint Committee on Appropriation, Finance, Aids, Loans and Debt Management.
The request was forwarded to the committee, following the President's letter, written to the Speaker of the House, Honourable Oladimeji Bankole in November last year, seeking the House's endorsement to grant a debt write-off amounting to $50million.
Yar'Adua wrote that the relief sought was part of a broader initiative by the international community to assist Liberia to clear its huge debt arrears owed the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the African Development Bank (ADB).
The amount was proposed by the President as Nigeria's contribution towards the West African country's debt arrears clearance process and would be financed from a grant drawn out of the recycled net income earned by the Nigeria Trust Fund, which would require no appropriation from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
According to the report of the committee signed by chairmen of Committees on Appropriation, Finance and Aid, Loans and Debt Management, Festus Adegoke, John Eno and Abdulaziz Yari respectively, the joint committee recommended the President's request for approval, in view of the cordial relations between the two countries.

Dele Momodu , Publisher of Ovation magazine cannot stop to write about Chief Mike Adenuga in his columm Pendulum of Thisday Newspaper.

If he's not praising him, he will be attacking persons aginst Chief Mike Adenuga.


Uncle D, PLEASE write something  refreshing and vibrant, perhaps investigative.
Though am an ardent admirer of the Mr Per Second

The current story Between Mike Adenuga and Richard Branson is a good piece.

Five days to their first round CAF Champions League encounter against Congo DR’s Diables in Aba, Enyimba FC have lost key players who have gone abroad for trials.

One of such is Emmanuel Ekpo who is currently in the USA hoping to sign for a Major Soccer League Club and according to Felix Anyasi-Agwu, this is bad news for Enyimba who are hoping to making it count in Champions League this season.

“As we prepare to play our first Champions’ League match against Diables Noire on Febuary 17, most of our reliable hands like Emmanuel Ekpo have been taken to the U.S. by soccer agents.

“We have reported this matter to the NFA in a bid to check this ugly trend killing our football.Can this happen in Europe or any other place,”Anyasi-Agwu declared.

“These actions leave the home league in tatters as some of the talents, who ought to be well groomed in the home league, are denied the opportunity. “These agents are part of the problems of our football today as they are not allowing our local league to grow.

IMMEDIATE past Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, rejoined his family, friends and political associates yesterday after 58 days in prison custody.
His release along with Ms Uduamaka Okoronkwo came after meeting the conditions attached to the bail granted him on Monday by Justice Mohammed Shuaibu of the Federal High Court, Kaduna
Chief Ibori’s bail requirements include: N50 million with three sureties in like sum; sureties must be resident in Kaduna with landed properties, and land documents and international passports must be deposited with the court. Okonkwo was granted bail in the sum of N10 million

The Presence of Military personnel on the streets of yenagoa in bayelas state is scary.

My last visit to Otueke , the Vice President's village showed the scary and intimidating men of the Armed frorces from the navy, police, soldier, air force , mopol, etc.

We live in a civil society, there shuold be a gradual phase out of the presence of this die hard looking soldiers, some of them had padlocks clipped on there lips, believe it.

I promise to send you pictures from yenagoa soon

The Presence of Military personnel on the streets of yenagoa in bayelas state is scary.

My last visit to Otueke , the Vice President's village showed the scary and intimidating men of the Armed frorces from the navy, police, soldier, air force , mopol, etc.

We live in a civil society, there shuold be a gradual phase out of the presence of this die hard looking soldiers, some of them had padlocks clipped on there lips, believe it.

I promise to send you pictures from yenagoa soon

Maradona's goal is the best because it was scored in the highest stage, the world cup mexico 1986, against England quater final .Maradona's goal is a goal only scored by genius of the round leather game as Jay jay Okocka , Lionel Messi, Henry,Ronaldo da lima,Ronaldinho etc

Zidane's goal is perfected with accurate timing and sheer brilliance at the champions league.

Not to forget George Weah's coast to coast goal in the colors of Milan.

Tell us about great goals you have seen

Undoubtedly Mohamed Aboutreika.

Zidan my second best

Eto Fils must be mentioned with his record goal scoring .

If you want the best of corporate gifts
Contact Aquarius Gifts situated at Block a2 -8, suite 103 sura shopping complex lagos island.
I think they have the kind of gifts that will suit your clientele.

Anyone that has followed the ongoing debate over how to deal with the immunity clause enshrined in section 308 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria would have reached that conclusion on which the scripts of many local comedians are based: Nigerians love to argue. We never allow a chance to engage in verbal combat to pass us by. Today, the immunity clause has become the issue over which to exhibit our debating prowess. And most people are joining the chorus on the winning side, namely, to delete and throw executive immunity into the waste bin. Senate President David Mark shares this view and said so early in the week at a book presentation to mark the silver jubilee anniversary of the bishopric of Dr. John Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja. Even President Yar’Adua has lent his voice to the anti-immunity clause campaign: speaking in Davos, Switzerland recently, the president vowed to support any effort to abrogate the immunity clause.

