Saturday 24 August 2013

Why We Dislike Nigerians With A Passion – Republic of Benin People

One would have thought that there would be mutual love and respect between Nigerians living in Benin Republic and indigenes of the neighbouring country, especially as they interact on a daily basis in their business and social lives.

This is not so, however, going by our investigation which revealed that there is a discreet hostility from the Béninoise to Nigerians living in their country.

Although Nigerians abound in the country -both as students or workers – there is usually an aggressive attitude once a Benin indigene realises that one is a Nigerian. The only people that seem to love Nigerians in the country are their females.

A Nigerian businessman, Promise Nwadigos of Digos Worldwide Limited, told us that he visits Benin Republic regularly because of the nature of his business. According to the civil engineer, the men of Benin do not like Nigerians because their women easily fall in love with Nigerians. He also added that an average Benin man was lazy and expected his wife to be the breadwinner of the family.

He said, "I come here every two weeks because of my car business and also, I import white cement from India and marbles too. It is cheaper to 'clear' the goods here than in Nigeria. Most young men that come here would want to live at ease.

"I'll prefer to date a girl from Benin Republic than a Nigerian girl because they do not ask for money. In a scenario where you would give a Nigerian girl N5,000 her, a Benin girl would rather you feed her, accommodate here and give her N1,000. Benin people are not rich. Most of them are low-income earners; so whatever happens here is mostly done by Nigerians."

Nwadigos added that Béninoise girls like Nigerian men because they (Nigerian men) work very hard and take care of the women.

He said, "They like Nigerian guys because we are hard working and decision makers. The women work the most here. Their men are the type of people that tie wrapper and wait for their women to bring food for them. An average Nigerian guy will work and want to impress his lady with his success. I know that some of the men here in Benin do not like Nigerians. For instance, if you take a cab and they find out you are a Nigerian, they are always aggressive, even with their bikes.

"Their girls like us, they don't just like us because we are Nigerians, they like us because we are hard working, we know what we are doing and we are rich. They love us for our hard work. Most of their men here are taxi drivers and they do not go to school. Some are palm wine tappers, some sell bread. They live a useless life."

However, an estate agent in the country, Cena Rodrick, told us that Nwadigos claims were not true. He stated that Béninoise men were hard working. He acknowledged that there was hostility towards Nigerians but said it was because some Béninoise have been swindled occasionally by Nigerians; especially the Igbos.

Rodrick said, "My clients are strictly Nigerians because I socialise mostly with Nigerians. I have worked with them well. The kind of house an indigene of Benin would be interested in would not pay me as much as a Nigerian's apartment. The reason why Benin Republic people are hostile towards Nigerians is because although there are different tribes like Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo, Benin people see all Nigerians as Igbo. Some Igbo people have come here to dupe Benin people. They work here and do a lot of bad things. So that is why we are wary of Nigerians and the cause of the hostility. Personally, I do not have any problems with Nigerians. It is not true that Benin men are lazy. We take care of our women, not the other way round."

A nationalised Béninoise, Daniel Laleye, said that he had heard about the hostility but had no personal experience and was indifferent about it.

A young man who refused to disclose his identity told us that the Beninoise also disliked Nigerians for economic reasons.

According to him, some complain that the influx of Nigerians into their country has made the price of basic goods go up.

He further stated that while seeking for jobs in the country, a firm would rather choose a Nigerian over a citizen of the country, even if the Béninoise had better qualifications. This, he said, was the reason they did not like Nigerians.

"They have this hatred for Nigerians. To start with, things are expensive here because of Nigerians. We are making things expensive for them. It might not be expensive to us because the exchange rate favours us but it pains them. Some Nigerians do not negotiate the price of goods and services here; they just pay. The reasoning of these Benin people is that all Nigerians have money to waste. So they have this natural hatred for Nigerians," he said.

For Ibro, an Okada rider in Cotonou, there are several reasons why Nigerians are despised in the country.

Ibro said, "I am a native of Cotonou. I was born here, but I shuffle between here and Lagos. I came here to make money. I have lived in both communities. I even arrange girls for some Nigerians when they are around. I collect my cut when I do that. They pay good money for my services. However, it is true that there is hostility from Benin people. For example, some of the girls I have introduced to Nigerians on several occasions have complained to me that some of these Nigerians did not stick to their part of the deal."

