Wizkid celebrated his 23rd birthday party in grand style, yesterday as he popped Alexander Amosu's £1.2m (N 248,202,764.73) Goût design Diamants - the world's most expensive champagne.
Goût de Diamants is a brand that exudes luxury and prestige, as the name translate to "taste of diamonds" in other words "high-end taste".
Celebrating with him were close friends and yes, Liam of One Direction was also around to party with the birthday boy.
Jay-Z's new album has sold
more than 500,000 units its first week.
Nielsen SoundScan said late Tuesday preliminary data shows that "Magna Carta Holy Grail" moved about 527,000 copies. It
will debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart this week.
The album was officially released on July 7. Samsung bought and gave 1.2 million copies of
the album to Galaxy mobile phone users on July 4. Billboard is not counting those sales on
its charts. "Magna Carta" has the second-best first-ever debut of the year after Justin Timberlake's
"20/20 Experience."
The album features
Timberlake, Beyonce, Frank Ocean and Timbaland.
Jay-Z's 12th album had more than 14 million streams in its first week on Spotify, beating a record that Daft Punk set in May with
"Random Access Memories."
NOBEL LAUREATE, Professor Wole
Soyinka has warned of dire consequences for the country should the crisis in
Rivers State be allowed to degenerate beyond this.
Professor Soyinka, in a statement stated that “even after the Rivers crisis has been resolved, this notorious proceeding will not be permitted to fester unchallenged.”
Making reference to the election of
Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF
In Public Interest, in order to eliminate all further distraction and enable the nation to concentrate on issues that affect the democratic pursuit, it is necessary to make the following information available:
Before the press conference held by Femi Falana and myself – that is, even before the Rivers Assembly fracas - I had been canvassed by opposing sides of the face off, both via telephone and physically.
One such visit, perhaps the most
significant, was made by a Special Adviser in the presidency who outlined what can be regarded as the official rationale for the Governors’ Forum election debacle.
In the process of this exchange, he did make certain complaints against Governor Rotimi Amaechi, including charges of a conflict of interests over certain resources.
This was implied as the root of division between the Governors’ Forum and the Presidency.
I wrote down the details, informed the emissary that I would pass on these accusations to Governor Amaechi – which I did. That Amaechi hotly denied them and offered contradicting facts, which he urged me to verify, remained, and remains utterly irrelevant to the democratic core of the conflict – and this has been made clear to all interventionists: Keyed into this core are:
(i) the arithmetics of democracy involved in figures 16 and 19 at the time, and now, with increased confidence in impunity, the figures 27 and 5.
(ii) whether or not it is democratic , even cultured proceeding that a state governor is barred from public access anywhere within his own zone of constitutional authority, with the massive security apparatus of the centre, on behalf of an unelected individual.
Even after the Rivers crisis has been resolved, this notorious proceeding will not be permitted to fester unchallenged.
For the rest, since beneath the surface of most Nigerian conflicts will be found inordinate greed for public resources, it is perhaps pertinent to remind ourselves that Oil is not the only marvel to emerge from the Delta swamps. There are also exotic creatures – mermaids, manatees, even mammy watas and hippopotami.
However, unlike crude oil, which can be refined, you can extract a
hippopotamus from the swamps, but you cannot take the swamp out of the hippopotamus .
The baby girl said to be born with a rosary around her neck in Bida, Niger State, on Saturday would not have been born at all as the mother had made several attempts to abort the pregnancy.
If you missed it read : BABY BORN WITH ROSARY
28-year-old mother Khadijat Isa
said she had tried to abort the
pregnancy because she had
been having a frosty relationship with her husband for sometime, such that they were even no longer living together. She said she did not take the herbs that would abort the pregnancy because of wickedness but due to her poor financial condition, explaining that as a fashion designer, she was not making enough to cater for her three children as she already has two from the same husband.
"I took medicine and injection in the first month of the pregnancy because I didn't want the pregnancy but the pregnancy refused to be terminated," she said. She added that after several attempts to get rid of the pregnancy did not succeed, she resigned to fate and prepared to deliver it. Khadijat said throughout the period of the pregnancy, she did not even once visited hospital for after anti- natal care.
She said even when labour finally began, she did not make attempt to go to hospital, instead. some elderly women from her compound took her to the house of the retired nurse to deliver.
She said: "I did not go for any after natal even when labour started. I was only taken to the nurse's house by the people from my compound after noticing that I was going though pains.
