FFK blasts Buhari's worshippers
4 Jan 2016
Iran warns Nigeria to release Shiite leader El-Zakzaky
"We have used all those channels to warn them [Nigeria] regarding this issue. So hopefully the government... would adopt wise action given the sensitive situation," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hoseyn Jaberi-Ansari told reporters in the capital, Tehran today January 4th.
Headies Organisers release statement on the drama that happened on awards night
We are proud of what we have achieved over the years. The Headies stage has birthed the careers of many artistes who are of A-list status today. We are also glad that we have reinstated pride and prestige into the winning of a locally organised music awards and, we have celebrated artistic ingenuity for 10 straight years; a feat no other group before us was able to achieve.Every year, the screening team collate all creative materials released in the year in review and screen for nomination. This tedious process goes on for at least three months before the screening team comes out with a final list. The voting categories, such as 'Song Of The Year', 'Artist Of The Year', & 'Next-Rated' are left strictly for fans to vote and choose the winners. We wish to say categorically that we do not tamper with the outcome of the voting process. The limit of our involvement in this voting process is to advice the nominees to engage their fans and solicit for their votes. We do not accept any responsibility for failure on the part of the nominees or their record label, when they fail to do this.
Unfortunately, most times, Voting, Year In Review and Definitions Of Each Category, are generally taken for granted by many artists. We can also attest to, and hereby state categorically that, there is no evidence that any of the artistes aggrieved and vocal about their displeasure to the turnout of the award, voted in the 'Next-Rated' category, as our voting process captures email addresses and phone numbers.
We have ensured that the awards happened regardless of sponsorship, and that it gets better with each passing year, without giving excuses about challenges. We may not have gotten everything 100% right, but integrity has been our watch-word. The 109 Nigerian artistes that have won can attest to the fact that they did nothing different from those that have not. Awards by nature, are and will always remain, controversial except every nominee gets one.
We try to ensure that winners are within reach before announcing their category, as the whole essence of celebrating talents will be defeated without that.
While it is not out of place for an artiste or a party to vent their disapproval, we strongly condemn all kinds of improper conduct and the use of profanity on live television. In the same manner, we condemn provocative comments. In all, we see no use or reason for a disgruntled artiste or party to destroy valuable properties put in place to give them extra comfort before they perform or come on stage. This is totally unacceptable and will be addressed.
We congratulate all nominees and winners of The Headies 2015 and wish them a more successful 2016.
Headies Secretariat
Comedian ‘Mr. Bean’ Invest Thousands Of Pounds In Daughter's Music Career
Famous British comedian, Rowan Atkinson, is majorly known for his very funny movies where he hardly ever talks.
The veteran comedian is now investing in his daughter’s music career by helping with her new music video and professional photos.
According to reports from The Sun, the ‘Mr. Bean’ star is investing his money towards his daughter Lily’s music dreams.
He has released £10,000 for her music video and an extra £6,000 for several professional photo shoots and also cabaret lessons.
The 20-year-old Lily has been performing at London venues for a while but is working hard in her bid to become a music superstar.
A source close to Lily told The Sun that: “Lily’s dream since she was small was to be a singer and now she’s getting help realising that dream”.
The source added: “She’s performed a few gigs in a cabaret style and really enjoyed them. Her parents both come from show business backgrounds so they are fully supportive of her.”
Bill Cosby's Wife Camille Says She Is Humiliated By His Actions
The disgraced comedian's wife of more than 50 years was notably absent as he arrived to face sexual assault charges in Pennsylvania.
She had dismissed the initial claims of sexual abuse against Cosby, but as the number of alleged victims continued to grow, Camille was ‘sickened’, according to reports. She reportedly knew about his infidelities, but requested he be discreet.
Although humiliated by his actions, her anger is not directed at the women. However, this week, she learned that she must testify in a civil case against the entertainer filed by seven women who said he defamed them, court documents said.
A federal magistrate judge in Massachusetts rejected arguments by Cosby's wife, who also has been his business manager, that the deposition would represent an ‘undue burden’.
Culled from Dailymail.
Olamide vs Don Jazzy: Charles Novia Writes On The Viral Beef
Well, we knew this article was going to drop sooner or later. Now all we have to do is wait for Etcetera to drop his.
Veteran actor and movie producer, Charles Novia, has written a piece about the Olamide and Don Jazzy’s beef.
Read below: –
The Headies 2015 ( which ironically held on the first day of 2016) was an anti-climax after that. And perhaps the public tantrums of both Don Jazzy and Olamide were the highlights of what was before then an above average telecast with glaring lapses which could have been remedied with more precision.