He complained about the way Nigerians treat his fellow citizens. He told us that the police too were not particularly fond of Nigerians because some Nigerians sometimes behaved like rascals, a behavior not permitted in the country.

Ibro said, "The truth is there are several tribes in Cotonou. Most of the people in Cotonou are Egun people. These Egun people are the ones that mostly travel to Nigeria and they are not happy the way Nigerians treat them. They are the ones that get menial jobs (like house helps) in Nigeria and they are not treated well. Also, the police might not be particularly fond of Nigerians because when they come here, they forget that they are not in their country where anything goes. Here, we believe in order; so, if you misbehave, the police here will whisk you away. It is always advisable not to resist arrest because the police here are very fit physically; they are also very good runners."

A woman who identified herself as Iya Bola corroborated Ibro's claims. She stated that because things were tough for her at a point, she allowed her daughter to go to Nigeria to get a job. When her daughter came back during Christmas season, she cried. Her14-year-old daughter came back with numerous scars and injuries.

Iya Bola said that when her daughter told her what she went through, she regretted her decision.

She said, "I for one cannot like a Nigerian because of what they have done to me. A friend of mine came to me and said she could get my daughter a job in Nigeria. Because of the way things were for me, I agreed. My child went for a year without me hearing a word from her. Occasionally, I go to meet my friend to ask about my daughter and she always assured me my daughter was fine. In December, when I finally saw my child, I could not help but cry because of the injuries on her body. She explained to me that it was the worst one year of her life as she used to be flogged everyday by her Madam. Is it people like that I will like?"

She said that no matter what her daughter must have done, she did not deserve to be treated like an animal. She said that such injury should be inflicted on thieves, not her innocent child and till date, she never allowed any of her children to come to Nigeria again.

By: Ademola Olonilua For Saturday Punch

Don Jazzy And D’Banj: Gains And Losses Of Mo’Hits Break-Up

18 months after the break up in Mo'Hits, one of the vibrant labels in the music industry, which led to its collapse, SAMUEL ABULUDE writes on how the major players, Don Jazzy and D'Banj have fared

Hardly will music experts recount those who made it in the afro hip hop music trend within the past ten years in the industry without making mention of the iconic duo and co-owners of Mo'Hits. With TuFace Idibia arguably the biggest export of the music genre in Nigeria and others like Sound Sultan rocking the industry mid and late 2000, D'Banj, co-owner of Mo'Hits, became the prince of afro hip hop music.

Less than a decade after, Mo' Hits has died; no thanks to the parting of ways of D'Banj and Don Jazzy as international fame beckoned. Both personalities have moved on and had their own individual gains but the swag and music finesse which was unique about their music is missing.

In the Beginning

They both had a strong desire to do music back in London where they met. It was a case of destiny meeting opportunity. Michael Collins Ajereh, known as Don Jazzy who was an instrumentalist, met D'Banj (Dapo Oyebanjo), an ambitious man who wanted to do music. He was part of JJC, a music group based in London. Mo'Hits Records was the result, founded in 2004, and this pushed the career of D'Banj, with hit singles, debut album, No Long Thing, released the following year with hit singles like Tongolo, Mo bolowon and other releases, Run Down and The Entertainer.

This gave Mo'Hits Records a pride of place as a popular record label due to the commercial success of the albums. Don Jazzy, the CEO, always featured in the videos of D'Banj and watchers in the industry felt the team were inseparable and were going to rock the scene for a long time. Other artistes, Wande Coal who released from Mushin to Mo'Hits, Dr Sid, D'Prince and Kay Switch were signed on at different times and the success story continued with the koko master, D'Banj, a major success of the group with awards, big shows and the attendant high finances to show for it.

The Break Up

Success comes with challenges. D'Banj and his music producer and partner, Don Jazzy, having made their imprint in the music industry, were set for higher heights part of which was international collaboration as the attention of global music was set on the Nigerian music scene. With ace American rapper, Snoop Dog now Snoop Lion, featuring in D'Banj's Mr Endowed remix, this ushered their entry into the headquarters of music and entertainment. Then the fateful meeting with Kanye West in 2011 leading to D'Banj or rather Mo'Hits signed into Kanye's G.O.O.D Music Record label in June same year, a grand opportunity to rub shoulders with the movers and shakers of world hip hop music.