"I don't have money with me; there was no way that I could go to hospital. You know whenever you go to any hospital, it is the issue of money which I don't have," she added.
Khadijat also said that the birth of the baby last Saturday was quite different her experience in the delivery of her two other children each of which saw her losing blood from the very beginning to the end of the
labour.
"The case of the baby I delivered three days ago is quite different as it was free of blood,"
she said. She said another miracle associated with her recent delivery is not only that it was bloodless but that the entire process did not last up to 30 minutes which contrasted to what she went through in her previous deliveries where she had to go through a period of pain that lasted for hours.
Khadijat said for the eight years she was married to her husband they had been living peacefully until recently, before the pregnancy.
She said also surprisingly, since the delivery her husband comes regularly to see the new baby and even attend to some of their needs.
"The birth of the miracle girl will be source of reconciliation between us," she enthused. Aha!
You can see him, he just came in. He has been coming regularly to see us. That is why I said the baby will be a source of reconciliation."
On how the baby was delivered, said she could not explained much because she was only told by the nurse that handled the delivery that the baby came out with a rosary, adding that on hearing that the baby was delivered with the prayer beads, she was overwhelmed with happiness, telling herself that the child must have come with full blessing directly from the
Almighty.
You can how people are trooping into this house, so it has been since yesterday when the
child was delivered.
You can see we went to bed as late 1am last now because people were just coming and out," she said. The father of the new born baby, Bissalla Zubairu said there was no problem between him and his wife, saying they just had a little misunderstanding which they were about settling when she delivered.
Zubairu said he was shocked when he was told that his wife had given birth to a baby girl with a rosary on her neck, adding that up to the time he was talking with this reporter, he had not recovered from the shock.
He said after the delivery they only took the baby to the Estu Nupe's palace where the baby received royal blessing by his Royal Highness Yahaya Abubakar. Shasha Abubakar, the retired nurse that handled the delivery of the miracle baby said that:
"Seven women came into my house around midnight one among them was pregnant, and was complaining of abdominal an waist pain. He added that on examining her, he discovered that it was a sign of labour.
"In less than 30 minutes the labour began in earnest, and it was when we were about to deliver the baby that a rosary first came out and dropped on the floor.
"I took the chasbaha, left the foetus behind and showed the people that she came with this. They then started kalmatul Shahada, 'Allahu Akbar, Allahu
Akbar'.
"The baby came out clean and no blood. I asked her people to bring clothes for the child and before they would do that the Chastain which was black at first, turned to white".
Abubakar said the delivery of the child was normal without any hinderance and that it was one of the faster deliveries he has conducted in his 36 years of service.
Mr Charles Novia diss Nigeria by comparing Beverly Osu and Angelo’s relationship in the BBA to that of Nigeria and South Africa.
Read what he had to say about their fingering acts in the reality show.
I mentioned earlier on my facebook page that I don’t follow Big Brother Africa and that is by choice. A choice I believe lots of people have on their decoders by ignoring or disabling the channel off their bouquet. I align myself with Professor Wole Soyinka’s statement made a few years back that BBA is pervasive and debasing.
Reading snippets of this year’s edition on some online platforms, I think the Good Prof’s statement has largely been vindicated.
Uninhibited sexual frolicks on open camera, accusations of STDs being passed around, shameless smooching by hormonal charged housemates and ear-tingling swear words are the pre-dominant values being shown to the continent from that neo-Gommorhic contraption of a creation. Of course, I’m told he content producers cleverly hide my above description with so-called tasks which lamely try to project positive African cultures and traditions; which is ironical because such modern franchises like BBA are neo-imperialist means of eroding the very essence of Africanism as the world moves to an incomprehensible digital age.
There are various countries represented in the BBA house from many African countries.
The Producers of the show cleverly put up a caveat that the contestants represent themselves and not their countries, which I find nebulous and amusing. But I understand why they are playing safe.
The reality is that BBA is a competition and every person in that house represents (intentionally or otherwise) the culture and morals of their respective countries. So when one housemate screams blue murder that he was infected by another with an sexually transmitted disease ( I’m told its a Nando accusing a Selly) its not just a personal accusation. Its Nando’s country (Tanzania) accusing Ghana of giving them Chlamydia. That’s just the plain reality.
And while some of us are sniggering about that, the latest furore generated by Nigeria’s representative in the house, Beverly Osu, over her unlimited libido is as shameful to many as it is interesting to others. Almost all major Nigerian online sites and newspapers have been awash with opinions and comments for the past couple of days about how Beverly got herself in a ferocious foreplay which was caught on camera.
