Linda Ikeji's smile lacks happiness

Maybe I'm the only one who always notice this - perhaps because I love her so much that I often look deep into her eyes even on photograph.
But the truth is that I don't always see true happiness behind her smile. There are a million ladies - and guys - in the world who wishing and praying and dreaming they were Linda, but each time her photo pops up the media, even while behind her over 15m Range Rover, her smile lacks that smug of happiness and satisfaction usually on the face of achievers.

The revival of Igbo language and culture

Akabogu writes from Enugu Ukwu, Anambra State

So much has been said and written by Igbo elites in recent times about the alarming decline in spoken Igbo language by Ndigbo themselves and the possible extinction of the language in the nearest future. The Igbo language is one of the three major languages recognized by law or convention in Nigeria.
It is a matter of deep regret, however, that only little efforts seem to have been made to stem the dangerous tide that is currently eroding the cherished Igbo Language and Culture among NdiIgbo themselves. To further compound the ugly situation, the Igbo elites seem not to be helping matters as they are the worst culprits in the utter bastadization of our cherished Igbo Language and culture.
A renowned academic and tireless crusader for the revival and sustenance of Igbo language and culture, Professor Pita Ejiofor, appears to be doing a yeoman’s and seemingly thankless job with his pet project known as “Subakwa Igbo” as many Igbo elites and the people generally appear to be less enthusiastic in the noble crusade to avert the imminent extinction of Igbo Language. It is said that a people without a language is dead hence it has become imperative and as a matter of utmost importance for NdiIgbo across Nigeria and in diaspora to urgently take up the challenge to ensure that our language, which is our identity is safeguarded and preserved for future generations. Ndigbo should take a cue from their fellow compatriots in the Nigerian project like the Yorubas and Hausa/Fulanis who, no matter their social and academic status in society, always cherish their mother tongue and are proud to speak and write their language at any time and place as well as at public fora
Regrettably, however, the Igbo elites and even the not so learned NdIgbo often feel ashamed to speak their God-given language at public functions or gatherings with the wrong notion that their Igbo audience would simply regard them as illiterates or what is termed in Igbo language as “Na Otiwara Slate” or “Na Ogbajiro chalk” meaning that they never acquired Western education. This unfortunate state of affairs which has persisted over the years brought utter disrespect and disdain from our fellow compatriots- the Yorubas and Hausa/Fulanis who often treat NdiIgbo as a people without a language and culture.
It is common knowledge that an average Igbo man (Onyigbo) has a penchant for learning and mastering other people’s language and culture as a way of adapting and assimilating the language and culture of his host community. This sense of versatility on the part of NdiIgbo, much as it is desirable in view of the Igbo man’s enterprising spirit and tendency to migrate to other places, should however not be to the detriment of our God-given language and culture which were handed down to the present generation by our forebears. An Igbo adage states thus: “Oku agunyere nwata naka agai anyu anyu” meaning that the light handed over to a child must never be extinguished.
This writer, therefore, makes bold to state that concerted efforts must be made henceforth by all and sundry throughout Igboland to resuscitate the already dying Igbo language and culture. I recommend the following urgent and stringent measures in order to achieve the noble objective.
First and foremost, the governors and State Houses of Assembly in the South-East geo-political zone of the country must immediately come up with a legislation that will make it compulsory for students seeking admission into tertiary institutions and universities within the zone to possess a minimum score of 60% proficiency in Igbo language among other requirements for admission into higher institutions of learning. This singular legislation will obviously compel Igbo parents wherever they may reside to start early enough to speak and teach their children and wards Igbo language and culture in order to safeguard not only their own future but that of generations yet unborn.
Furthermore, the state governments within the South-East geo-political zone must as a matter of utmost priority adopt Igbo language as the official language of communication in all government businesses and functions while the English Language should take the back seat as the second official language for government transactions. In the same vein, the State Houses of Assembly within the zone must equally adopt Igbo language as the official language for their daily legislative businesses while the English language should be used only one day in the legislative week.
The Igbo language should equally be adopted as the formal language in all social functions and ceremonies within Igboland. Similarly, churches in Igboland are enjoined to encourage their clerics and pastors to always conduct their services and sermons in Igbo language and employ the services of interpreters to translate their messages into the English language for their non-Igbo speaking worshipers as obtainable in multi-linguistic societies.
These measures will obviously compel other Nigerians domiciled in Igboland to learn and speak Igbo language so as to be fully integrated into their host communities and thereby enhancing the much talked about national integration, cohesion and unity among Nigerians as a people. Equally important in this noble crusade for the revival of Igbo language, culture and identity is the revered traditional institution which should be in the vanguard for Igbo renaissance by adopting only the Igbo language during the annual “Ofala”, “Iwaji” and all other traditional rites usually performed by “Ezes” and “Igwes” in Igboland. The common habit on the part of elites in Igbo land who often mix English and Igbo languages together otherwise called “Engligbo” during social, traditional functions and ceremonies under the pretext that the Igbo language is incomplete or difficult to speak should be completely jettisoned as Igbo language is certainly complete and easy to speak and understand.
The apex Igbo organization known as Ohaneze Ndigbo which for long had remained a toothless bulldog and self-centered must wake up from its deep and embarrassing slumber and take up the challenge of sensitizing and promoting the Igbo language and culture which are indeed its primary objectives and functions.
The Igbo nation regrettably had for too long suffered unimaginable neglect and complete loss of influence in the affairs of the nation due to lack of vibrant and focused leadership, hence the successive leadership of Ohaneze had continually betrayed the confidence and trust of Ndigbo as the sole defender of the collective interests and aspirations of Ndigbo and Igbo nation.