When the artistes nominated in the ‘Next Rated..’ category were shown in a mini-documentary somewhere in the show, taking photo-ops in the Hyundai SUV and pleading for votes from their fans so as to win the prize, I told myself after seeing the earnest expectations on their faces that this category would surely be competitive but would have some bad blood drawn thereafter.
The visuals of the four nominated acts seated side-by-side in the hall thereafter, being interviewed by the Hip TV Presenter just before the category was announced also showed an unease amongst them even if they were trying to put up aloof facades.
Korede Bello, Kiss Daniel, L’il Kesh and Reekado Banks. Four nominees in perhaps the ‘closest-to-call’ category in The Headies ever. Looking at the list, they each had hits in 2015. But in my personal opinion (which I’m entitled to, innit?) I would have pruned the list at the final stage to just two; Korede Bello and Kiss Daniel.
‘Godwin’ was probably the biggest song of 2015, transcending both the secular and gospel charts and finding resonance all across Africa. How could such a song not get the artiste a winner in that category? On the other hand, ‘Woju’ by Kiss Daniel was another monster hit in 2015 which certainly would have won him that prize without raising eyebrows.
With due respect to Reekado Banks, I don’t think his ‘ Katapot’ track was that much of a phenomenal hit in 2015 but it was a good track. And L’il Kesh too, who was touted by Olamide as having back to back hits in 2015 (by his reckoning) stood a chance as well but I would say a misfit of personal branding by the YBNL team for Kesh might have added to his loss in that category. Club and dance hits are different from acclaimed general hits when it comes to the brass tacks and ‘Gbese Re’ was huge on the club and dance circuits but can’t be termed a huge hit compared to Korede’s and Kiss’
Thus, when Reekado won, I was one of the surprised folks watching on television. Obviously this didn’t go down well with Olamide, on whose label Kesh is signed on to and he went on a profane and perhaps alcohol-induced rant onstage a few minutes later, calling out the organisers and storming off the stage thereafter.
Don Jazzy, the acclaimed Producer, who is the Head Huncho at Mavin Records which has Reekado as one of its acts, picked up the gauntlet a few minutes after while receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award and called out Olamide. He asked Olamide to come take the car won by Reekado and stormed out of the awards with his crew.
Olamide later went on twitter to rant more expletives on Don Jazzy.
Both artistes were wrong on many fronts. For Olamide, his open inebriation on stage calls for much questioning of his public conduct when he’s not in performance mode. As he boasts in his songs, he might have packed halls and swayed trends in the past year but trying a Kanye West onstage at The Headies was ill-advised. One should ask this question (which I will also throw at Don Jazzy later as well) that if L’il Kesh had back to back hits as Olamide claimed, why didn’t YBNL deem it fit to buy him a car (if he hasn’t any) all these months?
And Don Jazzy too should have stuffed it when he said that he had told Korede and Reekado not to bother themselves about the car if they didn’t win because he would buy them a car. Really? Did he mean to tell us that with all the shows and endorsements both acts had last year under his management, there wasn’t any ‘change’ left to buy his acts cars?
If that’s the case, something is wrong somewhere.
Don Jazzy screwed up though by calling out Olamide in his speech especially as Olamide never mentioned his name. But to a discerning mind, it seems those two had festering issues before last night and that incident was the last straw.
Mutual discontent and petty misgivings are common in the entertainment industry. I am never fooled by put-on smiles and show of camaderie most times by artistes as they are human like everyone else. What sets off animousities are usually a struggle for a space on top; a definition of ambitious egos or just plain loathing for petty reasons.
The struggle and not the hustle is what is real. Territorial dominance and egotistical relevance.
The major beneficiary from all this, in spite of the furore over the winner, is Hyundai. The brand now has more exposure than it bargained for and everyone would remember the brand for months to come. No publicity is bad at all in this regard for them.
To think that Don Jazzy and Olamide did a collabo a couple of years back and an anaemic one too, in my opinion. A song which didn’t make sense and was soon forgotten as soon as it came out.
With the storm over this award and the degenerative posibilities it portends, one can only suggest to Hyundai to come out with a new model inspired by this.
And calling that model ‘Hyundai Skelemba’ won’t be a bad idea. The sales might just be something the company can ‘bank’ on.
And calling that model ‘Hyundai Skelemba’ won’t be a bad idea. The sales might just be something the company can ‘bank’ on.
Zinedine Zidane to replace Benitez as Real Madrid Coach
Zinedine Zidane is expected to take over first team duties as the club's head coach.
APC Warns Against Insulting Buhari, Government Officials - Premiumtimes
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has condemned what it called the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s “unprovoked insults and unguarded statements” on President Muhammadu Buhari and other members of the APC.
The APC said in the aftermath of last Wednesday’s presidential chat, PDP’s spokesperson, Olisa Metuh in a statement issued on Thursday amongst others called Mr. Buhari an “unrepentant tyrant” and a “fascist”.