No one knows what really led to D'Banj and Don Jazzy breakup but insiders alleged that the 'ungodly' influence of Kanye West on D'Banj and ultimately Mo'Hits might have unsettled Don Jazzy who had his ideas on the direction the record label ought to follow. After all, D'Banj was not the only artiste under the label. With the unconfirmed report of D'Banj being dragged to illuminati known to be a music cum social cult by Kanye, and Don Jazzy not wanting to be part of this, a breakup was imminent.

It was unfortunate and heart breaking. After several months of speculations, Don Jazzy confirmed in March 2012 through his twitter account that D'banj had left the group. D'Banj's reason for leaving was cited as difference in interests.

After the breakup, Don Jazzy, D'Prince, Dr SID and Wande Coal started Marvin Records while D'banj, Jay Sleek and Kay Switch founded DB Records. Marvin Records added Tiwa Savage, a talented singer and accomplished songwriter, into their crew which was an interesting development.

Entertainment expert and lawyer, Akinyemi Ayanoluwa, said it would take a little more time for them to find the perfect formula again. He said "D'banj is yet to find a producer that can understand his sound and help midwife a new sound, or a producer that will help fill in the space once occupied by Don Jazzy. Don Jazzy is yet to find that Elvis Presley, a sex symbol that can bring charm and 'swag' to beats the same way D'banj did to Don Jazzy beats during the Mo'Hits days. They are both winning with endorsements, performances and appearances. The industry is better for it, the more the merrier the more the growth. The only downside is failure to have enduring partnership that transcends ethnic considerations.

After Mo'Hits Saga

Since the breakup last year, D'Banj has recorded some success. Hit single, Oliver Twist, produced prior to the parting of ways, gave him a lot of awards. His Koko Concert attracted a lot of crowds and brought American artistes like Pusha T, Common and 2 Chains along with Nigerian artistes. With different contracts in the offing for D'Banj, he signed a contract with Sony Music of the United States.

With D'Banj's iconic status, nothing less was expected of him. The afro hip hop star artiste, who refers himself as Eja Nla meaning big fish in Yoruba language, sang in the closing ceremony of the South Africa 2013 nations cup held in January this year. Before then, D'banj, in June 2012, performed at the Hackney Weekend to celebrate the 2012 summer Olympics, which was headlined by Jay Z and Rihanna. He performed alongside his friend and fellow Universal Music Group label mate, Rita Ora, at the SCALA London Live Music, Clubs and Arts Venue to celebrate the release of her debut album, Ora. He has also recorded endorsements like the Bank of Industry BOI brand ambassadorship.

Don Jazzy, who has a gentlemanly mien, has also recorded other successes and endorsements like the Loya Milk, MTN ambassador. It must be said that in terms of international acclaim, D'Banj has more of that and this has increased his fame which was what he desired and laboured for in the first place, but the quality of his music has suffered according to observers.

Post Mo'Hits Era: D'Banj's Music Suffers

But it will be said that his music content is not as eclectic as his former songs and albums which had the full input and imprint of ace music producer, Don Jazzy. Riding on the high of his fame home and abroad, the koko master and Oliver Twist crooner released his fourth album, D King's Men DKM, amidst pomp and razzmatazz after the previous three, No Long Thing, Run Down Funk U Up and Entertainer, produced under Mo'Hits Records in 2005, 2006, 2008 respectively.

Music producers, radio DJs and music followers have observed that his recent album, DKM, is a good album but not better than the previous ones in terms of the music content. Some even urged him to have a business relationship with Don Jazzy known for producing quality and unique hip hop music to produce some of his songs. Afro hip hop has been D'Banj's mainstay and Don Jazzy, his erstwhile partner, helped in honing this style of music with good beats.

Marvin Crew's Music Success

Saddled with the burden to build a new record label after Mo'Hits crashed, the former CEO established Marvin Crew with the arduous effort of churning out great hits of his artistes' music namely Wande Coal, D'Prince, his brother and Dr Sid.

After moaning their loss as fallout of D'Banj and Don Jazzy, the artistes needed to hit the ground running and spend quality time in the studio to make the label a brand among growing number of successful record labels in the industry.

Stranded Boko Haram Militants Turn Human Eaters In Borno, Captured Suspect Says

(NAN) – Dozens of suspected Boko Haram militants in Magumeri forest, Borno, have turned to eating human flesh after being stranded for days without food or water, a suspected militant has said.

