Monalisa Chinda, Nzeribe for the altar?

Things are apparently getting hotter between star actress, Monalisa Chinda and Lanre Nzeribe. Since word went round that the two are now an item, there have been speculations and counter-speculations as regards the affair. Already, insiders have said not only do the duo, who, have been seeing each other for upwards of six months, spend a lot of time together. This and many more are prompting many to suggest marriage might just be in the air.

EASTER HERE AGAIN

Easter is a day to share with your friends and not to behave naughty On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ. It is typically the most well-attended Sunday service of the year for Christian churches. Christians believe, according to Scripture, that Jesus came back to life, or was raised from the dead, three days after his death on the cross. As part of the Easter season, the death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion is commemorated on Good Friday, always the Friday just before Easter. Through his death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus paid the penalty for sin, thus purchasing for all who believe in him, eternal life in Christ Jesus. (For a more detailed explanation about his death and resurrection, see Why Did Jesus Have to Die? and Timeline of Jesus' Final Hours.) Easter Season In Western Christianity, Easter marks the end of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline in preparation for Easter. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. Eastern Orthodox churches observe Lent or Great Lent, during the 6 weeks or 40 days preceding Palm Sunday with fasting continuing during the Holy Week of Easter. Lent for Eastern Orthodox churches begins on Monday and Ash Wednesday is not observed. Because of Easter's pagan origins, and also because of the commercialization of Easter, many Christian churches choose to refer to the holiday as Resurrection Day.

nickelodeon kid choice award

Kids ruled and adults drooled, or in most cases, got slimed during Nickelodeon's 26th Annual Kids' Choice Awards on Saturday (March 23) night. A-listers from all walks of life, as well as host and dad-to-be Josh Duhamel, filled USC's Galen Center hoping to take home a blimp and go home slime-free. For some celebrities, that mission was accomplished, but for the green-covered others, that wasn't the case. The night opened with a sketch featuring Ellen DeGeneres' pals Sophia Grace and Rosie calling Duhamel "Mr. Fergie." But the sketch became more about Duhamel's own musical stylings. We got a medley of hits (Pitbull's "Don't Stop The Party" and Psy's "Gangnam Style"), silliness and cameos from Steven Tyler, Darren Criss, a spaghetti-throwing Megan Fox and, of course, Fergie and her lovely baby bump. Pitbull was on hand to get the party started with Christina Aguilera. The twosome joined forces for "Feel This Moment." But they weren't alone. They were joined by a bunch of kids impersonating both the Miami MC and the big-voiced diva as backup dancers. And as it turns out, Pitbull was the first to get slimed, which had "Pretty Little Liars" star Lucy Hale declaring, "That was awesome!" From there, the room learned that not only had record-breaking 350 million votes been cast, but that Duhamel also happens to be a "reigning arm fart king." At any other awards show, that would not a host's chosen move, but then again, this was the KCAs. KCA vet Adam Sandler was the first winner of the night, taking home the Favorite Voice in an Animated Movie trophy for "Hotel Transylvania." "Selena Gomez rules!" he declared about his co-star. Selena Gomez's run on the "Wizards of Waverly Place" may have officially ended last year but that didn't stop her from taking home Favorite TV Actress. In white shorts and a blue peplum top, she excitedly told the room, "Yay! I know that even though the series is ended, I can't thank you so much for continuing to support the show. This goes to you guys." Despite her extreme fear of slime, Sandra Bullock, along with Neil Patrick Harris, got hit hard. Left basically speechless, the twosome handed Kristen Stewart the prize for Favorite Movie Actress. But, Stewart left the stage a double winner, also getting blimped for Favorite Female Butt Kicker. In her shorts, she had to climb over the audience and slime to get to the mic. "Dude! I was too much of a coward to accept this," she said referring to the slime, but before long, she was smearing it on her hands. During her speech, she also shouted out vintage Nick cartoon "Rocko's Modern Life," then added, "This is really cool I really appreciate it. I had shirt in kindergarten it said 'Kick Butt First...' so thanks guys, peace." Check out more Kids' Choice Awards style! Katy Perry looked sassy and sexy in a tight, two-piece outfit days after her reported split from John Mayer when she took the stage to win Favorite Female SingerShe got a blimp and a lingering hug from presenters Big Time Rush, "I love the kids! This is such a cool award. I think it's the coolest award. I just want to tell you I'm so excited for the next time I'm here," she teased. Though it's unclear what exactly she has in store. Next up was the cast of "Victorious" who hit the stage to accept the blimp for Favorite TV Show. "This is amazing! Most of all, I want to thank the fans because I'm gonna cry... I've seen you guys voting for us online [and] without you guys none of this would be possible," "Victoria Justice said before breaking down in tears about the end of the series. Pitbull's tourmate Ke$ha performed next. After teasing "We R Who We R" in a fur jacket, she launched into into "C'Mon." Her performance came complete with a leopard-print limo, laser lights and glitter that fell from the ceiling. The night ended with even more slime, but not before Favorite Male Butt Kicker went to Dwayne Johnson. "I do want to thank you all so much. This is something I've been working towards my entire life," he shared. "I want to give something back to all of you to show my appreciation. I've got a very big surprise." That surprise? More slime! Josh and Nick Cannon, who had been on hand to offer up updates throughout the night, were the last two to get slimed. "That's it for this year," Duhamel said. And, even though they weren't there, One Direction went home with two prizes for Favorite Music Group and Favorite Song ("What Makes You Beautiful"). And, don't worry Justin Bieber didn't go home empty handed; he won Favorite Male Singer.

Selena Gomez, Katy Perry Rule 2013 Kids' Choice Awards

Kids ruled and adults drooled, or in most cases, got slimed during Nickelodeon's 26th Annual Kids' Choice Awards on Saturday (March 23) night. A-listers from all walks of life, as well as host and dad-to-be Josh Duhamel, filled USC's Galen Center hoping to take home a blimp and go home slime-free. For some celebrities, that mission was accomplished, but for the green-covered others, that wasn't the case. The night opened with a sketch featuring Ellen DeGeneres' pals Sophia Grace and Rosie calling Duhamel "Mr. Fergie." But the sketch became more about Duhamel's own musical stylings. We got a medley of hits (Pitbull's "Don't Stop The Party" and Psy's "Gangnam Style"), silliness and cameos from Steven Tyler, Darren Criss, a spaghetti-throwing Megan Fox and, of course, Fergie and her lovely baby bump. Pitbull was on hand to get the party started with Christina Aguilera. The twosome joined forces for "Feel This Moment." But they weren't alone. They were joined by a bunch of kids impersonating both the Miami MC and the big-voiced diva as backup dancers. And as it turns out, Pitbull was the first to get slimed, which had "Pretty Little Liars" star Lucy Hale declaring, "That was awesome!" From there, the room learned that not only had record-breaking 350 million votes been cast, but that Duhamel also happens to be a "reigning arm fart king." At any other awards show, that would not a host's chosen move, but then again, this was the KCAs. KCA vet Adam Sandler was the first winner of the night, taking home the Favorite Voice in an Animated Movie trophy for "Hotel Transylvania." "Selena Gomez rules!" he declared about his co-star. Selena Gomez's run on the "Wizards of Waverly Place" may have officially ended last year but that didn't stop her from taking home Favorite TV Actress. In white shorts and a blue peplum top, she excitedly told the room, "Yay! I know that even though the series is ended, I can't thank you so much for continuing to support the show. This goes to you guys." Despite her extreme fear of slime, Sandra Bullock, along with Neil Patrick Harris, got hit hard. Left basically speechless, the twosome handed Kristen Stewart the prize for Favorite Movie Actress. But, Stewart left the stage a double winner, also getting blimped for Favorite Female Butt Kicker. In her shorts, she had to climb over the audience and slime to get to the mic. "Dude! I was too much of a coward to accept this," she said referring to the slime, but before long, she was smearing it on her hands. During her speech, she also shouted out vintage Nick cartoon "Rocko's Modern Life," then added, "This is really cool I really appreciate it. I had shirt in kindergarten it said 'Kick Butt First...' so thanks guys, peace." Check out more Kids' Choice Awards style! Katy Perry looked sassy and sexy in a tight, two-piece outfit days after her reported split from John Mayer when she took the stage to win Favorite Female SingerShe got a blimp and a lingering hug from presenters Big Time Rush, "I love the kids! This is such a cool award. I think it's the coolest award. I just want to tell you I'm so excited for the next time I'm here," she teased. Though it's unclear what exactly she has in store. Next up was the cast of "Victorious" who hit the stage to accept the blimp for Favorite TV Show. "This is amazing! Most of all, I want to thank the fans because I'm gonna cry... I've seen you guys voting for us online [and] without you guys none of this would be possible," "Victoria Justice said before breaking down in tears about the end of the series. Pitbull's tourmate Ke$ha performed next. After teasing "We R Who We R" in a fur jacket, she launched into into "C'Mon." Her performance came complete with a leopard-print limo, laser lights and glitter that fell from the ceiling. The night ended with even more slime, but not before Favorite Male Butt Kicker went to Dwayne Johnson. "I do want to thank you all so much. This is something I've been working towards my entire life," he shared. "I want to give something back to all of you to show my appreciation. I've got a very big surprise." That surprise? More slime! Josh and Nick Cannon, who had been on hand to offer up updates throughout the night, were the last two to get slimed. "That's it for this year," Duhamel said. And, even though they weren't there, One Direction went home with two prizes for Favorite Music Group and Favorite Song ("What Makes You Beautiful"). And, don't worry Justin Bieber didn't go home empty handed; he won Favorite Male Singer.

