AMAKA IGWE: Obaseki, Otiono,Husseini,FAJ,Nkiru Njoku others mourn.

Below are comments of notable personalities from their facebook accounts on Amaka Igwe.

Shaibu Husseini - Foremost Entertainment Writer
auntie Amaka Igwe, so na me u lie to abi? say u go come back make we gist...? where my scholarship to go study film for america? auntie u lie. wake up o jare, make we finish the gist.

Emma Ogosi- Veteran Nigerian Musician R. I. P, Amaka Igwe! K'osisochi!!

 Don Pedro Obaseki  - Frontline Nollywood Director
AMAKA Ene Igwe, MFR(1963-2014) - A Brief Elegy. Born 2nd January 1963, Amaka Igwe (nee Isaac Ene) may be the singularly most important WOMAN in the creation & evolution of Nollywood. Starting out as a young Lecturer Assistant at the then Anambra State University, Amaka Isaac Ene dedicated her young adult life to the creation of CHECKMATE (a Soap-Opera that leveraged on the previous success of Lola Fani-Kayode's MIRROR in The SUN). Her star actors were the 1st Stars of Nollywood. Her RATTLESNAKE movie trilogy, though came out a few weeks after Living in Bondage, was the 1st artistic success of Nollywood's videography. With her FUJI House of Commotion, Amaka redefined the landscape of Situation Comedy on national TV. Married to ex-banker-turned-Film producer/marketer Charles Igwe in April 1993, Amaka was Nollywood's female colossus. And together, Amaka & Charles Igwe strove to evolve a seismic paradigm shrift in Entertainment Content provision in Nigeria, the latest being TOP FM Radio, Lagos. Toe-to-Toe with men she stood! In recognition, she was awarded national honours as Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR). Last night, Amaka was on set of her current movie! And Last Night, Amaka Died, still working on a Movie! Goodnight, great woman! Goodnight!! Tears rain down. Rest in Peace, Great Amazon. Rest. We Won't Miss you, because everywhere we turn in Nollywood, we see you! We feel you, Amaka!! I remain ur friend, even in the afterlife! - Don Pedro OBASEKI, PhD (Enogie-Isi of Benin Kingdom).

 Femi Akintunde-Johnson - Renowned Entertainment Journalist
Amaka Igwe - a fantastic humanist; irreverent campaigner against charlatanism I Nollywood; good friend; a major plank in MEGA - and the eye of Charles Igwe is gone! Na so e be? E don finish be dat? Wish words can wake you up. Or great script will tickle you out of it. Oh my God! We are so helpless. But we have Hope. We have hope. Rest well my sister.

Nduka Otiono - Renowned Nigerian JournalistOne can't just stop wondering how all those bandits who ruin our homeland tend to live longer than all the beautiful artists and innocent citizens whose lives humanize us. How does one begin to make sense of waking up to another eclipse of a creative force at noon? Is it really true? Amaka Igwe, Nigeria's celebrated script writer, film-maker and producer, passed on? Tufiakwa!! God, thy ways are mysterious! Rest in Peace Amaka.

Abiodun Jimoh Kilanta - Nollywood Producer
AMAKA IGWE! So what happens to all the dreams, 'INFINITY HOSPITAL' 'QTV' etc... What happens to the family? Your Protegés? Your staff who love you like a mother? Working on your project recently was a groundbreaking experience for me! What happens to all those scripts untouched? God! NO one can question you but I cant help to ask 'why now?'
 
Ekundayo Asaju
This thing called death sef no get eyes no get shame.haba,who do we look up to now.farewell amaka.

Omolokun W Abiola - Nollywood Script Writer

RIP Amaka Igwe. What a great loss to thespians. Mrs Nollyhood. I adorned her,right frm her very love,educative tv series "check mate" and on before her demise, she drops good stuffs. RIP Mama!

Tessy Maimuna Sardauna 
Her movies are always well detailed... RIP Amaka Igwe.

Segun Adeboboye - Cinematographer
Veteran film maker Amaka Igwe is dead. She passed on few hours ago after losing the battle to Asthma Attack.Amaka who celebrated her birthday recently is survive by children and husband, Mr Charles Igwe. Amaka is created with several movies and drama series like Checkmate,Violated,Nneka The Pretty Serpent etc.She is also a national award winner.
Her death was confirmed to CKN Nigeria few minutes ago by her husband Charles..According to him,Amaka died at their hometown Udi in Anambra State where they went for a project.They were to head to Port Harcourt from Udi when she died..Charles was too shock to speak when CKN Nigeria spoke to him.
MAY HER SOUL RIP.

Nk'iru. Njoku

I woke up this morning to extremely sad news. The kind that you want to erase by shaking your head. The kind that does not go away no matter how many shakes of the head it gets.

Amaka Igwe.

When I met this woman, something happened to me. After validating my screenwriting abilities (which was a big deal because this was Amaka Igwe, you understand?), she asked me why I wanted to be a director. I was already directing reality TV, but I wanted to do film and television proper. Drama, thriller, action. That sort of thing.

Mrs. Igwe wanted to know why. I was kind of stumped there. "Must there be a deep reason? I just want to interpret my own work, I want to be an artist - make films that don't have to make money but will be recognised as art".

"You want to make art for art's sake". She clapped for me. You know that kind of applause that might as well be a round of well-placed knocks on one's head?

Not that she had a big problem with auteurs. But I had basically come to the wrong place to learn, she told me. And this was because Amaka Igwe was an unapologetic commercial-film maker. That's how she described herself a lot of the time.

This didn't mean she wasn't locking down the artistic side of things. No need to write out her 'CV' here, I'm sure you can find it all on Google. The woman was an icon, no less.

Her work was art that made sense and made money at the same time. When she told us that she wrote Checkmate whilst doing her day job (or was it even two jobs at the time? Memory fails me), I was gobsmacked. You know how you think you're a hard worker then you meet someone that makes you shut up and sit down? That was Amaka Igwe.

................................................

Amaka Igwe helped me discover what kind of director I could be. She helped me focus. She didn't want me not to experiment with all kinds of genres but she made me see that there was nothing wrong with loving drama and wanting to do drama and making money out of it. Heck, there was everything right with making money out of everything artistic that you do. Truckloads of money. "Otherwise, why are you wasting your time? What are you telling the ones coming after you? That filmmaking is not a viable business?" She would almost get offended at the thought that you came into filmmaking just for the heck of it, 'to play around'.

If you are a Nigerian filmmaker and you have attended BobTV you'll get an idea of what I mean when I say her passion was palpable and she didn't hesitate to translate it to a phenomenon that would spread knowledge. Knowledge that would eventually become important to a lot of us youngsters. Knowledge that if we wanted to, we could turn into gold.

Even newcomers to the business will tell you that in one way or the other she touched their lives. She was one of those who paved the way. Audiences feel the pain too because they are aware that when it came to quality, she gave it all. Checkmate. Rattlesnake. Violated. Fuji House of Commotion...

And she was not ashamed of the name "Nollywood". She took pride in it in fact and always had the time to have a bit of a laugh at Nigerian filmmakers who looked down on Nollywood and thought they were 'better', had more to offer, but who more often than not ended up being even worse. "You cannot change an industry from the outside".

.............................................

