Season 9 winner of the MTN Project Fame has been announced, and at the closing ceremony today in Lagos, the organisation invited YBNL’s Adekunle Gold to headline the occasion.
This same singer they twice rejected years ago.
“7 and 8 years ago, I auditioned for MTN project Fame. I nor enter,” the ‘Shade’ singer tweeted today. “Today, I was a guest performer on the show.”
7&8 years ago i auditioned for @MTNProjectFame9. i nor enter. Today i was a Guest Performer on d show.There's a God in heaven & He loves me
Adekunle Gold has on of the most inspiring journeys.
In 2013, he introduced himself on Facebook as a struggling sculptor and aspiring graphic artist with big dreams.
“Ceramist, sculptor, brand developer, graphic artist, SINGER,” he said. “You’d agree that I’m a ‘man of the arts’. Save this picture. You’ll join me in saying my success story soonest.”
MTN Project Fame West Africa drew the curtains on its Season 9 show last night by crowning Okiemute Ighorodje as its winner.
It was indeed a night of joy and tears, and of dreams becoming reality, as the 25-year-old singer took home the coveted prize of N5 million, an SUV and a recording contract worth millions of Naira.
Okiemute performed Phyno‘s hitbanger Fada Fada and her own song Iya Mi for the grand finale of the music reality show before she was announced the winner of the enviable first prize.
Her glorious win comes just a few months after the aspiring musician lost out on a chance to compete and win on Airtel’s The Voice Nigeria.
Okiemute had auditioned on the show in South Africa but she unfortunately received no-turns from the judges and was sent home.
However, the fiery singer didn’t give up on her big dreams as she went straight ahead to audition for MTN’s Project Fame which began about the same time The Voice Nigeria was already airing on TV.
Okiemute on The Voice Nigeria
The first runner up was Elizabeth, who performed Tiwa Savage‘s “Standing Ovation”. She got N3m and a saloon car.
The second runner up was Kitay, who performed Kiss Daniels‘ “Mama”. Kitay got N2m and a saloon car.
Pere who sang Sam Smith‘s “Writing on the Wall” came fourth and went home with N2m.
The fifth position went to Dapo, who sang Labrinth‘s “Jealous”. He went home with N1m.
Winner sang Adele‘s “Hello”. She came sixth and went home with N500,000.
There were performances by YBNL toaster, Adekunle Gold, and dance instructor Loveth.
My Uncle had a mild Argument with his new wife and ended up slapping her twice because she denied him sex yet again after several months of denying him sex most especially on Sundays.
He hardly has time or strength to have sex during week days because of the tiresome nature of his work.
Most Saturdays if he asks for it, the wife always complains of being tired for sex after Saturday house chores, then on Sunday that both of them are free to have fun, the wife still thinks its inappropriate to have sex before going to church.
Is there anything wrong in having sex with your wife or husband before going to church service
The police have arrested the Special Anti Robbery Squad officer who fired the shot that killed an undergraduate of a polytechnic in Edo State, Joseph Eidonojie-Ugbeni.
Punch Metro learnt that the suspect was nabbed on Friday shortly after Punch Metro published the report.
Punch correspondent had reported that some SARS officers, who were chasing a suspected Internet fraudster at the Ogoja Market along LASU-Igando Road, had started shooting sporadically.
The bullet was said to have hit 20-year-old Joseph in the head, while his cousin, Friday Ojah, fled to avoid been killed.
Ojah had told Punch correspondent that the policemen took Joseph’s corpse and dumped it in the boot of the fraudster’s car, before driving away to the command headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos.
It was gathered on Sunday that the officer that fired the shot had been arrested and taken to the scene of the incident.
A source said, “He was arrested on Friday and taken in handcuffs to the place where the incident happened.”
A legal practitioner and friend of the victim’s family, Saheed Sanni, said the family had decided to petition the Inspector-General of Police on the case to demand justice for the victim.
It was learnt that the suspected fraudster, Badoo, who the officers were allegedly chasing on the day of the incident, had reported at the command headquarters. A source said the suspect had been detained.
He said, “Badoo lives in that community and is popular; the SARS officers also know him. He was not their target that day. They had actually conducted a raid and arrested some people. They were leaving when they sighted him in his car. They called his name and he quickly abandoned his car and fled.
