Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog |
- Iranian woman hanged for killing 'man who tried to rape her'
- New Video: Lamboginny & Clayy - Broken
- Dear LIB readers: Do you by chance know who got me pregnant?
- See pics of 15yr old Jaylen Fryberg, who opened fire in his school yesterday killing two
- I fell out with Patience Jonathan because I refused to share Rivers money with her" - Amaechi
- Timi Dakolo, DJ Xclusive, Gordons to perform at historic love musical
- Kim K shows boobs in white dress as she parties in Las Vegas for her birthday
- Pics: 2face, Annie, Sound Sultan, others turn up at DJ Babey Drew's party
- Update: Homeless Chinese man sent back home
- Photos from BBA's Lilian's homecoming party yesterday...
- Get More Boom for your Buck in the Lumia 530 #PowerPromo
- Comedian imposes no fly zone on Tyrese after he threatens to end his career
- Interesting! OAP Osam reviews P-Square's new album
- Graphic: Women walk past headless corpses in Raqqa without raising an eyebrow in shocking pics depicting life under ISIS rule
- Achievas Entertainment unveils her first female artist "Janey Krest"
- Etcetera comes for celebs who bleach in new article
- Photos: Pres. Jonathan arrives Israel for pilgrimage in a blue suit
- Billionaire daughter Adama Indimi release more photos from recent shoot
- New video: Felix Duke Ft Patoranking & 100degree - 'Cynthia'
- Aww...read what UK Telegraph wrote about Governor Fashola
- Jim Iyke looking fresh and clean in new photos
| Iranian woman hanged for killing 'man who tried to rape her' Posted: 25 Oct 2014 08:48 AM PDT   27 year old Reyhaney Jabbari (pictured above), was executed today October 25th by hanging in Iran 7 years after she killed a man that she claimed had attempted to rape her. Reyhaney was sentenced to death in 2009 for the stabbing death of Morteza Abdolali Sarbandi, a former intelligence officer. A court ruled that she killed Morteza on purpose because she had bought the knife two days before she stabbed him in the back with it. In her defence, Reyhaney said she'd stabbed the man out of self defence. The court overruled her claims and sentenced her to death, a ruling which was upheld by Iran's Supreme court. The execution was carried out today after the victim's family refused to pardon Reyhaney or accept money from her family. Many human rights bodies including Amnesty International had over the years called on Iran's judiciary to halt the execution but they went ahead with it. Her mother confirmed it, saying Reyhaney was hanged in a Tehran prison very early this morning. |
| New Video: Lamboginny & Clayy - Broken Posted: 25 Oct 2014 08:32 AM PDT Here is Lamboginny and Clayy's newest video "Broken", directed by Clarence Peters. In the video, the duo emphasized on the need for affection to be shown towards helpless children on the street. Presently signed to Surge Entertainment, Lamboginny this year teamed up with new mystery rapper, Clayy. Their passion for humanitarian works continues to inspire and motivate them to reach out to the unreached and broken ones in the society. Enjoy!. |
| Dear LIB readers: Do you by chance know who got me pregnant? Posted: 25 Oct 2014 06:57 AM PDT  My fellow readers please help me. I have been dating two men at the same time for about 6 months. Actually my first boyfriend I have been dating since 2012, I met another guy 6 months ago and I also started dating him but I am now in a dilemma. I had sex with two of them almost at the same time and now I am pregnant. I had sex with boyfriend A on August 2nd and had sex with boyfriend B on August 7th, now I am 11 weeks pregnant. I plan to keep the baby I just don't know which of them I am supposed to tell I'm pregnant. I have no preference. Any of the two can be my baby daddy. Can anyone help me figure this out? Keep your judgements to yourselves please, only serious answers needed. |
| See pics of 15yr old Jaylen Fryberg, who opened fire in his school yesterday killing two Posted: 25 Oct 2014 07:09 AM PDT   The incident which lasted for about two minutes took place at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Washington D.C yesterday. See photos from the chaos that ensued and the full story after the cut... Photos of the killer below...     From UK Daily Mail 
Erick Cervantes, the first student who called 911 during the attack, told KIRO-TV: 'I believe [Megan Silberger] is actually the real hero.