I remember something she used to say during our classes. Patrick Ugele, do you remember when she would tell us that people needed to be trained because she wasn't going to be around forever? She wanted to train as many people as possible so that she could pass her filmmaking values to us and we would run with the right vision. I thought her course-fees were ridiculously low but it made sense because the lower the fees, the more people would be encouraged to come and learn. The more we learned, the more there was the possibility of thousands of Amaka Igwes running around the place, being proud Nollywood filmmakers, putting Nigeria on the map by shooting films that would impact audiences AND the Nigerian economy...

That was Amaka Igwe.

She knew her stuff. She knew her worth and she gave all of herself to the business that she died doing. She gave all of herself to us and we are grateful.

I am a bit envious of people like Chris Ihidero who spent more physical time with her, because her spirit was the kind of spirit I loved to associate with. It was a huge, warm spirit that was slightly urgent. "Let's not talk it to death, let's do it". That sort of spirit that wanted to get things done and beautifully done too. I am grateful for having crossed paths with such greatness.

I pray that her soul will rest well and that her family gets the needed strength to bear this loss, and when I say her family, I include those of us related to her by film and TV.

Adieu Amaka Igwe, this is one goodbye that truly hurts. Rest in peace.

ENTERTAINMENT: One Of Nigeria's Foremost TV Guru; Amaka Igwe Passes On - Nigerians Mourn

Amaka Igwe

Amaka Igwe reportedly died on Monday night in Enugu after an asthma attack. The veteran producer was reported to have travelled to Enugu in company of her husband to make preparations for a new Igbo soap, when the incident occurred.
She did not respond to initial rescue operations and passed away before arriving at the hospital.
Amaka Igwe was the founder of BoBTV Expo, Top radio Fm amongst other business ventures.
She produced popular soap operas like Fuji House of Commotion, Checkmate, and films including Violated, Rattle Snake amongst others
She found the massive studios of the Enugu State Broadcasting Service from where such classics like the long rested Basi and Company and the New Masquerade were produced.

Amaka With One Of Her Numerous Awards

Amaka had conceived Checkmate by watching Mirror in the Sun. She had written a script about an all-conquering female hero like Queen Amina and had conceived it like a traditional stage play, but when she saw Mirror in the Sun, she decided to make it a modern all conquering female hero story.
She is survived by her husband of 21 years Charles Igwe, three children, and her mother.
Nollywood Mourns
The President of the Actors Guild, Ibinano Feresima, told Channels Television via telephone that the late Igwe will be missed. She discribed her as a friend and sister who fought for Nollywood.
A few Nigerian Nollywood celebrities including Uche Jumbo, Omoni Oboli, Stephanie Linus-Okereke and Charles Novia have taken to their social media pages to mourn the death of Mrs Igwe.

Nigerian film-maker and Nollywood icon Amaka Igwe has shockingly passed on at 51. A spokesperson for Amaka Igwe studios told NET the sad incident occurred in Enugu where she had gone, in company of her husband, for pre-production preparations for a new Igbo soap. ‘She suffered an asthma attack and was immediately rushed to the hospital after initial interventions had failed. She passed on before getting to the hospital’, a statement issued this morning read. Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction and bronchospasm. Asthma attacks are triggered by a number of environmental and genetic interactions and usually come unannounced. Mrs Igwe is survived by her husband of 21 years Charles Igwe, three children, an aged mother, siblings and a large extended family. Mrs Igwe’s last major outing was at the inaugural edition of the Nigerian Entertainment Conference held on April 26, 2013 at the Grand Ball Room of Eko Hotels and Suites. Participating as a keynote speaker, Mrs Igwe delivered a speech on the ‘Reflections from an unapologetic commercial Nollywood filmmaker’. Born Amaka Isaac-Ene, the deceased was an accomplished writer, producer, director, entrepreneur and teacher. She is the founder of BoBTV Expo, founder and CEO of Top Radio 90.9FM, Amaka Igwe Studios, and the newly-launched Q Entertainment Networks. The Lagos mainland based Top Radio station was launched years ago, with preparations underway to launch Q Networks, a DSTV channel in a few weeks. A visionary and pioneer of modern Nigerian TV drama and film, she hit national limelight as the writer and producer of award-winning TV soap ‘Checkmate’ and its off shoot ‘Fuji House of Commotion’. Her Nollywood projects include RattleSnake and Violated – two critically-acclaimed movies that set apart Amaka Igwe Studios in the much-criticised Nollywood industry. Amaka Igwe studied Education/Religion at the University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo University). She had a Master’s Degree from the University of Ibadan. She had her early education at All Saints School (Now Trans Ekulu Primary School), Girls High School Awkunanaw, Enugu and Idia College, Benin. Interestingly, Amaka Igwe wanted to study law but officials of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) offered her a chance to study Education and Religious Study instead. From OAU, Mrs Igwe signed the MNET short celluloid film ‘Barbers Wisdom’ as director and then proceeded to the University of Ibadan where she grabbed a master degree in Library and Information Services. She married her longtime partner Charles Igwe in 1993. They had three kids together – Ruby, David and Daniel. She worked as a lecturer at the Anambra State University of Technology and briefly in oil and Gas, before settling for the motion picture industry. Mrs Igwe will be remembered for raising the bar in movie and TV production in Nigeria, creating high standards with her company Amaka Igwe Studios at a time when Nollywood wasn’t taken serious, for not conforming to low standards as a means to achieving success and inspiring many Nigerian movie makers....

Read More at thenet.ng/2014/04/breaking-news-nollywood-icon-amaka-igwe-is-dead/ Follow us: @theNETng on Twitter | theNETng on Facebook

Nigerian film-maker and Nollywood icon Amaka Igwe has shockingly passed on at 51. A spokesperson for Amaka Igwe studios told NET the sad incident occurred in Enugu where she had gone, in company of her husband, for pre-production preparations for a new Igbo soap. ‘She suffered an asthma attack and was immediately rushed to the hospital after initial interventions had failed. She passed on before getting to the hospital’, a statement issued this morning read. Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction and bronchospasm. Asthma attacks are triggered by a number of environmental and genetic interactions and usually come unannounced. Mrs Igwe is survived by her husband of 21 years Charles Igwe, three children, an aged mother, siblings and a large extended family. Mrs Igwe’s last major outing was at the inaugural edition of the Nigerian Entertainment Conference held on April 26, 2013 at the Grand Ball Room of Eko Hotels and Suites. Participating as a keynote speaker, Mrs Igwe delivered a speech on the ‘Reflections from an unapologetic commercial Nollywood filmmaker’. Born Amaka Isaac-Ene, the deceased was an accomplished writer, producer, director, entrepreneur and teacher. She is the founder of BoBTV Expo, founder and CEO of Top Radio 90.9FM, Amaka Igwe Studios, and the newly-launched Q Entertainment Networks. The Lagos mainland based Top Radio station was launched years ago, with preparations underway to launch Q Networks, a DSTV channel in a few weeks. A visionary and pioneer of modern Nigerian TV drama and film, she hit national limelight as the writer and producer of award-winning TV soap ‘Checkmate’ and its off shoot ‘Fuji House of Commotion’. Her Nollywood projects include RattleSnake and Violated – two critically-acclaimed movies that set apart Amaka Igwe Studios in the much-criticised Nollywood industry. Amaka Igwe studied Education/Religion at the University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo University). She had a Master’s Degree from the University of Ibadan. She had her early education at All Saints School (Now Trans Ekulu Primary School), Girls High School Awkunanaw, Enugu and Idia College, Benin. Interestingly, Amaka Igwe wanted to study law but officials of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) offered her a chance to study Education and Religious Study instead. From OAU, Mrs Igwe signed the MNET short celluloid film ‘Barbers Wisdom’ as director and then proceeded to the University of Ibadan where she grabbed a master degree in Library and Information Services. She married her longtime partner Charles Igwe in 1993. They had three kids together – Ruby, David and Daniel. She worked as a lecturer at the Anambra State University of Technology and briefly in oil and Gas, before settling for the motion picture industry. Mrs Igwe will be remembered for raising the bar in movie and TV production in Nigeria, creating high standards with her company Amaka Igwe Studios at a time when Nollywood wasn’t taken serious, for not conforming to low standards as a means to achieving success and inspiring many Nigerian movie makers....