“He had just returned from the bank that day. Badoo had travelled to South Africa and had recently returned to the community.”
The victim’s father, Patrick Eidonojie-Ugbeni, demanded justice for the son.
He said, “The Badoo they were chasing showed up on Friday at the SARS office with his lawyer and parents. I met the Officer-in-Charge of SARS as well. They shot my son in the head and they claimed that he had a gun and that they shot him in self-defence. How is that possible when he was shot in the head from behind? All I want now is that the police should release the post-mortem result and the police report on the incident.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said the case had been transferred to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation.
She said, “The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, has directed that the case be investigated by the homicide section. We will come out with the full report at the conclusion of investigation.”
News went around this afternoon that business mogul, Ailko Dangote is dead.
According to the false reports (below) they claimed he died in a German hospital.
His Group of companies (Dangote Group) through their twitter handle has however debunked the rumours. The business mogul himself also debunked it through his personal account (see above).
Veteran journalist, Dele Momodu who is at the moment with him in South Africa also posted a video of them together, while the CEO laughed heartily at the rumours.
The lady pictured above is accusing her ex-husband of beating her up in front of their son.
She made the allegation on Facebook earlier. What she wrote below:
I got the beatings of my life today in front of my son, just because I visited my son. I can’t keep quiet anymore because my life I at stake, I’m posting this here because I don’t know what will happen to me next.
My ex husband told me he will kill and bury me and nothing will happen to him. I can’t tell my mum about this trait because of her health.
Actress, Dorothy Njemanze shared this story on her Facebook wall.
Read:
I was busy with school runs in Gwagwalada when I got a frantic call reporting the attempted rape of a first year University of Abuja(UniAbuja) student by another first year student of Biological Sciences called Monday.
By the time I got there, the Chief Security Officer was just beginning to interview both parties, starting from the boy, Monday.
He told of how he made his ‘intentions’ known to her and she said she would ‘think about it’ but he according to him, he didn’t understand why shy couldn’t give a straight answer, so he began making moves at ‘romancing’ her and feigns ignorance of her claims that from the moment he started, she told him to stop.
He claims he only noticed her seriousness ‘when he crossed the boundary’. He is upset that he had sent her 400 naira recharge card before and doesn’t get why she will reject him.
The young lady insists she came by at all because he said he was not well. By the time she got in, he was playing loud music, so from the moment he began trying to have sex, she was shouting but the loud music drowned her voice. She insists he pinned her to the mattress and she tried strangling him with his necklace till it cut.
After that, she reached for the laptop as a weapon and ripping it out turned off all the music then he released her because she could now be heard. She ran out and called for help.
She got help and retrieved her phone and slippers and purse. Then she began reporting to their mutual friends and people she trusts. She insisted she injured him to. On demand, he took off his shirt and everyone saw injuries she gave him and more.
I got upset that the attitude towards gathering evidence is zero. There seemed to be a majority notion that as long as there was eventually no penetration, it is not so grievous a crime. All I insisted was to document all that could be seen as evidence before any statements are taken etc.
I applaud the lady for speaking up. We need ensure the students and security men understand sexual harassment in its entirety and be sure whatever responses are in place take into cognizance victim needs.
I was very agitated when it seemed people were upset that ‘she was trying to make a lot out of something very small.
More people need to understand what sexual violence is and legal provisions for victims and offenders.
More details tomorrow. These pictures were finally taken at the crime scene. More shocking experiences tomorrow morning.
Many are trying to use victim blaming and shaming to force her to drop the case. Please, let us change the narrative and share this widely to punish the perpetrator, not the victim. …Ambassador Dorothy Njemanze
Three suspected robbers who have been terrorising passers-by, broken down vehicle owners, passengers and other road users around Otedola Bridge in Lagos have been arrested by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command just as they recovered two master keys from them.
The suspects, Chima Joseph (24), Hassan Adamu (34) and Ibietan Oluwaseyi (41), were arrested after they dragged their victim from the Expressway into the bush and dispossessed him of all his belonging.