Minutes after the shooting as police came to the school    Students mourn after the shooting...           Jaylen's last tweet below...    Photo credit: AP/Getty Images and UK Daily Mail |
| I fell out with Patience Jonathan because I refused to share Rivers money with her" - Amaechi Posted: 25 Oct 2014 05:49 AM PDT  "Remember, when I became governor, I fought militancy. Right there where you built a new house used to be a hole where they pass into the river nd escape. The security report reached me and I came here and chased the militants away. I asked them to fence the school premises and block the hole. I have to protect you because it is my responsibility. Some of the militants went to Lagos, Ivory Coast, Ghana etc. Today, they are back because the wife of the President bought them back to protest against me." Continue... Governor Amaechi is also quoted to have told the graduands that should they vote for President Jonathan back into power in next year's general elections, rivers state's economy would crumble Source: AIT |
| Timi Dakolo, DJ Xclusive, Gordons to perform at historic love musical Posted: 25 Oct 2014 05:31 AM PDT  Lagos is set to witness a revolutionized theatre experience as a rich combination of soul singer Timi Dakolo, superstar DJ Xclusive, veteran vocalist Yinka Davis, ace comedian Gordons, prolific artist Ice Nweke and others come together in an exquisite love musical performance. Tagged 'Love Is…the Musical' the prestigious event, organized by Limitless Minds Africa will also feature special appearances from popular OAPs like Mannie and ZOE and will take place at The Eko Convention Centre, in Lagos on November 2, 2014.  To be hosted by TV personality Andre Blaze, the peculiar show will showcase exhilarating performances from internationally trained dance professionals from around the world. Created and directed by Ice Nweke, the inspiring intimate story is a clear portrait of the lives of three beautiful women on a journey in search of the true meaning of love. Other special guest artists include Ranti Ihimoyan, Donna the Poet, Sheila, Efe Paul and Sasu, Frank Konwea and Kay Strings.         |
| Kim K shows boobs in white dress as she parties in Las Vegas for her birthday Posted: 25 Oct 2014 05:10 AM PDT |
| Pics: 2face, Annie, Sound Sultan, others turn up at DJ Babey Drew's party Posted: 25 Oct 2014 04:45 AM PDT  Celebs including 2face and his wife Annie Idibia, Sound Sultan, DJ Xclusive, DJ Spinall, DJ Humility, Kaylah, Wale Ojo, Sasha P, DJ Caise and many more came out to party with Chris Brown's official DJ, Babey Drew on Friday, October 24, 2014 at the second Heineken Green Light Party which held at Spice Route, Victoria Island. See photos from the event after the cut...               |
| Update: Homeless Chinese man sent back home Posted: 25 Oct 2014 03:47 AM PDT  |
| Photos from BBA's Lilian's homecoming party yesterday... Posted: 25 Oct 2014 03:29 AM PDT   Speaking with the media shortly before the commencement of the party, Lilian said she was shocked at being evicted so soon "I was shocked when IK announced that I have been evicted from the house, my fans were also in shock but I have come to accept that my awesome experience in the BBA house forms the bedrock for my talent and career development in showbiz,not just in Nigeria but across the continent." See pics from the party after the cut...                 |
| Get More Boom for your Buck in the Lumia 530 #PowerPromo Posted: 25 Oct 2014 02:48 AM PDT  Microsoft latest smartphone, Lumia 530, is now available in Nigeria and if you are one of the first to buy this smartphone, you will win a Bang by Coloud Mini Speaker. It is portable but can get a party started in seconds. To win, just buy the new Lumia 530 smartphone from any of the following retail outlets or online stores: Slot, Park N Shop, Everyday Emporium, Mega Plaza, Jumia, Konga, and Ringo Telecommunications. The new Lumia 530 is not one to be missed! It includes the best Lumia signature apps and Microsoft services all at a very affordable price. For the stylish folks, the Lumia 530 comes with changeable cover shells in bright orange, bright green and stylish neutrals dark grey and white and is available in all authorised retail outlets and online stores in Nigeria. |
| Comedian imposes no fly zone on Tyrese after he threatens to end his career Posted: 25 Oct 2014 02:44 AM PDT  In his own response video, Spanky imposes a No Fly Zone on Tyrese banning him from filming Transformers in Detroit. Spanky said: "Tyrese why did you have to act like that? It was homosexual, the way you did your video. You know you done f**ked up? I didn't say you were gay mehn, but if you got a tattoo on your back of another ni**a hitting if from the back, that might mean be gay. "Ever heard of the no-fly zone, ni**a? I'm from Detroit. If I can't go to Hollywood to perform at the Hollywood clubs, how about you can't go to Detroit and shoot transformers? When you sh*t, a whole car come out of your gay ass. That's why Suge Knight used to f**k your first baby mama"Watch the video - which is quite hilarious - after the cut... |
