RFK children speak about assassination in Dallas

By JAMIE STENGLE

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  Associated Press/Tony Gutierrez - Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, makes comments during the opening minutes of a interview with journalist Charlie Rose in front of a full audience at the AT&T Performing Arts Center …more 

DALLAS (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is convinced that a lone gunman wasn't solely responsible for the assassination of his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, and said his father believed the Warren Commission report was a "shoddy piece of craftsmanship."

Kennedy and his sister, Rory, spoke about their family Friday night while being interviewed in front of an audience by Charlie Rose at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas. The event comes as a year of observances begins for the 50th anniversary of the president's death.
Their uncle was killed on Nov. 22, 1963, while riding in a motorcade through Dallas. Five years later, their father was assassinated in a Los Angeles hotel while celebrating his win in the California Democratic presidential primary.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said his father spent a year trying to come to grips with his brother's death, reading the work of Greek philosophers, Catholic scholars, Henry David Thoreau, poets and others "trying to figure out kind of the existential implications of why a just God would allow injustice to happen of the magnitude he was seeing."
He said his father thought the Warren Commission, which concluded Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in killing the president, was a "shoddy piece of craftsmanship." He said that he, too, questioned the report.
"The evidence at this point I think is very, very convincing that it was not a lone gunman," he said, but he didn't say what he believed may have happened.
Rose asked if he believed his father, the U.S. attorney general at the time of his brother's death, felt "some sense of guilt because he thought there might have been a link between his very aggressive efforts against organized crime."
Kennedy replied: "I think that's true. He talked about that. He publicly supported the Warren Commission report but privately he was dismissive of it."
He said his father had investigators do research into the assassination and found that phone records of Oswald and nightclub owner Jack Ruby, who killed Oswald two days after the president's assassination, "were like an inventory" of mafia leaders the government had been investigating.
He said his father, later elected U.S. senator in New York, was "fairly convinced" that others were involved.
The attorney and well-known environmentalist also told the audience light-hearted stories Friday about memories of his uncle. As a young child with an interest in the environment, he said, he made an appointment with his uncle to speak with him in the Oval Office about pollution.
He'd even caught a salamander to present to the president, which unfortunately died before the meeting.
"He kept saying to me, 'It doesn't look well,'" he recalled.
Rory Kennedy, a documentary filmmaker whose recent film "Ethel" looks at the life of her mother, also focused on the happier memories. She said she and her siblings grew up in a culture where it was important to give back.
"In all of the tragedy and challenge, when you try to make sense of it and understand it, it's very difficult to fully make sense of it," she said. "But I do feel that in everything that I've experienced that has been difficult and that has been hard and that has been loss, that I've gained something in it."
"We were kind of lucky because we lost our members of our family when they were involved in a great endeavor," her brother added. "And that endeavor is to make this country live up to her ideals."
Yahoo!News

Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison Madueke holds low key birthday party

Diezani Alison Madueke turned 52 a few weeks back and held a low profile birthday party at her Queens Drive, Ikoyi home. Only a few family members and close friends were invited to the shindig. Nice cake!
Happy Birthday to Diezani Alison Madueke.
Naijaurban