Read More at thenet.ng/2014/04/breaking-news-nollywood-icon-amaka-igwe-is-dead/ Follow us: @theNETng on Twitter | theNETng on Facebook

ENTERTAINMENT: Tiwa Savage Gets Married The White Way

Tiwa’s Eminado comes true

By Peju Akande

The much anticipated white wedding between Mavin’s first lady, Tiwa Savage and her manager hubby, Tbillz Balogun was a show stopper in Dubai on 26 April.

The wedding was witnessed by hordes of Nigerian celebs, top on the list being Don Jazzy the MAVIN boss, Dr. Sid, Lola Omotayo, Peter Okoye’s wife and close friend to Tiwa Savage, Toke Makinwa, Lami Philips, Banky W, who was the best man, Elohor Aisien, Seyi Shay, and many more.

The bride looked stunning in a Vera Wang gown and her groom, looked dashing in white tux by Mai Atafo.

LAGOS STREETS: Notorious Power Company Worker Exposed on FACEBOOK!

 The Notorious Yellow

NOTORIOUS YELLOW by  Oluwasegun Abifarin
 This man is a PHCN staff at the Ifo, Ogun state office, under the Ota Business District of the Ibadan Distribution Company, DISCO. The Ifo PHCN Center oversees Ifo Local Government, including Ayede, where I live. This man, simply known as Yellow, has become a pestilence and a principality to PHCN customers in this area. For more than one week, we have been without power supply in my area, and after the usual complaint at the PHCN office, the manager told us that we either solve the problem ourselves or wait till when NEPA (sorry, PHCN) will be ready.After one week, we stopped waiting and decided to solve the problem. The community contributed about N250,000 to buy the accessories and paid the local engineers to fix them. Then on Sunday, it was the turn of Yellow to come and put the new fuse that we also bought for power to come up. After a game of waiting, Yellow surfaced around 5p.m and first pretended to be in a hurry..After some plea, he demanded that beer must be bought for him. He was obliged...and after putting the fuse..a job that did not take 3 minutes...he demanded we give him N5,000 for a job that he is being paid to do by his company...Despite my lone protest, he was given...but became jittery when he realised I took his photograpy..He left the scene with a flit of anger..And five minutes after light came up, it went off again...and we have returned to darkness since then..
Who will save us from this 'Yellow Fever'
I just hope this will get to Dr. Sam Amadi, Chairman, Elecrticity Regulation Commission and management of Ibadan Disco....
This is just the begining...

Oluwasegun Abifarin

JOURNALISM: The Punch Correspondent Wins Again!

Bukola Adebayo

A senior health correspondent with The PUNCH, Bukola Adebayo, emerged the Science Journalist of the Year (2013) at the award ceremony, which held at the Protea Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday. For the second year running, a journalist with Nigeria’s most widely read newspaper, The PUNCH, has won the Nigerian Academy of Science  Media Award.

The Editor of Sunday PUNCH, Toyosi Ogunseye,  had won the highly coveted science prize in 2012.

The award-winning newspaper last year clinched most of the outstanding journalism awards in the country. Some of the top prizes won by The PUNCH in 2013 were the Editor of the Year; Press Reporter of the Year; Judicial Reporter of the Year; the Action Photography award; Best Editorial Writing award and the Informed Commentary award.

But, at the gathering of foremost scientists in Lagos on Friday, Adebayo’s investigative story entitled, On The Track of Blood Merchants, won in a shortlist that included Kemi Adejumo of Business Day and Chukwuma Muanya of The Guardian Newspapers. Adebayo’s story, published on February 11, 2013 edition of The PUNCH, is an expose on the activities of commercial blood donors in the nation’s hospitals.

The panel of judges, chaired by Prof. Gabriel Adewoye, said The PUNCH entry for the prize received overwhelming commendation from every member of the panel for its exemplary contribution to science.

He said, “This story calls for action in the health sector as people rather choose to sell their blood for commercial purposes instead of donating it voluntarily as it is done in other parts of the world.”

Challenging journalists to be more committed to their duties, Adewoye urged them to look beyond the surface and to dig deeper to tell stories that impact on humanity.

He congratulated The PUNCH on its efforts at grooming award-winning journalists.

Adewoye, who commended this year’s winner for her bravery, said the story did not only expose the blood sale cartel in hospitals but also educated the public on the dangers in receiving blood transfusion from unverified sources.

“There are cases where people have contracted deadly diseases in the process of purchasing and receiving blood from illegal sources like the commercial blood donors. It is a deadly trade that is killing people in the society,” he added.

Adebayo while receiving the award said her work was intended to draw government’s attention to the inadequacies in the health sector.

She said, “Many patients are dying because there is an acute shortage of blood in the nation’s blood banks. The report was to shed light on the plight of patients in government hospitals.”

The Academy’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Doyin Odubanjo, noted that the award was to encourage journalists to X-ray under-reported issues that would impact directly on the lives of the citizens.

Adebayo, a B.sc holder in Biochemistry from the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, went home with a plaque, cash prize and a Samsung tablet.

Copyright PUNCH.

BRUTALITY: Police Officer Breaks The Head Of 8-Year Old and Ties Her Up

Residents of Olufowobi Street, Ketu, Lagos, were thrown into confusion after an eight-year-old girl, Amarachi Abakwam, was found tied up and brutalised under the bed of a policeman attached to Police Mobile Force 22.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the policeman, Augustine Gbuchenge, with Force number 400823, lived in the same compound with Amarachi’s family.

The father of the victim, Patrick, told PUNCH Metro that on the fateful day he had been looking everywhere for his daughter until they discovered her under Gbuchenge’s bed.

Patrick said, “Last Thursday, I returned from work around 7.30pm and met my children and wife outside. There was power failure on that day so everywhere was dark. I asked after Amarachi but my wife said she was probably in our apartment sleeping.

“I was not satisfied with this explanation because my children don’t usually sleep early. When I went up, I did not see my daughter so we started asking around. Some little children in the compound then told me that Gbuchenge had called my daughter earlier to help him buy akara.

“I went to the policeman’s room to challenge him but he denied seeing my daughter so we continued looking everywhere. After sometime, the whole compound got involved in the search and all clues pointed to the policeman.”

Patrick told PUNCH Metro that he and the other neighbours challenged Gbuchenge again and an argument ensued.

He said Gbuchenge immediately stood up and threatened to go and tell his colleagues at the Ketu Police Division that he was being wrongly accused of abduction.

“Some moments later, I also stood up and headed for the police station to go and report the matter thinking I would meet the policeman there as well but I did not. After reporting the matter, a police corporal accompanied me back to my house,” Patrick said.

It was learnt that when they returned to the house, Gbuchenge was nowhere to be found and his room was locked.

