Adaptation from the yet-to-be published novel, A SEASON OF THE SUN by Ahaoma Kanu
The hospital where I was assigned was constantly busy throughout the period of the attacks. Day after day, soldiers wounded in battle were brought over mainly by porters on foot with very few arriving on trucks, only a few made it on their own. The intensity of the war at that period made it impossible for the Red Cross to fly in their supplies which made us run out of stock.
The bandages got finished completely that we had no option than to remove already used bandages from patients that were older in the ward to be washed and used on fresh causalities. Three qualified and elderly nurses came over from Umuahia to help us out and another young doctor arrived from Orlu.
The constant arrival of the wounded, nearly dead and dead causalities made the added human resources unnoticed. Dr. Nwosu worked day and night; we worked during the day fear and uncertainty.
Many of the casualties that went into the surgery room were carried out dead because, at a time, operations were carried out without anaesthetic. The patients watched their shattered limbs and arms gruesomely cut off their body. This led to many of them dying of haemorrhage.
One night, I watched as a soldier carried in another wounded comrade, the wounded one was very elderly while the person that brought him was younger almost as young as me if not for his enhanced biceps. As I showed them a place to lay the wounded man down for me to administer first aid, my kit being river water and a small face towel with a length of bandage, I noticed the striking resemblance between the two soldiers; they were father and son.
The older man had been hit in the hip and by the way his trousers was held to his waist by a rope which I believed served as a belt, I was sure the man had lost so much blood. The position and distance his son carried him contribution no doubt. As the wounded man was laid down, his child pleaded with me.
“Biko, nyere nna m aka, ekwela ga onwu o biko,” he pleaded, I saw the pain and the fear with which he said those words. He was ready to do anything to ensure his father did not give up.
I nodded as I started loosing the knot on the rope, the man cried out in pains as my hands moved to check out the exact position of the wound. The son disconnected the bayonet from the nozzle of his rifle quickly and cut the rope, helping me to pull his father’s blood soaked trousers down.
“Papa, hang on, don’t die, hang on,” he consoled his father as he undid the trousers; it was such a pitiful sight that it brought tears to my eyes. It was such a horrible situation to watch your own father dying before your very eyes and you could not do anything.
“As I soaked the towel inside the iron bucket I had with to clean the area surrounding the wound, the man cried out,
“Ahh, Chineke mu, Alaoji bia kwa nu, Chineke bia kwa o!”
“Papa ndo! Ndo! Sorry! Jisi ike,” his son consoled.
“Mmiri o, biko nun ye mu mmiri!” he requested.
“He needs water,” The young man said to me as if I was deaf.
I shook my head to indicate the request cannot be granted.
“Please, give me water, Jesus, I am dying, I need a drink!” the father yelled, his son still looked at me questionly.
“Give him water to drink please, he is my father!” he pleaded as tears rolled down his young eyes.
“No, it would kill him,” I told him.
“Chineke umu Africa, biko, mmiri! I need water, my mouth is dry,” the man groaned, I could see his loss of blood was sapping whatever energy he had left.
“Papa please don’t die, please hold on,” his son cried, “Nurse! Help me, don’t let my father die, please help me.” He asked holding his dying father’s head on his laps.
I cleaned the surface of the wound and the man flinched and shouted with a very familiar painful shrill that I had become accustomed to inside the hospital’s butcher room,
“Hmm, chukwu Ala oji nwa oduma anaa! Blood trailed out slowly from the wound, whoever fired the shot aimed to kill him instantly but instead his death was occurring slowly.
I went on to bandage his waist to stop the bleeding.
“Where is the doctor?” the kid soldier asked with tearful pleading eyes, I pointed towards the new doctor who was standing by the bed of another patient.
“Doctor, Doctor!” the boy called out, leaping up and moving towards him, I cried more for his pain; he was willing to keep his father alive.
I looked back at the dying man, his eyes were half closed and some saliva were running down his mouth, his mouth squeezed into a smile as he looked at me.
“So this is how a man goes,” he said a little audibly, I held his hand, not really knowing what to say or do at that very moment. I knew the man would be gone in a matter of minutes, I had seen cases like his in my short stay at the hospital. I looked up on time to see the boy and the doctor coming down to us.
The doctor crossed over to where we were and shifted the two weapons lying carelessly by the side.
“Nurse, what do we have here?” the doctor asked as he bent down to have a closer look.