2015: Those Pushing Jonathan To Contest Want To Destroy Him

Do you believe in prophecies? Or do you just believe some of the prophecies been churned out are not rocket science and are predictable by just anybody with some level of exposure and foresight? Nonetheless, it is not hard predicting that there will be grave consequences if president Goodluck Jonathan decides to recontest in 2015 but what might not be so easy is predicting the possibility that only eight governors will finish their tenure unless urgent prayers are made to save the situation.
Those are the views of Apostle Johnson Suleman, the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministry, one of the leading new generation churches in the country today situated on the Auchi-Abuja road in Auchi, Edo state.
Pastor Suleman who had in the past predicted the death of President Yar’Adua, spoke on his life and his views on the purchase of private jets by top pastors in the country.
Excerpts:
His take on pastors and private jets: “The truth is that some of these Pastors in fairness have really done a lot for the less privileged. We can never do enough but you can do a lot because there is still one less privileged person out there that needs to be reached. It is not possible for the soap factory to make sure that every body gets neat every day, but what they can do is to affect the ones they can affect and enlighten the ones they can enlighten. Most Pastors also have really taken it up as a challenge to touch the lives of the less privileged.
“But some of them have not. When a Pastor has spent many years in the Ministry and now owns an air craft, I have no problem with all of that. What I have a problem with is this pursuit to prove to the world that you have arrived. You are going to pay the pilot, the crew members, maintain the aircraft, it cost a lot of money. That is my worry with people in that category,” pastor Suleman said.
On 2015 and the possibility of a Jonathan candidacy, he has this to say, “One major thing that I will say now is that people should be careful not to be crazy about power. One good thing that I will advise President Jonathan is that he should not contest for the 2015 presidential election. And if prayers are not made, if we don’t pray, I see only eight governors completing their tenure. We should pray because with prayers, a lot of things can be averted but if we don’t pray, we will see eight governors only completing their tenure. What God wants to focus on this year is to reward politicians with their sins.”
Pastor Suleman also predicted a boom in the agricultural sector just as he said he sees “natural disasters coming up.” Recalling the mystery surrounding the presidency in the years past, which he says should not be ignored, pastor Suleman said, “I saw an African President being laid to rest and I saw Nigerian flag flying half mast. We need to pray for President Jonathan, if he goes ahead to contest there will be trouble. Abacha’s wife left the villa without Abacha, Yar’Adua’s wife left the villa without the husband, if Jonathan goes to contest, something very grave may happen” he said.
“Those who are pushing him now, they want to destroy him. I am not saying this out of any personal animosity. I am saying this now because it can be averted.
“He should seek counsel. I love him but destiny has to be taken very sacrosanct. So I believe that if he asks for counsel, people can help him not to run for the Presidency in 2015” he concluded.
InformationNigeria

N750m Scandal: EFCC Grants Soludo Bail

Professor Charles Soludo, the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank (CBN), is back home after his interrogation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with an alleged N750 million bribery.

Charles Soludo

The money was alleged to have been offered in the process of awarding the polymer contract for the printing of N20 notes.
Sources told The Nation last night that he was grilled twice before he was granted bail yesterday.
Also, the commission yesterday granted bail to the Imo State Commissioner for Finance Deacon Okafor Chike John and Accountant-General, Eche Ezenna George, who are being investigated for alleged mismanagement of state funds amounting to about N40billion.
The probe of the alleged bribe offer by the Australian firm, Securency, kept the anti-graft agency busy with more government officials coming to testify in the matter.
President Umaru Yar‘Adua launched the new N5, N10 and N50 polymer notes on September 30, 2009 at the Presidential Villa.
The circulation of the new bank notes coincided with Nigeria ’s 49th Independence Anniversary day celebration.
Some CBN officials were said to have received bribe from Securency International Pty for the purpose of getting the contract.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) had earlier probed the alleged N750million bribe offered by Securency to win the contract.
Although the contract for the printing of N5, N10, N50 notes was awarded in April 2009, the bribery scandal involving Securency was perpetrated in 2006.
According to findings, Soludo was asked to go late Friday-night after he had been quizzed for the second time. He wrote what a source described as a “useful statement.”
But the EFCC asked the former CBN Governor to “be ready to make himself available for more interrogation.”
A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We have interacted with Soludo but this is just the first leg of the series of interrogation we are going to have with him.
“Soludo gave an insight into how the contract was awarded. We will cross-check his statement with those of other stakeholders.
“Certainly, he has more questions to answer because we have a long list of government officials connected with the award of the contract. So at every bend, we may need to crosscheck some facts.”
According to a document, the CBN tender results for banknotes in 2006 showed how Securency bid for N20 polymer note at Euro 73.475 per 1000 notes including freight charge.
But it was learnt that the cost was later reduced to Euro 59.88 by the CBN when the N20 polymer contract was awarded in 2006.
Others involved in the bid were Global Securency ( Australia ); Gieesecke and Devrient (G &D) of Germany ; De La Rue (the UK ); FC Oberther ( France ) and Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC).
According to findings, the bid was opened on March 27, 2006 and finally concluded by April 4, 2006.
A March 16, 2006 letter from the Director of Currency and Banking Operations of the CBN had invited the five firms for the bid.
After the bid, G&D and NSPMC were awarded contract for the printing of the notes. But Global Securency won the bid for the production of polymer substrates.
The contract was awarded to the short-listed firms on May 2, 2006.
Meanwhile, the EFCC yesterday granted bail to the Imo State Commissioner for Finance Deacon Okafor Chike John and Accountant-General, Eche Ezenna George, who are being investigated for alleged mismanagement of state funds amounting to about N40billion.
According to the Head of Media and Publicity of the commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the two officials were released after producing two sureties.
Uwujaren said: “They were released to reliable sureties-a Deputy Director in the FCT, a Director in Imo Liaison Office and the Liaison Officer.”
The bail confirmed that the two officials were arrested by the EFCC contrary to the claim of the Imo State Government.
NaijaCenter

