I Didn’t Fight Ebube, Empress Over Timaya — Anita Joseph

My name is Anita Joseph. I am an actress, a musician and a model. I am
from Anambra State.

Journey into Acting

I started acting in 2005. I was at the University of Calabar and saw a
friend who was acting. I told her I wanted to act and she promised
taking me to the National Theatre whenever I came to Lagos. She did
when I came to Lagos and I had my audition with Emeka Rollas. Then, I
did my first movie, 'Good Samaritan' with Obi Maduaga. That one-scene
role was not too short and it kick-started my acting career

Life of an actress

It is a queer life because there is no privacy. Everything you do and
say is made public. Any man you date is published on the pages of
magazines/newspapers. It is a life that lacks privacy. Though
interesting, there are times you don't want to have your pictures
splashed everywhere. I sing, I am a model and I'm sexy. So many people
say lots of negative things about me. I am not bothered. I have grown
a thick skin. It only makes me stronger because I didn't do those
things.

Handling fans

I treat my fans like friends. Fans are important in this profession
because they make or mar you. You have to be careful with your fans.
Embarrassed by fans? Yes, I remember when a man slapped my b*ttocks! I
acted in a film and the role was that of a lady sleeping with many
men. After the film, a man walked up to me and said he liked the way I
shook my b*ttocks in the movie. He wondered if that was how I shake it
in real life. I was embarrassed.

Dating fans

There is nothing wrong dating someone who loves and adores you. I have
dated some of my fans. The best person to date, sometimes, is your
fan. He loves what you are doing and you can act for him at home.

Relationship


I like men who are calm, calculated and someone I can learn from. I
like a responsible man who talks well. I cannot stick loud-mouthed
men.

Anita and controversies

I don't believe that. I am not a controversial actress. On Ebube
Nwagbo and Empress Njamah, the story was that I dated Timaya and KC
Fresh, and fought with these actresses over these men. I never had any
trouble with them over any man. We have never worked together on set.

Music

I love to sing and currently, I am compiling my works. My inspiration
is from everything around me— nature, human beings, animals, etc.

Fashion

I wear whatever suits me or fits into any occasion I am attending.
Also, my mood and the occasion determine what I wear. I love short
gowns and bum shorts. I like it when people look at me; it makes me
feel good. If you are a lady and nobody looks at you, then you should
go back and look at your mirror.

Me and tattoos

I love tattoos. Though painful, beauty comes with pains too. I have
tattoos in some areas of my body and I keep having more. It is so
addictive.

Terrorism: SSS Seeks Permission To Demolish Amigo Supermarket

A move has been initiated by the Department of State Security Service
(DSS) to demolish Amigo Supermarket in Abuja following alleged
discovery of boxes with arms in the complex.
The outfit is owned by some Lebanese who were recently linked with
terrorism activities including providing cells for Hezbollah terror
group in Kano.

An online organisation claimed that the SSS had requested the approval
of President Goodluck Jonathan to demolish the supermarket. It added
that the president had received the request by security agents but
declined to grant it, more than a week after investigators sealed off
the supermarket.

Last week, the media was awash with reports of the discovery of
"boxes" containing arms during minor excavation works within Amigo.
According to Premium Times, SSS sources said that the president had
refused to communicate his decision on the matter to the agency, more
than three days after, as it was the case with reports sent by the
department. The development, it was learnt, had raised fears that the
president might veto the proposal and stall further action on the
matter.
While the department recommended, in the report sent on Monday to the
president, that the sprawling mall, estimated at over N5 billion be
bulldozed and the area thoroughly searched for more arms, it suggested
that the land on which Abuja's biggest amusement park, Wonderland,
also owned by the Lebanese, was built be revoked immediately by the
Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

The property hosting the park is said to be owned by the FCTA and was
only leased to the group for 10 years, sources said.

"We have sent in our report, but we can't proceed without an approval
by the president on such a matter of national security," a senior
official of the SSS involved in the investigations said.
SSS spokesperson Marilyn Ogar did not respond to phone calls seeking
to get the agency's official reaction and next line of action.

The president's office did not also respond to request for response
to this story. Emailed request for comments to presidential
spokesperson Reuben Abati on why the president has not decided was
unanswered; his mobile telephone number was not available as at the
time of this report, the online outfit said.
Officials well briefed about Amigo /Wonderland investigations say the
SSS' recommendation that the supermarket be pulled down was based on
three reasons: the security agency believes the place was used for
stockpiling weapons. Also, investigators said they have evidence that
proceeds of sales from the multi-billion enterprise had been used in
funding terrorism; and the SSS expressed concern that a new
administration after Jonathan's might reallocate the property to the
Lebanese group.