“We were able to beam a torchlight through his window where we saw my daughter’s legs pointing out from under the bed,” Patrick said.

Neighbours were said to have rallied around and broken Gbuchenge’s door open.

PUNCH Metro learnt that when the little girl was finally pulled out from under the bed, she was bound by her hands and feet while a piece of cloth had been stuffed in her mouth.

Amarachi was said to have been bleeding profusely as she had sustained a broken skull.

She was subsequently taken to Gbagada General Hospital but due to the severity of her wound, she was referred to the Lagos Island General Hospital.

When our correspondent visited the victim at the hospital, she was seen wearing a neck brace while her head had been bandaged.

Narrating her ordeal, Amarachi said, “On that day, he (Gbuchenge) asked me to buy akara for him. After I returned, my mum asked me to go upstairs to do the dishes. As I was going, the man pulled me from behind and took me into his room.

“He then tied me up. He did not rape me. After sometime, my parents started shouting my name and calling me, the policeman used an iron to hit me in the head repeatedly and then pushed me under the bed and used clothes to cover me. Under the bed, I saw little children’s clothes.

“He then turned on his generator so that even if I tried to shout, no one would hear. After sometime, he left. I continued to hear my father’s voice and I struggled to push my leg from under the bed. That was how they saw me and rescued me.”

Amara described the policeman as a very friendly person who usually bought sweets and biscuits for children in the compound. She said she was surprised that he would do such a thing.

A neighbour, who did not identify himself, described Gbuchenge as a very strange person who usually carried a large bag around.

“The man (Gbuchenge) has been living in this compound for over three years. He is married with children but his family lives in Alapere, Ketu. He has two buses but on the day of the incident, he did not bring his vehicles home, it seems he had planned to escape on that day.

“We believe he wanted to use the girl for ritual. What were little children’s clothes doing under the bed?”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, confirmed the incident in a text message sent to our correspondent. She said efforts were on to determine if the suspect was indeed a policeman.

She said, “I heard of the wicked act. MOPOL 22, which is where the complainant claims the suspect works has been contacted. However, the commander in charge of MOPOL 22 said there was no person with such a name or identity in his squadron.

“Meanwhile, we have sent signals to other police departments and stations to ascertain if the man is actually a serving policeman. The act is inhuman and the suspect will never go unpunished.”

Copyright PUNCH.

WONDER: Can The Vatican Say Christ Is Not Coming Back?

For Real?

The Vatican Says Jesus Is Not Coming Back

I know many will not find this funny but if you are one of those expecting that Jesus Christ is coming very soon, then you may just have to shelve that thought because according to waterfordwhispersnews.com, the Vatican, the seat of the Roman Catholic Church Worldwide has admitted that Jesus is not coming in again.

The website quoted a spokesperson of the Vatican that it has officially announced that the second coming of Jesus, the only son of the God, may not happen now after all, but urged followers to still continue with their faith, regardless of the news.

It is reported that Cardinal Giorgio Salvadore told waterfordwhispersnews.com that this years 1,981st anniversary is to be the Vatican’s last in regards to waiting for the Lord to return to earth.

This is what the Cardinal Giorgio Salvadore said:

We just feel Jesus is not coming back by the looks of it.

It’s been ages like this. He’s probably flat out doing other really good things for people somewhere else.

Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus promised his disciples that he would come again in chapter John 14:1-3 of the bible:

'There are many homes up where my Father lives, and I am going to prepare them for your coming.

When everything is ready, then I will come and get you, so that you can always be with Me where I am. If this weren’t so, I would tell you plainly.'

The Vatican defended Jesus’ 'broken promise', claiming 'he was probably drinking wine' at the time when he made the comments.

Having the ability to turn water into wine had its ups and its downs.

We all make promises we can’t keep when we’re drunk. Jesus was no different.

The church said it will now focus attentions on rebuilding its reputation around the world, but will keep an optimistic mind for the savior’s second coming.So do you think the Vatican may be right after all?

FOOTBALL: Former Barca Coach Passes On

Former Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova dead at 45  

Published on April 25, 2014 by pmnews   ·   No Comments

Tito Vilanova

Former Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova died on Friday at the age of 45 after a prolonged battle against cancer, the club announced.
Vilanova was diagnosed with cancer of the salivary gland more than two years ago and was forced to step down as Barcelona boss last July due to ongoing health problems.
“FC Barcelona is sad to inform that Francesc ‘Tito’ Vilanova Bayo has passed away today at the age of 45,” Barcelona said in a statement.
“The death of our former coach came about this afternoon after he could not overcome the illness he had been fighting since 2011.
“The club wishes to express its deep condolences to his family, with whom we share this painful moment along with the club members, fans and the whole world of football and sport.”
Barcelona also announced that a space will be opened at their Camp Nou stadium for those willing to pay their respects over the next few days.

TERRORISM: Jonathan Commands Military To Rescue Abducted School Girls

Jonathan tells military to rescue abducted schoolgirls  

The expanded National Security Council meeting, presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday, tasked the military to ensure the rescue of the abducted school girls in Chibok, Borno.
Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State said this after the six-hour meeting held at the Presidential Villa.
The state governors, service-chiefs, heads of other security agencies as well as president of Christians Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar attended the meeting.
“The meeting agreed that the issue of the moment is Chibok and the abduction of the children and we must do everything to ensure that the abducted children are retrieved and rehabilitated and returned to their their parents,” Fayemi said.
The governor said the meeting frowned at the rising partisanship in dealing with security issues and cautioned political leaders against unguided utterances.

President Goodluck Jonathan

“As Nigerian leaders, the meeting agreed that it is absolutely important for us to tackle security issues in an objective manner and with restraint, avoiding hasty speeches, and anything that will heat up the polity.”
Fayemi said the meeting also stressed the importance of security agencies being scrupulously professional and non partisan in the way they delivered on their duties.
He said the meeting commended the increasing partnership and collaboration but stressed the importance of data sharing among the security agencies.
He said the meeting also agreed that the country needed a holistic comprehensive response to terrorism.
“Military action is important and the meeting agreed that we must continue to empower the various agencies involved in the level of the military and security sector to do their jobs.
“However, the meeting recognises that we need to widen this to include anti poverty strategy and soft approach in addition to the hard approach being expanded by the military,” he said.
At the meeting, they also noted the importance of expanding capacity building of media organisations, particularly in reporting security matters.
Specifically, he said the meeting agreed that the media should be more responsible and careful in presentation of security issues not to affect the sensibility of the public and the image of the country.
Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno said the meeting was fruitful and called for more investment in security.
He said the meeting also underscored the need for all levels of government to work together in fighting terrorism.
Minister of Defence, Lt.-Gen. Aliyu Gusau (retd) who presided over the media briefing, said that the meeting discussed the overall security of the country.
“The security operation in the North East region, cattle rustling, kidnapping and other criminal activities that warrant security attention”.
He stated that they concluded that the Federal Government should do everything within its powers, with the collaboration of the state, local governments and everybody to bring the unfortunate situation under control.
“It was decided that security is everybody’s responsibility, not the responsibility of the government only; every citizen must be security conscious,” he said.
Governors present include Theodore Orji (Abia), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Ramalan Yero (Kaduna), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Abdulazeez Yari ((Zamfara), Seidu Dakingari (Kebbi) and Tanko Al-makura (Nassarawa).
Others are Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Willie Obiano (Anambra), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) and Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe).
Governor Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Idris Wada (Kogi) and acting Governor of Taraba, Umar Garba also attended the meeting.
The governors of Oyo, Imo, Jigawa, Rivers, Ogun, Kano, Yobe, Edo and Plateau were represented by their deputies while only Lagos was absent.
Also in attendance were the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd); the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar and Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Ita Ekpeyong.
Heads of para-military agencies, including Comptroller-General of Immigration, David Paradang; Corps Marshal of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Osita Chidoka and Commandant-General of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSDC), Olu Abolurin, were at the meeting.
Also at the meeting were Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim and Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Jones Arogbofa.
Ministers present included Bala Mohammed (FCT); Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (Agriculture); Abduljelil Adesiyan (Police Affairs), and Abba Moro (Interior); Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, SAN; and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri.