Since Yar’Adua’s declaration, the debate has assumed a new cadence. Cheer leaders have been enlisting in droves. In supporting the president, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) averred that he “spoke the minds of Nigerians”. Indeed, the president may have spoken the minds of some Nigerians but he did not speak the mind of all Nigerians: he certainly did not speak my mind. In this country, every arm of government is granted some privileges or immunity by the constitution: judicial officers have immunity over what they say while sitting in their capacity as judicial officers; legislators not only have immunity over what the say in the chambers of the house but are immune from arrest within the complex; in the case of the executive, only a select few (the president and the governors) enjoy any immunity while in office! The immunity clause is a temporary privilege which ensures that no one is allowed to stop the wheel of governance by holding the president or governor to ransom under any guise. It is a temporary protection intended to shield the occupant of the office from distractions while executing the duties inherent in that office. And like any privilege, it is subject to abuse. For those clamoring for the removal of the immunity clause, the plank on which their argument rests is that it provides a cover to perpetrate fraudulent acts and to commit atrocities.

One of the problems of Nigerian politics is the supposition that we can short-circuit the process of historical development. For how long has the immunity clause been in our constitution? Given the ominous implications of it’s removal for governance in a volatile polity such as we have, the immunity clause should be seen as a necessary evil. When the term of the officers that enjoy it expires, they become like sitting ducks. Under Nigerian law, there is no time limit for the institution of criminal proceedings. There are only three statutory exceptions to this rule: sedition which has six months time limit, treason which has two years time limit and custom offenses which have a seven year time limit. To that extent, the logic on which the clamor for removal of the immunity clause rests simply begs the question. We seem to forget that only 74 public officials at the federal and state levels are covered by immunity during any four-year term. That still leaves 774 executive chairmen at the local government level who are not covered by immunity and thousands of commissioners, ministers, heads of parastatals and other tin gods who also wield executive powers and disburse fat budgets.

The voices of those opposed to the removal of immunity clause may be drowned in the cacophony that has attended this debate but their argument that such an ill-advised move would expose the offices of president and governor to an avalanche of law suits that could distract them from the business of governance cannot be discountenanced. With the way courts in Nigeria grant ex parte motions and injunctions, the danger that the business of government in Nigeria may be grounded in the absence of an immunity clause is real.

If the war against corruption is to be won, it should start with sending corrupt officials to jail and returning looted property to the public till. This can be achieved not by bickering over the immunity clause but by showing demonstrable political will to punish corruption. What stops us from setting up special courts to give expedited trial to public officers accused of abuse of office. Crime thrives when offenders are allowed to evade justice. So long as one public officer is seen to escape with his loot, so long will others be encouraged to abuse their office. We need to publicize the asset declaration forms of public officers. The audit mechanism needs to be strengthened by ensuring that the appointment and removal of judicial officers, the Auditor General of the Federation, State Auditors General, and the Auditors General for Local Governments of the various states are not left to the whims and caprices of the executive.

Since President Yar’Adua reported to the nation that over $10bn was wasted on the power sector by the past administration public expectation has been that some people will be questioned over such a gargantuan squandering of public revenue. But the matter has been left in limbo like all others before it! What about all the high profile fraud cases involving public officers that have left the nation in shock over the last few years? Or even the cases of some of the 774 LG council chairmen who between 1999 and 2007 received over three trillion naira in allocations from the federation account with little to show for it! The cases of some ex–governors who enjoyed the much talked about immunity are progressing at snail speed in various courts. Is it immunity that has delayed action on these cases? In any case, will an accused person whose guilt is eventually established beyond reasonable doubt be convicted or will he be surreptitiously allowed to escape justice? Will the public suffer the double jeopardy of loosing the public till to an individual and seeing that individual wallowing in the luxury of his criminal acquisitions? These are the questions that are giving the silent majority sleepless nights and not this palaver about what to do with the immunity clause.

P Square have joined the bandwagon of celebrities with pimped out rides,  The talented twins have bought a Hummer (H2) jeep which reportedly cost them around N60million.

This boys are rich ooh;

Nollywood actress, Ibinabo Fiberesima has given birth to a baby girl for actor, Fred Amata. She was delivered of the child on the 29th of January 2008 in London

Nigerians continue to nurse the hope that the Nigeria Police Force, despite all its imperfections could be rescued and made to serve its constitutional purpose. To this end, there has developed, in recent times, a culture of private support for the funding and equipping of the police. People buy vehicles for police stations, communities and private sector organizations raise funds for the police sometimes out of their own volition, at other times, they are blackmailed to do so. The mobilization of private support for police funding is in itself a problem. It compromises the integrity of the police. When persons and institutions that may be investigated later by the same police directly on their own fund the institution, could there not arise a conflict of interest? There are police stations in this country that are kept going on the fuel of private goodwill. This speaks to the failure of government to provide adequately for the police and to tackle the national security challenge more seriously.

But no other case demonstrates the dangers of private funding of the police than the scandal that has now been reported in relation to the Presidential Committee on Police Equipment Fund, which was set up by the Obasanjo administration in 2006. All the details are sordid. They point further to the abuse of power that characterized the Obasanjo administration. The Police Equipment Fund was a scam from the outset. Three persons: Godson Ewulum, Joseph Agharite and Ibrahim Dumuje reportedly had a brain wave about what could be done to help the Nigerian police so they drew up a proposal on a Police Equipment Fund.

