Nollywood ranked third in the world with revenue of N126 billion

Nigeria’s film industry, otherwise known as Nollywood, has reportedly generated about N126.4bn ($800m) in the last three years, making it the third highest revenue earner in the world.
According to the managing director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) Robert Orya, Nigeria is Africa’s biggest movie producer, with a consistent production of over 2,400 yearly titles in the past three years – 2,408, 2,514 and 2,621 in 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively. Data compiled in 2011 by the Nigerian Film and Videos Census Board (NFVCB) indicated that 1,743 movies were registered and 1,234 approved. Meanwhile, movies produced in 2012 were forty-four percent English, thirty one percent Yoruba, 24 percent Hausa and 1 percent Igbo.
The global film and entertainment industry is reported to have generated about N14.3 trillion ($90.6 billion) revenue in 2010. This is however, projected to increase to N16.2 trillion ($102 billion) in 2012.
American film industry, Hollywood is ranked first in world, and India’s film industry Bollywood takes second place.
 DailyPost

MASSOB abduct Biafra Zionist Movement group leaders

Barrister Benjamin Onwuka, leader of Biafra Zionist Movement, whose group had announced its plan to re-declare the Republic of Biafra in Enugu on Monday, November 5, 2012, was, yesterday, allegedly abducted by members of the Ralph Uwazulike-led Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB.
Also whisked away from their residences to an unknown destination were the BZM National Chairman, Samuel Edeson, Nweke Nweke, National Secretary and Chukwuma Orienta, a member of the group from Onitsha.
However, MASSOB has said the BZM leaders where not abducted, but invited for questioning over their November 5 plans.
Meanwhile, BZM’s Director of Mobilisation, Cornelius Anyanwu, who disclosed this in a chat with newsmen, yesterday, said the fierce-looking men believed to have been sent by Chief Uwazulike, stormed the residences of the four BZM leaders yesterday morning, forced them into their cars and drove them to an unknown place.
He said one of the BZM leaders called on phone to alert them that they were being driven to Uwazulike’s Okwe home in Imo State, explaining that the abduction of the group’s leaders was part of Uwazulike and his MASSOB’s plot to abort the planned re-declaration of Biafra on Monday, which, he said, had generated a lot of interest among Ndigbo, both in Nigeria and in Diaspora.
He said: “We have concluded all necessary arrangements for successful inauguration of Biafra Republic on November 5.
“The mobilisation of our supporters, including all Igbos had been intensified before this sabotage by the MASSOB leader, who has since abandoned the Biafran agitation and resorted to working with the Nigerian government to subdue Biafra.”
According to him, the BZM had scheduled a meeting in Enugu, yesterday morning ahead of Monday’s event, before the abduction.
MASSOB’s spokesman, Mr. Uchenna Madu, confirmed that the BZM leaders were under their custody but explained that members of the Uwazulike-led MASSOB in Enugu State only “summoned” them for questioning regarding their plan for November 5.
He said: “Our men did not abduct the BZM leaders. Rather, we invited them to a meeting to find out why they want to re-declare Biafra after it had been declared many years ago.
“We want to reason with them about what they planned for Monday. We are in support of Biafra but what they (BZM) are doing amounts to making caricature of the Biafran struggle.
“It must stop because the security operatives are disturbing our members thinking that MASSOB is behind the move.”
Madu denied allegations by BZM members that the Federal Government was using Uwazulike against their campaign for the actualisation of Biafra, saying there was no pact between the government and the MASSOB leader.
 DailyPost