MUSIC: Psquare Brothers Settle Feud

Fighting P-Square Brothers Reconcile 

After weeks of bickering that would have torn apart one of Africa’s music powerhouses, P-Square -twin brothers, Peter and Paul Okoye, and their elder brother/manager, Jude ‘Engees’ Okoye-, news coming from their homestead indicates that peace has returned to the once united family.In a series of messages on social media by the award-winning musical duo on Friday, they announced an end to the hostilities that hit the family for months which came to a head last week. Tweeting early this morning (Friday) via their various twitter handles, Paul @rudeboypsquare said: “PSQUARE! Stronger than Ever!!!”. His twin brother, Peter followed suit with a short tweet @PeterPsquare: “FOREVER PSQUARE!” and Jude @judeengees sealed it with “Family is everything indeed. Long live PSQUARE!”.
These tweets came in spite of the initial denial by the duo’s publicist, Square Image Associates, saying the reports were some handiwork of mischief bloggers.
 

MOVIES: CHimamanda's Book Turned Movie Gets Banned In NIgeria!

The widely publicised and internationally acclaimed film, Half of A Yellow Sun which has been premiered in Nigeria has been partially banned by the Nigeria Film and Video Censorship Board, (NFVCB).
New Telegraph gathered exclusively from Abuja, early yesterday that the film promoters are making frantic efforts to remove the offensive sections and get the film approved today. Efforts to speak with the Nigerian promoters met a brick wall as text messages and email were yet to be responded to as at the time of filing this report.
According to an impeccable source, the film is being stopped from getting into the market due to parts that tend to whip up tribal sentiments, especially on issues that led to the Nigerian civil war. The filmmaker further revealed that, “with the Boko Haram insurgency and the Adamawa State governor’s outburst, the NFVCB is living up to its billing.”


The movie will not be shown in Nigeria until 2 May. A statement on the film’s website said the Nigeria release has been “postponed to May 2 due to delays in getting certification from Nigeria Film and Video Censorship Board”.

A scene from the movie: Chinwetel Ejiofor, left,

Board spokesman Caesar Kagho told AFP there were “regulatory issues” with the release, but that the film had not been “officially banned”.
He said the board would issue further details later on Friday.
It was not clear if the certification delay was linked to film’s content.
“Half of Yellow Sun” stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his role in “12 Years a Slave,” named 2014′s Best Picture.

Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie

The Biafra War began after the eastern region tried to secede from the newly independent Nigeria.
The East, dominated by members of the Igbo ethnic group, claimed their tribesman were being massacred in the mainly Muslim north and accused the federal government of failing to provide protection.
Their attempt to create an independent Igbo-led nation, which they called Biafra, was crushed by British-backed federal forces which had military superiority and used scorched earth tactics, including the blockage of all food imports to the breakaway region.

More than four decades on, the Biafra War remains a highly contentious subject in Nigeria.
In his last published work before his death in 2013, acclaimed Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, an Igbo, sparked a heated debate about the conflict that raged on television and in newspapers for weeks.
In “There Was A Country,” Achebe accused a revered leader from the Yoruba-dominated West, Obafemi Awolowo, of supporting the starvation of Igbos to further his own political goals.
Yoruba leaders reacted furiously to the charge and the debate further highlighted the lingering bitterness from the conflict.

“Half of a Yellow Sun”, which had its global premiere at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, is already showing in Britain and Australia and is scheduled to open soon in the United States and other countries.

MUSIC: PSQUARE: If Indeed, They Break Up - The Legal Angle

Pulse Blogger - 

Legal MattersWho Gets What If P-Square Splits?

Recently, news made the rounds about an imminent break-up of the musical group ‘P Square’. This duo of musical talent had kept heads bumping and bums shaking for nearly a decade. So it came as a big shock to many that they could be thinking of calling it quits. But what came as a bigger shock to me in the whole brouhaha was not the coming to an end of the group itself but the fact that these guys came from the same womb, the same day. I never would have imagined that a bond that strong between these two could be broken by anybody at all.
Well, since that seems to be the case, then so long with ‘P Square’. The issue that now comes to bear would be the dissipation and splitting of anything that is owned by the group as one entity. Physical properties could be easily shared, that is not an issue. Cars would be shared, houses could also be divided amongst them. If any body raises an eyebrow as to the value of what the other is getting then such property could be sold and the money evenly split.
The part that really causes me to pause and think is the issue of the intellectual property. The intellectual property are the works of art the group has churned out since the group came into existence. All the music, videos, image rights etc. What would have sufficed would have been an equal sharing formula but in this situation, the issue of who is the main act or contributor would begin to rear its head. Who has the better voice, who is the better dancer? Where Peter feels his dance moves have been the major attraction in the video and therefore should command a higher ratio. Paul then can bring the argument that its the beauty of his voice that has kept audience glued to their MP3 players.
It would really be interesting to see how this plays out. Computing intellectual property as a group is one very interesting task but in the situation that this split really comes to light, it would be a very big legal task computing and sharing all the profits that would continue to accrue to the group ‘P Square’.
Most definitely, CD tracks would not be taken off the shelves, musical downloads would not cease, adverts and caller tunes would still continue but how this would be shared amongst the duo? Only time will tell.

TERRORIS FIGHT: Nigeria's President Applauds Opposition Leader

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday 23 April commended former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari’s call for national unity against terrorism in the country.
The commendation was contained in a statement issued by Dr Reuben Abati, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity in Abuja.
Abati said that the President applauded Buhari’s views as expressed in his article which was published by the media over the past two days.
“President Goodluck Jonathan believes that the position taken by Gen. Buhari is that of a true patriot, respected former Head of State, revered elder statesman and nationalist.

Jonathan applauds Buhari’s call for national unity against terrorism

“The President welcomes Gen. Buhari’s call on all Nigerians to remain steadfast and work in unity to overcome terrorists and other merchants of death, who currently threaten national security.
“President Jonathan fully shares Gen. Buhari’s view that a minority must never be allowed to `bring the nation to its knees through terror.’’
Abati said that the President welcomed Buhari’s recommendation that the nation’s counter-terrorism strategies be further fine-tuned.
He noted that the President also welcomed Buhari’s offer of support and co-operation in dealing with the challenge of terrorism.
“The President assured Gen. Buhari of his administration’s sincere commitment and dedication to the successful prosecution of the fight against terrorism and all other threats to national security.
“He further assures the General of his preparedness to work with him and all other patriotic Nigerians, irrespective of their political affiliations, to strengthen national security and end the scourge of terrorism.”