“The patient was brought in not long ago with a bullet wound to the pelvis,” I narrated, “Must have lost so much blood and requested for water. I tried to stop the bleeding.” I finished the doctor lifted the bandaged to study the wound closely.
“The entry wound is a real bad case,” he commented, “did you check if there’s any exit?” he asked.
“No, I replied.
“That means the lead is still lodged in there, too bad,” he said as he checked the man’s eyes with his torch.
“This one will need someone to till the ground,” the doctor finished as he stood up; it was our code indicating a patient that may die soon and be buried.
“I’ll go get some pain killers across,” the doctor announced getting up and touching the boy briefly on the shoulders, “Be strong and be man.” I knew the doctor would not be back, the talk was just a way of buying time for the expected to happen.
“Ikenna,” the dying man called out weakly.
“Papa, I am here,” his son replied.
“Icheghim na nga agbake na nka,” he started.
“Papa, hold on the doctor is coming,” the boy replied into his father’s ears.
“Ikenna, listen,” the weak voice demanded, “I am leaving and want you to know I died a very proud man. I am proud of you, you are a brave son.”
“Papa, you will not die, the doctor will soon be here. He went to get drugs for you,” his optimistic son continued.
“Take care of your mother and sisters, don’t let them down and don’t let those bastards hurt you,” his dying father kept uttering, his eyes were closing and the strength in his voice was trailing with each word.
“Papa, hang on, Papa, Doctor!” the boy shouted, “Nurse! Call the doctor, my father is dying,” As he shouted, his father’s weak head kept shaking on his laps with his body’s movement.
The only thing I could do was to watch the tragedy happen; if I had had power to give life, I would have been more than generous for the son’s sake. But being equally mortal, I cried at the demise of yet another casualty. The poor boy started crying and calling his father continuously, it was useless, the man was dead.
I watched with tears as the boy hugged the torso of his dead father whose nakedness was still exposed with only the bandage rolled round his waist covering his manhood partially. The boy was still bent in agony when Dr. Nwosu appeared from the butcher room wearing his same bloodstained gown. He watched the scenario for sometime and then walked up to them and collected the two rifles lying on the floor.
“Elias, keep these inside my office,” he instructed, “he will certainly come back for it.” Both of them left the scene as if nothing happened. I stood by the side and grieved with the boy, his sobs continued for sometime until he could cry no more. He got up and looked about with reddened eyes which fell on me and asked, “Where will I bury my father?”
I did not know where the dead were laid; it was the job of Elias and Orjiakor or any solider Dr. Nwosu assigned the duty. I went and enquired from Elias and he led us that night to the place used as burial ground for the fallen heroes.
That night the kid soldier called Ikenna carried the corpse of his father to his final resting place, I held the lantern as Elias dug the grave. Elias helped the boy put down his father’s remains down the grave, the body was completely stripped of its clothes as they were in short supply and was needed by somebody else.
I said the prayer for the soul of the departed man and heard the boy’s tearful “Amen.” Elias reminded him to perform the burial rite of dust to dust and he grabbed some earth heaped by the side of the grave and stared for some minutes at his dead father before he courageously said, “Ashes to ashes, Dust to dust. Papa Na gboo.” After that Elias threw in earth and I did the same.
I held the lamp as both Elias and the boy covered the grave and marched on the grave. We all walked back to the hospital together silently, when we got to the entrance, the boy asked Elias, “Where is my gun?”
“The doctor took it to his office,” Elias informed him. I watched as he went in there and came out with it; the expression on his face was obvious, he was no longer a boy, he was a soldier, a solider that was out for revenge.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Heroes or Villains? Agonies of forgotten war heroes.
By Ahaoma Kanu
AS youths, they were able bodied men with dreams and aspirations struggling to make the best out of life. They were soldiers who were called to battle by the circumstances that emanated from a political fiasco at a time none of them was prepared to face the unknown.
They were freedom fighters who saw the inhuman treatment meted out to their people and were convinced by their leaders that they had a reason to defend their existence.
They took up arms against a nation that they once belonged to and which their fathers and fore-fathers fought together for its independence from the exploitative grips of the colonials who were determined to rule them from a place their generations were taken to as slaves.
They went into a war with barely few weeks of training in combat against an army whose superior weaponry and training in combat gave them no chance to survive in the eyes of the world but they sacrificed their all to defend their ethnic existence.