Selena Gomez 'So Stoked' To Perform New Single At MTV Movie Awards

While she might have to wait until next year to find out if her work in "Spring Breakers" is Golden Popcorn-worthy, Selena Gomez will be on hand for the 2013 MTV Movie Awards to perform her new single "Come & Get It" live on Sunday, April 14. Selena Gomez Will Perform At The 2013 MTV Movie Awards "It is my first performance back as a musician," she told MTV News about the Movie Awards gig. "I'm so nervous! I think it's really cool, 'cause I got to take a year off of music and really be a part of great movies and work with great people, so I thought it would be perfect that I kind of go into music again through MTV and then the Movie Awards. So I thought it would be appropriate. I'm so stoked!" MTV Style: What will Selena Gomez wear for her 2013 MTV Movie Awards performance? The tune was penned by Ester Dean and Stargate, who also produced the track, and will debut April 8 on "On Air With Ryan Seacrest" just days before she takes the stage at the Movie Awards. "This is the hardest I've ever worked on any album I've ever done. I recorded about 23 songs, and I picked 11. So we put all the album together, and I really wanted it to be a different level for me," she said. "So I think for the performance, I'm going to try to do things that nobody's ever really seen from me before and kind of take it to the next level. So hopefully I'll do a good job." "Come & Get It" is the lead single from Gomez's next album, slated for release later this summer. Gomez is also expected to make a tour announcement in the near future. Ahead of the awards show, the third annual MTV Movie Awards Sneak Peek Week will run April 8 through April 12, with a special airing every night at 11 p.m. ET on MTV. This year's movies are "This Is the End," "Pain and Gain," "To Do List" and "The Heat," and the films' stars will be on hand to present an on-air clip before heading to MTV.com for a 30-minute sit-down interview with MTV News' Josh Horowitz. It all leads up to the Rebel Wilson-hosted MTV Movie Awards on Sunday, April 14, airing live from the Sony Pictures Studio Lot in Culver City, California, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Will Jennifer Lawrence get her silver lining in the form of a Golden Popcorn? Which beefcake will sizzle in our brand-new Best Shirtless Performance category? It's up to you to decide the winners of the 2013 MTV Movie Awards! Vote now, and tune in Sunday, April 14, at 9 p.m. ET, as star Rebel Wilson takes the stage at the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Culver City, California.

Selena Gomez 'So Stoked' To Perform New Single At MTV Movie Awards

While she might have to wait until next year to find out if her work in "Spring Breakers" is Golden Popcorn-worthy, Selena Gomez will be on hand for the 2013 MTV Movie Awards to perform her new single "Come & Get It" live on Sunday, April 14. Selena Gomez Will Perform At The 2013 MTV Movie Awards "It is my first performance back as a musician," she told MTV News about the Movie Awards gig. "I'm so nervous! I think it's really cool, 'cause I got to take a year off of music and really be a part of great movies and work with great people, so I thought it would be perfect that I kind of go into music again through MTV and then the Movie Awards. So I thought it would be appropriate. I'm so stoked!" MTV Style: What will Selena Gomez wear for her 2013 MTV Movie Awards performance? The tune was penned by Ester Dean and Stargate, who also produced the track, and will debut April 8 on "On Air With Ryan Seacrest" just days before she takes the stage at the Movie Awards. "This is the hardest I've ever worked on any album I've ever done. I recorded about 23 songs, and I picked 11. So we put all the album together, and I really wanted it to be a different level for me," she said. "So I think for the performance, I'm going to try to do things that nobody's ever really seen from me before and kind of take it to the next level. So hopefully I'll do a good job." "Come & Get It" is the lead single from Gomez's next album, slated for release later this summer. Gomez is also expected to make a tour announcement in the near future. Ahead of the awards show, the third annual MTV Movie Awards Sneak Peek Week will run April 8 through April 12, with a special airing every night at 11 p.m. ET on MTV. This year's movies are "This Is the End," "Pain and Gain," "To Do List" and "The Heat," and the films' stars will be on hand to present an on-air clip before heading to MTV.com for a 30-minute sit-down interview with MTV News' Josh Horowitz. It all leads up to the Rebel Wilson-hosted MTV Movie Awards on Sunday, April 14, airing live from the Sony Pictures Studio Lot in Culver City, California, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Will Jennifer Lawrence get her silver lining in the form of a Golden Popcorn? Which beefcake will sizzle in our brand-new Best Shirtless Performance category? It's up to you to decide the winners of the 2013 MTV Movie Awards! Vote now, and tune in Sunday, April 14, at 9 p.m. ET, as star Rebel Wilson takes the stage at the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Culver City, California.

Selena Gomez 'So Stoked' To Perform New Single At MTV Movie Awards

While she might have to wait until next year to find out if her work in "Spring Breakers" is Golden Popcorn-worthy, Selena Gomez will be on hand for the 2013 MTV Movie Awards to perform her new single "Come & Get It" live on Sunday, April 14. Selena Gomez Will Perform At The 2013 MTV Movie Awards "It is my first performance back as a musician," she told MTV News about the Movie Awards gig. "I'm so nervous! I think it's really cool, 'cause I got to take a year off of music and really be a part of great movies and work with great people, so I thought it would be perfect that I kind of go into music again through MTV and then the Movie Awards. So I thought it would be appropriate. I'm so stoked!" MTV Style: What will Selena Gomez wear for her 2013 MTV Movie Awards performance? The tune was penned by Ester Dean and Stargate, who also produced the track, and will debut April 8 on "On Air With Ryan Seacrest" just days before she takes the stage at the Movie Awards. "This is the hardest I've ever worked on any album I've ever done. I recorded about 23 songs, and I picked 11. So we put all the album together, and I really wanted it to be a different level for me," she said. "So I think for the performance, I'm going to try to do things that nobody's ever really seen from me before and kind of take it to the next level. So hopefully I'll do a good job." "Come & Get It" is the lead single from Gomez's next album, slated for release later this summer. Gomez is also expected to make a tour announcement in the near future. Ahead of the awards show, the third annual MTV Movie Awards Sneak Peek Week will run April 8 through April 12, with a special airing every night at 11 p.m. ET on MTV. This year's movies are "This Is the End," "Pain and Gain," "To Do List" and "The Heat," and the films' stars will be on hand to present an on-air clip before heading to MTV.com for a 30-minute sit-down interview with MTV News' Josh Horowitz. It all leads up to the Rebel Wilson-hosted MTV Movie Awards on Sunday, April 14, airing live from the Sony Pictures Studio Lot in Culver City, California, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Will Jennifer Lawrence get her silver lining in the form of a Golden Popcorn? Which beefcake will sizzle in our brand-new Best Shirtless Performance category? It's up to you to decide the winners of the 2013 MTV Movie Awards! Vote now, and tune in Sunday, April 14, at 9 p.m. ET, as star Rebel Wilson takes the stage at the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Culver City, California.

man hires two to rape sisters over inheritance

ABEOKUTA — A 40-year-old-man has been arrested by men of Ogun Police Command for allegedly hiring two men to rape his two younger sisters in Ijebu-Ososa in Odogbolu Local Government Area of the state. The suspect was said to have been arrested with the two allegedly paid rapists after they had raped and robbed the two ladies who are 16 and 18 years. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this yesterday, adding that the suspect paid the two alleged rapists N80,000 before they committed the act. He said: “The two other persons arrested with the 40-year-old man are those who eventually raped and robbed the two sisters aged 18 and 16 years. “He gave the two suspects N80,000 to harass, molest and threaten his sisters who had disagreed with him over sharing formula of their late parent’s inheritance. “You can speak with him as he had already confessed to the crime. So it’s a very straight forward case and we are charging three of them to court tomorrow.“ In his reaction, the suspect said it was true that he hired two persons to deal with his two sisters over their parents’ inheritances. He said: “I just asked them to threaten my sisters so that they can leave the property for me. I never paid then to rape my sisters as they have done.”

Miley Cyrus was getting her engagement ring fixed, guys

First, Miley’s planning the perfect wedding , and the next thing we know, there are rumors that Liam had become well- acquainted with a certain “Mad Men” actress , causing supposed trouble in their relationship. All of that gossip seemed to have a droplet of truth when Miley was seen earlier this month without her engagement ring. The singer/actress later denied the whispers that her wedding had been called off … but the media had already picked up on the fact that Liam had taken off for Australia. Earlier this week, the New York Post’s Page Six was pretty convinced that things were “over” between Miley and Liam, while E! News said no, they haven’t given up yet . People magazine’s sources chimed in to say that Miley “appears” to have “split for now” from “The Hunger Games” hunk, but hasn’t called off the wedding. And then there was Us Weekly, piping up to report that they heard the presumably still engaged pair were keeping lines of communication open while Liam’s Down Under. Whew! So what does Miley say? Not much — CNN has yet to hear back from her camp, or Liam’s — but a tweet on Thursday seemed to give a hint. “[U]gh that’s the worst!” Cyrus said in response to a follower who had to get an engagement ring repaired. “I just had a similar situation except when it happens to me then everyone says my wedding is off.”

David Mark denies buying Tuface, Annie N47m Ferari car

The onslaught from the public came almost as soon as the news broke on social networks and blogs; a metalic orange Ferari sports car pictured at the venue of Tuface and Annie’s wedding in Dubai with words Wedding gift from Senator David Mark to Tuface, Annie scribbled on cardboard paper and stuck to the car, almost ruined the news of Tuface, Annie’s wedding. Vanguard had not reported this as we awaited confirmation from the Senate president who has now through a statement issued by his Senior Special adviser on Media& Publicity Mr Kola Ologbondiyan denied buying this car gift for Tuface and Annie Idibia. The statement reads Senator Mark did not visit Dubai for Tiface wedding rather he attended the 128th Inter parliamentary Union (IPU) conference currently holding in Quito, Ecuador. He was also not represented at Mr. Idibia’s wedding. It is also instructive to state that the President of the Senate, Senator Mark, did not make a car donation of any kind to Tuface before departing Nigeria for Ecuador neither did he purchase nor send any car to Dubai as a wedding gift for the musician or his wife. Who made the donation on behalf of the President of the Senate? The alleged Ferari gift The alleged Ferari gift It is therefore a puerile lie for anybody to state that Senator Mark bought a Ferrari car worth N47m for Tuface. The allegation is wicked, ridiculous and irresponsible. Signed: Kola Ologbondiyan Special Adviser, Media & Publicity to the President of the Senate David Mark. We await reactions from Tuface’s camp.

2face, Annie Idibia say “I do” in Dubai

It went down Saturday, March 23, in Dubai, with African pop king Tuface saying “I do” to his beautiful wife Annie. It ends the months of very detailed planning with VIPs including Nollywood actors Chidi Mokeme, Ini Edo, Kate Henshaw, Mike Ezuruonye, Jim Iyke, Susan Peters, Juliet Ibrahim and Rita Dominic. Artistes include Sound Sultan, Banky W, Timaya, eLDee tha Don, Don Jazzy, Dr SID (and brother Andrew Esiri), DJ Tee, Davido (with his manager Kamal, elder brother Adewale Adeleke and Ghana act Deekay), Munachi Abii and Tunde Ednut Others include Ayo Animashaun, Alexander Amosu, DJ Jimmy JATT, Kunle Afolayan, Davido’s former manager Asa Asika and others.