But not knowing how to get this accepted by government, they turned to Kenny Martins, Obasanjo's former brother-in-law and a self-styled man of influence. Martins took over the matter, presented it to his in-law and pronto, a Presidential Committee Police Equipment Fund was set up. This scandal provides useful insight into how certain policies were introduced under President Obasanjo. It will be recalled that when an Austrian company M. Schneider wanted to win contracts in Nigeria, it had to enlist the participation of Dr Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, the President's daughter. And everything went well with their deal-making until there were disagreements over the ownership and control of the business.

The reason the police equipment scandal has also become public knowledge is because of disagreements among the original promoters of the idea: Godson Ewulum, Joseph Agharite, Ibrahim Dumuje, and Kenny Martins. Much of what is known has been thrown at the public by Godson Ewulum. He feels that his other colleagues, Dumuje and particularly Kenny Martins who used family influence to secure Presidential approval for the idea, have short-changed him in the management of the huge wealth at the disposal of the Police Equipment Fund. If Ewulum had been carried along and given his due, I doubt if he would have raised any alarm.

Soon after the Police Equipment Fund was established, local councils across the federation, 774 of them were forced by the Presidency to contribute 7.8 million each to the Fund and the money was deducted at source from the Federation Account, a completely illegal seizure of local council funds. State governments, companies and other institutions also contributed generously to the fund. In 2007, the Fund also took a loan of about $100 million from the US Exim-Bank and another N50 million loan from First Inland Bank. There were also donations from the Chinese government. Soon enough, the Police Equipment Fund had at its disposal a capital base of about N50 billion.

If this amount had been used to improve the welfare of Nigerian policemen, much could have been achieved. But then events moved swiftly. Kenny Martins allegedly turned himself into the main co-ordinator of the fund, Then in due course, he registered the Fund as a Non-Governmental Organisation and created a Police Equipment Foundation. This brazen diversion of the assets of the Presidential Committee on Police Equipment Fund is curious. Ewulum is asking for a probe of the management of the Fund, including where interests on monies kept in the banks are, and how the resources of the Fund have been disbursed. In the past few weeks, the public has been fed with utterly salacious details. According to one report, under the watch of Kenny Martins, N5 billion out of the police fund was spent on the purchase of luxury cars which were handed out as gifts to influential individuals and government agencies. The cars were bought at inflated price and without due process. Another hefty sum of N202.6 million was allegedly spent on a so-called pre-launch dinner. Members of the House of Representatives are angry. The House Committee on Public Petitions is conducting an inquiry into the management and conversion of the Fund.

President Yar'Adua should also take an interest in the matter. Long before Godson Ewulum went to the House of Representatives with his petition, other members of the original Presidential committee had also raised objections about how the Fund was being managed. The present Senate President, David Mark, then the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affiars was said to have complained. But his observations were ignored as were those of others, because we could safely assume, President Obasanjo was in power and his "untouchable" brother-in-law Kenny Martins was the one in charge of the Police Equipment Fund.

The Yar'Adua government must not abdicate its responsibility in ensuring that the N50 billion is accounted for. The individuals who collected car gifts from the Fund should be asked to return them with immediate effect. And this should include the Yar'Adua Campaign Organisation which received 15 cars from the Fund! Kenny Martins is the man at the centre of this storm. So far, his responses to all the allegations levelled against him have been at most contradictory and specious. He and his agents and collaborators should be talking to the police. The EFCC also has a job to do here. Those who donated to the Police Equipment Fund did so as an expression of Corporate Social Responsibility in the honest expectation that the Fund will be used for its advertised purpose. But now, what we are faced with is a case of "obtaining money under false pretence."

If former President Obasanjo wanted to help his brother-in-law he could have found some other appointment for him instead of allowing him to mismanage the Police Equipment Fund. The same Obasanjo had returned the gift of two BMW cars that were sent to him as his own share of the largesse. This means he knew something was wrong with the management of the fund, and yet he did not respond to all the petitions that asked for a probe. This scandal is yet another explosive and embarrassing revelation from the Obasanjo past.

Reading these stories, the average policeman must be seething with anger. What has been done is like stealing from the dead. Political and family connections have been used to defraud society. The security of the lives of over 140 million Nigerians has been compromised. Rather than buy guns and bullet-proof vests for policemen, they were busy buying luxury cars and throwing lavish dinners! The last time anyone checked, policemen were still complaining about being poorly equipped, being poorly paid and being treated unfairly by the state which nevertheless expects so much from them. Lives could have been saved if the N50 billion had been well-managed. This just shows how callous and wicked some Nigerians could be.

But apart from the investigation of the Police Equipment Fund, the appropriate authorities must also begin to ask questions and provide answers to the conundrum of how the police is perpetually cash-strapped. The police receives its due allocations to cover its expenditure. How is this disbursed? Is anyone diverting police resources? These are questions that should be answered. To reduce the Nigeria Police Force to an organisation perpetually living off charity is unconscionable. This is certainly not how to ensure the safety of lives and property in Nigeria.

Glo must read this sms.

Mr Bert Vogts is not an honorable gentleman, typical white coaches do not wait to be asked, they throw in the towel.

There 2 types of coaches the 1 that is going to be sacked and the 1 just sacked.