The victim, Idi Musa, who was in Lagos for the first time, said he was on his way to Apapa from Borno State to meet his brother. According to him,
“I alighted at Ojodu-Berger to walk from the Bus Stop to Ojota. As I walked down the road towards the bridge (Otedola), I heard somebody called out from the bush, Aboki! Aboki!!, zo mana (come). I ignored the call because I didn’t know them. Before now, I have been warned to mind my business when in Lagos. As i continued on my journey, the two of them (pointing to Chima and Adamu) ran after me, dragged me with my trousers into the bush; beat me several times before searching my pockets and luggage. They took N3, 000 from me…. After collecting my money, one of them (pointing to Hassan Adamu) threatened me that he was a Lagos State Government official and that if I ever come back there, they would arrest me and send me back to my village…. They then released me to go. As I descended the slope towards the bridge, I spotted an RRS vehicle. I went to the officers, narrated all that happened to me. At their office, three teams of officers were drafted to comb the Bush properly. It was in the process that they arrested the other two that dragged me from the road into the bush before collecting my money.”
It was gathered that RRS’s surveillance team have been on the lookout for the robbers terrorising people during traffic congestion in that area. It was further learnt that more than four people have been arrested for robbing road users while two additional cases of robbery linked to the suspects have been reported to RRS’s operatives.
One of the suspects, Chima Joseph, from whom the master keys were recovered, stated that he found the keys on the ground, adding that he was looking for a place to put it for people to see.
It was revealed that the key, when tested opened the doors of 2 Toyota Camry, Toyota Corolla and one Honda (End of Discussion). He confessed that they dragged Musa into the bush, ransacked him and collected his N3,000.
“My friends and I sleep in the shed in the bush beside the expressway. What we do is to assist people on the highway,” he added.
Confirming the arrest, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmos, stated that the police are keeping an eagle eye on all the black spots in the state particularly as the year draws to an end.
This wedding ceremony between an African couple went acrobatic with the bridesmaids and the groomsmen lifting up the celebrating duo to kiss each other.
The identity of the couple is currently unknown but the picture has served humorous purposes.
“I will call him “MF” to protect his identity. He joined my uncle, who is a member of the National Assembly few months back as staff. He looks very young, intelligent and extremely charming. He never looks his age. He will be 40 this year but looks less than 30.
“He is a cool headed guy. Second day he joined my uncle, my uncle “joined” us together so I can serve as “Assistant” to him. 3 months ago, he travelled with my uncle to his village in Ogun State and somehow, we chatted on WhatsApp for the first time.
“After few message exchange on WhatsApp, our conversation suddenly got amorous and sexual. The amorousity & s*xuality of convo was mutual. We were on WhatsApp throughout the day and night. Chatting and calling. It was all fun. Like it was planned. It was heavenly!
“And that was how we started and here we are today. Though I have a fiancé that we have been together for like 8years. We became too close that I can’t wait for him to return. He returned and we both met in my uncle’s house and had sex.
“The s*x was heavenly. It was the best I ever had. I wished he stayed for the night but he couldn’t. It was just a round of sex and 3 weeks after, I missed my monthly period and I became pregnant.
“I didn’t tell him about the pregnancy before I aborted it because he was far away in Southwest while I’m here in Abuja. Moreso, I was not psychologically prepared to have a child at that time coupled with having a fiancé we planned to wed Dec.
“I had aborted d pregnancy b4 telling him about it. He felt so bad knowing that I aborted it. It could be a pretence but it felt real. We had another round of s*x the night I told him about the pregnancy I aborted. I loved every aspect of our friendship and relationship.
“I love him like I love life itself. I have never felt what I feel for him in a very long time. I wished I could marry him. Yes and he wanted me to keep it but I’m still not psychologically prepared to have a baby now. He is marred.”
There was a mild drama on Facebook yesterday, 24th of September, 2016 when a promising young man who is reported to be very sick foretold his own death.
The man identified as Bashir Awal Ibrahim who seems disillusioned and fast losing hope in his recovery attracted immense reactions from his friends with a majority of them urging him to retract his negative words.
The user added that no one should condole or write RIP (Rest In Peace) on his timeline should incase he passes on.
This could be an attention-seeking stunt peculiar to people of his age.