Hip hop high : lilwanye on drugs

"And to the kids drugs kill I'm acknowledging that / But when I'm on the drugs I don't have a problem with that." - Lil Wayne, "Live From 504 Lil Wayne is down on drugs -- for others. For himself, well, it's a different story. The man who infamously told Katie Couric during a 2009 interview "I'm a gangsta, Miss Katie. I don't take nothing from no one. I do what I want to do," has been equally outspoken about his use of "sizzurp" or "purple drank," a prescription cough syrup made with a combination of promethazine and codeine. "Sizzurp" has even found its way into Lil Wayne's song lyrics, and his issues with substance abuse have been well documented . Promethazine has several uses, including treating allergy symptoms, easing nausea and as a sedative. According to Drugs.com , dangerous side effects can include "twitching or uncontrollable movements" of limbs, face, eyes and the tongue. Of course, rappers talking about drug use is nothing new. As is often the case with hip-hop -- which began as a vehicle to document the lives of inner-city youth -- art, more often than not, imitates life. But Lil Wayne's recent hospitalization has cast a spotlight on hip-hop and drug use because of fans' concerns over his past behavior. Scant information has been released about what may have caused the award-winning artist, who was born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., to have a seizure that landed him in a Los Angeles hospital. His label's publicist confirmed to CNN at the time that the rapper had suffered a seizure. Lil Wayne: I'm 'more than good' And what will happen now that he's out? Talking drug use is one thing. But rehab seldom comes up in the conversation. "Where hip-hop falls short is in addressing the rehabilitation aspect," said writer JasFly, who has reported on the industry. "Wayne is one of our hip- hop rock stars, but where is the help for him?" A big star and his proteges With his monumental success on the charts and devil-may-care attitude, Lil Wayne has in some ways transcended the male dominated hip-hop genre and occupies the rarefied air of one of music's biggest stars. Lil Wayne is not only a platinum-selling artist in his own right, but he's also the man responsible for stars like "American Idol" judge Nicki Minaj and rapper Drake. He often appears on songs of other artists as diverse as Kelly Rowland and teen heartthrob Joe Jonas. He also is one of a number of rappers who have openly discussed drug use. In 2011, he and fellow rap superstar Eminem discussed their substance abuse issues with GQ magazine. The New Orleans native, who fans also lovingly call "Weezy," said he quit narcotics, not necessarily by choice, but partly because it was a requirement of his probation after a 2008 arrest in Arizona where authorities allegedly found ecstasy in his backpack . The rapper secured a plea deal and was given probation. "I wish I could be back on it," he told the publication. "That's how it f**king feels. [cracking himself up] 'How does it feel to be sober?' I'll be like, 'It feels f***ed up.' What do you want me to say? 'It feels great'? No." The list of those who, like Lil Wayne, have been accused of drug charges is long -- including the recent arrest of rapper Too Short who was charged with a felony count of drug possession after police allegedly found suspected meth on him, according to a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman. There has been no information released about how the rapper has pleaded to the charge. The rapper's manager, David Weintraub, denied in a statement to CNN that Too Short had drugs on him at the time of his arrest. "Any assertion that Short was carrying powder is ridiculous! Every rap fan knows Short's into weed!," the statement said. Rapper Snoop Dogg (now known as Snoop Lion in homage to the Rastafarian culture) has been a well-known marijuana user. VH1's reality show "Love and Hip Hop" highlighted rapper Joe Budden's addiction and relapse after years of sobriety. "My two demons are real simple, drugs and depression," Budden told the Combat Jack radio show in December. "They go hand in hand with one another." Such openness about mental health issues -- and the self-medication that illegal drugs can provide -- has historically not always been the case in the African-American culture. "The African American community generally has a certain amount of circumspection as it pertains to psychiatry and mental health, and reasonably so," said Dr. Drew Pinsky, host of HLN's "Dr. Drew on Call." "(Those medical disciplines) have ill-served that community historically, and there's a certain amount of distrust, and you can't do this work without absolute trust," he said. "There's also a lack of embrace of things like 12- step (programs) and the idea that these are long-term propositions to get better from." That historical reticence -- coupled with a life of fame that often finds celebs of all races surrounded by entourages who may not be willing to offer tough love -- can contribute to the issue. "There's also a cultural insulation," Pinsky said "They don't want to change, like many addicts and musicians." Rap artist DMX appeared on Pinsky's show "Dr. Drew's Lifechangers" in 2011 and said he began using drugs at the age of 14, and the wealth he acquired accelerated his drug use. According to Billboard, the rapper has had dozens of arrests, and as of 2010 they tallied 26 convictions -- 11 felonies and 15 misdemeanors. Some of those have included drug charges. Jermaine Hall, editor-in-chief of Vibe magazine, told CNN that some rappers have now moved well beyond drinking and smoking marijuana. Hall said he believes "the casual drugs are different now." "Now we have pills, now we also have Molly (the crystal or powder form of the drug MDMA ), and I would say to the late 2000s, we also had the ecstasy rush," Hall said. "So we're dealing with different levels of drugs that are now being considered recreational, which is a very dangerous situation." A long history in the music business "I can mingle with the stars and throw a party on Mars / I am a prisoner, locked up behind Xanax bars" - Lil Wayne, "Feel Like Dying" But journalist and San Francisco State adjunct professor Davey D said drugs have long been a problem in the music industry as a whole, not just hip- hop. Artists referencing drugs goes back as far as jazz star Cab Calloway's "Reefer Man" in 1932, and use has been well-known on down through rockers like Kurt Cobain and others who suffered overdoses. "The whole adage behind 'sex drugs and rock 'n' roll' is something that people kind of conveniently forget about," he said. "Not to say that it's right, but in terms of suddenly saying 'Well these guys are [rapping] about purple syrup' and overlook the LSD and psychedelic stage in music ... is just ridiculous." Davey D said the issue of drugs in hip hop is "systemic with an economic incentive to keep it going." "When these artists are on drugs and they are able to do their music or it gives them a certain notoriety, then everybody's cool with it because it kind of adds to the allure and mystique," he said. "The artists themselves, sure they should take some responsibility, but if they actually have a substance abuse problem, whether they are a drinker or whether they are someone using mind altering substances...then they actually have a disease that needs to be cured, and I don't know if you suddenly do that on your own. "So then we have to ask questions of the multimillion-dollar record label that they are on: 'Why are you putting this out and why are you allowing this to exist?'" Harold Owens, the senior director for MusiCares Musicians Assistance Program -- which is funded by the Grammy Foundation -- has witnessed the addiction struggles of musicians across various genres. He's staged interventions for some. There is a stigma in the hip-hop community, Owens said, about coming clean and discussing it in a genre that many feel has helped promote drug use. "There could be many sober hip-hop artists -- in the community that have gotten sober, or at least more than a few that just don't talk about it." Owens said. JasFly, who is also a cast member of the soon-to-debut VH1 reality show " The Gossip Game ," which explores the lives of female journalists and bloggers who cover hip-hop, said she worries there may be more of a focus on preserving Lil Wayne's image. Helping him, if that's what he needs, doesn't seem to be a priority, she said. "There seems to be a lot of concern about Lil Wayne the business," she said. "But what about Dwayne Carter the person?"

new gaming system

Take a Windows 8 tablet. Add Nvidia graphics. Add a snap-on controller. Add a TV-friendly dock. Suddenly, what was a gaming PC in theory can become a console; suddenly, a tablet becomes a gaming handheld. This is the promise that the Razer Edge provides: a Surface for the gaming set, if you will. It's a novel idea that no one else has made tangible yet, and the Razer Edge stands alone in that regard. We got our review unit in today from Razer, and have been unpacking and setting it up. It's the top-end Razer Edge Pro configuration, a $1,449 package that comes with a 1.9GHz/3.0GHz Core i7-3517U CPU, 8GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce 640M LE (2GB) graphics card, and 256GB of solid-state drive (SSD) storage. It also comes with a snap-on Gamepad Controller, transforming the tablet into a makeshift, very large gaming handheld not unlike a massive Wii U GamePad. The cheapest Razer Edge you can get costs $999, with a 1.7GHz/2.6GHz Core i5-3317U processor, only 4GB of RAM, Nvidia GeForce 640M LE (1GB) graphics, and a 64GB SSD, but doesn't come with the Gamepad Controller -- arguably its sexiest feature. Razer Edge hands-on impressions (pictures) 1-2 of 9 Scroll Left Scroll Right Without considering the Nvidia graphics, the Edge doesn't feel much different from any other high-end Windows 8 tablet. It's chunkier and heavier (2.1 pounds), but feels solidly constructed and is comfortable enough to hold. A single USB 3.0 port sits in the top, and there's a standard headset/mic jack, but no expandable storage slots (SD of any kind is lacking). The Edge has a front-facing 2-megapixel camera, but no rear camera. Its 10.1-inch, 1,366x768-pixel IPS display is a step down from the screen on the Surface Pro, which has a 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution, but the Edge can output 1080p video and gaming. The difference is in the connectivity options. A dock connector at the bottom interfaces with the optional Razer Edge dock, which has three additional USB ports, HDMI with 7.1 audio, and headset/optical jacks, but no Ethernet. A USB-to-Ethernet adapter is sold separately. The Gamepad Controller has a full set of Xbox controller-style buttons, backlit no less, with vibrational feedback. The rear triggers are analog, and the whole bundle, while presenting a large package to hold in your lap, feels similar to what you'd expect as far as necessary PC controls. A rear panel also accepts an optional extra battery for extended playing time. A laptop dock peripheral is also in the works, which will effectively enable the Edge to turn into a little gaming laptop. (Credit: Rich Brown/CNET) There's something to the Razer Edge that makes sense, if you spend a bit of time with it. Ever since Windows 8 rolled in, the concept of the old-school gaming laptop feels like it's come up against the redesigned interface and hardware flow of the computers that have emerged since. Touch-screen input has become a somewhat useful if not necessary part of Windows 8, even if games don't require it. The Razer Edge signals a strategy shift away from traditional PC gaming to an increasingly portable consumer computer landscape. This won't be the last handheld device to tempt PC gamers away from the desktop, but will it be compelling enough out of the gate to win over gamers? The best news about the Razer Edge is that it's ready to go: all its modes feel weirdly practical, avoiding the challenges that the touch-screen Switchblade UI continues to pose for Razer's Blade gaming laptop. And, especially compared with the Blade, the Edge's price isn't too high. Razer has been showing off relatively forgiving games on the Edge, ranging from Dirt: Showdown to Rift to Dishonored. We finally put a real PC killer on it this afternoon in the form of Far Cry 3. (Credit: Rich Brown/CNET) We tried Far Cry 3 on the Edge connected to a 59-inch Samsung PN60E8000 plasma television via its docking station. The default settings put the resolution at 1,920x1,080 pixels with no multisample anti-aliasing (MSAA) and an "optimal" image quality that put most of the effects at the medium setting. The game was playable, but not at all what you'd call smooth. We turned MSAA to its 2x setting and, no surprise, the choppiness became even more noticeable. We continued lowering the resolution and the image quality settings, and the sweet spot seemed to be 1,600x900-pixel resolution, with no anti-aliasing and the optimal image quality setting. There was no visible frame rate stutter, and the game looked better than on the current-generation consoles. When we dropped the resolution down to 1,280x720 pixels, the image quality suffered badly. We haven't had a chance to adjust the image settings at this lower resolution, but it didn't seem necessary given our success at 1,600x900. Related stories Razer Edge debuts at CES (slideshow) Edge prototype Project Fiona (slideshow) Review: Far Cry 3 So far, we can say that Razer Edge requires more compromises than you would have to make on a $1,500 gaming laptop, but we're starting to be impressed by the amount of gaming capability Razer squeezed into this small, versatile package. We will try more games throughout the review process, both from our existing benchmarks and anecdotally. Crysis 3, The Witcher 2, Battlefield 3, and BioShock Infinite are at the top of that list. Can the Razer Edge overcome its potential battery life challenges and middle-of-the-road graphics to become more than the sum of its parts? Stay tuned for the full review next week. (The original video of the Edge from CES follows; we'll have a more in-depth video with our final thoughts next week.)