Definitely Bert would be sacked .

Long Live Nigerian football

Newcastle are doomed .

Sloppy defending, ineffective attack and incoordinated Midfiled.

There are certain things you don't do right before your bedtime like eat too much, drink coffee, or watch TV, but if you really want a good night’s rest, you should also avoid chatting on your cell phone before going to bed. A study by Wayne State University and Sweden's Karolinska Institute found that radiation from your handset can cause insomnia, headaches, and prevent you from going into a deep sleep.

To test their theory, researchers enlisted a group of 71 brave men and women and exposed half of them to radiation equivalent to that received when using a mobile phone. Those exposed to radiation spent less time in the much needed deep sleep cycle our body needs to rejuvenate and repair itself. This leads researchers to believe radiation disrupts the body's ability to produce melatonin, and activates the brain's stress system, making your more alert throughout the night.

Sleeping problems can lead to depression, lack of concentration, and mood swings, so to be safe, researchers recommend you avoid talking on a cell phone at least one hour before going to bed. They also suggest you use a land line instead of mobile phone at night, and keep that cell phone out of your bedroom!

If there is evidence of payment and a pre-paid accomodation

Basis for the conference relating to your discipline

Sponsor's financial commitment

To an extent this wil help in the application via seminar/conference invitation letters

Guys will buy a magazine for that amount if the quality content is good.

The content could be like this sports, relationships, sex, travels , money and business and spotlighting a personality.

Also fashion for men, wears and designers for men,

Employ me oooh if you need wonderful stories oooo

World TV Award Promotes Religious Understanding And Tolerance


International Journalists have the opportunity to enter a TV documentary contest that promotes religious understanding and tolerance. The deadline to apply is 1 April. Television producers from public service broadcasting organisations and private networks, as well as freelancers from Asia, Africa and Europe are all invited to participate.


Winners of the contest will receive US$7,000.00—US$3,500.00 will go to the producer and US$3,500.00 will go to the broadcasting organisation—as well as a trophy and a certificate presented by the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD). The best TV programmes will be screened during the Asia Media Summit, which will be held on 25-27 May in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.


To learn more, visit http://www.aibd.org.my/homepage/article.cgi/252.html or contact admin@aibd.org.my

Its enough .

What are your early memories about music and dancing?


Paul: Going way back then in primary and secondary school, we were dancing to the music of Alex O because he was a very good dancer then and at our tender age, we danced to his songs at birthday parties.  It got a point that whenever we were passing and saw a birthday party going on, we would go in there and start performing without invitation.



Were you performing individually then or as a group?

Peter: We were like a group; Paul, my elder brother Tony and I were doing that and at a point, we found ourselves miming the songs of MC Hammer, Bobby Brown and others but the main singer to push us a lot was Michael Jackson.



How did Michael Jackson influence your dancing then as kids?

Paul: I think performing Michael Jackson’s dances was the first performances we did that really gave us money because while we were singing and dancing in school then, it was energetic and fun but nothing was coming to us in terms of money but when we started doing Michael Jackson, the money started coming.

Whenever we performed Michael Jackson, we tried as much as possible to dance the way he used to do it. But we faced the challenge of costumes; the clothes, the hand gloves and everything we put on was crafted like those of Michael Jackson.


But it helped us in the sense that people took us serious and knew that they had to pay us for our performances. And again we realized that there was demand for some particular songs, like Billie Jeans, Thriller and so on but Thriller was the hit performance that was most sought for.

How old were you then?

Peter: we were 14 years-old when we started doing that. Thriller was the most expensive performance we had at that time because the costume and the painting of our faces and fixing our hair to look like Michael Jackson were quite strenuous.



Does it mean you realized early in life you were destined to be musicians?

Peter: There were a lot of things happening in our lives then; we were trying to go into football, music and other things.

We were the jealous type whereby if we see anyone doing something, we would go back to do that same thing. Finding ourselves doing music, dancing and playing football at the same time was just was not an easy task to overcome but we chose music.



At one point did the interest in music overshadow the rest of your ambitious?



Paul: It was in 1996 during the  Atlanta Olympic when Kanu Nwankwo and the Dream team won the gold medal in football. We were still into music having left football but that singular feat made us take up our boots because we heard the Head of State then, Late Gen. Abacha, was buying cars, houses and what have you for the footballers .


Immediately we dropped the microphone and picked up our boots again and headed straight to the field. But all of a sudden, we realized we couldn’t cope. We then decided that we had to go back to music.



You have more brothers than sisters, how was growing up like them?

Peter: It was difficult because parents always look at boys as being stubborn and try so much to prevent them from getting involved in criminal activities. Our parents were not an exception. They always were watchful for any kind of misconduct we might engage in. They fixed their attention on.


Training many of us through the university was quite challenging, it really was. At a time, my Dad stopped paying our school fees   because of our over indulgence in music; he was of the opinion that since you loved music so much, he would stop paying our fees. He wanted us to be educated.


What are your education backgrounds?

Paul: We attended Tempest Nursery and Primary School in Jos after which we went to St. Lumumba College also in Plateau  State. We later went to do Diploma programmes at the University of Jos. After which we proceeded to the University of Abuja for our Degree programme but I didn’t finish there; I completed my first degree at the River  State  University in Port Harcourt. I studied Mass Communication while Peter read Business Administrations.