| Interesting! OAP Osam reviews P-Square's new album Posted: 25 Oct 2014 02:15 AM PDT   The accepted norm to know a singer or an artiste's worth is the reeling out of an LP or an album. In Nigeria today, there is more concentration from artistes in spewing out single after single in the silent bid that one just might be the hit they have been craving for. P-Square is a group that defies logic in this game of from single to album. There is this midas touch from these boys that just keeps everybody in awe. Hate 'em, Love 'em, they are one of the very few professionals left in this dispensation. As an OAP, I play back to back hit songs for 6hours Monday to Friday, and I now want to take a critical look at albums that have come out recently so as to know why the craze for singles short of albums which is every artiste's nightmare. This is a review of Psquare's 6THalbum DOUBLE TROUBLE. Track 1: SHEKINI An 'African Jungle Beat' as I term it, popularised the likes of Davido's 'AYE/SKELEWU',Runtown's 'GALLARDO' etc. It's a beat with a waist winding push and prompts to mind the wave of the SHOKI/SKELEWU/SEKEM dance. The joker about this track is that the Igbo boys that isPsquare actually sang the hook in impeccable Yoruba. Attention grabbing track for an album opener. Track 2: MISSING YOU A nice highlife track. I believe Sunny Neji is one ingredient missing from this track. It has its upbeat swing that brings in the vintage Psquare flavour. Guys, make sure you are not missing your lady when listening to this track. Track 3: BRING IT ONft DAVE SCOTT A personal favourite. An initial 20 second listen of this track from the start would leave you guessing if it's a foreign track. Featuring Dave Scott, a hitherto unknown American singer from Texas. Listening to this mid tempo pop track with its undulating beat, apart from its message of hope, voice artistry comes into play here. The harmony of Dave's voice and that of Psquare is absolutely timed and mind blowing. Rudeboy himself solely produced this one, and that would be Paul Okoye! Track 4: MMS(Mugu Money Spender) You just have to give it to the power of the African Jungle Beat yet again. It seems as if Psquare are being penitent from the carefree 'CHOP MY MONEY' frenzy and are now wise with the way money is to be spent. LOL.Hardcorebassline accompanies this yet another dance track to the wave of Skelewu/Shoki/Sekem dance step. Track 5: IFEOMA If you know Psquare, this is another vintage track with a pleading message of love assisted with a mix of highlife and uptempo reggae. The bassline too just grabs my attention. Guys, this is another song you could use to win your sweethearts back. But please tell her that when she hears IFEOMA being called out in the song she should replace it with her own name in her head o! Track 6: EJEAJO ft TI Now this is a track with a Yoruba phrase 'EJEAJO' which means 'Let's dance' .Psquare takes us back to the swinging 80's soul train era with this intense pop tune. Personally, I believe Jermaine Jackson would have fit into this track because the American rapper T.I rap comes up short. It's a nice experiment and would hit the reminiscing over 35's. Good back up video though. Track 7: COLLABO ft DON JAZZY Funnily enough Don Jazzy didn't produce this track. Another African Jungle Beat with good vibes from the collabo of Psquare and Don Jazzy, produced by Oscar. Chicks love this jam. Beware if a chick sings it to you! Track 8: OGADIGIDE I was expecting to hear Flavour's input in this track because this is just down his alley. Inspiring track in igbo chorus whose title means ' It will last forever'. A fine blend of highlife and African Jungle Beat. Track 9: NO BE JOKE Rhythm and Blues slow tempo with a good bassline, aligning drumbeats and a blend of the Pqsuare trademark voice. Track 10: ENEMY SOLOft AWILO LONGOMBA No doubt this song is geared at haters and probably was structured to make them dance when they hear it hence the makossabeat . The track's authenticity is heightened with the inclusion of the Makossa maestro AWILO LOGOMBA who did justice with his own rendition in his Congolese dialect from the start of the song. On point for makossa lovers, Track 11: SARI SARI Another up tempo highlife song depicting love to a girl. This dance tracks shows the dexterity of Psquare being able switch from pidgin to igbo