APC said PDP accused ministers and APC members of corruption while further accusing the president of a selective anti-corruption fight.
APC’s national chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, in a statement Saturday said, “The APC is worried by PDP’s inciting statements. Respect for the office of the president or heads of government in any clime is not a matter of choice but a civic obligation sanctioned by laws. Being an opposition party or critic is no license to issue abusive, intemperate and slanderous statements on government officials; most especially the president of the country.
“The PDP has proven that it is not a party to be trusted or taken seriously. Only recently, the PDP said in a December 24, 2015 statement: ‘we urge that Nigerians should not recourse to hauling insults on the President’.
“For the umpteenth time, the APC urges Nigerians who see merit in the war that the President Buhari-led administration is waging against corruption, not to be distracted by the PDP and their agents of corruption to discredit the war. For the records, the ongoing war against corruption is not selective. Anybody guilty of corrupt practices will face the law.
“If the PDP has any proof of corruption against any APC member or minister as alleged, we advise that they approach any of the anti-graft agencies constitutionally mandated to handle such cases.
“PDP’s rant suggesting a selective anti-corruption fight by the present administration should be seen as a plot meant to distract the citizenry from the successful ongoing war against graft.
“The PDP does not have the luxury of dictating how the present administration carries out its legitimate duty of catching looters, as long as it conforms with the rule of law.”
Taraba Government Confirms Lassa Fever Outbreak
The Taraba State Government has confirmed the outbreak of Lassa fever in the state.
The Commissioner of Health, Innocent Vakkai, who confirmed the outbreak said, “One person died and two others quarantined and their blood samples have already been taken to Irrua Specialists’ Hospital in Edo State for further confirmation.”
While addressing journalists on Friday, Mr. Vakkai advised the public not to panic as the state government had responded swiftly to the outbreak.
He also elaborated on how the fever spreads.
“People usually get infected with the Lassa Virus after exposure to infected rodents, while person to person transmission occurs through direct contact with the sick person,” the commissioner said.
He called on the residents to avoid contact with rats especially in the areas where the outbreak occurred.
“Other precautionary measures include putting food in rodent proof containers and wearing protections such as masks, gloves, gowns among others,” he added.
Mr. Vakkai further called on residents to report to the nearest hospital any case of nasal bleeding, as well as bleeding through the anus and mouth which he said are among the symptoms of the disease.
It could be recalled that a Lassa Fever outbreak occurred in Taraba in February 2012 causing the death of 10 people including a doctor and two nurses who attended to the patients.
Onyeka Nwelue's parents celebrate 35 years of marriage
Indian car mechanic invents car that runs on water
The car uses a mix of water and carbide which at just under two pence a litre is far more cost effective than traditional fossil fuels. Markani, from the state of Madhya Pradesh, said:
"The car runs on acetylene gas , which is formed from a chemical reaction between calcium carbide and water. The gas is used for several industrial purposes including welding and portable lighting for miners. But in my case, I am using it to propel the car engines. I have made other changes to the engines, which helps the overall performance of the car. So basically, it is just about the water. This idea struck my mind while I was gas welding a part of my car in my workshop many years ago. But I did not know how to go about it," Markani said. "Somehow, I made a start and it took five years to make this efficient engine." Not only does he now possess a patent for his groundbreaking invention, he has been invited by Chinese automobile companies to further develop the idea, but for companies looking to cash in on his work, he has a catch; any plant to make new cars will be established only in his hometown in Madhya Pradesh. Markani said: "I want things to change in my hometown. So this is where my work should continue."
ISIS throws Syrian teenage boy off a roof for being gay but the ISIS chief who raped him is spared
The 15-year-old boy was arrested by ISIS militants on charges of homosexuality and he was thrown from the top of a building in central Deir ez-Zor.
“The horrific execution took place in front of a large crowd,” a local media activist and an eyewitness told ARA News in Deir ez-Zor.
“The boy was accused of being engaged in a homosexual relation with the prominent ISIS officer Abu Zaid al-Jazrawi,” media activist Sarai al-Din told ARA News.
“Abu Zaid was forced to leave Syria and join the fighting fronts in northwestern Iraq. The decision has been taken by the ISIS leadership,” al-Din said.
Mikel Trends WORLDWIDE And English Fans Sing His Name
Chelsea legend and Nigerian midfielder had a very brilliant performance against Crystal Palace this afternoon . WORLD Twitter was awash with praises for the resurgent 28-year-old midfielder and hilarious comparisons with world's best players like Xavi , Zidane , Iniesta , Makelele .
English Chelsea fans during the match sang his name with much delight as The Blues won the game 3-0 to climb to 14th on the EPL table .