Sagay, Falana, Aturu, others support dialogue with Boko Haram

by Hauwa Gambo

inShare

Some eminent lawyers in Lagos on Friday gave their backing to the Federal Government to engage the Boko Haram Sect in dialogue, towards restoring peace to the areas affected by their insurgency.
The lawyers made this known in separate telephone interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), following Thursday’s request by the sect for dialogue with the government.
The lawyers said it was a welcome development, as it could put an end to the spate of violence, which had troubled some northern states since the last three years.
A constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), however, cautioned the government to carefully examine the genuineness of the group making the demand before engaging in any dialogue.
 Sagay said, “It is a welcome development in the sense that peace can return to the country.
“However, the Federal Government needs to examine the genuineness of the people behind the call to ascertain if they truly represent the interest of the sect”.
He advised the government to reject the demand by the group that the talks should be held in Saudi Arabia, noting that Nigeria was not an Islamic country.
 Sagay also advised the government not to grant amnesty to Boko Haram members.
“Those who have murdered innocent Nigerians going to church to worship should not be given amnesty.
“There are families who are still grieving for their loved ones killed by the dastardly acts of this group, and so, it is morally wrong to grant them amnesty”, he said.
 Mr Femi Falana (SAN), a human rights activist, advised the government not to be ecstatic about the prospect of dialoguing with Boko Haram.
Falana said, “Dialogue is good but the government should be wary because they have made similar calls in the past, which were not genuine.
“So, we should not get carried away because it may only be a ploy by the sect to regroup and buy time in order to continue their onslaught of violence against Nigerians”.
Another human rights activist, Mr Bamidele Aturu, urged the government to engage the sect in dialogue towards ascertaining their grievances.
 Aturu said, “It is a welcome development as long as it will put an end to the killing of innocent Nigerians.
“The earlier we discuss with them the better because it is clear that we cannot win the war against this sect.
“The government should discuss with them to know their grievances, so that peace can return to the country”.
YNaija.com

Get ready, guys: Legislator wants law against “abuse” of social media

by Hauwa Gambo

inShare

Oyo State is on the march.
The chairman of its House of Assembly committee on Public Accounts, Finance and Appropriation Olusegun Olaleye, has asked the Federal Government to make laws against the “misuse” of social media by “disgruntled elements in the public.”
“A lot of misinformation are being circulated. I want to appeal to the people of Oyo State to disregard the ploy by the opposition to discredit the Abiola Ajimobi-led government,” he said.
Olaleye, who represents Ibadan North Constituency II, was speaking against the backdrop of reports two days ago, brought into the mainstream by PM News, that the Oyo governor’s wife was arrested for money laundering.
“In the same vein, I want to call on the Federal Government to generate certain laws to guide against unprofessional practice by some writers who just sit down and peddle unfounded rumours,” he added. “I want to say that it is becoming unacceptable in democracy for people to spread unfounded rumours and lies against other people with the intents of discrediting them. Politics must be done with mutual respect and ability to engage others constructively.
“We all know that anybody involved in money laundering in the United Kingdom will face criminal charge. Whoever is guilty will face the police for not less than two weeks and also have a date with the immigration.
“You can only get bail from a competent court if arrested for money laundering. Look at James Ibori’s case; money laundering is a serious case that cannot be treated secretly.”
YNaija.com

Boko Haram did not nominate me as their mediator – Buhari

Contrary to the news making the rounds that the radical Islamist extremist –Boko Haram has nominated Former Head of States, General Muhammadu Buhari as the mediator between them and the Federal Government of Nigeria in the proposed peace talk, the retired Military General has denied knowledge of his nomination.
According to the National Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Engr Buba Galadima, the national leader of the CPC is not aware of the appointment: “As at 10pm yesterday (Thursday) when I spoke with him, he said he has not even heard about it.”
Galadima said: “He (Buhari) said the whole thing to him, is just speculation. And since nobody has contacted him as a person for him to even know who is behind what, and what are the motives of the whole exercise, he would not speak to the press.” He revealed that Buhari, the 2011 presidential candidate of the CPC, further told him that as an elder statesman and a patriotic Nigerian, he will continue to pray until peace and tranquillity return to Nigeria.
It would be recalled that the sect, had in a telephone press conference in Maiduguri, Borno State, through Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulaziz, who claimed to be the Boko Haram commander in charge of Southern and Northern Borno, said that the sect would prefer the former military leader, General Muhammadu Buhari, ex-Yobe State governor and now Senator, Bukar Abba Ibrahim, first Nigerian Minister of Petroleum, Shettima Ali Monguno, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Insecurity in the North-East, Ambassador Gaji Gatimari, and other prominent members of the Borno Emirate to mediate between them and the federal government.
Abdulaziz claimed he had the mandate of their leader, Imam Abubakar Shekau, disclosing that the sect was highly offended due to what happened three years ago (referring to the killing of the sect’s leader, Mallam Mohammed Yusuf).
Speaking on to the development, the CPC national publicity secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashekun, has lambasted President Goodluck Jonathan and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over Buhari’s nomination.
Fashekun described Buhari’s purported nomination as “the latest gambit in the desire of this organically corrupt PDP-led Federal Government in diverting the attention of the unsuspecting Nigerian public from the on-going massive looting of their common patrimony.”
Fashekun also said: “Without any scintilla of equivocation, General Muhammadu Buhari has never been directly or remotely connected with any insurrection or insurgency against the Nigerian nation and her people. He remains the quintessential patriot that continues to magnetise the very best across the ethno-religious boundaries within the Nigerian nation-space.” The party chieftain accused the PDP of being responsible for the growing insecurity in the country, insisting:
“As we have stated in an earlier communication, the (PDP), as a corporate entity, is the harbinger of the insecurity travails of the Nigerian people for the sole reason of ensuring perpetuity in governance.” Fashekun listed the three categories of Boko Haram and alleged that the PDP-led government is sponsoring one of them. “From recollection of events of the last two years, there are three variants of the Boko Haram: the original Boko Haram that is at daggers drawn with the Nigerian authority for the extra-judicial killing of their leader; the criminal Boko Haram that is involved in all criminality for economic reasons and of course, the most lethal of all, the Political Boko Haram, which this PDP-led Federal Government represents.
“The President, Dr, Good-luck Jonathan, had once alerted the nation of the ubiquitous presence of Boko Haram in his government, a fact aptly amplified by his erstwhile National Security Adviser, General Andrew Azazi.” He further drew instances from the revelations made by State Security Service. “Undoubtedly, the latest revelations by the State Security Services (SSS) on the complicity of the top echelon of the PDP leadership in Boko Haram activities aptly bear testimony of the noxious subterfuge to extirpate the essence of our nationhood,” he said.
DailyPost