then English with a smooth flow. Love the guitar solos though. Track 12: ZOMBIE ft Jermaine Jackson Okay, this is where I have a little bit of bother. Is it the Michael Jackson-like wail his brother Jermaine added throughout this track? Or is it that the track is a stylish mix of Afrobeat and pop? Or is it that it sounds like an experimental sound? I think this is the track T.I should have featured in to add that rap feel. This song was produced solely by Mr P and that would be Peter Okoye! Track 13: IJE LOVE This is the track you would dedicate to that special woman in your life. I can see this track being played at wedding reception because of its up tempo nature and infusion of highlife BONUS TRACKS THAT INITAILLY CAME OUT AS SINGLES: TESTIMONY- In which some market men and women use in opening their shops in Lagos, PERSONALLY- The video made Jermaine interested in Psquare ALINGO- A song with a dance to it. *MY RATINGS: Good effort!* I am going to be reviewing some albums that came out recently next and I am going to call a spade a spade! So if you want an album reviewed, which would you like? OSAM. |
| Posted: 25 Oct 2014 02:01 AM PDT  Women walk past their bodies without acknowledging their impaled heads on fences for fear of being killed themselves. Elsewhere hate preachers urge children to disobey their parents and join the terror group. Raqqa has remained an ISIS stronghold since the group took control of the city last year. Residents have been subjected to an unrelenting torrent of horror, with many too poor to flee across the border to Turkey. Despite American and Arab forces bombing the city, fighters remain jubilant and have taken control of the population's homes and resources. See the horrific photos after the cut...         |
| Achievas Entertainment unveils her first female artist "Janey Krest" Posted: 25 Oct 2014 12:46 AM PDT  Janey Krest whose real mame is Janefrancis Amadi Chinemerem is everything you need to know about a music talent or better called the total package. Krest as fondly called by many is a Nigerian born rapper, singer, songwriter, composer, Reggae singer and an Electrifying Entertainer, Known for her English , pidgin and Igbo lyrics with a unique complexion, androgynous appearance and not leaving her brilliant stage craft. She was born on March 7th, in the early 90s, in her home town of Port Harcourt City where she grew up and started her career KREST attended both her primary and secondary school in Port Harcourt, River state. In 2011, she proceeded to University of Calabar, where she obtained her certification in personnel Management and currently studying for her degree in political science at Tansia University. KREST perfectly finds a balance between education and her talent waxing strong with enviable grades in school, participated in Rap contests & TV Reality shows like: KING OF RAP 2010, RSSDA, ONE MIC, LOUD IN KAS, organized by River state government in which she emerged the winner, SPRITE TRIPLE SLAM 2011, LUCOZADE BOOST REALITY SHOW 2011. Still within this period, she shot her first Single video "NIGERIA" which was nominated for Odudu Award as Best Female Hip-hop Video of the Year in Port Harcourt. Other TV reality contests includes: NIGERIAN IDOL & PEAK TALENT SHOW season3 were she emerged the regional winner and 1st runner up at National finals in each contest, she won the 2013 MTN PULSE RAP BATTLE and recently won Best Female Artiste of the year at the 2014 PARADISE MUSIC AWARDS in Calabar. Her versatility gave her an edge to be on a Hit single "DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY Remix" with Ace comedian Klint Da Drunk and a Diabetes theme song with top stars like Sammy Okposo, Nigga raw, Konga and Ernest Asuzu of "Nollywood". Listen here www. |
| Etcetera comes for celebs who bleach in new article Posted: 25 Oct 2014 12:40 AM PDT   
You loved us when we were black and we sincerely ask you not to love us any less even now that we are light skinned. We also want you guys to understand that we celebrities bleach our skin so that we can lighten up your screens so you will never have to increase the brightness and contrast of your TV anymore. You can ask our Nigerian movie producers why they prefer us light skinned actors. That being said, we also want to sound a note of warning to all celebrity bleachers. According to section 19 of our annually reviewed constitution, no bleacher operating within our ranks has any right whatsoever to disrespect his or her fans. Such unruly attitude should stop henceforth. Anyone culpable of this dastardly act will be severely dealt with according to what is stated in our constitution. We want to also use this medium to pass this vital information to the rest of