My Best Asset Is My Breast – Toyin Aimakhu

Popular Yoruba actress, Toyin Aimakhu, delves into her issues about her life, romance, scandals, Nollywood and more.

How I cope with advances from men

I get advances from men a lot. I cannot count how many times they hit on me. Some of them walk up to me with lame pick up lines. There was a day I used a picture of me and Bimbo Akintola on my BlackBerry. She is my friend and a role model. We were at a movie location and I took a picture with her. I used it as my BlackBerry display picture and someone sent a message asking if that was Bimbo Akintola. I replied the person saying she isn’t the one, that it was Iya Rainbow. There was another time someone came up to me and said he likes me. I said thank you and he said I should guess what. I asked and he said he really does not watch Yoruba movies. I told the person that I don’t act Yoruba movies, that I dance for Fela. He was shocked and said but I act Yoruba movies. I replied the man saying that I thought he does not watch Yoruba movies. I am not a harsh or aggressive person; everybody knows that all I do is act in Yoruba movies. I am a very nice and friendly person and I know that without my fans I am nothing. I have been able to cope with men because right from my childhood, most of my friends have been guys. I feel safe around them. I am a plain person; the thing with guys is that when you have an issue with them, they clear it immediately unlike women who keep talking about it all the time. When you are doing a great job, the opposite sex would definitely always come after you. I am used to it. Thank God, my man is an actor and a model, so he understands. Even when men don’t look at me, I tell him that nobody is noticing me and he teases me that it is because I am not fine again. Then we laugh it off.

The part of my body I consider as my best asset

I love every part of my body but if I am to choose I would say probably my breasts. My smile and my lips are also good features of my body.