Revealed: Why Osaze Doesn’t Want To Play For Nigeria

Osaze Peter Odemwingie who last played for Nigeria in a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda on February 29 in Kigali, has declared he doesn’t want to play for Nigeria anymore. This shocking admission was sensationally revealed by team coach, Stephen Keshi, to supersport.com

Keshi revealed that he spoke to the WBA forward a week before Nigeria’s second leg final round 2013 Afcon qualifying game against Liberia on October 13 and that Odemwingie told him that he had decided not to play for Nigeria again.
“I spoke to Osaze before the Liberia game and he told me that he had decided not to play for Nigeria anymore,” Keshi told supersport.com.
Odemwingie though had his reasons for wanting out of the Eagles.
Hear Keshi: “Osaze told me that he has no problems with me as a person and that he took his decision even before I assumed position as national team coach.
“He said he was unhappy at how he was treated in the past in the national team. He explained that prior to Nigeria’s participation at the 2010 Fifa World Cup, he played in all the qualifying games but was dropped at the finals.
“He said he was angry at the treatment meted out to him but did not discuss it with anyone. I told him that was not the best way to handle issues and that if he had already decided not to play for the national team, he should have opened up to me when I invited him to play,” Keshi said.
‘The Big Boss’ went on to reveal that he had an extensive discussion with the striker and tried to explain why things may have gone awry for him at the 2010 mundial.
“I told him that if the (Nigeria) coach (at the 2010 World Cup) benched him, he must have a reason for doing so and that things should have been handled differently.
“I told him that he should have spoken up and let me know. The coach has a reason and you can’t play in every game,” he said.
“I understand his feelings. I think he might change his mind but I really don’t know. The ball is in his court,” Keshi concluded.
InformationNigeria.org

One Person Dies As Fire Gut Another Building On Breadfruit Street

Barely five days after fire razed a 5-storey building; fire has gutted another three-storey building at Breadfruit Street on Lagos Island, Lagos killing one person.
Reports say the fire started around 2.00 pm at 46 Breadfruit Street on Friday, destroying the three-storey building housing nine flats and stores in the process.
Scores of people were injured trying to escape. One of the occupants of the building was however unlucky and was burnt to death in the inferno. The victim was taken to the mortuary by the emergency team. Properties worth millions of Naira were also destroyed.
General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu who was at the scene said that the relevant emergency teams were able to rescue some of the occupants.
According to him, the State Fire Service, State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Police Force were on ground for the operation.
Oke-Osanyintolu confirmed that one person died in the inferno, saying that the fire was caused by electrical surge which triggered sudden explosion.
“The incident occurred at about 1:56 p.m. and our officials were on ground to salvage the situation. The fire was completely put off while the occupants were immediately evacuated. Unfortunately, one dead body was recovered from the inferno. Perhaps, he was trapped in the fire and could not escape,” he said.
While decrying the recurrence of the fire disaster which was recorded on the same street in less than a week, the LASEMA boss said proper investigation would be carried out to ascertain the cause in order to avert future occurrences.
InformationNigeria.org