the public and it will be in the interest of everyone to read the following very carefully. The ABNC is the umbrella body of all celebrity bleachers and we are responsible for every bleaching celebrity you see on TV and on the streets. We will also like you to understand that no celebrity bleacher will intentionally snub or refuse to shake hands with his or her fans. A lot of these incidents have occurred as a result of stigmatisation of bleachers by the public. Nigerian celebrity bleachers especially have been unfairly criticised by the public for having black knuckles, white body and black yansh. Therefore, the unwillingness of celebrity bleachers to shake hands in public should be regarded as a silent protest over the bizarre treatment accorded bleachers in this country. They are humans and they deserve the rights to decide their skin or vein colours. Be it black, blue, red or rainbow, it is their choice and the public must accept and respect it. After all, if you are a very observant fan, you would have noticed that all light-skinned male celebrities always wear suits or long sleeve shirts and walk with their hands in their pockets. Walking with your hands in your pockets is prescribed by this distinguished organisation to all bleachers. In cases of bleaching gone wry, please note that celebrity bleachers don't do all these because they want to be seen as fashionably sensitive or too cool to care. They do it to avoid that embarrassing moment when you discover that your pretty face celebrity has the hands of a local tye and dye merchant. We hope that henceforth, whenever you see a light skinned celebrity with pocketed hands, you will save yourself the embarrassment and kindly let him be. A celebrity bleacher with bad bleaching experience is like a dog with rabies and no sane person messes with a rabies-infected dog. We implore you non-bleachers to be more sensitive to the plights of bleachers. To you male fans who love greeting women with a kiss on their cheeks, please be advised to keep your damn kisses to yourself whenever you see those light-skinned celebs who love tying scarves around their necks. It is not fair to expose someone's multi-coloured neckline to the whole world because you want to prove that you can greet like an arab. And if you are a church usher who is fond of telling people to raise their hands up during worship, better stay the hell away from any light-skinned celebrity you see in church. Allow them to worship with their hands glued to their sides. We swear, you don't want to see that armpit. Our sincere appreciation also goes to all men out there dating a celebrity bleacher, we commend your patience. You have stood by them knowing you can't take them to the pool because of their black yansh. And when they forced you to take them against your will to the pool, you still had to endure the fact that they got into the swimming pool fully dressed in their leggings, T-shirts and stockings. May you be rewarded handsomely for your stoicism and perseverance. One quick advice though, inasmuch as you may love your bleached spouse and want to treat her to different types of adventure, it is paramount that you resist every pressure to take her to the beach. Please listen to us very carefully; you have to protect her from bleachers allergies. They react to sea water like an ogbanje reacts to deliverance. And if you don't want to be staring at your bleached spouse rolling and crying in agony on the beach sand, don't let the sea water come in contact with her skin. Nigerians, please stop judging us by the colour of our skin. We will never be ashamed to admit to the public that all light-skinned celebrities are bleachers because this same bleaching has made us the most preferred in Nollywood today. It has made our ladies more desirable and more noticeable by Nigerian men. It has also helped some of our colleagues who were straight up ugly become attractive. That is why our motto is, Show me a light-skinned celebrity who doesn't bleach and I will show you a local dog that doesn't eat shit. |
| Photos: Pres. Jonathan arrives Israel for pilgrimage in a blue suit Posted: 25 Oct 2014 12:25 AM PDT   Pres. Jonathan, Gov Obiano & Senator Adeyemi at Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv yesterday  Primate Okoh, Gov Suswam & ESNCPC Opara welcoming President Jonathan to Jerusalem for 2014 Pilgrimage.  |
| Billionaire daughter Adama Indimi release more photos from recent shoot Posted: 25 Oct 2014 12:16 AM PDT |
| New video: Felix Duke Ft Patoranking & 100degree - 'Cynthia' Posted: 24 Oct 2014 11:59 PM PDT Felix Duke releases the video to his new hit single titled Cynthia featuring Patoranking and 100 Degree. Enjoy.. |