See how the drama played out on his Facebook page:
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has claimed that African countries are prepared to pull out of the United Nations after several attempts by the African Union to become permanent member of the United Nations Security Council have been unsuccessful.
This comes as the continent intensifies its push to get two permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council reports the Sunday Mail.
“This year we went to UN as an African committee after we agreed to join hands and speak with one voice on the issue of vetoing power… It’s unfortunate that we had not finished and agreed on our position as the African Union, but I hope all will be fine next year.
But next year in September if they keep on refusing to accept and give the Africa Union the veto powers we will pull out.”
President Mugabe spoke at Harare International Airport after jetting back in the county from the United Nations General Assembly which was held in New York last week
The Security Council currently comprises China, Russia, Britain, France, and the United States. Countries such as Britain, France and America are blocking Africa according to Mugabe.
Mugabe said that the African countries and countries such as from Asia will pull out and form their alternative body according to New Zimbabwe.
“They must not cry foul when countries from these regions pull out and form our own Union… The Union will have countries such as China, India and other Asian countries, and then we have to see that which countries will remain in United Nations.” Said Mugabe.
News reaching us at this hours claims that two ladies who recently boarded an unmarked cab from Lekki to Mainland in Lagos were raped at gunpoint, stripped naked and robbed of all their valuables at Adekunle axis, 3rd mainland bridge recently from about 8pm-11pm.
A woman who had been reportedly terrorizing some Kaduna neighborhoods and have successfully stole over 30 goats from a single street, have finally been arrested by security operatives.
The identity of the woman is not ascertained as at the time of filing this report.
A young man was written to Joro Olumofin about his girlfriend’s obsession with iphone 7 which has prompted her to begin the sale of her vital belongings.
Head of state, President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived Abuja, Nigeria after his trip to the United States of America to participate in the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA71) in New York.
A 31-year old suspected drug smuggler, Agwu Samuel, have been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after the officials discovered wraps of narcotics in the collar his jacket at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.
According to The Nation, the passenger who was nabbed after he disembarked from the aircraft on his way from Sao Paulo, Brazil, confidently wore the jacket containing the drugs but through experience and insight, the drugs were discovered by officers.
This is the first discovery of cocaine inside the collar of a jacket by the NDLEA.
The NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Ahmadu Garba, said that the suspect was arrested during routine check on passengers.
“Ten wraps of cocaine weighing 110 grammes were found inside the collar of his jacket during screening of passengers on a South Africa Airline flight from Brazil through Johannesburg. The drug which was carefully hidden inside his jacket tested positive for cocaine and investigation is ongoing.”
In his confessional statement, Agwu Samuel, the suspect who sells shoes in Togo, said that he went to Brazil in search of greener pastures but resorted to drug trafficking due to frustration.
According to the suspect,
“I use to sell shoes in Togo until I lost goods worth N3 million. This negatively affected my business and made me to travel to Brazil in a desperate search for greener pastures. After a fruitless search for job in Brazil for four months, I decided to smuggle drugs to get some money to start my shoe business. I thought the drugs will not be detected inside my jacket but I was caught and I am very sad.”
The suspect who attended Technical Secondary School in Ohafia, Abia State, will soon be charged to court.
Talk about not having balls enough to stand up to your woman and tell her straight to her FACE that she’s FAT! Hehe… That’s pure sarcasm there… you know you’re done for when you tell your woman to her face that she’s fat… It is finished for you!
So this brother, apparently, didn’t have the liver to tell his “obese” girlfriend that she should loose weight, so he created a fake social media account and attacked her with it… Saying she should loose weight and all…
According to the user who shared it, after the discovery, the lady broke up with the guy… in a heartbeat I suppose? Hehe…
A National Youth Service Corp member is currently engaged in an active illicit s*xual relationship with a married woman who he thinks he’s in love with.
The young youth corper sleeping with an old woman who is 34 despite being married with kids is seeking advance on his feeling for her. He has written to Joro Olumofin for advice.
A man has reportedly killed himself by hanging in the Ogida area of Benin City, Edo State. The incident is the third to be reported in the last six days.
According to a recent report by the Nigerian Police Force, about 62 Nigerians have committed suicide due to the depression associated with economic depression since the official announcement was made in August. The motivation behind the suicide saga is currently unknown.