How I became an actress

I never wanted to become an actress. I wanted to be a physiotherapist. I love attending to people, taking care of them. I did my HND in Marketing; I have a Degree in Philosophy from Olabisi Onabanjo University. My late brother, Mutab Aimakhu, had a friend, and the friend had an uncle who happened to be Aina Kushoro. Bukky Wright wanted to shoot a student movie and they needed someone to help them in University of Ibadan. Kushoro called me and told me that he needed me to help an actress. I asked who the actress was and he said that it was Bukky Wright. I was excited because everybody was going to see me with her. When she came around I was staring at her, I was telling everybody that I was with my aunty. She wanted to park her car and I offered to help her though I looked small and skinny; she did not believe I could drive. They had an audition and I was just watching. I liked her so I went to get her food and we sat together. I asked her why the people were not getting it right and she said that acting is not easy. I told her that there was nothing to it. She asked if I could act and I told her yes. We were just playing. She told me to go on stage. The person that directed it was Tope Idowu. I went on stage, they said I should act some scenarios for them which I did and they said I did very well. Everybody present there gave me a resounding ovation but I didn’t see it as anything. I was not interested in acting professionally. They started shooting and had some problems so they had to go to Ife. Bukky Wright forgot something in Ibadan and asked me to help her bring it to Ife. When I got there, she was upset and I asked her why she was down. She said that an actress they were expecting had not shown up. She asked if I could play the part but I was reluctant. I later played the part and was good at it. Back then, it was part of my fashion style to put a dot on the right side of my upper lip. The director of Jenifa, Muyideen Sasiliu, was the continuity guy on set. He approached me and said he needed me for something. He said he wanted to shoot a movie and he needed someone that would play Rachael Oniga’s part as a young person. He asked if the dot on my upper lip was natural and I said it was. When finished Bukky Wright’s film, she gave me money and I was surprised. Because of my background I was really shocked because I did not know someone could make money through talent. Then I came to Lagos. My journey to Lagos was like a joke; when I told my mother, she was very surprised and worried for me because I hadn’t been to Lagos before. I was born and bred in Ibadan. When I got to Lagos, everybody was just complimenting me, saying I am beautiful. They kept asking if I could drive because back then not many people could drive. When I acted people commended me and when I was done, I got paid. I went to Bukky Wright and she liked me. I visited her from time to time. Then she became my boss. That was how I started acting.

My parents’ reaction to my acting career

There is something about my family. Then when I just got in the industry I had problems with some people. They felt I was rude. It is not that I am rude. The way I was brought up, in my house they allow us to express ourselves freely. Even with my father, you have the right to express yourself. That was my upbringing. You can talk; you do not have to be scared of anybody. My parents would listen to you talk; they would not make you afraid of them by threatening you with punishment. They wanted us to be bold and this upbringing really worked for me. We do not lie in my house because we were trained in a Christian way. My parents would never choose what you are to do. They would let you do what you want so that even when you run into problems you would be able to stand on your own. My parents are old; initially my mother was scared but she went to some pastors and they prayed for me. My mother said the only thing she wants from me is that I should not forget where I come from and I should not do what I am not supposed to do. I promised her that I wouldn’t and if I do, I will die. She said that I will not die but live to testify to the goodness of God in my life. I will never serve God and money. My dad is a simple man; he lets you do what you want to do. Initially they did not support it but with time they changed their minds. Ever since I got their full support I have seen changes in my life.

The stigma against actresses

People see actresses as being wayward but it happens with young girls everywhere. But because we are known faces people tend to check our every move. I feel we are meant to be role models. I will not blame anybody; we are all from different backgrounds and have different mentality. Actresses don’t fight over men. Once they know you are an actress, they are ready to tarnish your image. Actress don’t fight over men. I do not have anything against people that date married men but I have never dated a married man and I would never do such. Because I am crazy in films people tend to have a wrong perception of me. I do not have tattoos, I do not use make-up except I am on set or I am going for an event. I have never dated a married man. My first boyfriend was Lekan, he is a young guy. I had another relationship with Niyi Solanke; then my ex-boyfriend, Kunle Soyombo who went to the press and told people I cheated on him. There is something about me; I pray a lot, I always want my fans to be proud of me. I love them and do not want to disappoint them. Kunle got married recently and I am with Niyi. To God be the glory, I am engaged. My husband proposed to me on a ferry. I love him and appreciate him. People see some actresses as wayward because of the way they place themselves. I am sure that a lot of people would not describe the likes of my boss, Bukky Wright, or Funke Akindele, Iyabo Ojo as wayward. The few bad eggs are the ones spoiling the names of the good ones. We have a lot of wonderful people in the industry. When you sit down and look at the people that are the bad eggs, they are not in the industry to act.

