Monday, 4 February 2013

Saratu Gidado:I Love Playing ‘Wicked’ Roles

Saratu Gidado is probably the most famous of the Hausa actresses. The Kannywood star popularly known as Daso is the favourite of those in love with Hausa movies. If you call her Kannywood’s Mama G for her ability to portray comic roles and wicked characters, you will not be wrong. In this interview with TS Weekend, she opened up about life as an actress, family and why Hausa actors shy away from Nollywood.

You are known for you comic roles. The fans also love you for how well you interpret wicked characters. How did his come about? Well, I am not the one who opted for comic roles. It is the directors that do the casting and each time they give me a role that they deem fit, I accept it after looking through the script. It is equally true that the fans like it when I portray wicked woman. Yet, I leave it to the director to assign me roles. My duty as an actress is to bring the character to life and to look as convincing as possible.
Have you had situations where you explained to fans why you had to be wicked in films? On a few occasions, I’ve had to take out time to explain to viewers why I was mean in a film. I take time to tell them that I was only doing my job. I am not a wicked person in real life. I go as far as telling the fans that whatever character they see us (actors) playing, whether it is good or bad, it is all make-believe. Actors have their own way of living and in most cases; we are direct opposites of the characters we play.
You started out as a teacher. How did you get into Kannywood? It is true that I started out as a teacher. I love teaching. For me, teaching and acting come naturally, because both professions share similarities. In the classroom, you teach the pupils and equip them with knowledge that they will use in life. With films, people can learn life’s lessons and avoid making mistakes. As actors, we teach the viewers about life. Lots of people tell me they have learnt a lot watching Kannywood films.
How did your colleagues react to your decision to delve into acting? My colleagues were happy for me. My friends in the school told me to follow my dreams, because for them, acting might just be what God had destined for me. They wished me luck and prayed for my success.
Due to certain misconceptions, many parents in the north aren't disposed to their children joining Kannywood. Did you family support your leaving teaching for acting? I grant interview such as this one to enlighten people that entertainers are responsible. Those who view entertainers as irresponsible people need to be enlightened about how we work. Actors just like bankers or doctors work to earn a living. We are serious people who cater for our families from what we earn as actors. Besides putting food on the table, we also see acting as a means of carrying out social crusades over the ills in society. I always tell people that they shouldn’t emulate the bad characters in the films. Rather, they should learn from how badly evil people end up.
WHICH FILM WOULD YOU SAY GAVE YOU THE BREAK? I got my breakout role nine years back in the film entitled, Garuwashi. My fan base increased a great deal after that film.
YOU ARE VERY POPULAR AMONG KANNYWOOD FANS. HOW DO YOU COPE WITH THE PRESSURE THAT COMES WITH FAME? To be honest, I love the attention I get from the fans. I wasn’t famous before I got into Kannywood. Now, I have made a name through acting and I am enjoying the fame. Everywhere I go the fans hail me by my nickname ‘Daso’. It was the fans that gave me that name and whenever they see me, they stop to greet me. I appreciate the love the fans show me.
Naij

You’re a malicious liar – Fani-Kayode blasts Abati

By Ameh Comrade Godwin

Femi Fani Kayode

Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has lambasted the Special Adviser to the president on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, over his comment on the state of affairs of the aviation sector during his tenure, saying Abati is a malicious liar who is out to dent his hard-earned name and reputation.
Fani-Kayode stated in his article entitled ‘Delusion of Today’s Men’, a reaction to Abati’s own, ‘Hypocrisy of Yesterday’s Men’.
According to him, instead of Abati addressing issues raised by stakeholders on accountability, especially on the spending of $67billion from the external reserves, it is regrettable that the presidential aide indulged in what Fani-Kayode described as “a distasteful form of intellectual, spiritual and psychological masturbation, by telling us that he and his master were ‘today’s men’ who needed no lessons from the ‘men of yesterday’.
In his article, Fani-Kayode stated that Abati lied against him when he wrote that, as minister of aviation, he ‘’shut down Port Harcourt Airport for two years and allowed grass to grow all over it.’’
Faulting Abati over the issue, Fani-Kayode said, “This is false. It is a classic case of disinformation coming from a man that is obviously suffering from a very low self-esteem. It is clear that Abati, who is a journalist, has forgotten the most important tenet of his profession – which is that ‘facts are sacred and opinion is cheap’. Ordinarily, one would have ignored his bitter rant but it is important that I set the record straight for the sake of posterity.”
Fani further clarified what transpired at the aviation sector during his tenure, saying that Port Harcourt International Airport was closed on December 10, 2005, after the Sosoliso Air crash in where 100 people died.
“The crash,” he explained, “affected the runway of the airport very badly and, consequently, the then minister of aviation, Prof. Babalola Borishade, closed it. I was redeployed from the ministry of culture and tourism to the ministry of aviation in November 2006. This was 11 months after the Sosoliso crash had taken place and that Port Harcourt Airport had been closed. It is clear from the foregoing that I was not the one that shut down Port Harcourt Airport.
“I was saddened to discover that in the previous 11 months before I got there, nothing had been done and the contract to repair the runway had not even been awarded. Consequently within a month of my being appointed minister of aviation, we set to work and awarded the contract to Julius Berger at the cost of N3billion. 50 per cent of the money was paid up front and Julius Berger set to work immediately. The runway was fully completed and the airport in pristine condition before I left office on May 29, 2007, just six months after I awarded the contract,” he said.