The last scenario is reflected upon the well-known case of the Indian
business group, Vaswani brothers, who were deported by the Obasanjo
administration for money laundering but were ushered back into the
country at the advent of a successor administration of Umaru Yar'Adua
in 2007.

The Jonathan administration has already faced criticisms for its
response to what investigators say is a clear terrorism case, after
the authorities took more than 24 hours since the discovery of weapons
in Kano last week before shutting down property linked to the
suspects, including Amigo and Wonderland, both in the heart of the
Nigerian capital. The Abuja property were sealed off on Friday night
while the Nigerian military had revealed the discovered weapons in a
Kano property on Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, counsel to the arrested suspects, Bamidele Aturu, has
questioned the rationale behind the move to demolish the Amigo
structure.

Aturu threatened legal action against the federal government if those
arrested were not charged to court on Wednesday as required by law.
"What law allows the demolition? Nobody supports terrorism, but what
we are asking is that they follow the laws of the land," he told
Premium Times on phone.

Mr Aturu said he had not been allowed to speak to his detained clients
(the three Lebanese arrested) including a co-owner of the two Abuja
companies, Mustapha Fawaz, since their incarceration.

Koko-Day: Kokomaster D’banj Turns 33 Today

Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo A.K.A D'banj, one of Africa's greatest
entertainers and businessmen, turns 33 today, June 9th.

Wishing Ya happy birthday and many more awards and multi-million
dollar deals!!!!

Oooossssshhhheeeeyyyyyy. *winks*

Nelson Mandela, 94, spends second night in hospital being treated for lung infection