John Terry begs Chelsea for new contract

Chelsea captain, John Terry, has pleaded with the club to extend his current deal beyond this season. The 35-year-old defender, announced in January that he would be leaving the club this summer, after they refused to offer him a new contract.
It was assumed that Terry had played his last game for the Blues, after he was shown a red card against Sunderland last week, leaving him suspended for their last two games of the season.

However, he has now spoken of his desire to remain at Stamford Bridge.
“I still want to play for a couple more years, hopefully that’s at Chelsea,” Terry said.
“I’m a Chelsea player and that has been my club since the age of 14. I love Chelsea.”

Fayose's Plans For 2019 Presidential Election

Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose, speaking in Ado-Ekiti during his regular media chat has stated that he’s qualified to be the vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party come 2019.
“If he gives me the VP slot, it is a good thing for Ekiti people even though, you cannot set out to say you want to be VP.
“But you people should not worry yourself about 2019 because nobody knows who will be alive in 2019 but mentioning my name for VP is good for Ekiti.
“I will not support Ali Modu Sheriff for President in 2019. I am qualified to be VP if it is the will of God. God is taking me to a higher place, how, I don’t know.”
When he was reminded by one of the panelists that when his tenure expires in October 2018, President Buhari would still be in office. Fayose said: “My brother, you are not a wise man by asking that question; anybody talking about what will happen in 2019 now is not a wise man.
“Nobody knows that APC would become a ruling party in the last elections. I am not afraid of anybody, you can charge me to court, they charged me to court, I won.
“They harassed my wife and the court awarded damages against them, they charged our lawmakers to court, we won. Do you want to tell me that because I am in opposition I should keep quiet? I am not afraid of them and I am not afraid of being detained.
“I will continue to criticise them because it was God who brought me here.”

I keep my daughter out of my nude online business – Maheeda

Nigerian nude star, born Caroline Sam, better known as Maheeda, says she keeps her daughter away from her nude online business.

The controversial nudist insists she is not a bad mother as she is raising her daughter in a proper manner.
The self-professed goddess of X, who says she derives joy in going nude and showcasing her private parts online in photos and videos, in an Instagram post @m9ja1, responded to critics who always call her out over her numerous explicit videos and photos, and questioning her competence as a mother.
The mother of one wrote, “It’s funny how u think I’m a bad mother but you can’t find my child online insulting anybody for any reason.
“She aint a part of what I do and never will she be. I rarely shares photos of my daughter, but when I does, it is with pride. I never involve my teenage daughter in my adult business.
“You don’t have to agree with me. But I have spoken.
“Any type of woman, holly woman, Virgin woman, Mad woman, porn woman, prostitute etc, gets respect from a man well trained by a woman.
“If you have no respect for women, your mum didn’t do her homework well enough,” she added.