He, however, noted that the airport could not reume operation before he left office because the runway lighting system was still in the process of being installed, saying that the late President Yar’adua’s government went ahead and opened the airport few months later, even though the runway lights had still not been installed.
According to Fani-Kayode, “The record shows that from the day that I was appointed minister of aviation and the time that our mandate ran out seven months late, my staff at the ministry and Julius Berger worked night and day on the runway project at Port Harcourt International Airport in order to ensure that we finished it in record time. And this we managed to do. Given these facts, how Abati can peddle the lie.”
Fani-Kayode also disputed Abati’s claim that he closed down ‘’other major airports’’ when he was Minister of aviation ‘for the purposes of renovation,’ saying that the opposite was the case.
He lamented that for all the good work he rendered to the country as aviation minister, Abati had taken it upon himself to tarnish his good name with wicked lies, saying he would leave Abati to God’s judgement.
Fani-Kayode reminded the presidential aide that no condition is permanent and that ‘yesterday’s men’ could also become ‘tomorrow’s men.’
“So when Abati glibly writes people off as if they will never be in power again, it is a sad reflection of his lack of experience and naivety. It is God that determines our tomorrow. It is He that lifts men up, that pulls them down and, sometimes, if it be His will, he lifts them up again. There are countless examples of that in our history,” he said.
On the issue of corruption and the economy , Fani-Kayode stated that there was the need for the president and his ‘today’s men’ to respond to the issue of accountability, citing the recent request of the British Prime Minister David Cameron, who sought answer into how the country spent the $100 billion made from oil sales in the last two years?
“When will they answer Obi Ezekwesili’s question about how they squandered $67 billion of our foreign reserves? When will they answer the question that Nasir el-Rufai asked sometime back about how they spent over N350billion on security vote in one year alone?
“When will they answer the many questions that Dr. Pat Utomi and many other distinguished and courageous leaders and ‘yesterday’s men’ have raised about the trillions of naira that have been supposedly spent on oil subsidy payments in the last two years? When will they implement the findings and recommendations of the Nuhu Ribadu report on the thievery that has gone on in the oil sector? When will they cultivate the guts and find the courage to respond to a call for a public debate to defend their abysmal record? When will these ‘today’s men’ stop being so reckless with our money? Why would our ‘today’s man’ FCT minister budget N5 billion for the ‘rehabilitation of prostitutes in the Abuja’?” he queried.
DailyPost

Explosive detonated near Abuja Force CID

by Ronald Mutum

A loud blast was heard after an explosive device planted near the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), close to Garki Area 10 post office was detonated this morning by the Police.

Daily Trust learnt that the explosive device was detonated by the Police Force Anti Bomb Squad around 10 O’clock this morning.

The device was purportedly discovered and removed in a successful controlled detonation by police without any serious damage or casualty.