Last Thursday, man in his mid-30s, identified as Godwin, was said to have committed suicide because his wife jilted him at Kabayi, Mararaba, near Abuja.
Earlier, corpse of a 52-year-old man was found by the riverside by residents of Salvation Avenue in the Ajegunle, Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
The latest occurred in the early hours of Friday, September 23. Residents rushed to the scene to catch a glimpse of the man who was found hanging from the ceiling of a sawmill in the market.
Witnesses said the man was earlier seen in the area wandering in a sober mood, not knowing that he had plan to take his life. The deceased, however, did not leave a suicide note behind.
Cooked beans, loaves of bread and clothes were found beside his corpse. The Edo State Police Command spokesman, Theodore Okafor, who confirmed the incident, said that the corpse had been deposited in a mortuary for a post-mortem.
A giant snake measuring 33-feet long has been discovered on a building site in northern Brazil – the gigantic reptile weighing 400kg was discovered by construction workers following an explosion in a cave in Altamira, Pará.
The embattled leader of jihadist group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau has resurfaced.
He resurfaced in a video posted online today rejecting assertions by the Nigerian army that he had been seriously wounded.
“You have been spreading in the social media that you injured or killed me. Oh tyrants, I’m in a happy state, in good health and in safety,” he said in the 40-minute video released on YouTube dated September 25.
It will be recalled that the Nigerian army had on the 23rd of August said that Shekau had been seriously wounded in the shoulder in an air raid in which several commanders were killed.
The army’s claim was however bolstered when Boko Haram released a video on September 13 without Shekau in it. But now he claims to be back.
A strange new video has surfaced online which shows a man allegedly predicting a woman’s future by touching her breast. The footage is believed to be filmed in China and has been shared on social media. The eight-second clip was posted on Miaopai, a short-video sharing platform in China, on September 8.
It was uploaded by a user named Xiao Yuwen, who claims to be a travel photographer from China’s Yunan Province. Xiao wrote in the post:
‘Fortune telling by touching the breast, this man is taking great advantage.’
In the short video, a bespectacled man can be seen touching a woman’s breast. The man, who is believed to be a fortune teller, held a pair of crutches in the other hand.
The woman can be seen staring at him with a puzzled face.
The pair were surrounded by a group of people as the alleged fortune-telling was taking place. However, there was no conversation between the fortune-teller and woman in the video.
Many social media users thought the fortune-teller had gone too far.
One user said on Weibo, a Twitter-like platform in China: ‘This is disgusting.’
While another sounded confused: ‘What happens if a man comes for fortune telling, will he still touch his breast?’
Watch the video below:
Video Player
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Raise your hands if you’re part of the law-abiding Nigerians, who have for the past few months now, been enjoying quite a considerable amount of power supply compared to years back, when you could go half a year without power… Really, are you one of them?! (and I’m not talking about the kinda power supply PHCN gives for days when they know they’re about to cut your light!)
I’ve come across so many Social media reactions where people are seeing the state of the country more salvaged than wrecked considering so many factors, one of which is POWER SUPPLY.
While most Nigerians are on eagle’s eye on the President and his family’s expenditures and condemning the leader and his family like the children of Isreal did to Moses, others still believe in the Change that was once promised about a year and a half ago.
Corruption, terrorist attacks – two major things that crippled the country has been over the year, virtually the least of most Nigerians’ worries – though the fact of the so-called “Herdsmens killings” is still in play, there have been diverse speculations as to whether or not some meek hearted Fulanis who have known only cattle breeding since their birth would know how to operate sophisticated ammunitions – this to say that the terrorist who have been tackled with direly, have stooped low to disguise as “herdsmen” and carry out their terror attacks.
A handful of past Nigerian dignitaries have been linked with so many fraudulent scandals over the past few months and continue to remain in the news as their looted funds are being discovered and tackled judicially by the EFCC (a truth our ex-first lady can testify to currently) – something not so rampant during the past Presidential administrations.