Only ‘one thing’ can split us – Psquare

Nigeria’s pop duo, P-Square of Peter and Paul Okoye were in Malawi last weekend, where they thrilled their fans with their electrifying performance and moving dance steps. Showtime Celebrity cornered Peter Okoye who provides insight into what could make him break up with his twin brother. He also talks about the making of their latest album, Alingo and their new plans to conquer the southeast African countries with their kind of music. You are always on the road, how many days do you guys have to yourselves? We have been trying as much as possible to create time for ourselves. But most times, we don’t get it. We need more time to rest because performing for 2-3 hours on stage is not usually an easy task. Despite the fact that we have been travelling over the world, we took a break in January, and right now, we have resumed business again. Sometime ago, it was rumoured that your latest album, ‘Alingo’ was banned which was later refuted. How did you receive the news? We heard about the ban. But when they ban a particular song, they are indeed helping to promote that song. By the way, if they ban a song from being broadcast in Nigerian stations, will they stop MTV, Channel O, Soundcity and other cable networks from playing the same song. It’s not possible. What is the making of Alingo? Psquare for the past five years hasn’t done any dance video and our fans expected to see something of that nature from us. So, ‘Alingo’ was just the first song we had even before the ‘Invasion’ album came out. We didn’t take the song seriously until when our fans started loving it. And before we knew what was happening, it caught fire. We have no choice than to give our fans a video. P-Square You put in a lot of energies to do the video? Yes, it was my own idea. When the song started picking up, we thought it is important to give our fans something they have never gotten from Psquare in the past five years. The last time we did something similar to this, ‘Roll It’ was over five years ago. It took us a lot of time and energies to produce the album. Our senior brother, Jude who is also our manager shot the video. Interestingly, most people didn’t know that the video was shot in Nigeria. We went to an abandoned warehouse situated some ten minutes away from our Lagos residence to shoot the video. Sometime last year, you guys did a remix of Beautiful ‘Onyinye’ with Rick Ross, American artiste. You also got signed to Konvict Music, owned by Akon. What’s the situation like presently? Our relationship with Akon is great. We have known Akon for over six year but we were not looking forward to working with him until last two years when he attended our concert in London. After watching us perform on stage, he developed interest in working with us. Then, he was planning to open a branch of his Konvict Musik record label in Africa and he was in need of business partners who would help him coordinate the business. That was how we teamed up with him to establish Konvict Musik in Nigeria. We are representing Akon in Africa just as he is representing in America. That’s the whole idea. It was also rumoured some time ago that you guys bought a private jet. Was it true? There was nothing like that. I guess because it was included in our list that whenever we are going for a specific show, the organsiers must provide us with a private jet. We had a deal with a private jet company which always hire their private jet to us whenever we are in need of it. It’s like, we have a private jet at our disposal. I remember, I once tweeted that a private jet has been included in our list. That was how people started speculating that Psquare has bought a private jet. But we always travel with the jet all the time. But do you have a plan to buy a private jet? To be honest with you, the way things are going, we are planning to buy one. And it’s not because of the cost implication of hiring a private jet, but the fact that we want to meet up with our concerts. What would you say, you haven’t done since you started your musical career? I think we have virtually done everything. But I don’t want our fans to start speculating in respect of when would Psquare break into the European or American market. Africa is the next big thing for Psquare even though Americans are in dire need of our kind of stuff. They have exhausted everything they have to offer. For me, I will rather be a king in my own vicinity than to try to be a king in another man’s land. We have achieved everything except that we have not been able to structure the industry. The problem is that when we try to do so, some greedy fellows always frustrate our efforts. For me, I’m not complaining but I just feel it is important, we structure the industry for a better tomorrow. Was a 35-man committee members inaugurated last week by PMAN Peace Initiative to restore peace in the troubled musicians’ house? I’m not aware of it. In fact, I’m hearing it for the first time. The committee they claim to have set up, are they musicians or people they feel they want to use to pilot the affairs of the association. When we came into the industry, it wasn’t like what we are seeing today. Psquare was among the musicians that structured the industry the way it is today. we were among the first set of emerging musicians that started making money from selling our CDs. When they are setting up such a committee, what stopped them from involving people like us. If they don’t carry people like D’banj, 2face and Psquare along, then, there is a problem. It means they are just wasting their time. This is not because we are successful in what we are doing, but it’s because the industry is driven by individual effort. So, if they are taking such a major decision that will affect everybody in the industry and they don’t involve us, then , there is a big problem. I’m not a member of PMAN, and I don’t have any problem with the association. Are you not interested in the restoration of peace in the industry? I’m not interested in PMAN because the past leadership of the association failed us. We don’t need to be PMAN members to succeed in our careers. The association hasn’t done anything for us. I don’t need them. The peace Initiative is trying to unite the musicians again? When they were setting up the interim administration, they ought to have started from the top and engage those musicians who command respect in the industry. There is no musician in Nigeria today who does not respect 2face. We can be bigger than him in Africa, but I have so much respect for him because he was among the younger generation of Nigerian artistes who broke even several years ago. It’s so disrespectful that an interim administration was set up without our knowledge. If they don’t get the three top Nigerian artistes; Psquare, 2fac and D’banj, then, they are wasting their time. I love our industry they way it is at the moment. We don’t want a situation where , in the name of association, somebody will start dictating the pace for us. The more good we are, the more we want to make more money for ourselves. Which country would say is your largest market in Africa? At the moment, it’s East Africa. Anytime Nigerians say, they are through with Psquare, will take our things and relocate to East Africa. But South Africa is a place where we have been working for the past one year building market for our songs. We took a break in January, this year, and between February and March, we have been to Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe. We were in Angola two weeks ago and just last week, we stormed Malawi. So, our potential market at the moment is South Africa. We have built all these markets by ourselves alone. The impression most people have about you is that Psquare is arrogant? I think Psquare is very intimidating and we are not arrogant. When you saw me today, did I look arrogant? That’s a wrong impression people have about us. There is Peter and there is Paul. Peter is stubborn, bad and controversial, but they say Paul is quiet, cool headed and all that. But you see, you cannot steal from Peter to pay Paul. If you steal from Peter to pay Paul, you are indeed paying Psquare. I’m a very controversial person and I’m not expecting every news about me to be positive. Psquare is not arrogant, it’s just that the people are scared of approaching them, considering the way we operate. When you see Psquare stepping out, we look very intimidating. But the people who are very close to know that we are not arrogant. Beyonce could visit a shopping mall today, and the whole place will be shut down. That does not make her arrogant. It is her management that has made it to be so. How is life without your mother? It has been hectic. We haven’t decided to do a new album at the moment. But while she was alive, she was always with us in the studio. We don’t know how we are going to do it this time around. She was a minister of God before she passed on. She had her own Church which Paul and I built for her. Anytime, we want to release a new album, she would pray on the album for almost a week before we got it released into the market. Her church is still functioning till date and her prayer partners are still there. Once in while, we do communicate with the leadership of the church and it was our desire to see the church continues to function after her death. Wherever she is today, she will be happy that the church is still functioning because it’s a monument for her. But did you guys really know what happened to your mother? People must always speculate . It got to a point, I said to myself that those people who are accusing us of being responsible for our mum’s death must be ignorant of how close we were to her. We didn’t want that rumour to distract us. In fact, when people are insinuating such things, the best advice is for you to block your ears and never allowed it to distract you. I’m human, and I don’t except people to say positive things about Psquare all the time. Psquare have made its worst mistake in the past, and nobody noticed it. We are not perfect. And we know why people were accusing us of being responsible for our mother’s death. It’s because we are successful in what we are doing for a living. Even in my Igbo nation, once somebody starts to progress, his kinsmen will start to associate his riches with money ritual. We have overgrown such insinuation. We have seen great musical groups split in the industry. Will Psquare ever split some day? Like I said earlier, each time, people look at Peter and Paul, they conclude that we are perfect. But they don’t know that I fight with Paul the same way he fights with me. We quarrel and fight with each other the same way you quarrel and fight with your siblings. The only thing that matters most is that we don’t bring such quarrel into our business. I always tell my friends, the only person who will tell us to split is our mother but she’s no more. Even if she were to be alive, would she allow us to split? The day we are going to make up our minds to split, it will be an open decision. May be, when I say I want to retire or Paul says he wants to continue with his career in music. That does not mean that I wouldn’t give him my support. What has kept two of you together? Of course, we are blood brothers. And we always think of where we are coming from. Our parents never had anything. They were not rich people. If Paul say today that we must split, I will only look at him and laugh. Sometimes, I’d swallow my pride to ensure that peace reigns between two of us. Have you tried to intervene in those popular split in the industry? The best way I can intervene is to keep Peter and Paul together. Let them watch and learn from us. But he’s your twin brother? It goes beyond brotherhood. The Jacksons split. There was this group that wanted to split some time ago, I intervened and made them see reasons they should remain together no matter the odds. Yes, money might be the cause of the split. But I don’t share money with Paul. That’s the way we have been working because we never had anything from the out set. I’m not saying this because you are interviewing me, between Paul and I, money has never been a problem. Have you had any cause to date the same woman? Every woman wants to hang out with Peter. This is because everybody knows that Peter is more outgoing than Paul. But I doubt if woman can cause a problem between Paul and myself. Money would have been the devil that will cause a problem between us than woman. Any woman that wants to cause between us is wasting her time. How did you grow up with Paul? Our growing up was fantastic. I’m the person who was always on the stubborn side. Then, I would go out there and cause some stir, and they would put the blame on Paul because we are twins. P-Square We were always wearing the same clothes. I and Paul grew up doing things together. It has remained like that till date. That’s the way our mum trained. What Paul does not like today, I will not like either. May be, this is what has been holding together. Have you had any cause to date the same woman? Every woman wants to hang out with Peter. This is because everybody knows that Peter is more outgoing than Paul. But I doubt if woman can cause a problem between Paul and myself. Money would have been the devil that will cause a problem between us than woman. Any woman that wants to cause between us is wasting her time. Recently it was rumoured that you are into oil and gas business? Yes, it’s about to kick off. My music is doing very well in the market, and investing in other areas will help to boost my pocket. Which is not a bad idea. Every successful man wants to continue to invest in other areas of life. Are thinking in that direction? Psquare is not only involved in music alone. We are into real estate business. We have been doing it for a long time now. A business man who is keeping his money in the bank, what’s he keeping for, without investing it. We also do banking business, but real estate pays us more. Psquare as a product of talent hunt show We know that Psquare is a product of talent show, ‘Grab the Music’. We also know that when you emerged the winner, you went home without anything. But these days, winners of a reality TV show usually go home with mouthwatering prizes. So, looking back, how would you comment on the new trend? When you win a talent show, what comes first is ego. You have millions of naira around and a brand new car at your disposal, the world is in your palm At this point, you are building yourself to the next level. I don’t say the winner should not have the car, but he should not let the car to distract him. At the time, we won the talent show, we were given a keyboard which is still in our house till today. The keyboard was just N80,000,00. In fact, that keyboard, is part of the instrument in producing most of our albums. The keyboard has made millions of naira for us. My piece of advice is that when you win such a competition, think of where your are coming from and invest your money wisely. Every successful man wants to continue to invest in other areas of life. Are thinking in that direction? Psquare is not only involved in music alone. We are into real estate business. That we have been doing for long time now. We do a lot of businesses which has made us to be more focused. A business man who is keeping his money in the bank, what’s he keeping it for, without investing. We also do banking business, but real estate pays us more. Recently it was rumoured that you are into oil and gas business? Yes, it’s about to kick off. My music is doing very well in the market, and investing in other areas will help to boost my pocket. Which is not a bad idea.