Nelson Mandela has spent a second night in hospital receiving treatment for a lung infection. The 94-year-old former South African president was admitted to a hospital in Pretoria in the early hours of yesterday in a ‘serious but stable condition’, current president Jacob Zuma’s office said. The family of grandfather Mr Mandela - who has a history of problems with the illness and has been admitted to hospital several times this year - was today at his bedside. People across South Africa have held prayers for the former leader - who is due to celebrate his 95th birthday next month - and some left messages outside his home in Johannesburg. His wife Graca Machel, 67, cancelled an appearance at a high-profile hunger summit in London yesterday to be with her husband. Ms Machel was due to address the Nutrition for Growth meeting in the capital along with dozens of African leaders, non-governmental organisations and charities, as well as speakers such as Bill Gates and Justine Greening, Secretary of State for International Development. Mac Maharaj, a spokesman for Mr Zuma's office, said yesterday: ‘During the past few days former president Nelson Mandela has had a recurrence of lung infection. ‘The former president is receiving expert medical care and doctors are doing everything possible to make him better and comfortable. ‘President Jacob Zuma, on behalf of government and the nation, wishes Madiba (Mr Mandela's Xhosa clan name) a speedy recovery and requests the media and the public to respect the privacy of Madiba and his family.’ The anti-apartheid leader became president in South Africa's all-race elections in 1994. ‘It gets treated and he gets better,’ Mr Maharaj said. ‘He's prone to lung infection. There's a long history behind that. He's suffered from lung infection at different times. ‘The first time we came across it was years ago when he was in prison.’ Mr Maharaj added that there was no suggestion that Mr Mandela was unconscious. But the use of the word 'serious' is clear cause for concern to South Africa's 53million people, for whom Mr Mandela remains a potent symbol of the struggle against decades of white-minority rule. Mr Mandela has been vulnerable to respiratory problems since contracting tuberculosis during his 27 years behind bars under apartheid. Doctors treat the matter with great caution, Mr Maharaj told the BBC, and Mr Mandela’s admission to hospital was ‘necessary' to give him the best opportunity to recover. 'He has been in good spirits,’ Mr Maharaj added. ‘He is a fighter and he will be with us as long as he is there fighting,' An earlier statement from the office of President Jacob Zuma said: 'During the past few days, former President Nelson Mandela has had a recurrence of a lung infection. 'This morning at about 1.30am, his condition deteriorated and he was transferred to a Pretoria hospital.' The statement said Mr Mandela remains in a 'serious but stable' condition. Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron was among the first to send get well wishes to Mr Mandela yesterday, tweeting: 'My thoughts are with Nelson Mandela, who is in hospital in South Africa.' The African National Congress, the ruling party that has dominated politics in South Africa since the end of apartheid, urged people across the world to keep 'our beloved statesman' in their prayers.  'We will keep President Mandela and his family in our thoughts and prayers at this time and call upon South Africans and the peoples of the globe to do the same for our beloved statesman and icon, Madiba,' the party said in a statement. A spokesman for the ANC told Sky News the nation was 'prepared for the worst'. Jackson Mthembu told the broadcaster: 'Madiba is the personification of humanity, friendship, honesty, integrity,' 'Without the calibre of Madiba's leadership, the likelihood is that South Africa would have gone to ruins ... but there was a Madiba.' More messages of support for the former leader flooded in from other political groups and unions. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) sent a message of goodwill to Mr Mandela, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported. 'Our 2.2million members, thousands of working people, millions of South Africans and countless more freedom-loving people around the world are thinking of you today and wishing that you make a full recovery and soon return home,' it said in a statement. The South African Communist Party wished Mr Mandela a 'speedy recovery' and told the former president: 'You are in our thoughts'. The Young Communist League (YCL) added: 'Tata is in our thoughts and we hope he will recover as soon as possible.' Many South Africans use the term of endearment Tata - the Xhosa word for father - to refer to the ageing political icon. Mr Mandela's wife was due to address the Nutrition for Growth meeting in London yesterday. But Ms Machel's name was removed from the provisional list of speakers this morning with organisers saying she had to cancel 'for personal reasons'. As news emerged of Mr Mandela's treatment in hospital, the line-up was changed and Ms Machel's attendance cancelled. The broadcaster Henry Bonsu, who was compering the event, said: 'She sends her apologies and regrets not being here to attend her session.' South African Presidency spokesman Mr Maharaj confirmed Ms Machel had pulled out of the London trip on Thursday. Mr Mandela was previously admitted to hospital in March, where doctors drained fluid from his lung area after diagnosing him with pneumonia. The former president spent 10 days in hospital before being released on April 6. Video footage was broadcast of Mr Mandela - or Madiba as he is affectionately known in South Africa - back at home and surrounded by family and friends. It is the last time he has been seen in public. Mr Zuma said at the time the former leader was in 'good shape', but he appeared silent and unresponsive in the footage. It followed an earlier stint in hospital in December 2012 after Mr Mandela developed a lung infection and gallstones. South Africans yesterday told of their hopes that Mr Mandela would recover from his latest setback. 'He is going to survive,' said Willie Mokoena, a gardener in Johannesburg. 'He's a strong man.' Another city resident, Martha Mawela, said she thought the former president would recover because: 'Everybody loves Mandela.' Mr Mandela's forgiving spirit and belief in racial reconciliation helped hold South Africa together at a time of extreme tension in the run up to elections in 1994. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who was imprisoned for 27 years by the racist white regime, became the first democratically elected president of South Africa in that year. Some of them feel he made too many concessions to the white minority in the post-apartheid settlement. Despite more than 10 years of policies aimed at redressing the balance, whites still control much of the economy and an average white household earns six times more than a black one. 'Mandela has gone a bit too far in doing good to the non-black communities, really in some cases at the expense of (blacks),' Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, 89, said in a documentary aired on South African television this month. 'That's being too saintly, too good, too much of a saint.' Mr Mandela stepped down as president in 1999 and has not been politically active in a decade.

Prof. Wole Soyinka to Lead Announcement of The Future Awards 2013 Winners

The Central Working Committee for The Future Awards 2013 has formally
announced the judges for this years edition and the judges for the
Young Person of the Year – The Africa Prize. The Africa Prize is
presented in partnership with the youth office of the African Union
Commission.

The awards are judged over a two-month period, supervised by a central
working committee, a board of judges and an independent audit
committee – an 8-year rigorous process with checks and balances that
has produced many of Nigeria's most prominent young leaders in the
past decade.

The Board of Judges is made up of the country's brightest young
journalists across print, electronic and on-line media, and the
independent audit committee is made up of distinguished Nigerians
across sectors.
committee list after the cut...........