Police recruitment: Most applicants ineligible – IGP Arase

IGP Solomon Arase

As the curtain draws on the police recruitment exercise on Friday May 13, most of the over 843, 000 applicants who submitted applications for the 10,000 available slots into the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) may have already failed, even without writing the recruitment test.
Indications are that many of the candidates failed because they either do not meet the age or educational requirements.
Information on the recruitment portal indicated that Police Constable, Specialist and Special Duties candidates must have at least five credit passes in WAEC or its equivalent in not more than two sittings.
Cadet Inspector, Specialist and Special Duties Candidates must possess at least one of the following from a reputable polytechnic or college of education OND, NCE or their equivalents.
Cadet ASP Specialist and Special Duties Candidates on the other hand are expected to posses at least B. SC.; B.A.; B. TECH.; HND. or an equivalent degree from a reputable university or polytechnic.
However, Mr. Solomon Arase, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) who disclosed this in Abuja at an event to celebrate his first anniversary as Nigeria’s police chief disclosed that most of the applicants who declared their intention for recruitment were between 30 and 34 years of age, whereas the Police service Commission (PSC) stipulated a maximum age of 28 in the application forms.
Arase who will retire in June said that such applicants were too old and as such will not make it into the Force.
He also disclosed that the events that would culminate in the recruitment of successful candidates would begin next month.
“The final process is going to be next month because all those that are uploading details are about 30, 34 (years). All those ones are too old. We won’t select them.
“So, all those 700, 000 or 800, 000 (applications) you are seeing, a lot of them will be knocked out when the system meets them because when you don’t meet the age criterion, you are sorted out (applications are thrown out).
“When your academic qualification doesn’t meet up, you are sorted out (applications are thrown out).
“There will be examination, but it will come out from the various states and once we know the numbers, we point them state by state and all government people will do their own.
“The state will do theirs and it will come from the bottom to the top. I never knew Nigerians would like the police like this,” he said.
The IGP remarked further that training of successful candidates would be decentralised to the six geo-political zones where he said good-enough facilities are available.
It could be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the recruitment of 10,000 additional policemen into the Force to reinforce the police for better service.
Of these 10,000 personnel, the PSC was recently quoted in a statement to have said that it would recruit 500 Cadet ASP, 500 Cadet Inspectors, 1,500 Specialist Officers and 7, 500 Constables.
As a May 2, 2016 the PSC said it received 843,008 applications from applicants seeking enlistment into the Nigeria Police Force.
Mr Ikechukwu Ani, Head, Press and Public Relations of the commission said that 243,327 applications were received for Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) cadre, while 197,990 and 401,691 applied for the Inspector and Police Constable (PC) cadres respectively.
The online recruitment portal was opened on April 1, 2016 and will close on May 13, 2016.

President Buhari lashes out at Biafra agitators

President Buhari yesterday lashed out at Biafra agitators and other groups calling for the division of Nigeria. According to Buhari, many people who fought during the Nigerian civil war laid down their lives for the unity of this country and it will be wicked to allow their sacrifice be in vain. Buhari who said this while speaking at the Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Kabiru Usman's palace, stated that it will be better for all Nigerians to drown in a sea than for Nigeria to ever break up.

 

"Recently, some people who were not even born during the war are saying they want to divide Nigeria. I always say the civil war was fought for the unity of Nigeria because then we hadn’t even discovered oil let alone enjoying it. But two million people were killed. The way the Sahara is advancing, with Boko Haram, growing number of people and uncertainty over rainfall, in a land where we fought civil war leading to the death of about two million, for someone to just say he will chase us out? So where do we go?For Nigeria to divide now, it is better for all of us to jump into the sea and get drowned”he said

Source: The Nation

Photos: Beyonce Rocks Ankara Dress

Perpetually hot Beyonce stepped out with her main man Jay-Z in Houston.
The singer was spotted wearing a beautiful Ankara dress. Many people seemed to think it was amazing as she took lots of pictures with them– or maybe it’s just because she’s famous.
The singer’s who’s latest album Lemonade has been burning the charts and has been a major talking point due to its insinuation that husband Jay-Z had cheated on her, looked quite happy with her man as they posed to take photos.
You can see her absolutely slay in the photos below.