Forty years after the war in which they became more of the vanquished than the verbal declaration of “No Victors No Vanquished” made by the Federal Government, in the eyes of those they fought for and against as the enemies.
As it is said, every soldier has a story to tell, the members of the Disabled Veterans of the Nigeria Civil War Association have sober tales to tell after heroic sacrifices and escapades that cost most of them their future and dreams they once longed for.
In their impoverished abode located along the Enugu-Onitsha Express way in Oji Local government of Enugu State, the men who were once regarded as brave hearts reminiscenced on how it has been 40 years after the civil war that happened in the country.
To them the infamous declaration of the former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon's holds no iota of truth as they are the vanquished than war heroes and are now regarded to a great extent as the enemies that the Nigerian nation once and still has.
But in the midst of all the pains and extremely challenging conditions they exist, they have a consolation; they are alive and have hope and will possibly have a decent burial when death comes calling.
For Lawrence Onyegbu, surviving the war is what counts.
“We are alive and that's what matters most. Many people that went to the battle field did not come out alive. Some were blown to pieces and never made it but even as we are sitting here day after day trying to make ends meet through the benevolence of kind Nigerians, we are consoled by the fact that we wake up everyday to fend for ourselves through this means.”
They all share one thing in common as former comrades at arms; each and everyone of them is physically challenged and has been for the past 40 years but the seasons past has not in any way blurred the ugly incidents that led to their being in the condition they presently are. As soldiers, they still have memories. Casmir Mbonu remembers how he was recruited.
“I was recruited into the Biafran Army at Umuna Training depot and was posted to the 9th battalion. From there I went to Umuahia to be the special guard to our then head of State, Gen Odumegwu Ojukwu. In December 1968, there was too much bombing at Umuahia so we were drafted down to the 14th Division in the Aba Area,” he revealed.
Uzim Chuks was 17 years old when he enlisted in the army.
“We volunteered to fight the war because of the atrocities we saw with our very eyes been done to our people, no one forced me into the army. Any youngman in Biafra then was willing to fight for our people,” he said.
Mbah Joseph aged 63 and a father of six children served in the Ojukwu Brigade at the 7th Battalion in Umuahia .
“I was in the Infantry Division and wanted to go into the battle. Nobody was thinking about the future, the present them gave no hope for what was to come as all we wanted was to defend ourselves. I enlisted into the army after I saw our people being brought back from the North; Igbo people and they were indifferent conditions of pain, agony and death.
Everything they ever laboured for has gone with the war. Some of the survivors told us of how anything Igbo was being killed; kids as young as five years were murdered in broad day light. That was enough reason for me to join the army of liberation for Ndi-Igbo.”
Having undergone little or no training, the immature soldiers fought with bravery and were able to hold the equipped Nigerian Army for almost four years to the surprise of their then enemies and to the amazement of the world at large.
They confessed that they actually fought with less ammunition but much bravery.
“We had nothing to start with; we fought with little arms and ammunition and it still baffles me how we survived for so long. I believe God was on our side otherwise we would have been overrun by the enemies a long time before the war ended. There was a time we fought with our hands; Biafra manufactured weapons that sustained us,” Uzim recalls.
One memory each of the veterans have is the day they were hit either by the bullets from their opposing forces or shrapnel that originated from the mortar shells fired by the Federal forces or bombs dropped on them during heavy aerial attacks.
Festus Mba who is the secretary of the association remembers vividly where he got wounded in battle,
“At Abala in the Azumini sector. I was shot in a gun battle between us and the enemies,” he readily said.
Ambrose Oko who was recruited in September 1968 and served in the Afikpo sector was wounded also in that sector.
For Uzim Chuks who had fought for two years before his accident, he got wounded in September 1969 and has ever since remained confined to a wheelchair while Bartholomew Ezeife was shot in the stomach region at Nkpor near Onitsha while serving in the 11th Battalion of the Biafran Army.
Even in their present pitiable conditions, the veterans still maintain they have no regrets with the condition the war put them. Patrick Adiele when asked if he would fight again under similar circumstances, courageously replied in the affirmative.
“The reason we fought was not because we were strong or powerful, we fought to defend ourselves and should the situation repeat itself, we will defend ourselves because the people we fought against them came with a mission to annihilate us. That gave us no chances at all than to take up arms,” he said.