| Aww...read what UK Telegraph wrote about Governor Fashola Posted: 24 Oct 2014 02:23 PM PDT  He famously claims to be "just doing his job". But in a land where politicians are known for doing anything but, that alone has been enough to make Babatunde Fashola, boss of the vast Nigerian city of Lagos, a very popular man. Confounding the image of Nigerian leaders as corrupt and incompetent, the 51-year-old governor has won near-celebrity status for transforming west Africa's biggest city, cleaing up its crime-ridden slums and declaring war on corrupt police and civil servants. Next month, he will come to London to meet business leaders and Mayor Boris Johnson's officials, wooing investors with talk of how he has spent the last seven years building new transport hubs and gleaming business parks. Yet arguably his biggest achievement in office took place just last week, and was done without a bulldozer in sight. That was when his country was officially declared free of Ebola, which first spread to Nigeria three months ago when Patrick Sawyer, an infected Liberian diplomat, flew into Lagos airport. Health officials had long feared that the outbreak, which has already claimed nearly 5,000 lives elsewhere in west Africa, would reach catastrophic proportions were it to spread through Lagos. One of the largest cities in the world, it is home to an estimated 17 million people, many of them living in sprawling shanty towns that would have become vast reservoirs for infection. To make matters worse, when the outbreak first happened, medics were on strike. Instead, Mr Fashola turned a looming disaster into a public health and PR triumph. Breaking off from a trip overseas, he took personal charge of the operation to track down and quarantine nearly 1,000 people feared to have been infected since Mr Sawyer's arrival. Last week, what would have been a formidably complex operation in any country came to a successful end, when the World Health Organisation announced that since Nigeria had had no new cases for six weeks, it was now officially rid of the virus. "This is a spectacular success story," said Rui Gama Vaz, a WHO spokesman, who prompted an applause when he broke the news at a press conference in Nigeria on Tuesday. "It shows that Ebola can be contained. The WHO announcement was a rare glimmer of hope in the fight against Ebola, and even rarer vote of confidence in a branch of the Nigerian government, which was heavily criticised over its response to the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls by the Boko Haram insurgent group in April. As a columninst in Nigeria's Leadership newspaper put it last week: "For once, we did not underachieve." For Mr Fashola's many supporters, it is also yet more proof that the 51-year-old ex-lawyer is a future president in the making, a much-needed technocrat in a country dominated far too long by ageing "Big Men" and ex-generals. "He is the best governor we have ever had," said Odun Babalola, a Lagos-based pension fund portfolio manager. "He's made a lot of progress in schools, railways, and infrastructure, and unlike a lot of politicians, who are corrupt, he's a good administrator." True, the successful tackling of the Ebola outbreak was not Mr Fashola's doing alone. For a start, the doctor's strike that was under way when Mr Sawyer collapsed at Lagos airport turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Rather than being taken to one of Lagos's vast public hospitals, where he might have languished for hours and infected numerous fellow patients and staff, he was instead admitted to a private clinic. There he was seen by a sharp-eyed consultant, Stella Adadevoh, who spotted that his symptoms were not malaria as had been first thought. She then alerted the Nigerian health ministry, and along with other doctors physically restrained Sawyer when he became aggressive and tried to leave the hospital to fly to another Nigerian city. Her quick thinking help stop the virus being spread more widely, but also cost her her life: she caught Ebola herself while treating Mr Sawyer, and has now been recommended for a national award. But even by the time Mr Sawyer had been isolated, the virus was already on the loose. Knowing that he had passed through one of the busiest airports in west Africa, health officials had to try to track down every single person who had potentially been infected by him, including the other passengers on his flight. The list started at 281 people and grew to nearly 1,000. as eight others whom he turned out to have passed the virus to subsequently died. That was where Mr Fashola stepped in. He broke off from a pilgrimage to Mecca, flew home and then helped set up an Ebola Emergency Operations Centre, which spearheaded the mammoth