Attempts to reach the Federal Capital Territory Police spokesperson Doris England to confirm the report was unsuccessful as her phone number was not responding.
DailyTrust

Abuja Residents Seek Jonathan's Help Over Planned Demolition

Residents of a mass housing estate in Abuja, under the aegis of Saraha Proform Estate Residents Association, have petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan over the planned demolition of their N160 billion estate by authorities of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In the petition signed by Oluwasegun Otta Ojo and Maureen Ibikwe, the chairman and secretary of the Association respectively and dated January 4, 2013, the residents said they bought property at the estate between 2009 and 2012 through one Alhaji Kabiru, the Chairman/CEO of Saraha Homes Limited and had long completed payment and taken possession of their houses without hindrance from anybody until recently.
"It would be important to inform you sir that at the commencement of our transactions with Saraha Homes Limited, we demanded to see the original allocation paper of the said plot. We were shown a copy of letter of offer issued in the name of Proform (West Africa) Limited.
"We were also made to understand that there was a partnership agreement between the said Proform (West Africa) Limited and Saraha Homes Limited. A copy of the said partnership agreement was also shown to us by the Chairman/CEO of Saraha Homes Limited. We were also shown a copy of a letter of authority investing power on the Chairman/CEO of Saraha Homes Limited to manage and superintend the estate," the letter reads in part.
The residents said searches conducted at the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS) confirmed that the land was allocated in the name of Proform (West Africa) Limited and they were subsequently issued offer letters for their respective buildings by Saraha Homes Limited to take possession of their various buildings.
They said they were, however, surprised when a group in the name of Winning Clause Limited came to paste quit notices on their buildings in November 2012 – claiming ownership of the said plot.
"Worried by the strange development, we approached the Winning Clause Limited through Mr. P. I. N. Ikwueto (SAN), who claimed to be the chairman of the company in his office to find out why the notices were pasted on our buildings. We were then told that the allocation to Proform (West Africa) Limited had been revoked and re-allocated to Winning Clause Limited in November 2012.
"On December 3, 2012, some persons who claimed to be men from the Department of Development Control of FCDA came with bulldozers to demolish our buildings in the estate.
"According to the Winning Clause Group, the men came at its behest. But in keeping faith with observing law and order, we reached out to the chairman of Winning Clause Limited, Mr. P.I.N. Ikwueto (SAN), who said to us that the only thing that could save our houses from being demolished is if every house owner pays N15 million to Winning Clause Limited via him."
The petitioners also informed the President that the same Winning Clause Limited had initiated an action against Proform (West Africa) in a court of law over the said Plot 67, Kafe District, Abuja and in spite of the subsisting suit in court, which has not yet been determined, the Winning Clause Limited through its agents had sworn never to allow them have peace and "they have consistently sent thugs to the estate to harass and intimidate us. We are no longer sure of our safety anymore. Our lives are in danger."
According to them, through an earlier petition to the Director of mass housing department of FCDA, Jibril Gambo Umar, it had been confirmed that Winning Clause Limited never applied for mass housing land through the Department of Mass Housing of FCDA just as no land was allocated to it through the department as there were no records to that effect.
In the petition which was also sent to the Minister of the FCT, the National Assembly, the Chief of Army Staff, Inspector General of Police and others, the residents also complained that on the morning of Thursday, January 31, 2013, they woke up to discover that about 60 armed soldiers with armed policemen numbering about 50, dressed in bulletproof vests had besieged the estate, cordoned all the entrances to the estate and made sure nobody left or came into the estate.
"The armed men threatened to shoot anybody who disobeyed them. We were later informed that the fierce-looking armed security men were invited to the estate by the management of Winning Clause Limited and some senior officials of the Development Control Department with the evil intention of pulling down over 200 already completed duplexes.
"They, however, succeeded in demolishing three in order to force us to succumb to the huge financial demands of some questionable characters."
The sight of these armed men inflicted great trauma on the residents, which culminated in people fainting and some had instant cardiac arrest. We have cases of home owners suffering from stroke because of the trauma the Winning Clause Limited has inflicted on us and the uncertainty of what may befall our houses.”
They therefore implored the President to come to their rescue by directing the necessary authorities of the FCDA, especially the Minister of the FCT, Bala Mohammed, to resolve the matter in their favour in order to save them from the trauma they were undergoing in the hands of Winning Clause Limited and the Development Control Department.
Naij