Mbonu still believes they fought for the right cause as he maintained that they war was brought to them.
“We fought for the right cause because we did not plan for the war; it was imposed on us. You will not be in your home knowing that somebody wants to eliminate you and you wouldn't fight back,” he said.
Being the physical, visible and human victims of a war in which their commander-in-chief whose decision to go into exile despite the call for all soldiers to fight to the last man contributed to the surrender, the ex-soldiers did not feel betrayed by his action.
“I felt very happy when he took that decision,” Uzim reveals, “Nobody will stay and see his head of state captured or killed. If that happens, that means the whole cause for which we fought failed.”
But that notwithstanding, they feel betrayed by the false declaration of No Victor No vanquished as what they later witnessed and are still experiencing is a far cry from what was proclaimed by the Gowon-led government.
“I feel 100 per cent betrayed by that. They should have a rethink and know what went wrong. I believe some people don't want the real intentions to be carried out,” Mbah Joseph pointed out.
Another recent development that painfully opens the wound that they sustained four decades ago was the recalling of ex-Nigerian Army Officers that fought on the Biafran side who the Federal Government paid them gratuity and pensions. To the veterans, that gesture was discriminative as well as biased even though they understood the basis on which the benefits were disbursed.
“We know that Ojukwu and others were serving in the Nigerian Army before the onset of the war and we are happy he was called back but then, what about us that were lured into the war? We should also be compensated in one way or the other. The FG should pay us also,” the association's secretary declared.
Ifeatu Joseph, another member of the association is of the opinion that since they all fought in one war, the spirit of reconciliation which the gesture was supposed to bring should also be extended to them.
“The No Victor, No Vanquished proclamation should have guided the government. The way Okeke was treated, Okafor should benefit too. This selective payment of ex-Nigerian Army Officers is not good after all, we were all soldiers, he said.
To their fellow comrades at arms, who were beneficiaries of the largess of the policy, the veterans had mixed feelings for as they believed the spirit of Espirit d' Corps that bound them should have touched them to speak up on their behalf.
“They are the one that are supposed to have taken up our case especially our former Commander-in-Chief, Col. Ojukwu,” Ambrose Oko, a father of three argued, “Whatever Ojukwu says about us will be taken seriously but it is unfortunate that it went the way it did. We have resigned ourselves to fate. We fought as soldiers but have now been abandoned. If he wants to help us, we will be happy and appeased but if they keep on turning deaf ears to our pleas, we can't do anything than wait for the day death will come calling.” He said.
But the more painful experience they are can't bear is the manner in which most of the South-East governors has been treating them.
“We are always here and see them passing with their convoy and they don't look at us. They were children when we were in battle to save them from being annihilated but today we can't even attract their sympathy.
Let them know that the God of the Igbos is watching,” Ifeatu sounded.
As if they still believe in the Proudly Nigerian project, they happily replied that they are the crop of Nigerians that are still been seen as the enemies and to them that is the worst ill treatment that touches their innermost soul.
AS youths, they were able bodied men with dreams and aspirations struggling to make the best out of life. They were soldiers who were called to battle by the circumstances that emanated from a political fiasco at a time none of them was prepared to face the unknown.
They were freedom fighters who saw the inhuman treatment meted out to their people and were convinced by their leaders that they had a reason to defend their existence.
They took up arms against a nation that they once belonged to and which their fathers and fore-fathers fought together for its independence from the exploitative grips of the colonials who were determined to rule them from a place their generations were taken to as slaves.
They went into a war with barely few weeks of training in combat against an army whose superior weaponry and training in combat gave them no chance to survive in the eyes of the world but they sacrificed their all to defend their ethnic existence.
Forty years after the war in which they became more of the vanquished than the verbal declaration of “No Victors No Vanquished” made by the Federal Government, in the eyes of those they fought for and against as the enemies.
As it is said, every soldier has a story to tell, the members of the Disabled Veterans of the Nigeria Civil War Association have sober tales to tell after heroic sacrifices and escapades that cost most of them their future and dreams they once longed for.
In their impoverished abode located along the Enugu-Onitsha Express way in Oji Local government of Enugu State, the men who were once regarded as brave hearts reminiscenced on how it has been 40 years after the civil war that happened in the country.
To them the infamous declaration of the former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon's holds no iota of truth as they are the vanquished than war heroes and are now regarded to a great extent as the enemies that the Nigerian nation once and still has.