Among other things than corruption and terror attacks, are the agricultural sector, health, road and transport, foreign exchange market, education, labour and more than can be mentioned – but optimism among a very few Nigerians lets them hope that if the two major heartaches could be brought to a slush, why can’t the rest ?. Although, the current Economic recession won’t let an average working Nigerian have an ounce of optimism as his mind is burdened with how to survive through these hard times…
For what it’s worth, in the educational sector, the 2016 MAY/JUNE WASSCE made quite an improvement compared to the past five years – praises of many a student who came out with parallel distinctions was sung all over social media – this of course, in the civil regime of PMB.
Considering the very few National issues PMB has been able to tackle in his over 334 working days or plus his 151 non-working days, can we believe that his “CHANGE” should be seen as a case of drops of water making a thousand feet deep mighty ocean? And hope that maybe just maybe, as it took time for Moses to take the Isrealites to the land flowing with milk and honey, that’s the present case with Nigerians now, suffice to say that it’s quite slow because of the murmurings of some citizens just like the Isrealites?
OR… are we just in a sham?!
What are your thoughts?! Please don’t hesitate to share!! And leave your comments…
For one who walked out of his marriage and eloped with another woman abroad, not a few fans and colleagues now wonder at Daniel Ademinokan and his partner, actress Stella Damasus’ stance on righteous living.
Ademinokan, a Nollywood movie director, was married to actress Doris Simeon and the union produced a son.
He left Doris, travelled abroad and put up with Stella, a widow of late Jaiye Aboderin who had two daughters for the late Aboderin who was Wunmi Obe’s brother.
Daniel also has a son from Doris and lives with the boy abroad.
In an interview, Doris narrated what happened in the then young marriage:
Doris Simeon
She said,
“I can’t say what actually happened. I did not suspect if he was dating any woman or not because we were the best of friends. I trusted him too. When the problem started, I was begging him for reconciliation. I am an orphan with nobody to run to but his family members, who also tried to intervene. At a point they fought with him because he stopped picking their calls, even his pastor. Before the separation, I suggested counselling but he promised to turn around for good. He did not. He would leave the house for some days and would not pick my calls. He also accused me of nagging and policing him around. At a point, he came back and told me it was lack of money that caused the problems. As a good wife, I suggested we pray about it. He told me one day that he wanted to go and see his mother and took our only son with him (the union produced just a child). I didn’t suspect anything because they usually went out together. That was the last time I saw of my then 2-year-old son (year 2000) He never said what the problem was. It was a normal hassle between couples.”
Now in the United States with his partner Stella, the duo took to evangelism through music.
They are now both gospel ministers. While Stella remains the lead vocal, Daniel is saddled with strumming the guitar and together, they were able to put up a show tagged ‘Kingdom Generals’ which supposedly recorded a huge turnout of people to worship God.
Utterly excited Daniel echoed his emotion about having Stella in his life. He posted on FACEBOOK:
“It’s such an honor to do ministry with this woman! The things I experienced this weekend, words alone cannot describe.
Heaven literarily touched the earth at KG 2016. Stella Damasus, I stand boldly to say that our partnership is divine and orchestrated by God on many levels. Such an honor to experience Life & God with you.
“The grace & anointing that God has placed over our lives has no option but to increase exponentially especially after such a spectacular weekend in HIS presence. My message to the world; When God calls you, yield and do not wait for the validation of Man. God validates you with the power that backs up the call.”
Motivational speaker and life coach, popularly called The Catalyst, Mr. Lanre Olusola, tells ARUKAINO UMUKORO about what he learnt as a father.
What does fatherhood mean to you?
I believe that fatherhood is a responsibility and a privilege. There is a difference between a father and a son. Fatherhood is husband-hood, it is multi-dimensional and transient.
There is no beginning and there is no end. I believe that fatherhood is learnt over time. It is a mandate and a calling.
At what age did you first become a father?
I became a biological father 11 years ago at the age of 38. But fatherhood does not only mean a biological father.
I had become a ‘father’ many years ago when different people came to me to help them nurture their dreams and aspirations.
Although I have two biological daughters, I am also a father to my wife and many other people.
How was your first experience of becoming a father?
It started when my first daughter was in the womb. It was important for me to make a connection with her then. So, when my wife was pregnant, I started to nurture my daughter by speaking to her through my wife’s womb.
I would be there with my wife when she kicks or turns around, and I would tell her how much I love her. I made physical contact with her through my wife’s womb.