Magumeri forest is about 150 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital.

A suspected militant, Momodu Bukar, told newsmen on Saturday in Maiduguri that he fled the camp at the forest on Thursday when it became obvious that he was going to be eaten.

"I thank God that I escaped because I would have been slaughtered by now to provide meal for my colleagues at the camp," Mr. Bukar said.

The suspected militant was captured by a Youth Vigilante Group, popularly known as the Civilian JTF at Baga Road motor park, Maiduguri, on Friday.

He said the militants had been in the forest since May, when they were dislodged from Marte, Marte Local Government Area, by the Joint Task Force, JTF, on Operation Restore Order (ORO) after the declaration of the State of Emergency.

"Our group, consisting of about 300 well armed combatants, headed for Magumeri on the orders of the sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, shortly before the military took over Marte Camp. We have been wandering in the forest. We have exhausted our food and water supply, and so, everybody became hungry," Mr. Bukar said.

He also said that they lost contact with Mr. Shekau due to the closure of GSM services by the Defence Headquarters.

"It all started last Monday when three of the combatants in camp died of acute hunger, and it became obvious that all of us will die if action was not taken. The leader of the group, Abu Omar, directed that a non combatant member be slaughtered to provide meal for the rest. The meat provided meal for the combatant for just two days and another person was killed in the same manner on Wednesday. So, it became certain that I might be the next person since I am also a non combatant member," he said.

Mr. Bukar said he escaped after volunteering to help search for drinking water for the group in a nearby village.

"I left the camp on Thursday evening after agreeing to fetch water from the village. After leaving the camp, I started running until I arrived at Magumeri town, so, I slept in the motor park before boarding a vehicle to Maiduguri with the little money on me," he said.

Mr. Bukar said that he was apprehended immediately he arrived at the motor park in Maiduguri by the youth vigilante group.

Commenting, an official of the vigilante group, Ajid Asheik, said the suspect would be handed to the JTF on Operation Restore Order (ORO) for investigation.

Thousands Of Nigerian Muslims Hold Pro-Morsi Rally In Kano

(AFP) – Thousands of Muslims rallied peacefully in northern Nigeria on Saturday to demand the return of Egypt's Islamist former president Mohamed Morsi, ousted by the military early last month.

Around 4,000 demonstrators carrying banners and placards chanted pro-Morsi songs and slogans outside a mosque in northern Nigeria's biggest city, Kano, an AFP reporter witnessed. Organisers put the number of protesters at 5,000.

Egypt has been rocked by political unrest since Morsi's ouster in a July 3 military coup after massive protests against him.

"We call for the immediate release of president Mohamed Morsi and all political prisoners being detained by the illegitimate Egyptian authorities," protest leader Sheikh Abubakar Mujahid told reporters.

"Morsi must return to his position as president."

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation of 160 million people, is evenly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south.

It is grappling with a four-year insurgency by Islamist group Boko Haram mainly in the country's northeast.

The violence has claimed some 3,600 lives, including killings by security forces, which launched a military offensive in May to try to end the insurgency.

Was Prophet Ajanaku Was A Cult Member?

It was claimed that Prophet Ireti Ajanaku resurrected  but this may have been a false attempt to keep his memory alive by some of his church members.

The Prophet, Tope Alabi estranged spiritual father has already been confirmed dead and the Oro traditional worshippers have conducted a funeral rite for the late pastor.

According to a report
Oro Worshippers held funeral rites for Prophet Ajanaku. The late founder and spiritual leader of the Christ Revival Victory Chapel International, Pastor Elijah Iretiola Ajanaku belonged to the Oro cult in his lifetime.


Residents of Ikola Odunsi, where Ajanaku lived before he breathed his last on Saturday evening at Gbongan in Osun State, were surprised early Tuesday morning when Oro masquerades went to town in funeral rites for the departed 'Pastor'.

The funeral rites which began at about 12.30am ended between 3 and 4am.

The Oro worshippers chanted the name of Ajanaku throughout the night. The worshippers marched through the streets of Ikola Odunsi, Ikola Gbenaje, and landed at the deceased's street, Folarin Williams Close.
They were chanting, "Ajanaku lo, o di gbere", meaning "Ajanaku is gone forever, adieu".
Source: 247NigeriaNews