 
Peter: Both of us were at the University of Abuja studying Business Management but Paul hates mathematics and calculations, that made him opt for the Arts. What made me continue with Management was an experience I had while in the secondary school. There was this boy that was always taking the first position.


I looked at him and asked myself if it was possible for me to use an injection syringe and suck his brain into mine be as brilliant. So I asked him how he does it and he invited me to join him; I didn’t join him to be taught; I wanted to know his secret. I discovered that the boy was denying himself of so many pleasures; the playing, the excitement and so on.



When I denied myself likewise, I took the second position and that experience later went on to help me in my career in music; I learnt that for you to excel, you go for what you want with passion. Today Paul can play the guitar and I can handle the piano; we never went to any music school to learn to use these instruments.



You grew up with Chelsea star, Mikel Obi, in Jos, what was the relationship like?

Paul: It was great. While we were still playing football, we went to the Pepsi Football academy together though he was our junior then; we were in the under-17 category while he was in under – 13. Growing up with Mikel was exciting because he lived opposite the stadium with his parents and they operated a shop where we normally converge for drink water after playing football.



How did your parents feel when they saw your addictive interest in music?

Peter: They never liked it; our Dad never liked it at all. Our Mum was supportive but at the same time she was scared; she felt like, “if these boys disappoint me, I am finished.” You know how mothers are, she supported us financially, morally and all that but at the end the fear for what her husband would say should we fail was there all the way.

It was difficult for us during then because our father never wanted us to take up music. In fact, our interest in music brought quarrel between our parents. It wasn’t funny at all.


 

Were there cases where you got punished because of your involvement in music?



Paul: It happened on several occasions. There was a time that we had a motorcycle accident while carrying our piano and guitar; the instruments got broken and we got injured but when we got home, our father flogged the hell out of us despite our bleeding hands and legs because we came home late.



Did your father ever take your musical equipments away from you?

Peter: He has broken our guitars on many times over. We used to construct guitars before we started buying but he kept destroying our instruments and always shouted at us to face our studies. Our mother would be pleading on our behalf. It was too much drama.



How did you feel anytime you lost an instrument?

Paul: It was very painful especially the one we got from the school. Before we started buying guitars, we used to practice with that of our school but it became a casualty in our father’s hands.



That his action got us punished for two weeks; we were asked to pay for the damaged equipment and punished by being asked to dig a hole that had the depth same as our height.   




The Nigeria Music scene got to know about P-Square when you won the Benson and Hedges Music talent hunt. How did you get involved?




Paul: I think it was one hell of an opportunity for us then.  We were still in our first year at the University of Abuja in 2001 when we were informed about the competition in Jos. 


We were already popular in Abuja and bought the form. We came tops out of 38 artistes that participated. We took the first position and eventually represented the Northern Zone in the Abuja final where we won again out of the 22 artistes that took part in that show. At the finals in Lagos, we became the overall winners which made Benson and Hedges offer to launch our album.



When you declared your interest, did you know you would go that far?



Peter: Yes because we had all the strategies. When people started loving us as entertainers, we developed our strategy. The Jos event wasn’t really the challenge because we were known in Jos   as dancers. P-Square was already known then.  It was the Lagos final that was really the most competitive part but we still came tops.




Was that when you got the name of the group?



Paul: No, a friend of ours at the university called Richard gave us the name. We were assigned a room in the hostel and when we got there, we met him cleaning up and he was like, “You are brothers, twins, Peter and Paul.” He got confused and said, “Peter or Paul in fact P-Square, anyone can serve.”  That was how we got the name.



Describe that moment when they were named you winners of that talent hunt show?




Peter: It was very exciting and memorable but it didn’t come as a surprise after we performed; we were the last to perform out of the 38 bands on stage. The way the fans were screaming while we performed gave us the confidence.

 
I will say that the strategy we used when we got to Lagos was our dance performance. When we arrived Lagos, we were told that if you don’t sing in Yoruba and play the talking drum, you were not going anywhere. It was as if we were competing with Fuji artistes who were very popular there. But we used our dancing to confuse everybody when we performed our songs Kolo and My Life.   






P-Square did not exploit the success of winning that show, why?


Paul: We didn’t use the platform for a couple of reasons. Immediately after the show, the Federal Government came out with a hard policy on tobacco companies which banned them from placing adverts on radio, print or billboards, this came at the heels of our winning the competition and it really affected us.


Though in our first album, in the CD case, the Benson and Hedges logo was there, they couldn’t use our pictures because of the ban but had to use the pictures of our eyes instead. It was a very bad period for us. It came to a point where we had to just leave everything since it wasn’t their fault or ours. The money we were supposed to have won was given to our management team and they held on to it and later misused it.



What happened after that?


Paul: We had no option than to go back to school when the deal fell through. Benson and Hedges sponsored our album launch, Last Night, but we didn’t reap anything financially.




After that unfortunate predicament, you came out stronger, what metamorphosis did you pass through?