Yoruba, other Nigerian languages on the verge of extinction, Prof Akinwunmi Isola warns

A university don, Prof. Akinwumi Isola, has raised the alarm over the looming extinction of Yoruba and other indigenous languages in Nigeria. According to him, failure of the people to speak Yoruba language to the young ones was capable of wiping out the language. Isola, a literature icon and professor of language, said this at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko while delivering the 4th convocation lecture of the institution, which was presented in Yoruba language and entitled, ‘Kini A fee Maa Fii Ede Yoruba Se?’He expressed concern that the country did not learn a lesson from China, which, he said, was able to achieve the present level of development because the people use their mother tongue for education and other transactions. Isola, therefore, suggested that government should make Yoruba language compulsory from primary school level to higher institutions to ensure that the young ones understand the language from early stage of life. The don lamented that many elites consider their language as inferior to the foreign ones, saying some of them don’t speak Yoruba language in their homes let alone train their children with it. According to him, “Government should also ensure that the Yorùbá language is made the medium of instruction in primary schools as it was done during the If?? experiment some years back. The vice chancellor of the university, Professor Femi Mimiko, said the decision of the institution to present the convocation lecture in Yoruba language showed that it was committed to the development of the language. “There is also the need for government to rescind its decision and ensure that Yorùbá language is made compulsory at the Senior Secondary Examination level. It will not be out of place for universities to include the teaching of Yorùbá language in the GST curriculum where they teach Nigerian peoples and cultures”.

Chinua Achebe: We lost a national treasure – Tinubu

Tributes continued to pour in for Professor Chinua Achebe yesterday. Former governor of Lagos State, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, said the deceased was a national treasure. Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and former governor of Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige, described him as a literary giant. To Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Achebe was a scholar of distinction. Tinubu described the death of Achebe as the loss of yet another national treasure who died unfulfilled in his dream to see a better governed, fully demorcratic and united Nigeria. “Achebe’s words were like the arrows of God penetrating the fortresses of our leaders and striking their hearts to do good, unfortunately not many harkened and that is why we remain stuck as a people and a country”, he said. According to him, notwithstanding Achebe’s exploits on the literary stage and his world acclaimed status, he had one regret and that is the failure of successive Nigerian leadership to birth a new country and liberate Nigerians from abject poverty and want. Tinubu recalled how Achebe’s life and writings touched many and mentored several. “In my personal encounters with him, his simplicity, his forthrightness and his engaging personality struck me. Achebe and his writings were one and the same. He breathed what he preached. Though he elicits different reactions from different people, Achebe’s love for his people and his patriotism was unquestionable. His devotion to creating a better society was resolute”. Oshiomhole said with the death of Achebe, Nigeria has lost a literary giant who left an indelible print in the sands of time. In a condolence message by his Chief Press Secretary, Peter Okhiria, the Edo governor said: “His death evokes nostalgic emotion in the minds of all who read his books. His epic novel, “Things Fall Apart”, which earned him the sobriquet, ‘father of modern African literature’, is perhaps the best known book in this part of the world, aside the Holy Books. We pray God to grant his family the courage and strength to bear his loss. We also pray our Heavenly Father to grant his soul peaceful repose.” Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State described Achebe as the father of modern African literature. Fashola, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello, recalled his meeting with Achebe last December at Brown University, Providence in Rhodes Island United States, where he had gone to deliver a keynote paper at the 2012 Achebe Colloquium on Africa, saying he was particularly saddened by the fact that there was nothing that indicated that the meeting would be the last. “I am particularly saddened by the fact that when I met him at Brown University last December, I never realized it will be my last with him. It is, indeed a great loss and given the great contribution he has made in shaping the course of African Literature, he will be sorely missed, especially by the literary world”, he said. The governor added: “He is a towering African figure whose personality transcends the walls of ethnicity and religion and whose literary prowess has taken Nigeria and, indeed, the African Continent to the pinnacle of international recognition. Noting that he read ‘Things Fall Apart’, as a literature student in secondary school, he stated, “I must say, without any reservation, that Prof Achebe’s ingenuity as writer and the power behind his words influenced my generation to no small extent and opened our eyes to the rich culture, tradition and belief of our people. “And here, perhaps, lies his greatest contribution to the Black Race; for through such world classics as Things Fall Apart, Professor Achebe was able to keep our culture, tradition and belief alive in spite of the onslaught of other cultures”. Ngige described the death of Achebe as a great loss to humanity. Saying Achebe was number one among his peers in the literary world, he observed that his flagship novel, ‘Things Fall Apart’, ranked as one of the most read novels all over the world, having been translated into more than 35 languages. Rivers State governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, expressed shock and sadness over the passing of Achebe. Amaechi, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. David Iyofor, described Achebe as one of Nigeria’s and Africa’s finest literary giants whose works speaks volumes and is internationally recognized. He recalled his fond memories of Achebe including his play “A man of the people” which is the governor’s favorite work by the writer . “I love and have read ‘A man of the people’ over and over again, mostly because of its portrayal of leadership as it is in Africa. I have also commissioned that a movie be made out of it for the benefit of more people especially our youths who are the leaders of tomorrow. It is such a shock to me that our dearly beloved Achebe, the man who gave us several notable works of literature is gone,” the governor said. “I still have fond memories of the time I spent with Prof. Achebe at his home in Providence, Rhodes Island and when I was invited as a keynote speaker to his annual African Colloquim at Brown’s University. His intelligence still motivated me. I remember his kind words, his fatherly advice and encouragement. Achebe is a man that will be greatly missed not only by Nigerians and Africans, but the world.” “As the nation mourns this irreparable loss, I pray that God grants his family the strength to bear this great loss, and to all of us, I say find solace in the fact that Achebe impacted our world positively. He lived a fulfilled life fighting for change in the political landscape of our great nation and Africa, using his pen and voice, and has left behind an array of literary works that are indeed most remarkable.” Amosun condoled with the government and people of Anambra State and world’s literary community on the exit of Achebe. In a press release signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mrs Funmi Wakama, Amosun described the death of Achebe as a great loss to Nigeria. ”Professor Achebe was a scholar of first magnitude and one of the pioneers of modern African literature. Through such works like A Man Of The People and The Trouble With Nigeria, Achebe deployed his literary gifts to mirror the ills of our society with a view to building a better and prosperous Nigeria,” he said. The governor urged the new generation of Nigerian writers to imbibe the sterling qualities of the erudite scholar and produce such interesting works that would help revive the culture of reading among the Nigerian youths. In her tribute, the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, said Achebe attained some immortality of sorts through his ground-breaking literary prowess. “Though dead in body and flesh, Prof Achebe lives forever not only in our hearts and minds, but also in the literary sub-conscious of the entire world which read one piece from the iconic writer, and waited in bated breathe for the next. His last Epistle- ‘There was a Country’ is the crowning of a glowing career in the Arts and Literature that will continue to captivate and inspire generations the world over,”she said in a statement signed by her SA (Media), Joel Obi. The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon (Engr.) Victor Ochei, said Achebe’s death represented a colossal loss to Nigeria and the galaxy of global literary fraternity. Ochei, in a tribute, submitted that this development has created a vacuum in the chronicle of avowed patriots, whose contributions have offered the needed diverse but constructive suggestions, in navigating Nigeria through the complexities of nationhood. On his part, the Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Samson Osagie, said Achebe’s book ‘There was a country’ should spur present and future leaders of our country to strive towards the greater ideals of democracy, development and socio-economic justice for all. Osagie said: “I wish to express my deepest condolence to his immediate family, Nigeria and indeed the literary world. Here is a man who consistently turned down national honours as a mark of his resentment against social political and economic injustice and bad governance of our dear nation. His contributions to literature and the overall human development are out standing and will be missed”. Associate Professor of African and World Literature, University of Denver, Dr. Maik Nwosu, said Achebe interrogated the movement of African history with an uncluttered sophistication and a cultural sensibility that shaped modern African literature. “Sometimes contrastively compared to Joseph Conrad, whose image of Africa Achebe notably criticized, the river from Conrad’s Heart of Darkness to the earth in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart signposts two modernisms (or European modernism and its African counter-discourse),” he added. London-based Nigerian poet and playwright, Efemena Agadama, described the demise of Achebe as a great loss not only to Africa but to the entire world. He said Achebe started writing when the world had a different perception of the African continent which he fearlessly challenged. “He challenged that wrong notion not through reductionist diplomacy but by the very standard that was being used at that era – brave writings and that notion and unfair mindset of Africa was changed forever. “Achebe is one of the world’s greatest writers that ever lived so we as Nigerians, especially writers, should avoid the classification of Achebe as one of Africa’s greatest writers. That is reductionist to a literary icon that gave birth to a new style of writing in the world”.