I also fathered the mother by showing her respect, honour, love and telling her how much I appreciate the gift that is coming through her. I told my daughter how much I loved her and how much I could not wait for her delivery.
It was an experience that seemed like I was crazy, but when my first child came, both of us really became close; there was almost an instant connection and relationship.
That manifest relationship when she came out was based on the relationship that had been developed when she was still in the womb. It later paid off because my daughter and I are incredibly close.
What difference does it make speaking to an unborn child?
I often ask people, are we human or spirit beings? What is the age of a child’s spirit? My belief is that we are spirit beings that came to earth to have human experiences.
I could communicate with my unborn daughter that way. There is no age zero in the spirit and the form is that one’s body is the containment of one’s spirit and one’s spirit transcends beyond that containment, which means one can connect with one’s child before that physical manifestation (of birth).
How did you feel when you first held her in your arms after her delivery?
I was in the labour ward, and it was a very interesting experience. I recommend that every father should do everything they can to be in the labour ward with their wives because it changes one’s perspective towards one’s wife and her contribution to life.
When I carried my daughter in my hands, I appreciated the essence of God and it portrayed the concept to me that man did not evolve from apes.
We came from the same manufacturer, the Almighty Creator. If we look at an Apple or a Samsung phone, they look alike because each came from the same manufacturer.
The evolution of man is the same, whether you are Christians, Muslim or Hindu, it is the same birth process. So, that helped me conceptualise the essence of God that the exclusive right of life and death are in His Hands. I appreciated life the more.
How has fatherhood changed your perspectives on life?
Fatherhood helps one to become a lot more selfless and responsible. It helps one to delay gratification and plan ahead. But for me, most importantly, it helps me to understand my relationship with my Father in heaven, His mercy, grace and love, and who He is. God the Almighty is everybody’s father, no matter one’s religion.
No matter what my children do, I cannot stop paying their school fees, feeding or clothing them. Fatherhood taught me the essence of unconditional love.
You talked about delayed gratification. What are some of the things you have denied yourself of as a father?
In this context, I had to plan and save towards their school fees, holidays, upbringing; that is the first thing.
The second thing is that one delays gratification, in that one wants to work extra hard and makes more money.
But, one has to create a good balance between work and home, especially if one is a genuine and honest father. Fatherhood helps me to become a lot more selfless.
What are the five most important lessons you have learnt as a father?
Fatherhood starts with parenting. The first lesson is that one must learn fatherhood from being a good father to one’s wife. The second thing is that fatherhood is a partnership; one is not the lord, because parenting is partnership.
Fatherhood is useless without motherhood and vice-versa. The third thing is ensuring that one has a relationship with one’s child and one encourages one’s child’s relationship with his or her mother and all have a relationship together.
The fourth thing is that a good father is one that creates a stable, functional and enabling environment for the good nurture of everybody; physically, spiritually, mentally, psychologically, intellectually, and emotionally.
The fifth one is that fatherhood is about mutual respect. One has to show respect towards the children’s mother; her beliefs, strengths and weaknesses because one must lead by example.
It is not about what one says but also about what one does. One must also respect one’s children and lead by example.
You travel a lot within and outside Nigeria. How much time do you spend with your children?
The key is not the quantity but the quality (of time spent). Even if one is not physically present, the key is to be present. We live in two worlds now, the physical and the virtual worlds. On earth, 7.4 billion people exist in the physical world while 3.4 billion people exist in the virtual world.
Now, among the 70 per cent of the 3.4 billion people are our children, the youth; because they spend about 75 per cent of their time in the virtual world. With technology, I am present with my children, via Skype, phone calls, text messages and WhatsApp.
Also, most importantly, when one is available, I make sure I spend quality time with them; even if it is 20 or 60 minutes. I make sure it is 20 or 60 minutes of quality time – physical, spiritual, psychological, intellectual and emotional connection.
What would you say to those who do not have father figures in their lives?
We need a village to bring up our children right. Personally, I lost my father when I was two years old. And as a male child, I needed a strong arm.
My mother put some structures in place; I had older brothers and uncles that she always ensured were responsible to uphold me in the areas where she needed a man and I never had that vacuum.