 
Paul: We passed through a lot of difficult situations; we were getting popular but there was no money to show for popularity; it was like a disease. We went through a lot of hard times and kept reading so many stories about Benson & Hedges giving us millions but yet we didn’t have anything, not even a car. We were still jumping Okada then but people thought we were made.

 
Peter: At a point, because of all thee false stories flying all over the place, we started having problems with our band. The popularity was there but the money wasn’t.



But the story changed with your next album, Get Squared.  What were those areas in music you saw and exploited that stood you out?

Paul: We saw that there was no need for us to belong to record labels; that gave us some amount of independence to do songs we wanted to do.  Our experience with Benson & Hedges saw us doing songs they forced us to do which were usually not our type of music which our fans didn’t like. We managed to get a car but ended up selling it again it along with some of our properties to be able to fund our next album. We made up mind that we would sell everything and put it in the album and if it doesn’t sell, we would give up music maybe take up our boots again. We took music seriously; we didn’t’ try to compete with anybody. The major strategy we used was our musical video because we saw that music videos were lacking in quality.

 

Your lyrics are as unique as your videos, what inspires them?



Paul: I write the songs and produce them. I approach music from a general perspective; I don’t see it as being for educated or uneducated people. I do music for everybody irrespective of your educational status. I can’t write songs in pure Queen’s English because I know that not everyone is educated. We had to come down to the basic level and break it down for everybody to understand and enjoy it. Our music does not have class; it is for kids, mothers, fathers, grand fathers and so on.

Your musical video brought some flavour into the industry, who amongst you came up with the concept?  

Peter: The concept is a collective thing between, me, Paul and Jude. In fact, we compete amongst ourselves who would bring the best idea. We work as a team and try to consolidate on the ideas we suggest.


Many music observers are of the opinion that your songs are not really original, that it always comes with an adaptation of something done by someone else. What are your reactions to that insinuation?  

 

Paul: I will make three comments. Firstly, they say P-Square don’t sound originally and readily point to Usher; they say we look like Usher and dance like him. Secondly, these music critics send us emails but yet our fans don’t complain. That makes me believe that the people behind these insinuations are our fellow colleagues.



Thirdly, there is no song in this life that comes out as original; there must be a connection somewhere. In three days after we released our last album, someone had already started complaining that P-Square had deviated from what they were known for. It’s no longer P-Square being copy cats.

Let me look at it this way; we copy and make a hell of money from it, you that is trying to be original has not sold your album to the extent P-Square has. P-Square the copy-cats has sold over 8 million copies of their album and you are still there trying to be a composer like Handel. Well, I wish them luck. We just released out last album, Game Over, and not up to six days later, it sold over a million. I don’t know what they are still saying.


Paul: Whatever people might say, they are entitled to their opinion. What I know is that P-Square does good music. What they are pointing at that Peter’s resemblance to Usher makes us copy cats. Now I ask, should he then go and do a plastic surgery to make him look different?  When we came out with Get Squared, they said we copied; we released Game Over and it’s now a different story; they are now complaining that P-Square didn’t copy but did a different thing from what they are known for. What else do they want us to do?   



In your last album, you had tracks that talk about societal ills, what informed this new dimension?


Paul: I think what pushed us where the fans. Apart from the fact they commend us, they also tell us to use our music and portray the ills the society in general suffer from. And in a larger sense, it was a worthy thing to do; we listen to our fans. Our fans are yearning that we talk about corruption and other vices in our society and that is what we did.

What kind of PMAN would you want to associate with?



Paul: I am looking forward to that PMAN that would hold elections and the president would be voted for by musicians in a very transparent polls. You can’t be doing elections and the musicians will not be involved.


One admirable thing about P-Square is your ability to keep off controversies and scandals unlike other artistes, how do you   achieve that?  

 

Paul: We know where we are coming from; we did not grow up in Lagos, We spent virtually all our lives in Jos; we are just three years old in Lagos. Where we are from, there are a lot of things we don’t do like they do in Lagos. We try to avoid those things that we used to read about people in Lagos during the days we were in Jos. We know the family we come from; we came a long way that was very rough and we don’t intend to forget that.

Paul: One unusual thing about P-Square is that we don’t hang out; anytime you come to our house you will find us. We made sure we had everything that might take us out inside the house; we have our studio, our gym and everything we need right here. You can only get scandals when you hang out too much.

How religious is P-Square?



Peter: We are very very religious; we are Catholics. Our mother is a minister and we don’t joke with the word of God. The problem we have now is that we distract people whenever we go to church.

Paul: For example, when we were still residing at Illupeju, we had to start going to night mass instead of morning mass because of the attention we create in people but yet they always turn to look at us. Due to this problem, we find it hard to attend our friend’s weddings because we usually become the centre of attraction and it isn’t fair to the celebrants.

Talking about wedding now, are you guys into a relationship and when is it likely you may walk down the altar.



Peter: We are in relationships but we are not really ready to walk down the altar.


Paul: No, I am not ready now.



We have seen music stars trying their hands in acting, setting up clothing labels and so on,  is  P-Square likely to follow suit?  


Peter: P-Square for now is all about music. We would like to go into all that but we want to focus on our music now.

Are you saying if you are given a role in a top Nollywood movie, you wouldn’t think about it?