Strained relationship between English and Yoruba speaking artistes

I do not know about anybody degrading anyone because no one can do that to me. If you mock me I retaliate. You cannot degrade me because I am a graduate. A lot of people complain about it. I have a lot of friends among them and we talk regularly. I have been invited to act several English speaking movies. I was invited to act in Blackberry Babes, but I was not around. When I was called I was not around because I was shooting Femi Adebayo’s movie and I explained to them. It is a personal thing. Sometimes when I see some people act as such, I would complain but I would later keep quiet because I do not want to be insulted. It is the way you package yourself, the way you talk to people but there is no way anybody can downgrade me because I do not downgrade people. I do not disrespect people so nobody can disrespect me. If you do not want to talk with me, I would stay at home.

The money scandal I was involved in last year

My car was stolen from a friend of mine in September 2012. She wanted to drop someone with my car and it was stolen in the process. I am a public figure and from time to time, people give us gifts. I was shooting a movie and a friend walked up to me that a guy wanted to take us out because it was his birthday. I declined because I have a man and I cannot go out. The next day, Ibrahim, the man came and said he likes my movie and I thanked him. He said his father is an Islamic cleric and I asked him to tell his dad to keep praying for us. He said that he heard my car was stolen and offered to help. I accepted his offer to help, people give us money as well. I would never receive a gift for sex. The Bible says my body is the temple of the lord. I would never, ever do such. It was a big issue that later involved my husband. If I had done such, I would have been in big trouble. How would I have told him? My husband would faint, he would have been so disappointed. I am a lady and not married yet, it is normal for men to make passes at me but he knows I am from a Christian home. He is a good Christian and I am from a Christian home. If he hears such, he is going to faint. Ibrahim gave me N750,000 cash. He actually wanted to buy me a car; I wish he actually bought me a car so when the issue came up I would have just given him his car back. The guy’s father is a wonderful man. He spoke to me like a daughter and told me that the money was meant for someone else before his son took it. it was a gift, I did not steal it, I did not beg for it; but because he is a father and the way he spoke to me I listened. Ibrahim has an uncle, Agbana, who was also nice; Ibrahim too was nice, when he gave me the money, it was useful and I used it for something. I returned the money, but I still have about N200,000 to return.

About my previous relationship

The reason why I kept quiet all this while is because I am a lover girl. I fall in love; I love love. It is a sweet and wonderful experience. It is a beautiful thing. I have been waiting for this opportunity and I want my fans to sit down and think. I have never dated a married man, I am not a child. They can count the people I have dated and it is about four or five guys, including Niyi. Thank God I am engaged now. I fall in love and I do not know how to hide the person I am in love with. Once you ask me out and I say yes, I want to get married to you. It means I am in love with you; however most of these guys do not have the same intention. I have learnt that God’s time is the best. I had been walking around like a fool; meanwhile God had packaged Mr. Niyi Johnson for me. If I had married someone else apart from Niyi Johnson I would not be a happy woman. Now I met my better half and I love him. I do not even know the girl my former boyfriend is married to. He took my car; the Honda is actually my car. He was a guy I was in love with. I know Kunle is a funny person but there is something about me, even when they tell me you are not a good person, I want to deal with you. A lot of people have the wrong impression about me. I am a professional; because I act on screen, I act well and want to make it real. When you meet me, you realize it is just on screen. This has made me to always give people the benefit of doubt. So when people tell me about a person, I try to find out who the person really is. I bought the car for about N3 million. He was my man and he gave me N1 million. I just had to let it go because I was shocked and he was someone I loved. I found out and I just kept quiet about it. There was a time Kunle was in South Africa. The guy he went to meet was shopping while Kunle was at home. The guy tried calling him but couldn’t reach him so he called me instead. When he called me, he asked if it was boy or girl because he wanted to buy baby things to send to me. I was surprised because I was not pregnant. I was speechless; I called Kunle and told him what his friend said, that he wanted to buy baby things. He said that I should not mind his friend, that he wanted to buy it for one of his aunties who had a baby boy. I am smart but I kept quiet and took my mind off it. We did not have a fight, he just came to me to say that he wanted to attend a meeting and he took my car, because it was the latest Honda. I said okay and that was all, he stopped picking my calls. I sent him a text message, telling him to keep the car. I serve a living God; the next thing I saw was that he granted interviews saying that I was cheating on him. I went on a day’s fasting, and for 24 hours I was crying to God. I said that anything bad must not happen to anybody but let the people, my fans know the truth. And the truth came out. He had a wedding less than three months after we broke up. It was not even up to three months and the girl was about six months pregnant. We had spent Christmas and New Year together; he went to South Africa in November. I was the one that did the South African visa for him. He came back; my friend went to pick him up at the airport. We were together in the house, we had a New Year’s party, a lot of people were at the party. That means the girl had been pregnant all along and he had been playing me. He got back from South Africa and did not buy me a single top. My friends were surprised and asked why he did not buy anything for me, but I told them that he did not buy anything for me because he said he was broke. Meanwhile, people said they saw someone at the airport who came to pick things for him. God has a way of doing things. I wish him well; he was a wonderful guy too. I wish him well in life.