Oyinlola asks AGF to prosecute MTN directors

Former Governor of Osun State and erstwhile Peoples Democratic Party National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has written to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, asking that members of the Board of MTN Nigeria Communications Limited be prosecuted as recommended by the police. In his letter dated 21 March, 2013, titled, RE: POLICE INVESTIGATION REPORT ON A CASE OF CONSPIRACY, FORGERY AND PERVERSION OF THE COURSE OF JUSTICE BY MTN NIGERIA LTD, Oyinlola posited: “A company’s ‘directing mind and will’ are members of its Board of Directors, who exercise control and management over the organization, and on whom the law imposes strict duties in the exercise of those functions. “That being the case, the acts of the ‘directing mind and will’ or the ‘alter ego’ of a company are to be directly attributed to the company”. Oyinlola, himself a lawyer, stated further: “Conversely, if the police have recommended that MTN be prosecuted for a crime, my humble view is that to give effect to that recommendation, it is members of the Board of MTN that should face prosecution”. Additionally, the former governor wants the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, prosecuted for alleged manipulation of call data records (including Salami’s) that MTN forwarded to the security agencies at the behest of the National Judicial Council’s Special Investigative Panel which heard Oyinlola’s petition in 2011 arising from his protest on his loss of the case on the Osun State guberatorial election. The perjury case against Rotimi Odusola, Senior Manager, Commercial Legal with MTN, according to the ex-governor, is a separate and distinct matter altogether”, he concluded. In a related development, he also forwarded a petition, titled: JUSTICE AYO SALAMI AND MTN: ADDITIONAL PROOF OF CONSPIRACY TO TAMPER WITH EVIDENCE, to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman, National Judicial Council, Aloma Mariam Mukhtar. In the letter, which was acknowledged as received on 20 March, 2013 and to which he attached NJC’s letter of invitation to MTN, Oyinlola said, “Further to my letter of the 14th of February, I wish to avail Council, through your office, of additional proof of conspiracy to tamper with evidence, involving Justice Ayo Salami and MTN Nigeria Communications. “Paragraph 2 of the attached National Judicial Council’s letter of invitation to MTN clearly states that the request to appear as witness before the Special Investigative Panel, which heard my petition, was at Justice Ayo Salami’s instance. “Additionally, aside the fact that the Chairman of the National Judicial Council’s Special Investigative Panel, retired Justice Umar Abdullahi, announced during one of the Panel’s sittings that Justice Salami was inviting the telecoms service provider to appear as his witness (the record of proceedings should reveal this), MTN’s representative, one Rotimi Odusola, was led in evidence by one of the suspended PCA’s coterie of lawyers, Lateef Fagbemi. “As a minister in the temple of justice myself, I would be elated, if the hunch I have, that Justice Ayo Salami and MTN constituted themselves into a cog in the wheel of justice, proves to be contrary”.

Can Rita Dominic make history again?

The stage is set again, and the topic currently dominating discourse in most quarters in the industry is the possibility of Rita Dominic writing her name in gold as the best actress in Africa. Rita who won last year’s Best Actress award at AMAA for her role in a Kenyan film ‘Shattered’ got nominated again for her role in her movie, ‘The Meeting.” She was pitched against Yvonne Okoro also nominated for role in The Contract’’, Florence Masebe (Elelwani), Mariam Ouedraogo(Moi Zaphira), Mbutung Seikeh(Ninah’s Diary) and Malawian Flora Suya who was nominated for her role in Shem Joya’s ‘Last Fishing Boat.’ Rita Winning the Best Actress award for the second time, in the forthcoming grand finale of AMAA, scheduled to hold in Bayelsa State, on April 25, 2013, will surely go a long way to boost the status of Rita as the best Africa actress in the continent. From time immemorial, Rita has proved to be on top of her game, and the chance of her clinching the prestigious prize for the second time is not in doubt Looking back, the gap-toothed actress broke record last year when she won the Actress Of The Year Award in Kenya, at the expense of two Kenyans; Patricia Kihoro and Joan Amara, for her role in Shattered. She also won the best actress in a leading role at the 2012 AMAA awards for her role in the same movie ‘Shattered’ and FAB awards’ most stylish actress of the year. While Ghana’s Yvonne Okoro may pose a threat to her winning the awards, Rita’s indisputable acting skills undoubtedly gives her an edge over other nominees. In addition to this, her film, “The Meeting” which got six nominations brightens her chances of clinching the coveted prize. But who knows, the battle is not always open for the strong to win. Like her male colleague, OC Ukeje, who emerged the Best Actor on the continent recently at AMVCA, and got nominated for AMAA 2013 Prize For Best Actor In A Leading Role for his role in the movie, “Alan Poza,” Riat is set for greatness.

Julius Agwu takes Laff 4 Christ Sake to PH

Few days after staging a superlative Festival of Love Valentine show in Abuja, one of Nigeria’s most resourceful comedians, Julius Agwu is gearing up for the Port Harcourt edition of Laff 4 Christ Sake, another popular event brand from his stable. Having held in London and Lagos, this is the first time Laff 4 Christ Sake will be holding in Port-Harcourt. Julius Billed to hold on March 29 at Aztech Arcum , the event will feature talented gospel acts like Frank Edwards, Tim Godfrey & D Extreme Crew, Afy Douglas and Freke Umoh. Top comic acts like MC Abbey, Owen Gee, Dan D’Humorous, Senator and Buchi will be twisting guests intestines with rib cracking jokes. Speaking concerning the event, Julius Agwu said is another opportunity for him to thank God for his talents “I want to use this event to say a big thank you to Almighty God who gave me the talent, nurtured it and led me from Port-Harcourt to Lagos where my career grow globally. So I want Rivers and the entire South-South people to join me in thanksgiving to God who oils my wheel of creativity and ingenuity. I also thank him as I celebrate my 40 years on earth. God’s grace is what has kept me going, and I want to use this event to seek his renewed Grace in my life and career.”