She did not remarry. I had my own spells in terms of being a naughty boy, but I had invariably gone 360 degrees and turned out okay.
She has brothers, uncles and the opportunities to get good godfathers that she can ensure are involved in the lives of her children.
Also, one cannot de-emphasise the roles of women and men in the upbringing of one’s children. We have people that are very involved in the lives of our children. My wife and I do not know it all.
My children know that when they go to visit their grandparents, godparents, uncles or aunts, they know these people have the right to chastise and correct them because we trust them with our children.
For people who feel disadvantaged because they never had a father, I would tell them the way they see the problem is the problem. I often say to people that one’s perception is one’s reality. The best way to predict the future is to create it.
It is one’s choices and decisions that colour one’s perceptions and invariably determine one’s life experiences. Every choice that one makes now will carve out a tomorrow for one.
They need to understand that where they are coming from is required for where they are going. I knew from a young age that it was because of my future that I went through what I went through.
But I would not allow my past to short-circuit or stop the future God has designed for me or that I desire for myself. Every coin has two sides. I accepted it as my reality but I chose to see the positive side of it.
One could either see a half-full or half-empty glass. That was what was responsible for the trajectory of my life. One determines what one goes through, but God determines where one would get to.
What is your advice to fathers?
A father needs to understand his strengths and weaknesses. Also, they should understand the environment they live in, and understand a child and bring up that child in the best way that is best suited for him or her. They should not generalise upbringing.
I do not bring up my two children the same way because both of them are completely different beings.
They think differently and their perceptions to life are different, their development needs, love and appreciation of languages are also different. I relate with them independently and I give them independent upbringing.
Nigeria has lost one of her budding entrepreneurs who recently passed away under a mysterious circumstance recently.
Reports making rounds on Facebook reveal one Tumininu, owner of a small-scale business named Tummie collections has passed away shockingly.
According to a viral tribute, the young lady reportedly passed away while heading to her toilet. She seems to have slumped and died from that point. The actual cause of her death is currently sketchy.
A member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) identified as Mr. Ogundare Lawrence Opeyemi, has slumped and died in Bayelsa State. Opeyemi, it was gathered, died in Nembe, Nembe Local Government Area, where he was posted for his primary assignment.
It was learnt that the deceased corps member slumped a day after he had a party with his colleagues in the area.
“A day after the party, he complained of a health-related issue and before we knew what was happening he slumped and died”, a source who spoke in confidence said.
His death caused panic among corps members, who raised the alarm over incessant death of their colleagues in the state.
The Nation reports that his remains were later conveyed to and deposited at the mortuary of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa.
But on Friday, corps members cried uncontrollably when kinsmen of the deceased came to convey the remains to his home state, Ekiti for burial.
Hundreds of corps members trooped to the mortuary section of the hospital in solidarity with their departed colleague.
This man is in deep trouble after discovering his house-help is HIV+ yet they have been having sex for over four months which automatically means he is infected
It does not stop there, he suspects he has infected his pregnant wife or might infect her in the near future and endanger the life of their unborn child.
“I am at a point in life where it seems meaningless to exist on this planet. I just discovered that my house-help is HIV+ yet I have been having sex with here for the past four months or so without any form of protection,
What started like a joke has now pushed me to the edge and I believe either my wife is infected or will soon be infected with the virus, although I have not taken tests to confirm if I already contracted,
I recently bumped into my 18-year-old house-help taking some strange tablets in our kitchen and when I confronted her, she said sh was on anti-retro-viral medication. I could not believe it and just left for work.
But it kept coming up and I decided to call her while at work just to be sure she was not pulling a fast one on me. She claimed to have been diagosed with the virus at 16 years and has been on medication since then.
I was livid, I asked her why she never bothered to let me know so I could at least exercise caution but she said it was difficult to get there since she was sexually starved when I initiated this dangerous affair,
I know you may call me stupid for having an affair with my house-help in the first place but that is water under the bridge, it has happened and I am here, with a pregnant wife expecting our first-born and I am not sure they are safe,
I can no-longer comfortably have sex with my wife and if I start using protection on her now, what excuse or reason shall I give?
I am seeking your guidance on how best to approach this situation, I really love my wife and regret the temptation I fell for”.