Me and my man

When you ask me about Niyi I feel like flying. I love him, he is my joy, and my friends make jest of me a lot with him. If I want to eat I call him; if he wants to do anything he calls me. We talk all the time. Niyi is my junior colleague but three years older than I am. I saw him in a movie and I was impressed by his acting. As seniors in the industry, when we see upcoming acts we make our observations. There is a tradition in the Yoruba movie industry, even if you are a 50-year-old person and I am 20-years-old but I got to the industry before you, you give me my respect. That is Yoruba, culture. I am 29-years-old. By looking at him I knew he was older than me. He wanted to talk to me but I was not interested because he is my junior colleague. Fortunately, Funke Akindele called me for a job, Oro omo. On getting to the set, he played my boyfriend. I would not lie, I liked him. When I saw him on set he came to me and said he is playing my boyfriend, I did not sound excited about it. I kept my cool. I asked him to walk me to my car, he was talking to me and I know he liked me, he took pictures with me. On set we were supposed to kiss, he had opened his mouth but I did not indulge him. When they stole my car, it gave everybody a reason to talk with me. He started talking to me and I was impressed by his intelligence. I told him I had seen him in Tinsel and he does a lot of soaps. His command of English is beautiful and that attracted me more to him. I saw a book with him and I loved it because I also love reading books. When he told me he likes me and wanted to date me I asked if he was on cheap drugs. He just sent me a text, ‘I did my findings and I am three years older than you, I know you don’t date for money and you don’t do married men. I love you’. I was like who is this and I disregarded the text. We later became friends and on my birthday, we were the only ones in the sitting room, people were outside. He told me he wanted to use the toilet so I had to take him, as we were going; he just dragged me to himself and kissed me. I could not resist him. He confessed to me that he liked his movies. On December 31, 2012, we were coming from Moji Olaiya’s movie location. He told me to allow them take the car away, giving several excuses. He told us to take a ferry, and on the ferry he proposed. That was the sweetest thing that could ever happen to a woman. He asked and I said yes. I told him that he should have told me so I would have hired people to shout yes on my behalf. We came back and there was a cab waiting for us.

My current project

I just shot Alacada part 2, we are taking it to the cinema. On January 22, I am going to start another movie; it has to do with autism. I am playing the part of a girl with autism. Her father has autism, it is a heredity problem; I inherited it from my father but mine is a worse case. My father used to be very rich and my mother married him for his money. Everything went bad and she left us. It was just my father and I. I had a best friend who happened to be an imbecile. However, my character has a talent, she can drum very well. She thinks like a child, she has the brain of a six-year-old although she is about 30 years. She has a gift, she can drum real good, later she becomes famous.