Paul: They have been coming and I am not interested. First of all I will like to say that Nollywood needs to step up on their game when it comes to the quality of movies they do. I know they are portraying the culture but it seems they are not moving to the next level. Music in Nigeria has gone up to a level, some Nigerian musicians have won top international awards, Nollywood should follow suit because they have the potential.


How do you give back to the society in terms of charity, are you thinking about setting up a foundation?



Peter, I am very scary of foundations due to the fact that some people use it to get money from government. We help people passionately. There are times we will see someone on TV who needs help, we call the station and get the details and go meet the person personally. It’s just we don’t want to make noise about all these because it is a thing of the mind.



What advice do you have for up coming artistes?

Paul: Be passionate about what you are doing; don’t go into it because of the money but because of the passion.

Peter: Love what you are doing and money will come.



You appear different these days unlike in the past, what is the reason?   

Paul: I started growing on dreads to make people able to distinguish between the two of us.



Out of all the awards you have gotten, which one stands out?

Paul: We have had numerous awards but the one that we are very passionate about is the one that came from one nursery school. They called us not to perform but to collect the award. What marvelled us was that they performed all our songs on stage.


Your mother said that her earlier dreams were for one of you to become a reverend father and the other a doctor, would you guys realize this dream for her?  



Peter: We don’t know. They say man proposes and God disposes. I don’t really know.

Paul: Yes, she always tells me that I will be a reverend father but I don’t know.


She also mentioned longing to do a song together with you, will you oblige her yearning?



l: Yes we will do it but we will not do it as P-Square, it may have to be with Bro. Peter and Paul.

 

As football lovers which clubs are your  favourite?



Peter: Chelsea because na there Mikel dey.



Special Thanks to Ahaoma Kanu

Photo Source Weekendride TV3 Cable
weekendride_tv3@yahoo.com

He bi like say he get one pact wey dey between 2face and robbers. Abi na only hin be musician wey dey Naija? Haba

The new Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2008 sponsored by Brian Lenihan, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law reform is generating so much controversy and reactions. The Bill proposes to deport affected immigrants without notice, place restrictions on affected person’s access to judicial appeal and place restrictions on marriage for those who are foreign nationals, etc. Additionally, there are special and strict limits on judicial review including making legal representatives liable for costs where claims are regarded as ‘frivolous or vexatious’ by the High Court. In his press statement to introduce the Bill, the Minister noted that the Bill aims to regulate ‘regular migration’ into the State and to provide for a long term residence status to certain categories of migrants. Further to this, the Bill contains provisions on the removal of those who are not lawfully present in the State.
The law presently requires that persons to be removed are given a written notice of 15 days. Proposing to withdraw this provision and other judicial rights for immigrants is to say the least worrying. Without a doubt, the new Bill will meet with some opposition but I would like to predict that it will be passed with little or no changes regardless. In my opinion, this will be due to some short and long term factors which must be analysed dispassionately. One of the short term reasons is the Irish economy which is presently caught up in the whole gambit of a global recessive picture. The economy has clearly not done as robustly as it had in recent years - setting off panic buttons in so many quarters as a result. Naturally there is a desperate need by stakeholders in the government to do what they perceive to be expedient within the context of a diminishing economic climate. The argument which may be advanced by the Minister and others in the cabinet (perhaps not publicly) is to curtail the influx of immigrants who may not be relevant to making any input to the growth of the Irish economy.

It is a well known fact that the government spends a huge sum of money to maintain asylum seekers and certain immigrants on social welfare benefits. Despite the reasons advanced for immigrating into a country, a good number of immigrants will end up depending on the State for support. The reasons for this can be partly linked to the very nature of the system itself which makes it difficult for refugees to seek employment while awaiting a decision on their application for asylum. This trend is probably one of the holes the government may be attempting to plug. But it must plug it proactively and humanely. Removing asylum seekers without recourse to any judicial process or time to hear them out is not the panacea for any immigration problem.

Lately, the daily news has been one of companies closing shop and relocating to countries with cheaper labour, cheaper materials and rich technology. New companies have not moved in at a proportionate rate to cushion the effect of jobs lost and the attendant dwindling earning powers for citizens. Tax and revenue returns for the government has also been affected. It is now on record that the number of people ‘signing on’ for unemployment benefits has hit an all time high of 181,000. This realistic but bleak scenario does not portend well for an economy which experienced its highest known buoyancy only in recent history.

The Minister for Finance Brian Cowen and The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin, whilst doing their best to create more market for the Irish economy and to attract more investments from abroad would nevertheless depend on Brian Lenihan to provide the much needed stability in terms of immigration and its implicit intensive capital demand. Additionally, the available jobs would have to be protected ostensibly for those who can make an impact. But it must be noted in strong terms that the situation in the country is not a reflection of the inward migration the country witnessed in recent times. It is also not necessarily indicative of imbued poor performance but perhaps, co terminous with a global economy that is experiencing a domino backlash.

In dealing with the Bill, the members of the Dáil must apply a ‘human face’ to their deliberations in order not to compound the distress usually faced by genuine asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution. It is also important not to send messages that will negate the recent integration efforts of the government. Hasty decisions and deportation of asylum seekers without due process will most certainly undermine human rights. It behoves the lawmakers to study the intricate and contentious details of the Bill and ensure that it is fair to all.