Tayo Oke: Lamido Sanusi: General overseer accountable only to the gods

By Tayo Oke

Ever wondered to whom the Pope is accountable to? To God, right? What about the General Overseers of some of our major churches in Nigeria, some of whom have chosen to live in luxury; gallivanting in private jets and living in opulence while the teeming mass of their congregation go by with only crumbs of bread for evening supper.
Let’s face it, GOs, I mean the crème de la crème of them all, are not just preachers on the pulpit; they are seasoned businessmen and strategists. They preside over budgets that are the envy of many state governors, managing real estate and property portfolios running into trillions of naira. They enjoy the adulation of a grateful crowd when they venture out, presidents and top political and business leaders kneel at their feet, yet they do not endure even a scintilla of the political distractions suffered by elected state governors trying to improve the well-being of the citizens. In addition, the mega churches are exempt from corporate tax since they are supposedly registered charities.
These churches have fenced themselves in with their own schools, right up to university level, shops, land, houses and rules, that they are effectively ‘Republics’ inside the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They are practically untouchable since probing into their activities might ignite a mini religious war. Let me only hint here that religious power bases in our country harbour some yet to discover scandals that would dwarf anything the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has ever handled in its existence. Let’s put that to one side.
What about the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria? Once appointed, he cannot be dismissed, well, I mean practically impossible to be dismissed; he has access to unlimited funds to do what he likes in the financial market; he strolls into the National Assembly twice a year to bamboozle the members with a glowing self-appraisal of the CBN’s performance; he is the chair of his own board; he reserves the right to dissolve the management of commercial banks at will; he makes generous donations to good causes of his own choosing, and even had the effrontery to appear in office akin to a newly turbaned prince of an Islamic Caliphate. When the CBN corporate governance issue came under scrutiny from the legislators, he turned it into an attack on the independence of the CBN and vowed that any move to institutionalise a corporate governance system in the CBN would “fail”.
Unlike the men in white flowing robes, Sanusi is accountable to the gods; the gods of free market economics: interest rates, inflation, production, distribution and exchange. As I have argued before, (Seehere and here) the independence of the CBN and a proper corporate governance framework for its functions are two separate issues. Time and again, Sanusi conflates the two for fear that tinkering with any internal structures of the CBN would inexorably lead to the emasculation of its independence and autonomy. He may well have a point in the sense that the strong and sophisticated political systems in the West, which ensure that their central banks are squarely within the purview of democratic accountability, is to be contrasted with our own parochial and sometimes shambolic democratic structure, with which no central banker would wish to take a risk.

That said, since when does an absence of a strong and sophisticated democratic structure become a permanent bar to overseeing the work of any central bank? Besides, are governors of central banks saints who can do no wrong? Speaking at the 2012 edition of the CBN-FITC continuous education programme for directors of banks and financial institutions in Lagos, in October 2012, Sanusi stated: “Many investors and consumers of financial services in Nigeria are becoming increasingly discerning and sophisticated in the choice of banks they have a relationship with…the stark message here is that to remain competitive in Nigeria’s changing banking landscape, banks and financial institutions must innovate and adapt their corporate governance practices so that they can meet the demands of their stakeholders and grasp new opportunities…” He further stated in a telling rebuke to the banks: “…views of corporate governance are shifting from mere obligation and compliance with laws and codes of best practice, to a strategic business imperative…”
Well, listening to this, one has to believe that the governor was not just reading from a prepared script, one has to believe that he does indeed understand and believe in the words he uttered to the bank chiefs. The question then is why does he not think similar sentiments apply to him and the operations of the CBN? For instance, how does his chairmanship of the Board of Governors of the CBN resonate with the imperatives of corporate governance? How does the governor think the demands of the CBN’s stakeholders can be grasped? In case it escaped the governor, the stakeholders of the CBN are the people of Nigeria through their elected representatives. Whenever the governor has appeared in front of the lawmakers over the “autonomous” vs. “interference” debate, he has mounted a spirited defence of the current CBN’s chain of command, and its tenuous bureaucratic link to the Executive and Legislature. In the same breath, he was lecturing bankers in Lagos on how corporate governance should not be viewed as a “mere obligation and compliance with laws and codes of practice”. This smacks of hypocrisy at best, cack-handed arrogance at worst.
Recently, I was debating the pervasive influence of the country’s top GOs in the wallets of their congregation with a colleague of mine, a devout Christian, and an assiduous payer of all sorts of offering at his church, and wondering how people fill up those empty barrels strategically located by the podium at one of those “prayer nights”, with cash and walk away from it. How can people drop their hard-earned currencies inside the barrel without batting an eyelid, and without further ado? I asked. “It’s in exchange for God’s blessings”, he replied. Yes, all being well, but what if the money is later diverted to the Pastor’s own personal use? I asked in solemn contemplation. “Oh, that is something between the Pastor and God”, my friend retorted. “Mine is to give and walk away; I leave the Pastor and the money to God”, he further said with conviction. I left with the feeling of wondering how being in custody of people’s money with the freedom to use as one deems fit must ranks as one of the best jobs in the world. The thought of any CBN governor one day being able to model himself or herself on the ethics of GOs is deeply troubling. It makes the case for a more accountable CBN governor unanswerable.
DailyPost

Mercy Aigbe: I Appeased My Father With A Goat

I was sitting in the front seat of a bus and feeling stuffy and sweaty despite the weather. Gusts of wind sent dust spiraling, giving the streets a much needed sweep as pedestrians and hawkers rushed by, eager to make it to the safety of shelters before the water gates of heaven go burst. It began with just a few drops.