task of monitoring all those potentially infected. A team of 2,000 officials were trained for the task, who ended up knocking on 26,000 doors. At one point the governor was being briefed up to ten times a day by disease control experts. He made a point of visiting the country's Ebola treatment centre, a way of communicating to the Nigerian public that they should not panic needlessly. "Command and control is very important in fighting disease outbreaks, and he provided effective leadership," said Dr Ike Anya, a London-based Nigerian public health expert. "He also said exactly the right things, urging for the need to keep calm. Regardless of whether you support his politics, he has been very effective as a governor and I would be happy to see him stand for leadership." Born into a prominent Muslim family but married to a Christian, Mr Fashola trained as a lawyer and went into politics after being appointed chief of staff by the previous Lagos governor, Asiwaju Tinubu, a powerful politician often described as Mr Fashola's "Godfather". But while he has long enjoyed the backing of a political "Big Man", is his role as a rare defender of Nigeria's "Little Men" that has won him most support. Once, while driving through Lagos in his convoy, he famously stopped an army colonel who was driving illegally in one of the governor's newly-built bus lanes, berating him in front of television cameras. "The bus is for those who cannot afford to buy cars," he said. "I want a zero tolerance of lawlesness, and those who don't want to comply can leave our state." It was one of the first times Nigerians had ever seen a civil servant confronting a member of the security forces, whose fondness for committing crime rather than fighting it has long contributed to Lagos's legendary reputation for lawlessness. Armed robberies - sometimes by moonlighting police - used to be so common that few people ventured out after dark. Foreign businessmen would routinely travel with armed escorts, and the few willing to live there would stay mainly in a heavily-guarded diplomatic area called Victoria Island, a rough equivalent to Baghdad's Green Zone. Add to that the suffocating smog, widespread squalor and regular three-hour traffic jams, and it was no suprise that the city had a reputation as one of the worst places in the world to live. Today, much of the problems remain. But members of the vast Nigerian diaspora say they now notice big changes whenever they go back. "When you return you see an absolute difference - things have improved 100 per cent," said Nels Abbey, a London-based Nigerian journalist and businessman. "Traffic is not what it used to be, bus lanes have been introduced, and it feels a lot safer. Fashola has been like a Tory mayor for Lagos - he is trying to make it attractive to the well-off." Styling himself as Lagos's answer to Boris Johnson has not endeared him to everyone. As well as laying plans for a vast offshore business park intended as an "African Dubai", he has accelerated programs to clear the ever-expanding shanty towns, ordering their occupants to return to their homes in Nigeria's poorest east and north. That has led to criticism from human rights groups, although others say it is hard to see how Lagos will ever improve otherwise. "Do I endorse it?" said Mr Nels. "I am afraid it is a bit of a necessary evil." Another big achievement has been increasing tax revenues, vital in a city where the GDP of $43 billion makes it the fifth-biggest economy in sub-Saharan Africa. Mr Fashola has tried to sweeten the pill by putting up signs on all new infrasructure projects, saying "paid for by your taxes". It is a rare acknowledgement of gratitude in a country where a guaranteed stream of state oil wealth has historically allowed rulers to remain aloof from the ruled. However, despite being relected with 80 per cent of the vote in 2011, the main hailed as Nigeria's brightest political hope in years is far from guaranteed a life in office. Having served two terms in office already, he is not allowed to run as Lagos governor again. And as a member of a minority tribe and the country's opposition All Progressives Congress, he currently lacks the political backing to go head to head against Goodluck Jonathan in next year's elections. In the meantime, fresh from ridding Lagos of Ebola, he is focusing on an arguably even tougher challenge, launching a new initiative to stop motorists stuck in traffic jams from blasting their horns all day. As he put it: "If we can overcome Ebola, then we can overcome noise pollution." Culled from UK Telegraph... |
| Jim Iyke looking fresh and clean in new photos Posted: 24 Oct 2014 01:18 PM PDT   |
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