CULLED FROM PM NEWS

PHOTOGRAPHY: NIPHEC Once Again Gets The Nikon Boost

The Venue of the 2014 Nigeria photography Expo and Conference is the Lagos State chamber of commerce and Industry conference and exhibition centre. The large edifice is reputed to have played host to international and national events of repute. Located along the Lagos Ibadan expressway in Alausa in the CBD, Ikeja, Lagos Nigeria, the venue indeed befits the event which has successfully and distinctively placed itself in the calender of photography events in Nigeria and gradually Africa. Furthermore, Photography giants, Nikon, has joined the team of vision; NIPHEC to give the 2014 edition the class it deserves.

Venue of the 2014 edition of Nigeria Photography Expo & Conference

MUSIC: P Square Break Rumour Real?

The Nigerian entertainment industry is beginning to make much more impact not just on stereo but also on the social and much more ‘serious’ settings.The latest being that of the purported break up of twins' group-Psquare. The group made up of Paul and Peter Okoye is one of the biggest music group from Africa.
In recent times, big separation of top music producer Don Jazzy and his friend, Dbanj rocked the airwaves and it all started as rumours. However, the fact now is that since the break up of the duo, the fortunes of both parties have been under various levels of criticism. More on the side that Dbanj who was churning out hits after hits has not done very good for himself in that aspect while his ex partner, Don Jazzy has been doing well with the acts under his fold.

Fans across the world are worried and some have gone on social media pleading with the brothers to consider the strength of unity. The silence was however broken when the seemingly reserved twin of the duo, Paul wrote on facebook; ‘After the storm comes the calm. Hoping for better days ahead as one family. God’s intervention‘, Paul Okoye wrote on his wall.
What this obviously connotes is that there might indeed be something happening with the twins. However, a school of thought has come up with the conspiracy theory of blowing their popularity.
Recall that Jude Okoye, the older brother and Manager of P-square revealed the major break-up rumour a few days ago.
He took to his Twitter page to state that, “After over 10 years of hard work, it’s over. (I) Am done.”
More on this will come soon.

As the on-going controversy in the Psquare camp ensues, fans across the globe remain worried as to what the future holds for the Pop duo. The more reserved twin brother has however broken the silence, reaching out to his many fans on social media Facebook, saying a little prayer for his family. ‘After the storm comes the calm. Hoping for better days ahead as one family. God’s intervention‘, Paul Okoye wrote on his wall. Peter, who is much more vocal has remained silent. Post by Paul Okoye (P Square).As the on-going controversy in the Psquare camp ensues, fans across the globe remain worried as to what the future holds for the Pop duo. The more reserved twin brother has however broken the silence, reaching out to his many fans on social media Facebook, saying a little prayer for his family. ‘After the storm comes the calm. Hoping for better days ahead as one family. God’s intervention‘, Paul Okoye wrote on his wall. Peter, who is much more vocal has remained silent. Post by Paul Okoye (P Square).s the on-going controversy in the Psquare camp ensues, fans across the globe remain worried as to what the future holds for the Pop duo. The more reserved twin brother has however broken the silence, reaching out to his many fans on social media Facebook, saying a little prayer for his family. ‘After the storm comes the calm. Hoping for better days ahead as one family. God’s intervention‘, Paul Okoye wrote on his wall. Peter, who is much more vocal has remained silent....

Read More at thenet.ng/2014/04/gods-intervention-paul-okoye-says-a-prayer-for-psquare-family/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook Follow us: @theNETng on Twitter | theNETng on Facebook

‘God’s intervention’, Paul Okoye says a prayer for Psquare family Posted by: Editor April 21, 2014 in Bang Showbiz, Featured, News, Starnews Leave a comment By Osagie Alonge The Psquare family celebrate Aliona Okoye's 1st birthday (1) The Psquare Family: Peter and Paul Okoye with wives Lola Omotayo, Anita Isamah and children – Andre, Aliona and Cameron. Photo: Twitter As the on-going controversy in the Psquare camp ensues, fans across the globe remain worried as to what the future holds for the Pop duo. The more reserved twin brother has however broken the silence, reaching out to his many fans on social media Facebook, saying a little prayer for his family. ‘After the storm comes the calm. Hoping for better days ahead as one family. God’s intervention‘, Paul Okoye wrote on his wall. Peter, who is much more vocal has remained silent. ...

Read More at thenet.ng/2014/04/gods-intervention-paul-okoye-says-a-prayer-for-psquare-family/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook Follow us: @theNETng on Twitter | theNETng on Facebook

Nigerian Military Lied About Rescue Of Abducted School Girls- Borno Government officials And School Principal -PREMIUM TIMES

 

 

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Nigerian Military Lied About Rescue Of Abducted School Girls- Borno Government officials And School Principal -PREMIUM TIMES

Posted: Apr, 17 2014, 6:04AM

Major General Chris Olukolade

By Ola' Audu

There is controversy over the rescue of abducted school girls in Borno with the state government and the school principal faulting the military’s claim that most of the pupils have been freed
The claim by military officials in Abuja on Wednesday that 107 abducted girls of Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) Chibok were freed is a huge lie, Borno  government officials, the management of the school and residents have said.
The Principal of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Asabe Kwambura, told PREMIUM TIMES Thursday morning that the military’s claim was false.
“There is nothing in the military statement that is true about our abducted girls,”  Mrs. Kwambura said. “Up till now we are still waiting and praying for the safe return of the students; all I know is that we have only 14 of them, and the security people especially the Vigilante and the well meaning volunteers of Gwoza are still out searching for them.”
She continued,  ”The military people too are in the bush searching. So we have not received any information that they have gotten the students yet. So let it be clear that all the information passed on the media by the military concerning 107 girls is not true.
“I, as the principal did not tell any body any figure on released students other than what our Governor, His Excellency Kashim Shettima had informed the media.”

The Principal said she was contacted by the military headquarters in Abuja yesterday and some person was asking her to confirm the number of girls released.
”I told them that I don’t want to be seen to be contradicting myself on that because what the governor said was what we know about; and I told them there may be additional rescue of the girls, but up to this moment we have not received any of them apart from what we had before,” the principal said.
” What the governor said is still the true picture of the whole issue and that information given by the military is totally wrong.”
The military spokesperson at the Defence Headquarters, Major General Chris Olukolade, had Wednesday issued a statement  claiming that 107 abducted girls were freed; adding that only eight of the girls were still missing and the military was searching for them.
He also claimed that a member of the Boko Haram sect that participated in the abduction was also nabbed by the military.
Borno state Governor, Kashim Shettima was also quoted by  the BBC Hausa service this morning faulting the claims of the military.
He  reportedly said, “We have recovered 14 of the girls and we have announced a N50 million reward for any credible information that will help us get our girls released and rejoined with their families.”
PREMIUM TIMES also enquired from a top official of the Department of State Service (DSS) in Maiduguri who ordinarily should know about the rescue of the girls.
“We have no such information apart from the 14 that escaped; if there is anything like that, no one would want to hide it from the media; may be the military have their own intel on that, which we probably are not aware of for now,” he said.
Some relatives and parents of the abducted  girls said they were not happy with the way the military “is misleading the world about the innocent girls”.
A female senior Civil Servant with the Borno state government, who requested not to be named said, “What kind of nonsense is this for God sake? Why are they playing politics with the lives of these innocent girls; I had just called some of my relatives in Chibok and they told me none of the girls had been released apart from the 14 that escaped back to town. We hope the military is not doing some thing funny with this very sensitive issue”.
When contacted late last night, Mr. Olukolade insisted it was the principal of the school who told the military that only eight girls were now missing.