As the tiny drops hit the earth, the aromatic smell of the first rain of the year pervaded my nostrils as I hopped off the bus at Oregun bus stop, Ikeja. I had scarcely made it out of the bus when the rain burst out in fury. For an instance, I toyed with the idea of doing a detour but I changed my mind, the venue of the interview was less than 200 meters away and so I made a dash for it.

I had scarcely settled into a seat when star actress, Mercy Aigbe stepped into the reception clad in a tight fitting split orange pants and a black top that displayed a lot of cleavages. What struck me about her was that determined look in her eyes. She threw me the brightest smile I had received that day.

On the surface, she cut the image of a happy-go-lucky, carefree woman and beneath that I could perceive a lot of talent. It was exciting to know that the woman standing before me made her debut in 2006 in a flick entitled, Ara and six years later, she has emerged a major force to reckon with in Nollywood, and what’s more, she has her finger in every pie. Aside being an actress, she is also a scriptwriter and movie producer.

And you could guess her dad’s reaction. He was livid and practically disowned her. Eventually, Mercy had to get elders and uncles from her village that went to plead with her dad to take back his erring daughter. In order to finally settle the case, she bought a goat for her dad to appease him.

“He did not take it likely. He was broken hearted! He was so mad at me. To show that he meant business, he did not pay my first year’s school fees. I had to beg, I had to buy a goat to appease him according to tradition. I had some of my uncles come over to beg him and later, he came around and said, ‘anyway, in Nigeria, it’s not what you study that determines the by CouponDropDown" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: none; list-style: none; border: 0px none; color: #444444; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;">job you do. My daughter, you can study Theatre Arts and still be my Accountant someday.’ He eventually gave me his bless
TalkOfNaija

Just AWFUL: Pre-school closing because several 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds had sex

A California preschool is reportedly closing its doors amidst allegations of sexual activity among several of its students.

A California preschool is reportedly shutting down after disturbing allegations of sexual activity among several of its 4- and 5-year-old students emerged.

First Lutheran Church of Carson School is closing midsemester amid reports that two boys received oral sex from a 5-year-old girl on school grounds, according to KABC-TV.
Attorney Greg Owen, who is representing some of the children’s families, said the sexual acts took place at nap time, at a school playground and at an outside bathroom.
“It all boils down to a lack of supervision,” Owen told ABC News. “There were times when teachers would let aides in the room for hours at a time to watch the kids. During nap time, the aides would be sleeping, and the children would have been molesting each other during this time.”
Owen is representing several parents who are planning to file a lawsuit against the Carson, Calif., school, which has allegedly been cited by the California Department of Social Services for “at least one sexual incident that involved young students.”
School officials told KABC that its decision to close comes after the school director resigned due to personal reasons and has nothing to do with the allegations.
Parent Richard McCarthy says that’s far from the truth.
He said his son received oral sex from the young girl on multiple occasions.

Richard McCarthy says his son received oral sex from a 5-year-old girl multiple times.

“He told me about all the bad things that girl had been doing to him,” McCarthy told the local station. “It went down in the classroom, it went down in the bathroom and it went down out on the playground.”
At least one other boy allegedly received oral sex from the same girl.
“Their lives will be ruined in many ways,” Owen told ABC News of the children. “And we know there are many more (victims).”
Parents, meanwhile, are struggling to find new schools for their kids.
“There’s no way I can just take him to another school and be that parent that just lets a predator loose,” McCarthy said of his son. “How else do you explain it?”
McCarthy said he spoke to three other parents who are worried about sending their kids elsewhere.
“Parents are saying, ‘My child is now a predator. Now how can I let him go to another school?’” he explained.
“There were many children lying there, and they watched these acts. In our business and in psychological terms, that’s sexualizing a child at a young age.”
YNaija.com