No man is worth it – Mbong Amata advises women on domestic violence

Nollywood actress, Mbong Amata, has sent a piece of advice to women to shun the thoughts of managing their homes despite being in depression due to constant violation and abuse, noting that marriage is not supposed to be an endurance trek venture.
She lent her voice on domestic violence following the death of Ronke Shonde who was murdered by her husband, Lekan Shonde at their home on Thursday.
The wife of movie maker and director, Jeta Amata, on Sunday, sent a mother’s day message to all women, noting that no man was worth the stress of going through so much for.

In an open letter, the winner of the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 2003 said, “Tales about domestic violence is becoming a bit too much for me to handle.
“What in God’s name is going on?!?! Ladies please open your eyes and use your heads!
“A RELATIONSHIP OR MARRIAGE shouldn’t be an ENDURANCE TREK!
“We’ve gotta lose this management mentality Domestic abuse goes beyond physical harm…like you know…losing YOUR LIFE! No man is worth it.
“Name calling or putdowns, keeping you from contacting your family or friends, stopping you from getting a job, sexual assault, intimidation are all forms of abuse.
“Managing a relationship or marriage for the sake of your children doesn’t provide you a better home, but having an ABUSEFREE home does.
“#RIP Ronke and Happy Mothers Day to you,” the Abia-born actress added.

MTN loses 6.5 million data subscribers, Glo gains over 1.5 million

The 2016 first quarter telecoms industry report has shown that MTN Nigeria lost 6.5 million Internet subscribers between the months of January and March.
From a report published on the website of the Nigerian Communications Commission, the company began the year with 39,924,737 data customers, “but ended the quarter with 33,356,595.”
It showed that another telco, Globacom, garnered 1,448,354 fresh data customers in the first three months of 2016, representing 80 per cent of the total number of new Internet subscribers acquired by all the telecommunications networks.
In January alone, Globacom pulled 354,178 new data subscribers, had 248,593 in February and 845, 583 in March, upping the cumulative figure of its data subscribers to 26, 530,420 in the first quarter.
According to the report, a total figure of 1,820,651 new data customers subscribed to the four major telecoms networks in the period under review.

Gunmen kill five policemen in Rivers

UNKNOWN gunmen in the early hours of Monday killed five policemen, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr. Nasiru Halidu.

The policemen were ambushed by their assailants in Okobe, Ahoada West LGA of Rivers State, along the East-West road at about 3am.

The victims were coming from Yobe State where they went on a special duty and were on their way back to Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital when they were attacked.

State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Muhammad, who was almost in tears while confirming the incident, described the development as a sad one.

Police arrest killer husband

Samson Folarin

The Police have arrested Mr. Lekan Shondi for allegedly killing his wife Ronke.

The police spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, said the police tracked him down, adding that he will be transferred to the State Department of Criminal Investigation.

But Lekan, who has been speaking with our correspondent since 7am till 2.37pm, said he surrendered himself.

Details later

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck together During Paris Dinner

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck together During Paris Dinner But Source Says 'Nothing Has Changed' About Separation

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner

 

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck may be spending time together in the City of Love but a trip to Paris does not necessarily mean they're officially getting back together.

The exes were spotted at Le Petit Marché restaurant in the Place des Vosges with their three children, Violet, 10, Seraphina, 7, and Samuel, 4, on Friday evening.

"At first they were alone and appeared to be affectionate, then were joined by the kids," a source tells PEOPLE.

Earlier that same day, Garner, 44, was sans Affleck, taking the children to the Roue de Paris, the Place de L'Opéra, Sacré-Cœur Basilica and Jardin du Luxembourg.



The Batman v Superman star, who is currently filming Justice League in London, spent quality family time at the Amorino ice cream parlor on Thursday, the same day he arrived in the French capital.

Sources close to the couple have denied speculation about a reconciliation, saying the family trip is "normal" for the pair.

"They are so excited for this opportunity for the kids," a family friend told PEOPLE. "He is shooting over there and they will likely come back and forth. He similarly brought the kids to the set during Miracles From Heaven. This is normal for them."

Both Affleck, 43, and Garner have stressed that they are focused on their children since announcing their split in June after 10 years of marriage. They have not yet filed divorce papers.

"Nothing has changed," and they're "still all about putting the kids first," according to another insider.