 

MUSIC: Top Nigerian Gospel Act Funmi Praise Releases Another Hit

Funmi and Eben

Funmi Praise celebrates her birthday with the release of “Melo” Video featuring Eben. This is Funmi’s thanksgiving song as she tries to recount God’s blessings in her life and also a call to praise as she present this gift to her fans.

If you are looking for that song that will captivate you and which will draw you closer to God, you will find it in “Melo” by Funmi Praise.


The song was produced by Ultrasound while the video was directed by Gbenga Salu. Cameo appearance by Abere, Ebele the Flutist, Gbenga Oke , Xtarjustice and Kome Jones.Funmi is currently a music minister/Praise and worship leader at the Love Assembly International Church, Lekki, Lagos. She has ministered over the years in different churches and platforms and has worked with renowned artistes such as Segun Obe, Mike Abdul, amongst others.

Funmi can be reached at her Twitter handle: @FunmiPraise

TERRORISM: This Time Abuja Nigeria's Capital Gets Hit

More than 200 people are feared dead in an explosion which rocked an outskirts of Abuja, the Nigerian capital, this morning.
The explosion sounded in a highly populated motor park in Nyanya, less than five minutes drive from the Abuja city Centre.
It is not clear yet how the bomb was ferried into the park, but witnesses suspect it was planted by a suicide bomber.
Several dead bodies now litter the blood spattered park and the expressway leading to the city.

Some of the dead victims and the injured are being taken to hospital by ambulances and vans belonging to the police, the Vehicle Inspection Office, Federal Road Safety Commission, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the National Emergency Management Agency.
Our reporter counted more than 50 bodies that were yet to be evacuated. But witnesses said more than 150 bodies may have been moved before our reporter’s arrival.
Some of the bodies are mangled beyond recognition.

Several vehicles, including about 12 government-owned high capacity buses operated by the Abuja Mass Transit Company Limited, were destroyed in the attack.
Some of the buses were said to be loaded with passengers when the explosion occurred.

Some of the images we have are too offensive. We are unable to post them here.

    President Jonathan saddened by loss of lives in Nyanya bombing.

    — Reuben Abati (@abati1990) April 14, 2014

    President Jonathan has ordered heightened security in Abuja following Nyanya bombing.

    — Reuben Abati (@abati1990) April 14, 2014

    The multiple explosions at Nyanya bus park this morning is a terrible tragedy. No life is worth ending this way.

    — Ali Modu Sheriff (@AliModuSheriff) April 14, 2014

    We have to be more committed to dealing with our security challenges. Incidents like these should never be allowed to happen.

    — Ali Modu Sheriff (@AliModuSheriff) April 14, 2014

Live updates

11.03

Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, and interior Minister Abba Moro have visited the scene of the blast.

President Goodluck Jonathan is also expected to make appearance at the scene. But security agencies are fighting hard to keep a surging crowd away from the scene, as more evidence is collected.

10.58

Jonathan orders increased security in Nigerian capital

President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered that the security in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, be increased following an early Monday morning explosion in Nyanya, a suburb of the capital city.

In a tweet by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, the president said he is saddened by the loss of lives from the explosion. He extended his condolence to the families of the bereaved.

Mr. Abati, through his twitter handle, @abati1990, also said that the president has directed medical personnel around the city to do their best to save lives of those injured in the explosion.

Over 200 people are feared killed in an explosion that rocked a popular motor park in Nyanya, a suburb of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city. The explosion occurred at about 6:30 a.m. and most of the victims are believed to be passengers going to the city centre to resume work on Monday.

Security and emergency operatives arrived early to evacuate the corpses and take the injured to hospitals.

The emergency agency, NEMA, says it cannot give an official casualty figure yet.

09.19

Police investigators now collecting evidence from the scene as last batch of bodies are cleared.

09.06

Ambulances and security vans are still making repeated trips from the the scene of the blast to Asokoro hospital, ferrying both victims and bodies.

Details later.

 

Glow With Pride

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WRESTLING: The Ultimate Warrior Passes On

The Ultimate Warrior, one of US professional wrestling’s most celebrated names, has died at the age of 54, days after being inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Inc Hall of Fame, the company said late on Tuesday.

“WWE is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of the most iconic WWE Superstars ever, The Ultimate Warrior,” the Stamford, Connecticut-based company said on its website.

The Ultimate Warrior, whose given name was James Hellwig, began his WWE career in 1987 and rose to become one of the biggest stars in WWE history, the company said, highlighting an “epic encounter” in which he defeated Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI to become a WWE Champion.

The cause of his death was not given. He was added to the Hall of Fame on April 5th.

“We are grateful that just days ago, Warrior had the opportunity to take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame and was also able to appear at WrestleMania 30 and Monday Night Raw to address his legions of fans,” World Wrestling Entertainment said.

He was inducted into the WWE hall of fame on April 5. He died two days later.

The 6-foot, 2-inch (1.88 m) tall, 280-pound (127 kg) wrestler commanded the ring in his signature neon garb and long, blond hair, and face paint, WWE said.

His family could not immediately be reached, and an email sent through his website was not immediately answered.

In a statement on his website peppered with sarcasm, Hellwig expounded on philosophy and funneling energy from the ring into writing, motivational speaking, and his family life after retiring in the late 1990s.

“Ultimate Warrior ran because I was running him. He was intense because I already was. Whatever I am doing - wrestling, writing, working out, speaking, even weaving pot holders - I am going to do it with action and intensity,” Hellwig wrote.

“I have built an incredibly empowered life on my OWN terms. As a devoted husband and father, I could not have custom-ordered a more loving, healthy, spirit-filled, and happy home life,” he wrote.

Fans, supporters and wrestlers took to the internet to express their respect for the wrestler, who is survived by his wife Dana and his two daughters, WWE said.

THE WARRIOR AND HULK HOGAN

“Shocked and very saddened to hear about Ultimate Warrior passing. Prayers go out to his family! RIP. Loss for words,” wrestler Curtis wrote in a Twitter message.

“RIP WARRIOR. only love. HH,” Hulk Hogan tweeted.

“Tomorrow is promised to know one!!” fellow Hall of Famer Rowdy Roddy Piper tweeted. “My love to The Warrior and family. RIP.”

“Icon and friend,” WWE chief operating pfficer Triple H wrote in a twitter message.

Reuters

Photography: Preparations For Nigeria Photography Expo And Conference 2014 Heats Up

With over 30 workshops and hands-on classes with credible facilitators; NIPHEC 2014 can best be described as the mandatory continuous photography event for photographers this part of the globe.

Below is the schedule of events and classes.

April 28, 2014

NiPHEC Photowalk. We meet at the venue (12b Fagba Crescent, off Acme Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja) by 2pm with top Nigerian Photographers for a photowalk to Alausa Secretariat. You’ll have the opportunity to network with top photographers in the industry before the main event starts. Don’t miss this. You don’t even need to register for this; JUST SHOW UP. Arrive on time as we will set out by 2pm prompt.