In a recent reaction to the proposed Bill, Noeline Blackwell, the director general of Free Legal Advice Centres Limited (FLAC) noted that “while the Minister quite naturally wants to set up a fast, efficient immigration system, our concern is that a fair balance must be maintained between efficiency and rights”. Ms Blackwell also went on to deplore the absence of any independent appeals procedure. The Immigrant Council of Ireland and the Migrants Rights Centre of Ireland also hold very strong views against the lack of ‘transparency’ and ‘clarity’ in the Bill.

The Bill will certainly test the sincerity of the government, the immigration system and the relevance of immigrants in Ireland . It is therefore an important challenge for immigrants resident in the country to continue to prove that there is an intrinsic relevance in welcoming more immigrants even in these ‘troubled and trying’ times. The task of revamping the Irish economy will in the long stem from a concerted effort with immigrants playing a significant role in a fast changing Ireland that needs all hands to be on deck. This fact should persuade and underpin the views of the law makers when debating the fine points and values of the Bill rather than on any short term panic driven contrived solution.

The fund, they said, would be used for training for community policing, renovation of barracks and other equipment .

Accusations have been made to the person of Chief Kenny Martins who is a brother in -law to obj.

Some of the misappropriations being heaped on Martins by Enwulum include

* N8billion collected from the 776 local governments in the country.
* Foreign loans to the tune of $150 million
* Oceanic Bank guarantee to the tune of N150
* Generating N250 000 daily from sales of tickets printed by Chisco Motors
* Sacking the appointed auditors, Dafinone and Co and bringing a new auditing firm to cover tracks.
* Spending approximately N13billion on cars ranging from luxury BMW cars and jeeps, Mercedes jeeps and Toyota Camry cars purchased from Coscharis Motors. While the true cost of such cars is put at N4m, the price was reportedly inflated to N13m each and many bought were used for the elections.
* Distribution of cars to government and security agencies like the EFCC, the Army, which constitutes a diversion from the original police that the fund was meant for.

All these irregularities and fraud led Integrity International Nigeria of 5B Johnson Street in Maitama, Abuja to investigate the allegations made by Enwulum and they found out, in a petition to President Umaru Yar Adua on the 29th of October 1007, that,


* Sums ranging from N50million to N100million has been paid by each of the 25 banks
* N10b paid by the Federal Ministry of Finance shortly before the demise of the last administration
* N7.7billion paid by 776 local governments
* $500 donated by governments of Chinese and their organisations, etc.

The fraud they found out was the renaming of the Police Equipment Fund to Police Equipment Foundation and the diversion of the N50billion to Kenny Martins pet project, the purchase of two vessels by Kenny Martins from the funds, inflation to the tune of N13billion on the purchase of about 1000 cars without due process, embezzlement of N202.5Million by Kenny Martins and E.I Dumujie on a dinner held on Monday, 28th August at City Mall, Onikan Lagos when the actual cost was N2.6million. The said money was paid by Spring Bank (N45m); Intercontinental Bank (N12.15m); ETB (N5m); Oceanic Bank (N20m); Zenith Bank (N50m); Wema Bank (N20m); First Inland Bank

(N45); First City Monument Bank (N5m); Sponsoring of Bash Ali Boxing fight in Planet One hotel as well as the extravagant spending of money by Kenny Martins during his son’s wedding. All they called for was an investigation.

With a Foundation that has the powerful Sultan of Sokoto on its board, the matter was almost killed in the floor of the House of Representatives when it was brought into the lower house. Attempts by some members to kill the issue failed as hearing on the matter has been slated to begin on 13th of February 2008.

The federal Lawmakers are poised to dig into the matter and ascertain the alleged fraud at the fund and those behind it.

Didier Drogba says he does not wish to be considered for future African player of the year awards after Frederic Kanoute won the 2007 title

"I was told if I didn't appear the rules would change and the prize would go to the runner-up," he said.

"This attitude doesn't honour Africa so I've pulled out of future elections."

Caf spokesman Suleiman Habuba told BBC Sport that there was nothing sinister in Kanoute winning the accolade.

When asked directly if Caf had threatened Drogba that he would not win the award if he did not go to Lome, Habuba flatly denied the accusation.

He also denied Drogba was the rightful winner of the trophy.

"The Caf executive committee announced the winner, Frederic Kanoute, after the vote was counted," he said.



What the do you think?
Do you think he was striped of the award as he claims?

YMCA Europe Festival 2008

3-9 August 2008, Prague, Czech Republic



You're invited!
To celebrate a world wide Christian fellowship, the growth and strength of YMCA, national and cultural diversities!

To participate in creating a week long Festival village demonstrating new ideas for living together!

To experience the challenges that matter to young people all over the world!

To have the chance to share experiences and to see the connections with the experience of others!

To experience a new YMCA idea: Global Youth Work!

To strengthen your national and local movements through new sources of motivation, new projects and new resources!

To experience friendship, fun and happiness!

To enjoy the beautiful city of Prague!

To be part of the YMCA Europe Festival for the second time,or to have this unique experience for the first time!

Registration
Registration is now open on www.reg2008.com