Only ‘one thing’ can split us – Psquare

Nigeria’s pop duo, P-Square of Peter and Paul Okoye were in Malawi last weekend, where they thrilled their fans with their electrifying performance and moving dance steps. Showtime Celebrity cornered Peter Okoye who provides insight into what could make him break up with his twin brother. He also talks about the making of their latest album, Alingo and their new plans to conquer the southeast African countries with their kind of music. You are always on the road, how many days do you guys have to yourselves? We have been trying as much as possible to create time for ourselves. But most times, we don’t get it. We need more time to rest because performing for 2-3 hours on stage is not usually an easy task. Despite the fact that we have been travelling over the world, we took a break in January, and right now, we have resumed business again. Sometime ago, it was rumoured that your latest album, ‘Alingo’ was banned which was later refuted. How did you receive the news? We heard about the ban. But when they ban a particular song, they are indeed helping to promote that song. By the way, if they ban a song from being broadcast in Nigerian stations, will they stop MTV, Channel O, Soundcity and other cable networks from playing the same song. It’s not possible. What is the making of Alingo? Psquare for the past five years hasn’t done any dance video and our fans expected to see something of that nature from us. So, ‘Alingo’ was just the first song we had even before the ‘Invasion’ album came out. We didn’t take the song seriously until when our fans started loving it. And before we knew what was happening, it caught fire. We have no choice than to give our fans a video. P-Square You put in a lot of energies to do the video? Yes, it was my own idea. When the song started picking up, we thought it is important to give our fans something they have never gotten from Psquare in the past five years. The last time we did something similar to this, ‘Roll It’ was over five years ago. It took us a lot of time and energies to produce the album. Our senior brother, Jude who is also our manager shot the video. Interestingly, most people didn’t know that the video was shot in Nigeria. We went to an abandoned warehouse situated some ten minutes away from our Lagos residence to shoot the video. Sometime last year, you guys did a remix of Beautiful ‘Onyinye’ with Rick Ross, American artiste. You also got signed to Konvict Music, owned by Akon. What’s the situation like presently? Our relationship with Akon is great. We have known Akon for over six year but we were not looking forward to working with him until last two years when he attended our concert in London. After watching us perform on stage, he developed interest in working with us. Then, he was planning to open a branch of his Konvict Musik record label in Africa and he was in need of business partners who would help him coordinate the business. That was how we teamed up with him to establish Konvict Musik in Nigeria. We are representing Akon in Africa just as he is representing in America. That’s the whole idea. It was also rumoured some time ago that you guys bought a private jet. Was it true? There was nothing like that. I guess because it was included in our list that whenever we are going for a specific show, the organsiers must provide us with a private jet. We had a deal with a private jet company which always hire their private jet to us whenever we are in need of it. It’s like, we have a private jet at our disposal. I remember, I once tweeted that a private jet has been included in our list. That was how people started speculating that Psquare has bought a private jet. But we always travel with the jet all the time. But do you have a plan to buy a private jet? To be honest with you, the way things are going, we are planning to buy one. And it’s not because of the cost implication of hiring a private jet, but the fact that we want to meet up with our concerts. What would you say, you haven’t done since you started your musical career? I think we have virtually done everything. But I don’t want our fans to start speculating in respect of when would Psquare break into the European or American market. Africa is the next big thing for Psquare even though Americans are in dire need of our kind of stuff. They have exhausted everything they have to offer. For me, I will rather be a king in my own vicinity than to try to be a king in another man’s land. We have achieved everything except that we have not been able to structure the industry. The problem is that when we try to do so, some greedy fellows always frustrate our efforts. For me, I’m not complaining but I just feel it is important, we structure the industry for a better tomorrow. Was a 35-man committee members inaugurated last week by PMAN Peace Initiative to restore peace in the troubled musicians’ house? I’m not aware of it. In fact, I’m hearing it for the first time. The committee they claim to have set up, are they musicians or people they feel they want to use to pilot the affairs of the association. When we came into the industry, it wasn’t like what we are seeing today. Psquare was among the musicians that structured the industry the way it is today. we were among the first set of emerging musicians that started making money from selling our CDs. When they are setting up such a committee, what stopped them from involving people like us. If they don’t carry people like D’banj, 2face and Psquare along, then, there is a problem. It means they are just wasting their time. This is not because we are successful in what we are doing, but it’s because the industry is driven by individual effort. So, if they are taking such a major decision that will affect everybody in the industry and they don’t involve us, then , there is a big problem. I’m not a member of PMAN, and I don’t have any problem with the association. Are you not interested in the restoration of peace in the industry? I’m not interested in PMAN because the past leadership of the association failed us. We don’t need to be PMAN members to succeed in our careers. The association hasn’t done anything for us. I don’t need them. The peace Initiative is trying to unite the musicians again? When they were setting up the interim administration, they ought to have started from the top and engage those musicians who command respect in the industry. There is no musician in Nigeria today who does not respect 2face. We can be bigger than him in Africa, but I have so much respect for him because he was among the younger generation of Nigerian artistes who broke even several years ago. It’s so disrespectful that an interim administration was set up without our knowledge. If they don’t get the three top Nigerian artistes; Psquare, 2fac and D’banj, then, they are wasting their time. I love our industry they way it is at the moment. We don’t want a situation where , in the name of association, somebody will start dictating the pace for us. The more good we are, the more we want to make more money for ourselves. Which country would say is your largest market in Africa? At the moment, it’s East Africa. Anytime Nigerians say, they are through with Psquare, will take our things and relocate to East Africa. But South Africa is a place where we have been working for the past one year building market for our songs. We took a break in January, this year, and between February and March, we have been to Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe. We were in Angola two weeks ago and just last week, we stormed Malawi. So, our potential market at the moment is South Africa. We have built all these markets by ourselves alone. The impression most people have about you is that Psquare is arrogant? I think Psquare is very intimidating and we are not arrogant. When you saw me today, did I look arrogant? That’s a wrong impression people have about us. There is Peter and there is Paul. Peter is stubborn, bad and controversial, but they say Paul is quiet, cool headed and all that. But you see, you cannot steal from Peter to pay Paul. If you steal from Peter to pay Paul, you are indeed paying Psquare. I’m a very controversial person and I’m not expecting every news about me to be positive. Psquare is not arrogant, it’s just that the people are scared of approaching them, considering the way we operate. When you see Psquare stepping out, we look very intimidating. But the people who are very close to know that we are not arrogant. Beyonce could visit a shopping mall today, and the whole place will be shut down. That does not make her arrogant. It is her management that has made it to be so. How is life without your mother? It has been hectic. We haven’t decided to do a new album at the moment. But while she was alive, she was always with us in the studio. We don’t know how we are going to do it this time around. She was a minister of God before she passed on. She had her own Church which Paul and I built for her. Anytime, we want to release a new album, she would pray on the album for almost a week before we got it released into the market. Her church is still functioning till date and her prayer partners are still there. Once in while, we do communicate with the leadership of the church and it was our desire to see the church continues to function after her death. Wherever she is today, she will be happy that the church is still functioning because it’s a monument for her. But did you guys really know what happened to your mother? People must always speculate . It got to a point, I said to myself that those people who are accusing us of being responsible for our mum’s death must be ignorant of how close we were to her. We didn’t want that rumour to distract us. In fact, when people are insinuating such things, the best advice is for you to block your ears and never allowed it to distract you. I’m human, and I don’t except people to say positive things about Psquare all the time. Psquare have made its worst mistake in the past, and nobody noticed it. We are not perfect. And we know why people were accusing us of being responsible for our mother’s death. It’s because we are successful in what we are doing for a living. Even in my Igbo nation, once somebody starts to progress, his kinsmen will start to associate his riches with money ritual. We have overgrown such insinuation. We have seen great musical groups split in the industry. Will Psquare ever split some day? Like I said earlier, each time, people look at Peter and Paul, they conclude that we are perfect. But they don’t know that I fight with Paul the same way he fights with me. We quarrel and fight with each other the same way you quarrel and fight with your siblings. The only thing that matters most is that we don’t bring such quarrel into our business. I always tell my friends, the only person who will tell us to split is our mother but she’s no more. Even if she were to be alive, would she allow us to split? The day we are going to make up our minds to split, it will be an open decision. May be, when I say I want to retire or Paul says he wants to continue with his career in music. That does not mean that I wouldn’t give him my support. What has kept two of you together? Of course, we are blood brothers. And we always think of where we are coming from. Our parents never had anything. They were not rich people. If Paul say today that we must split, I will only look at him and laugh. Sometimes, I’d swallow my pride to ensure that peace reigns between two of us. Have you tried to intervene in those popular split in the industry? The best way I can intervene is to keep Peter and Paul together. Let them watch and learn from us. But he’s your twin brother? It goes beyond brotherhood. The Jacksons split. There was this group that wanted to split some time ago, I intervened and made them see reasons they should remain together no matter the odds. Yes, money might be the cause of the split. But I don’t share money with Paul. That’s the way we have been working because we never had anything from the out set. I’m not saying this because you are interviewing me, between Paul and I, money has never been a problem. Have you had any cause to date the same woman? Every woman wants to hang out with Peter. This is because everybody knows that Peter is more outgoing than Paul. But I doubt if woman can cause a problem between Paul and myself. Money would have been the devil that will cause a problem between us than woman. Any woman that wants to cause between us is wasting her time. How did you grow up with Paul? Our growing up was fantastic. I’m the person who was always on the stubborn side. Then, I would go out there and cause some stir, and they would put the blame on Paul because we are twins. P-Square We were always wearing the same clothes. I and Paul grew up doing things together. It has remained like that till date. That’s the way our mum trained. What Paul does not like today, I will not like either. May be, this is what has been holding together. Have you had any cause to date the same woman? Every woman wants to hang out with Peter. This is because everybody knows that Peter is more outgoing than Paul. But I doubt if woman can cause a problem between Paul and myself. Money would have been the devil that will cause a problem between us than woman. Any woman that wants to cause between us is wasting her time. Recently it was rumoured that you are into oil and gas business? Yes, it’s about to kick off. My music is doing very well in the market, and investing in other areas will help to boost my pocket. Which is not a bad idea. Every successful man wants to continue to invest in other areas of life. Are thinking in that direction? Psquare is not only involved in music alone. We are into real estate business. We have been doing it for a long time now. A business man who is keeping his money in the bank, what’s he keeping for, without investing it. We also do banking business, but real estate pays us more. Psquare as a product of talent hunt show We know that Psquare is a product of talent show, ‘Grab the Music’. We also know that when you emerged the winner, you went home without anything. But these days, winners of a reality TV show usually go home with mouthwatering prizes. So, looking back, how would you comment on the new trend? When you win a talent show, what comes first is ego. You have millions of naira around and a brand new car at your disposal, the world is in your palm At this point, you are building yourself to the next level. I don’t say the winner should not have the car, but he should not let the car to distract him. At the time, we won the talent show, we were given a keyboard which is still in our house till today. The keyboard was just N80,000,00. In fact, that keyboard, is part of the instrument in producing most of our albums. The keyboard has made millions of naira for us. My piece of advice is that when you win such a competition, think of where your are coming from and invest your money wisely. Every successful man wants to continue to invest in other areas of life. Are thinking in that direction? Psquare is not only involved in music alone. We are into real estate business. That we have been doing for long time now. We do a lot of businesses which has made us to be more focused. A business man who is keeping his money in the bank, what’s he keeping it for, without investing. We also do banking business, but real estate pays us more. Recently it was rumoured that you are into oil and gas business? Yes, it’s about to kick off. My music is doing very well in the market, and investing in other areas will help to boost my pocket. Which is not a bad idea.