April 29, 2014

NOC: Opening Ceremony/Keynote Presentations from Don Barber, Aisha Augie-Kuta, Uche James Iroha, Kelechi Amadi-Obi, & Seun Akisanmi
9am – 11am. Registration FREE until April 25,  Registration Fee at Venue N2,000
VSS: The Art of Visual Story telling  by Andrew Esiebo
12:30pm – 2pm. Fee: N5,000
PBM: Effective Photography Business Management by Richard Bamidele-Eko
12:30pm – 2pm. Fee: N5,000
PEE: Creative Pre-Wedding Sessions: Essence & Execution by Akara Ogheneworo
12:30pm – 2:15pm. Fee: N5,000

MPP: How To Make a Photobook: From Prints to Books by Clever Eseka
3pm – 5:30pm. Fee: N5,000

WAS: Wedding Photography: Art, Style & Business by Seun Akisanmi & Damilola Elliot
This class covers major aspects of wedding photography, from getting the job to taking the right shots to marketing your work, and making a profit-while keeping everyone happy along the way.
3pm – 5pm. Fee: N5,000
IPF: Introduction to Product & Food Photography by Debayo Rotilu
As humans, we alter our decisions based on what we see. This is why billions of dollars is spent on visual advertising worldwide. In this class, Dr Rotilu will be showing you how to photograph different product/food for better pleasing pictures. This class is for the enthusiast & professional who has a basic understanding of how to use a camera & Photoshop.
3pm – 5:30pm. Fee: N5,000

April 30, 2014

PIN: Mapping out a Fulfilling Career in Photojournalism by Akintunde Akinleye
8:30am – 10:15am. Fee: N5,000
CPW: A Do-IT-Yourself Approach to Creating a Photographer’s Website by Seun Akisanmi In this seminar, you’ll learn how easy it is to create a photography website (like http://www.elophotos.com) within 3 hours. Participants must bring a laptop to work with. First 5 participants to register get a free domain (e.g. http://www.Lagbajaphotos.com)
8:30am – 11:30am. Fee: N10,000
RTP: Retouching Tips Every Photographer Should Know: Photoshop 101 by Ayodimeji Olugbewesa ‘Dmayo’
8am – 10:45am. Fee: N6,000

UCL: Understanding Copyright Laws & How They Affects You As A Photographer by Barrister Lucy Babafemi, Aisha Augie-Kuta, & Barrister Tunde
Knowing your rights as a photographer is key to maximizing your income-potential in the industry. Every professional photographer should attend this class.
11:15am – 1pm. Fee: N5,000
PMA: Photography for Makeup Artists by Yemisi Dada (N’sure Beauty Studio) & Ofure Akisanmi (eloMakeup Studios)
11:15am – 12:45pm. Fee N5,000
CFP: The Creative Fashion Photographer by Hakeem Salam
2pm – 3:30pm. Fee: N5,000
MSI: Creating A Multiple Stream of Income Beyond Taking Pictures by Seun Akisanmi
In this class, you’ll learn about different money-making opportunities that abound in the photography industry.
1:30pm – 3:30pm. Fee: N7,000
UAP: Understanding The Art in Photography by Uche James Iroha
1:45pm – 3:30pm. Fee: N5,000

May 1, 2014

CMP: New Born & Maternity Photography by Yemi Disu & Bisola Ijalana
8:15am – 10:40am. Fee: N5,000
SSP: The Smart Smartphone Photographer: Maximizing the Photography Potentials of your Samsung, Nokia, BlackBerry or iPhone by Sunday Ogunjobi
8:30am – 10:45am. Fee: N5000
RNG: Raising the Next Generation of World-Class Photographers by Afolabi Oloyede & Kikelomo Koleosho
8:45am – 10:15am. FREE for Primary & Secondary School Students
CCP: Learning to Create Composites With Photoshop CS 6 by Jesse Omoghene
8am – 10:45am. Fee: N5000
DPT: Cost-Effective Digital Printing Technologies for Photographers by Seun Akisanmi
This class focuses on different types of printers, printing papers & how they affect your overall output. You’ll also discover whether printing at home or in a print lab is best for you.
3pm – 4:30pm. Fee: N5,000
TPE: The Photographer’s Eye: Learning to See Creatively in ANY Environment by Kelechi Amadi-Obi
2pm – 4pm. Fee: N5,000
SVD: Shooting Professional Videos with a DSLR by Bolaji Zealet
2pm – 5pm. Fee: N6000
————————————
Don’t forget to Register for a space to exhibit or sell your photography works. Visit the Exhibitors’ Page for more details.
————————————

May 2, 2014

WPB: Creating A Compelling Photography BRAND by Emmanuel Effiong-Bright
11am – 1pm. Fee: N5,000
PSC: Photography As A Medium For Social CHANGE Bayo Omoboriowo & Aisha Augie-Kuta
2:30pm – 4:15pm. Fee: N5,000

PGE: A Professional Guide to Covering Events by Shola Animashaun
8:30am – 10:30am. Fee: N5,000
OCL: Off-Camera Lighting: Using Speedlites To Achieve Strobe-like Results by Damilola Elliot
8:30am – 10:30am. Fee: N5,000
WIT: Doing WhateverITtakes to Standout in Photography: From Financial Accountability to Client Satisfaction by Seun Akisanmi
2pm – 4:45pm. Fee: N5000

May 3, 2014

SMM: Using Social Media to Market your Photography by Jide Odukoya
This class will help enlighten participants on the significance of using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, etc to their photographic advantage.
8:30am – 10:15am. Fee: N5,000

SCP: Starting A Career in Photography by Seun Akisanmi & Chidi Nwankwo
A foundational guide for those that want to start a professional photography business.
8am – 10am . Fee: N5,000
USL: Using Studio Lights Effectively by Olamide Bakare
A foundational guide for those that want to learn how to use studio lights.
8:30am – 11:30am . Fee: N5,000
WPL: What Every Photographer Should Know Before Using a Print Lab (Getting the best results from your relationship with printing Labs by Folake Ojeikere
12:30am – 2pm . Fee: N2,000
UPC: Understanding Parts & Functions of a Digital Camera by Tosin Bakre & Toye Peters
A foundational guide for those that want to learn how to use a professional digital camera (dSLR).
8:30am – 3pm . Fee: N10,000
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Once you have made payment in any of the designated banks, kindly CLICK HERE to fill out the registration form
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DVDs of 2013 NiPHEC Seminars

The Language of Light (2 DVDs) by Joe McNally (N10,000)
Street & Documentary Photography by Bayo Omoboriowo (N2,000)
Wedding Photography 101 by Seyi Body-Lawson (N2,000)
Children & Maternity Photography by Kikelomo Koleosho (N2,000)
Best Business Practices for Photographers by Seun Akisanmi (N2,000)
Photojournalism in Nigeria: Benchmarking Global Standards by Olubunmi Aboderin, Mr Akintunde AKINLEYE & Dr Boye Ola (N2,000)
Creating Stunning Portraits by Obi Somto & Ayodimeji Olugbewesa (N2,000)
Lighting & Composition by Jide Alakija (N2,000)
How to Get & Keep Customers for Life by Folake Ojeikere (N2,000)
Contracts, Invoicing & Pricing for Photographers by Richard Bamidele (N2,000)
Legal Documentation, Insurance, Taxes & Your Photography Business by Barrister Lucy Babafemi & Titilayo Aladesuyi (N2,000)
Lighting & the Dramatic Portrait by Michael Grecco (N3,000)
Starting Out in Photography by Seun Akisanmi (N2,000)
Anatomy of Architectural Photography by Theophilus Emmanuel (N2,000)
A Professional Guide to Creatively Posing Anyone At Any Occasion by Jide Alakija (N3,000)
Starting Out in Fashion & Advertising Photography by Kelechi Amadi-Obi (N2,000)
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For more details log on to www.niphec.com
Miss it, miss out!