Independent Audit CommitteeProf. Uche Azikiwe (MFR) – University of
Nigeria Nsukka
Olusegun Adeniyi – Chairman of the Editorial Board, Thisday
Betty Irabor – Editor-in-Chief/Publisher, Genevieve
Leke Alder – Principal Consultant, Alder
Nkiru Olumide-Ojo – Head, Corporate Communication, Forte Oil
Biola Alabi – Managing Director, Mnet Africa
Mo Abudu – Chief Executive, Inspire Africa
Pastor Ituah Ighodalo – Senior Pastor, Trinity House
Dr. Reuben Abati – Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity
Fela Durotoye – Chief Executive, Visible Impact
Ndidi Nwuneli (MFR) – Founder, LEAP Africa
Funmi Omogbenigun – General Manager, Corporate Affairs, MTN
Segun Odegbami (MON) – Chairman, The International Sports Academy
Peace Anyiam Osigwe – Chief Executive, Africa Movie Academy Awards
Enitan Denloye – Director of Communications, Etisalat
Folake Ani-Mumuney – Head, Corporate Communication and Marketing,
First Bank Nigeria
Hon. Jibrin Abdulmumuni – Chairman, House of Representatives Committee
on Finance
Muhtar Bakare – Chief Executive, Farafina
Jimi Agbaje – Founder, Jaykay Pharmacy
Frank Nweke – Director-General, Nigeria Economic Summit Group
Adeola Azeez – Chairperson, Executive Council, WimBiz
Bolanle Austen-Peters – Chief Executive, Terra Kulture
Detoun Ogwo – Executive Director, AfterSchool Graduate Development Centre
Toni Kan – Managing Partner, Radi8 Creative
Halleluyah Atuyota Akporobomeriere – Comedian & President, Ali Baba
Hiccupuray3rd
Adesuwa Onyenokwe – Publisher, TW
Hafsat Abiola-Costello – Special Adviser, Millennium Development
Goals, Ogun State
Jummai Umar-Ajijola – Executive Chair, The Business People
Gbenga Sesan – Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative Nigeia
Judges – The Africa Prize
Elikem NutifafaKuenyehia – Managing Director, Oxford & Beaumont Ghana
Chichi Okonjo – Publisher, Ventures Africa
Victoria Trabosh – President, Ithafari Foundation Rwanda


"We're also excited to announce Professor Wole Soyinka, who has
supported our work over the past decade, will be leading some of
Africa's best to present the winners of this year's awards in August."
said Mfon Ekpo, Chief operating officer, The Future Project."

According to Prof.Soyinka "The Future Awards salutes exemplary
contributions towards the positive shaping of (society) and deserves
the commendation of all. It serves as inspiration to other members of
the youthful generation, and even to more seasoned achievers of the
rest of society."


Watch the nomination promos HERE.

2013 Award Categories
1.The Future Awards Prize in Advocacy & Activism
2.The Future Awards Prize in Science & Technology
3.The Future Awards Prize in Community Action
4.The Future Awards Prize in New Media
5.The Future Awards Prize in Entertainment Talent
6.The Future Awards Prize in Entertainment Enterprise
7.The Future Awards Prize in Journalism
8.The Future Awards Prize in Business
9.The Future Awards Prize in Public Service
10.The Future Awards Prize in Professional Service
11.The Future Awards Prize in Agriculture
12.The Future Awards Prize in Fashion & Style
13.The Future Awards Prize in Arts & Culture
14.The Future Awards Prize in Enterprise Support
15.The Future Awards Prize in Education
16.Young Person of the Year – The Africa Prize

There will be no public voting for The Future Awards 2013. The awards
hold in August, 2013.

For more information, Follow @TFAAfrica on Twitter or visit the
website www.thefutureafrica.com/awards. Media Partners include
Channels Television, Silverbird TV, Guardian Life, Nigeria Info,
BellaNaija,LindaIkejiBlog, Premium Times, 360Nobs, LadunLiadiBlog,
InformationNigeria, Jobberman andVentures Africa. OfficialMedia
Partners are Africa Magic, Cool FM, Wazobia FM and Y!/YNaija.com.

R. Ramirez had shockingly green skin the day before he died.

Self-described Satanist Richard Ramirez, 53, had shockingly green skin
the day before he died

Richard Ramirez, who spent 24 years in prison after a spree of demonic
murders in California, died Friday, but not before turning a shocking
shade of green. The serial killer, who left satanic signs at murder
scenes and mutilated victims' bodies during a reign of terror in the
1980s, died reportedly after 'sitting up in his bed doing stretches'
just the day before at Marin County Hospital. Ramirez, 53, had been
taken from San Quentin's death row to a hospital where authorities
said he died of liver failure.

This, according to a source at the New York Post. The source said the
self-proclaimed Satanist exhibited the ghastly-hued skin Thursday and
was up and moving around his hospital bed. 'He was the color green,'
said the Post's source. 'He looked like a green highlighter pen.' He
had been housed on death row for decades and was awaiting execution,
even though it has been years since anyone has been put to death in
California. He was convicted in 1989 of 13 murders, five attempted
murders, 11 sexual assaults and 14 burglaries, which terrorized
Southern California in 1984 and 1985. His charges included rape,
sodomy and oral copulation.