Naij

MDGs: At this rate, Nigeria won’t meet its water and sanitation target until 2033 – Group

by James Sambo

Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), a media network concerned with sanitation and water, has said that 63.6 million Nigerians have no access to potable water.
Dennis Deteer, the Chairman of its Plateau chapter, disclosed this in Jos on Friday when the body paid an advocacy visit to Plateau State Community and Social Development Agency. He said that Nigeria’s MDG target was to supply 74 per cent of the population with safe drinking water and 69 per cent of the population with adequate sanitation by 2015.
According to him, only 58 per cent of Nigerians had access to safe drinking water, with only 32 per cent population having access to good sanitation.
“At current rate of progress, the water target will be achieved in 2033, which is 18 years after the proposed 2015,” he said.
According to him, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that 361,900 people die yearly due to poor water and sanitation in Nigeria. “UNICEF also estimates that 194,000 children under the age of 5 die from diarrhoea caused by poor water and sanitation yearly,’’ he said.
WASH media network was a brain child of the Water Aid Nigeria with the objective of advocating, facilitating, supporting and monitoring water and sanitation issues. “The network has also been a voice for the voiceless majority in poor urban and rural communities on WASH issues,’’ he said.
He said that the visit was to seek collaboration with the Plateau Agency, and commended the managers’ involvement in the sinking of boreholes, hand-dug wells and the provision of other social amenities especially to people in backward urban and rural areas.
Responding, Dauda Dinju, the Chief Executive Officer, Plateau State Community and Social Development Agency, who received the WASH media network, assured the chairman of the agency’s collaboration. He called on the WASH media network to carry out adequate sensitisation, especially in the rural areas, on the agency’s activities.
We want you to specially sensitise those in the rural areas; let them know that all they need do is identify a basic need in their community and write a letter to us,” he said. “Once we receive that letter, we shall visit such community to ensure that what’s written is actually a collective need of such community. We would then ascertain the cost of executing such a project. To make for collective ownership, the community is expected to provide 10 per cent of the cost price for executing such a project, while we shall provide the reminder.’’
YNaija.com

Music is my drug, s*x my therapy – Fatai Rolling Dollar

Fatai Olagunju, aka Rolling Dollar, is a reporter’s delight any day. One hour with him and he would have taken you through three decades of West African music.

One day, during a meeting with LIFE & BEAT in a popular eatery in Lagos, while he sipped from a glass of orange juice, the celebrated highlife musician unveiled a few closely guarded secrets.

“My father was the first man to drive from Nigeria to Gold Coast (now known as Ghana) in 1929. I got the name ’Rolling Dollar ’ in my school days in the early 1930s. I used to be in the school football team. Whenever we were about to play football, I would go to the pitch with some dimes (American) in my pocket. My sister regularly gave them to me. It was her way of motivating me to face my studies.

“I always spent the money on food during break time. Every time my teammates saw me with the money, they would said to me ‘Fatai, bring your dollar, let us roll it. Head or tail?’ That was how I got the name and it has stuck since then,” the seasoned musician said.

When conversation shifted to the source of his incredible energy at 85 years, he simply smiled and said, “I have only God to thank for this. I have no special health programme or prescription that I follow. I don’t take herbs or special drugs to give me energy. I am natural and that is why I can sit here and tell you it is God’s grace. But I don’t abuse food or drinks. I free my mind from worries. The things that I cannot change, I hand them over to God. He created me, He knows my beginning and ending, as well as my strength and weaknesses.”

One thing gives this spritely artiste joy, though: the fact that providence had used well-meaning Nigerians to lift him from poverty in his old age.

“There is this prayer in Yoruba, which says, ’Kaale so mi ju owuro lo’ (Let my old age be prosperous). In my years of need, I used to say that prayer. Now everything has come to pass. I suffered a lot, but God used Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to elevate me and change my status. I am immensely indebted to this great man called Tinubu. God used him to turn my defeat to victory. Here I am today smiling. My name is everywhere again,” he said, smiling broadly.

Interestingly, the old man confessed that he is hooked on s*x.

“My weakness is s*x. Music is my drug and s*x is my therapy. Even at my age I cannot stop having s*x. My youngest wife knows this. I am strong and very agile in that department and s*x has never weighed me down. If anything, it helps me to release tension. Mind you, I am not recommending it for anybody because what is good for my system might not be healthy for you,” he said.

InformationNigeria