Kidnapped NTA Reporter Regains Freedom

Finally, Olubunmi Oke, a female journalist working with the 
Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Akure, has been released 
by her abductors. Oke reportedly was freed late on Saturday after her 
husband took the ransom money to the kidnappers.
Mrs. Oke , a nursing mother, was kidnapped on Thursday on her 
way back from work as she drove into her residence. Her baby and 
house help who were in the car with her were asked by the gunmen 
to disembark from the car before they drove away in her car to an 
unknown destination.
Oke’s car was later found in another part of Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The kidnappers initially demanded for N16 million, then reduced the ransom 
to N8 million and then N1 million.

Nse Ikpe Etim Heads to the Altar in April

Nollywood star actress, Nse Ikpe-Etim and her partner, Clifford Sule will be heading to her hometown, Akwa Ibom,  for her traditional marriage come April 4, while plans are in top gear to solemnize the union in church weeks later. The ceremony, will hold on Thursday, April 4, 2013 at St. Stephen’s Primary School, Ikot Etobo, Nsit-Ubium LGA, Akwa Ibom.

Nse and her UK based husband, Clifford who is a senior lecturer in Computer Communications atMiddlesex University, United Kingdom started dating since they were teenagers, but lost contact when Sule left for studies in the UK. Earlier on St. Valentine’s day this year, the couple exchanged vows at the Ikoyi Marriage Registry and celebrated with a few friends and colleagues on the following day at the Swanky Sky Lounge Penthouse restaurant & bar inside Eko Hotel in Lagos…

Two Suicide Bombers Killed, Four Arrested in Kano

Kano city was saturday rocked by explosions, resulting in the death of two suicide bombers, who were blown up by their own explosives at the Eastern bye-pass in Hotoro quarters in Kano.  According to the state police command, the two suicide bombers were disguised as water vendors and were pushing a truck loaded with primed explosives.

This came on the heels of a siege by unidentified gunmen on the headquarters of Ganye Local Government in Adamawa State on Friday, killing more than 25 persons. An eyewitness account confirmed that 25 persons, including a commissioner in a former governor of the defunct Gongola State, late Abubakar Barde were killed in the attack.

Raziela Leads Women to Cry out for Societal Change

Pastor Lanre Kosoko, of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Mercy place  Parish Lekki, Lagos, on Saturday called on women intercede on the nation's political, economic and social problems  through special  prayers. Lanrre who is also the wife of Pastor Seye Kosoko, the head Pastor at the Parish, made the call during the 6th  "Woman Cry Out"conference in Lagos.

However, the conference was jointly organised by the parish and Razela Foundation

an NGO set up to provide educational opportunities to financially disadvantaged Nigerians.

BASKETMOUTH LANDS COMEDY CENTRAL DEAL IN SOUTH AFRICA

Comic genius Basketmouth is to become the first Nigerian to host prestigious comedy gig and TV show Comedy Central Presents…Live at Parker’s. 

Basketmouth (@Basket_Mouth) has been snapped up by Africa’s only 24 hour comedy channel to helm and headline his own edition of the show in Johannesburg, South Africa on 24 April alongside well-known South African comedians.  Basketmouth will bring his own inimitable brand of comedy to the live gig at legendary comedy venueParker’s Comedy & Jive (@ParkersComedy), followed by a special telecast of Comedy Central Presents Basketmouth Live at Parker’s, airing exclusively on Comedy Central (DStv Channel 122) on Friday 14 June at 07:55 WAT/08:55 CAT.

MTV BOSS, ALEX OKOSI NAMED GLOBAL YOUNG LEADER 2013

Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President & Managing Director of African multimedia powerhouse Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Africa (formerly MTV Networks Africa), has been named by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as a 2013 Young Global Leader (YGL).

The Young Global Leader award is an honour bestowed by the World Economic Forum each year to recognise the most distinguished leaders under the age of 40, nominated from around the world. 

A nomination is described by the WEF as “…recognition of your record of professional accomplishments, your commitment to society and your potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world through your inspiring leadership”. 

Eight PDP Governors Move to Defect

Gov. Rotimi Amaechi, NGF CHAIRMAN

        
As political calculations towards the 2015 elections heighten, it has emerged that at least eight Peoples Democratic Party governors are set to leave the party. It is not a question of "if" but of "when", said a senior political actor familiar with the developing strategy.

The governors are those of Rivers (Rotimi Amaechi), Adamawa (Murtala Nyako), Kano (Rabiu Kwankwaso), Jigawa (Sule Lamido) and Kebbi (Seidu Dakingari).

Others are Governors Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto and Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara. To underscore the frustrations of the group with PDP, three of the Governors: Lamido, Kwankwaso and Wamakko boycotted the PDP peace parley in Kaduna yesterday, which had Vice-President Namadi Sambo in attendance.

THISDAY has learnt the eight governors are firmly resolved to work together politically, claiming that they have been "thoroughly marginalised in PDP" and have lost confidence in the party leadership, which they say has been totally "commandeered" by President Goodluck Jonathan and the Aso Rock political apparachik.

SIMON KOLAWOLE: There was a Legendary Iroko

Simon Kolawole Live!: Email: simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com

As synonyms go, Things Fall Apart is the synonym of Professor Chinua Achebe. I know you won’t find that in Thesaurus. But whenever you mention Achebe, what readily comes to mind is Things Fall Apart, acclaimed as the greatest African novel ever. I’m sorry, but my favourite Achebe is not Things Fall Apart. I never studied English Literature. Therefore, permit me to plead my ignorance on the technicalities of creative writing. Recently, a colleague argued vehemently that Achebe’s best novel is Arrow of God. He explained all the technicalities about plot, conflict, richness, tragedy and all that. I was just looking at him. I could not be bothered. I only read Achebe’s novels through the influence of my elder sister, Bosede, who was always narrating the stories to me. She did Literature. She did her best to introduce me to the African Writers Series.

For me as a layman and a young Nigerian living in 2013, my favourite Achebe is No Longer at Ease. It is a novel that captures the perpetual conflict ravaging morality in public office in Nigeria. The story of Obi Okonkwo connects perfectly to today’s Nigeria. These days, I hear people lament: “This man was an honest person before he joined government, but something has changed. He is no longer the same person. He was upright but now that he has seen money, he has lost it!” Have you heard that statement before? We say that about several persons serving in government. We have come to the sad conclusion that there is something in government that changes people overnight, no matter their moral character before they took up the appointments.

Chimamanda Pays Tribute to Achebe

Author Chimamanda Adichie, has written an elegy to the recently deceased Chinua Achebe. Written in their native dialect of Igbo, the ‘Half Of A Yellow Sun’ author mourns the great Achebe and praises his life.

The elegy reads after the cut;