Only ‘one thing’ can split us – Psquare

Nigeria’s pop duo, P-Square of Peter and Paul Okoye were in Malawi last weekend, where they thrilled their fans with their electrifying performance and moving dance steps. Showtime Celebrity cornered Peter Okoye who provides insight into what could make him break up with his twin brother. He also talks about the making of their latest album, Alingo and their new plans to conquer the southeast African countries with their kind of music. You are always on the road, how many days do you guys have to yourselves? We have been trying as much as possible to create time for ourselves. But most times, we don’t get it. We need more time to rest because performing for 2-3 hours on stage is not usually an easy task. Despite the fact that we have been travelling over the world, we took a break in January, and right now, we have resumed business again. Sometime ago, it was rumoured that your latest album, ‘Alingo’ was banned which was later refuted. How did you receive the news? We heard about the ban. But when they ban a particular song, they are indeed helping to promote that song. By the way, if they ban a song from being broadcast in Nigerian stations, will they stop MTV, Channel O, Soundcity and other cable networks from playing the same song. It’s not possible. What is the making of Alingo? Psquare for the past five years hasn’t done any dance video and our fans expected to see something of that nature from us. So, ‘Alingo’ was just the first song we had even before the ‘Invasion’ album came out. We didn’t take the song seriously until when our fans started loving it. And before we knew what was happening, it caught fire. We have no choice than to give our fans a video. P-Square You put in a lot of energies to do the video? Yes, it was my own idea. When the song started picking up, we thought it is important to give our fans something they have never gotten from Psquare in the past five years. The last time we did something similar to this, ‘Roll It’ was over five years ago. It took us a lot of time and energies to produce the album. Our senior brother, Jude who is also our manager shot the video. Interestingly, most people didn’t know that the video was shot in Nigeria. We went to an abandoned warehouse situated some ten minutes away from our Lagos residence to shoot the video. Sometime last year, you guys did a remix of Beautiful ‘Onyinye’ with Rick Ross, American artiste. You also got signed to Konvict Music, owned by Akon. What’s the situation like presently? Our relationship with Akon is great. We have known Akon for over six year but we were not looking forward to working with him until last two years when he attended our concert in London. After watching us perform on stage, he developed interest in working with us. Then, he was planning to open a branch of his Konvict Musik record label in Africa and he was in need of business partners who would help him coordinate the business. That was how we teamed up with him to establish Konvict Musik in Nigeria. We are representing Akon in Africa just as he is representing in America. That’s the whole idea. It was also rumoured some time ago that you guys bought a private jet. Was it true? There was nothing like that. I guess because it was included in our list that whenever we are going for a specific show, the organsiers must provide us with a private jet. We had a deal with a private jet company which always hire their private jet to us whenever we are in need of it. It’s like, we have a private jet at our disposal. I remember, I once tweeted that a private jet has been included in our list. That was how people started speculating that Psquare has bought a private jet. But we always travel with the jet all the time. But do you have a plan to buy a private jet? To be honest with you, the way things are going, we are planning to buy one. And it’s not because of the cost implication of hiring a private jet, but the fact that we want to meet up with our concerts. What would you say, you haven’t done since you started your musical career? I think we have virtually done everything. But I don’t want our fans to start speculating in respect of when would Psquare break into the European or American market. Africa is the next big thing for Psquare even though Americans are in dire need of our kind of stuff. They have exhausted everything they have to offer. For me, I will rather be a king in my own vicinity than to try to be a king in another man’s land. We have achieved everything except that we have not been able to structure the industry. The problem is that when we try to do so, some greedy fellows always frustrate our efforts. For me, I’m not complaining but I just feel it is important, we structure the industry for a better tomorrow. Was a 35-man committee members inaugurated last week by PMAN Peace Initiative to restore peace in the troubled musicians’ house? I’m not aware of it. In fact, I’m hearing it for the first time. The committee they claim to have set up, are they musicians or people they feel they want to use to pilot the affairs of the association. When we came into the industry, it wasn’t like what we are seeing today. Psquare was among the musicians that structured the industry the way it is today. we were among the first set of emerging musicians that started making money from selling our CDs. When they are setting up such a committee, what stopped them from involving people like us. If they don’t carry people like D’banj, 2face and Psquare along, then, there is a problem. It means they are just wasting their time. This is not because we are successful in what we are doing, but it’s because the industry is driven by individual effort. So, if they are taking such a major decision that will affect everybody in the industry and they don’t involve us, then , there is a big problem. I’m not a member of PMAN, and I don’t have any problem with the association. Are you not interested in the restoration of peace in the industry? I’m not interested in PMAN because the past leadership of the association failed us. We don’t need to be PMAN members to succeed in our careers. The association hasn’t done anything for us. I don’t need them. The peace Initiative is trying to unite the musicians again? When they were setting up the interim administration, they ought to have started from the top and engage those musicians who command respect in the industry. There is no musician in Nigeria today who does not respect 2face. We can be bigger than him in Africa, but I have so much respect for him because he was among the younger generation of Nigerian artistes who broke even several years ago. It’s so disrespectful that an interim administration was set up without our knowledge. If they don’t get the three top Nigerian artistes; Psquare, 2fac and D’banj, then, they are wasting their time. I love our industry they way it is at the moment. We don’t want a situation where , in the name of association, somebody will start dictating the pace for us. The more good we are, the more we want to make more money for ourselves. Which country would say is your largest market in Africa? At the moment, it’s East Africa. Anytime Nigerians say, they are through with Psquare, will take our things and relocate to East Africa. But South Africa is a place where we have been working for the past one year building market for our songs. We took a break in January, this year, and between February and March, we have been to Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe. We were in Angola two weeks ago and just last week, we stormed Malawi. So, our potential market at the moment is South Africa. We have built all these markets by ourselves alone. The impression most people have about you is that Psquare is arrogant? I think Psquare is very intimidating and we are not arrogant. When you saw me today, did I look arrogant? That’s a wrong impression people have about us. There is Peter and there is Paul. Peter is stubborn, bad and controversial, but they say Paul is quiet, cool headed and all that. But you see, you cannot steal from Peter to pay Paul. If you steal from Peter to pay Paul, you are indeed paying Psquare. I’m a very controversial person and I’m not expecting every news about me to be positive. Psquare is not arrogant, it’s just that the people are scared of approaching them, considering the way we operate. When you see Psquare stepping out, we look very intimidating. But the people who are very close to know that we are not arrogant. Beyonce could visit a shopping mall today, and the whole place will be shut down. That does not make her arrogant. It is her management that has made it to be so. How is life without your mother? It has been hectic. We haven’t decided to do a new album at the moment. But while she was alive, she was always with us in the studio. We don’t know how we are going to do it this time around. She was a minister of God before she passed on. She had her own Church which Paul and I built for her. Anytime, we want to release a new album, she would pray on the album for almost a week before we got it released into the market. Her church is still functioning till date and her prayer partners are still there. Once in while, we do communicate with the leadership of the church and it was our desire to see the church continues to function after her death. Wherever she is today, she will be happy that the church is still functioning because it’s a monument for her. But did you guys really know what happened to your mother? People must always speculate . It got to a point, I said to myself that those people who are accusing us of being responsible for our mum’s death must be ignorant of how close we were to her. We didn’t want that rumour to distract us. In fact, when people are insinuating such things, the best advice is for you to block your ears and never allowed it to distract you. I’m human, and I don’t except people to say positive things about Psquare all the time. Psquare have made its worst mistake in the past, and nobody noticed it. We are not perfect. And we know why people were accusing us of being responsible for our mother’s death. It’s because we are successful in what we are doing for a living. Even in my Igbo nation, once somebody starts to progress, his kinsmen will start to associate his riches with money ritual. We have overgrown such insinuation. We have seen great musical groups split in the industry. Will Psquare ever split some day? Like I said earlier, each time, people look at Peter and Paul, they conclude that we are perfect. But they don’t know that I fight with Paul the same way he fights with me. We quarrel and fight with each other the same way you quarrel and fight with your siblings. The only thing that matters most is that we don’t bring such quarrel into our business. I always tell my friends, the only person who will tell us to split is our mother but she’s no more. Even if she were to be alive, would she allow us to split? The day we are going to make up our minds to split, it will be an open decision. May be, when I say I want to retire or Paul says he wants to continue with his career in music. That does not mean that I wouldn’t give him my support. What has kept two of you together? Of course, we are blood brothers. And we always think of where we are coming from. Our parents never had anything. They were not rich people. If Paul say today that we must split, I will only look at him and laugh. Sometimes, I’d swallow my pride to ensure that peace reigns between two of us. Have you tried to intervene in those popular split in the industry? The best way I can intervene is to keep Peter and Paul together. Let them watch and learn from us. But he’s your twin brother? It goes beyond brotherhood. The Jacksons split. There was this group that wanted to split some time ago, I intervened and made them see reasons they should remain together no matter the odds. Yes, money might be the cause of the split. But I don’t share money with Paul. That’s the way we have been working because we never had anything from the out set. I’m not saying this because you are interviewing me, between Paul and I, money has never been a problem. Have you had any cause to date the same woman? Every woman wants to hang out with Peter. This is because everybody knows that Peter is more outgoing than Paul. But I doubt if woman can cause a problem between Paul and myself. Money would have been the devil that will cause a problem between us than woman. Any woman that wants to cause between us is wasting her time. How did you grow up with Paul? Our growing up was fantastic. I’m the person who was always on the stubborn side. Then, I would go out there and cause some stir, and they would put the blame on Paul because we are twins. P-Square We were always wearing the same clothes. I and Paul grew up doing things together. It has remained like that till date. That’s the way our mum trained. What Paul does not like today, I will not like either. May be, this is what has been holding together. Have you had any cause to date the same woman? Every woman wants to hang out with Peter. This is because everybody knows that Peter is more outgoing than Paul. But I doubt if woman can cause a problem between Paul and myself. Money would have been the devil that will cause a problem between us than woman. Any woman that wants to cause between us is wasting her time. Recently it was rumoured that you are into oil and gas business? Yes, it’s about to kick off. My music is doing very well in the market, and investing in other areas will help to boost my pocket. Which is not a bad idea. Every successful man wants to continue to invest in other areas of life. Are thinking in that direction? Psquare is not only involved in music alone. We are into real estate business. We have been doing it for a long time now. A business man who is keeping his money in the bank, what’s he keeping for, without investing it. We also do banking business, but real estate pays us more. Psquare as a product of talent hunt show We know that Psquare is a product of talent show, ‘Grab the Music’. We also know that when you emerged the winner, you went home without anything. But these days, winners of a reality TV show usually go home with mouthwatering prizes. So, looking back, how would you comment on the new trend? When you win a talent show, what comes first is ego. You have millions of naira around and a brand new car at your disposal, the world is in your palm At this point, you are building yourself to the next level. I don’t say the winner should not have the car, but he should not let the car to distract him. At the time, we won the talent show, we were given a keyboard which is still in our house till today. The keyboard was just N80,000,00. In fact, that keyboard, is part of the instrument in producing most of our albums. The keyboard has made millions of naira for us. My piece of advice is that when you win such a competition, think of where your are coming from and invest your money wisely. Every successful man wants to continue to invest in other areas of life. Are thinking in that direction? Psquare is not only involved in music alone. We are into real estate business. That we have been doing for long time now. We do a lot of businesses which has made us to be more focused. A business man who is keeping his money in the bank, what’s he keeping it for, without investing. We also do banking business, but real estate pays us more. Recently it was rumoured that you are into oil and gas business? Yes, it’s about to kick off. My music is doing very well in the market, and investing in other areas will help to boost my pocket. Which is not a bad idea.