Though he died of liver failure, the exact cause of the ailment has
not been released due to federal patient privacy laws. At his first
court appearance, Ramirez raised a hand with a pentagram drawn on it
and yelled, 'Hail, Satan.' His marathon trial, which ended in 1989,
was a horror show in which jurors heard about one victim's eyes being
gouged out and another's head being nearly severed. Courtroom
observers wept when survivors of some of the attacks testified.
Satanic symbols were left at murder scenes and some victims were
forced to 'swear to Satan' by the killer, who entered homes through
unlocked windows and doors. Ramirez was finally run down and beaten in
1985 by residents of an East Los Angeles neighborhood while attempting
a carjacking. They recognized him because his picture had appeared
that day in the news media.

The trial of Ramirez took a year, but the entire case which was bogged
down in pretrial motions and appeals lasted four years, one of the
longest criminal cases in U.S. history. Because of the notoriety of
the case, more than 1600 prospective jurors were called. After his
conviction, Ramirez flashed a two-fingered 'devil sign' to
photographers and muttered a single word: 'Evil.'
On his way to a jail bus, he sneered in reaction to the verdict,
muttering: 'Big deal. Death always went with the territory. See you in
Disneyland.' The black-clad killer, unrepentant to the end, made his
comment in an underground garage after a jury recommended the death
penalty for his gruesome crimes. Inexplicably, Ramirez, a native of El
Paso, Texas, had a following of young women admirers who came to the
courtroom regularly and sent him love notes. Some visited him in
prison, and in 1996 Ramirez was married to 41-year-old freelance
magazine editor Doreen Lioy in a visiting room at San Quentin prison.

Relatives called Lioy a recluse who lived in a fantasy world. In 2006,
the California Supreme Court upheld Ramirez's convictions and death
sentence. The U.S. Supreme Court refused in 2007 to review the
convictions and sentence. Two years later, San Francisco police said
DNA linked Ramirez to the April 10, 1984, killing of 9-year-old Mei
Leung. She was killed in the basement of a residential hotel in San
Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood where she lived with her family.
Ramirez had been staying at nearby hotels. Ramirez previously was tied
to killings in Northern California. He was charged in the shooting
deaths of Peter Pan, 66, and his wife, Barbara, in 1985 just before
his arrest in Los Angeles, but he was never tried in that case.

Shell, LIMGE join forces against fire in Lagos

In a rare collaboration, Shell Nigeria Exploration Company (SNECO) and Lagos Island Millenium Group on the Environment (LIMGE) are joining forces to end fire disasters in Lagos. Consequently the soft launch of Ajele Fire Station in the heart of Lagos Island took place. The occasion was witnessed by many eminent people. Speaking at the soft  launch, Chief (Mrs). Taiwo Taiwo, the president of LIMGE, said the initiative was   to make sure “that no building on Lagos Island is ever gutted by fire again”. Taiwo added: “This was one of our clear  mandates from inception because we are aware of the fact that the Lagos Island area is densely populated with close clusters and has always been prone to fire incidents even from colonial times. ”What LIMGE is doing is showing an example of private public partnership for others to see and get involved in their communities so we can build a better Lagos and Nigeria.” According to her, the project, which will be officially commissioned in June, boasts of a gym, recreational room, communication equipment, training facilities, four  state-of-the-art  fire fighting motorbikes, brand new fire fighting kits and top quality modern fire fighting. The LIMGE boss explained that 100 specially selected firemen have attended a comprehensive and extensive two weeks training facilitated by a fire chief from the New Jersey Fire Department. “Our  new target is to make a-state-of-art fully equipped and functional fire station dedicated to business district and accessible 24hrs and well trained fully kitted firemen to be ready at all hours”. Chike Onyejekwe, Managing Director of  SNECo told the guests  his company was partnering with LIMGE because the Ajele Fire Station,” is ill equipped to handle fires and emergencies effectively with consequential impact on offices located in the vicinity. As such, we have decided that SNEPCo sponsor activities aimed at increasing the operational readiness of the fire station.” Onyejekwe said the effort was  not actually rebuilding the fire station but upgrading it to a  standard that would met the central business district’s requirement in fire fighting. He  noted that SNECo was not doing it because its office was close by but  to help Lagos State, and it’s part of its CSR to the community. In her closing remarks, Mrs Mosun Emeruwa, MD of MOE Architects, expressed gratitude to Lanre Ogunlesi, MD of  Sophisticat, First Bank, Union Bank, Christ Church and SNEPCo whose without help they we wouldn’t have made any meaningful progress.