In accompanying pictures, Beverly is seen with her South African romantic interest, Angelo, in a hot-blooded sexual position with mouth agape in ecstasy as he does something to her with his finger.
In fact, I don’t even know which is more shocking, the act itself or the crass reportage given to it by the bloggers. Most of the bloggers went on a tactless headline spree by posting headlines such as ‘ Beverly Osu ‘fingered’ by Angel o’ and other shocking headlines like that. What is that naa? Ehn? I guess they didn’t know how else to report it except in the tell-it-like-it-is headline.
Anyway, the argument in Beverly’s favour is as amusing to me as it is as silly. Some say its her body and she can do what she wants with it.
True. I agree. But those with such opinions could very well ask their sisters or daughters who have bodies to dance naked in the National Stadium to accentuate their argument. Since freedom of the body has now moved from being personal to being open in a visual zoo, then those people might as well go on a naked display.
Another school of thought canvassed by former Big Brother winner, Uti Nwachukwu, says its not easy for a sexually active person to ‘hold bodi’ for 3 months in the house. Is that an excuse? In fact, from the Biblical perspective, I liken the sexual adventures in the BBA house to the sacrilegious Absalomic act in the Bible, wherein Absalom openly slept with his Father’s concubines for all to see on his royal patio. Only, in the BBA, there are no kings or usurpers. Only people who profess to be followers of faiths they don’t know jack about.
Coming back to my hypothesis, it is not Angelo who used the finger on Beverly. Its actually South Africa which has fingered and sub-raped
Nigeria.
Since both housemates are
representatives of their countries, Angelo’s act should be seen for its symbolism rather than its entertainment value. SA is the biggest economy in Africa, according to financial analysts. Nigeria is the fastest growing economy in Africa. There’s been a struggle for continental domination by both countries over the years. To underscore their importance in Africa, South African companies have been investing heavily in Nigeria; finding huge profits in the porous economy of Nigeria.
Nigerians welcome all these investments with open arms. Just as Beverly opened her arms and *cough, cough* for Angelo.
So, when Angelo carried out his act, he might have been telling us Nigerians who cared to watch, ‘F**k you, all! You Nigerians ain’t shit’. And that is how I see it.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not xenophobic in anyway.
I’m being very realistic. Beverly represents a whoring Nigeria which seem to get nothing right but just allows itself to be screwed both by internal and external interests. Its as simple as that.
But all this grammar and analogy I’m giving here will not change something.
When this same Beverly comes back from the BBA house, she would have turned into the next big celebrity with possible companies falling over themselves to sign her for endorsements. It's just what pointing fingers can do to one.
Actor Lance Gross is the latest celebrity to weigh in on the jury's decision. Gross took to his Instagram account on Sunday to share an open letter, written by Alex Fraser, that was addressed to the 29-year-old former neighborhood watchman:
A boat carrying around 150 asylum seekers capsized in the Indian Ocean, spilling men, women and infants into rough waters and killing four people, Australian officials said Wednesday.
The boat rolled over on Tuesday in choppy seas 125 kilometers (78 miles) north of Christmas Island, Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare told reporters. The Australian island is 500 kilometers (310 miles) south of Jakarta, Indonesia.
Two navy ships had been sent to assist the vessel earlier in the day, but rescue crews were unable to board as waves reached as high as 4 meters (13 feet), said David Johnston, Commander of Australia's Border Protection Command.
The navy ships instead began escorting the boat to Christmas Island, where Australia operates a detention camp for asylum seekers.
Several hours into the journey, the boat started leaning and some passengers began jumping into the water. Shortly after, the boat rolled and capsized, Clare said. Officials don't know what caused the boat to flip.
Rescuers dropped life rafts into the water and plucked 144 people to safety. The bodies of two women and two men were recovered before the search was called off Tuesday night.
The survivors, from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq, were taken to Christmas Island, along with three Indonesian crew members. There were several infants and children on board, Johnston said.
"It is a dreadful feeling in the stomach when we hear that a vessel has capsized, or that it is in some difficulty," Johnston said.
"Recovering 144 people in the conditions they had yesterday was extraordinary work."
Christmas Island is a popular destination for asylum seekers who crowd into rickety boats at Indonesian ports and pay people smugglers to ferry them to Australian shores. Hundreds have died while attempting the journey in recent years.
Last week, another boat carrying asylum seekers sank off Christmas Island. Officials recovered the body of a baby boy and we're unable to find 8 passengers who vanished in
the water.