But in the midst of all the pains and extremely challenging conditions they exist, they have a consolation; they are alive and have hope and will possibly have a decent burial when death comes calling.
For Lawrence Onyegbu, surviving the war is what counts.
“We are alive and that's what matters most. Many people that went to the battle field did not come out alive. Some were blown to pieces and never made it but even as we are sitting here day after day trying to make ends meet through the benevolence of kind Nigerians, we are consoled by the fact that we wake up everyday to fend for ourselves through this means.”
They all share one thing in common as former comrades at arms; each and everyone of them is physically challenged and has been for the past 40 years but the seasons past has not in any way blurred the ugly incidents that led to their being in the condition they presently are. As soldiers, they still have memories. Casmir Mbonu remembers how he was recruited.
“I was recruited into the Biafran Army at Umuna Training depot and was posted to the 9th battalion. From there I went to Umuahia to be the special guard to our then head of State, Gen Odumegwu Ojukwu. In December 1968, there was too much bombing at Umuahia so we were drafted down to the 14th Division in the Aba Area,” he revealed.
Uzim Chuks was 17 years old when he enlisted in the army.
“We volunteered to fight the war because of the atrocities we saw with our very eyes been done to our people, no one forced me into the army. Any youngman in Biafra then was willing to fight for our people,” he said.
Mbah Joseph aged 63 and a father of six children served in the Ojukwu Brigade at the 7th Battalion in Umuahia .
“I was in the Infantry Division and wanted to go into the battle. Nobody was thinking about the future, the present them gave no hope for what was to come as all we wanted was to defend ourselves. I enlisted into the army after I saw our people being brought back from the North; Igbo people and they were indifferent conditions of pain, agony and death.
Everything they ever laboured for has gone with the war. Some of the survivors told us of how anything Igbo was being killed; kids as young as five years were murdered in broad day light. That was enough reason for me to join the army of liberation for Ndi-Igbo.”
Having undergone little or no training, the immature soldiers fought with bravery and were able to hold the equipped Nigerian Army for almost four years to the surprise of their then enemies and to the amazement of the world at large.
They confessed that they actually fought with less ammunition but much bravery.
“We had nothing to start with; we fought with little arms and ammunition and it still baffles me how we survived for so long. I believe God was on our side otherwise we would have been overrun by the enemies a long time before the war ended. There was a time we fought with our hands; Biafra manufactured weapons that sustained us,” Uzim recalls.
One memory each of the veterans have is the day they were hit either by the bullets from their opposing forces or shrapnel that originated from the mortar shells fired by the Federal forces or bombs dropped on them during heavy aerial attacks.
Festus Mba who is the secretary of the association remembers vividly where he got wounded in battle,
“At Abala in the Azumini sector. I was shot in a gun battle between us and the enemies,” he readily said.
Ambrose Oko who was recruited in September 1968 and served in the Afikpo sector was wounded also in that sector.
For Uzim Chuks who had fought for two years before his accident, he got wounded in September 1969 and has ever since remained confined to a wheelchair while Bartholomew Ezeife was shot in the stomach region at Nkpor near Onitsha while serving in the 11th Battalion of the Biafran Army.
Even in their present pitiable conditions, the veterans still maintain they have no regrets with the condition the war put them. Patrick Adiele when asked if he would fight again under similar circumstances, courageously replied in the affirmative.
“The reason we fought was not because we were strong or powerful, we fought to defend ourselves and should the situation repeat itself, we will defend ourselves because the people we fought against them came with a mission to annihilate us. That gave us no chances at all than to take up arms,” he said.
Mbonu still believes they fought for the right cause as he maintained that they war was brought to them.
“We fought for the right cause because we did not plan for the war; it was imposed on us. You will not be in your home knowing that somebody wants to eliminate you and you wouldn't fight back,” he said.
Being the physical, visible and human victims of a war in which their commander-in-chief whose decision to go into exile despite the call for all soldiers to fight to the last man contributed to the surrender, the ex-soldiers did not feel betrayed by his action.
“I felt very happy when he took that decision,” Uzim reveals, “Nobody will stay and see his head of state captured or killed. If that happens, that means the whole cause for which we fought failed.”
But that notwithstanding, they feel betrayed by the false declaration of No Victor No vanquished as what they later witnessed and are still experiencing is a far cry from what was proclaimed by the Gowon-led government.
“I feel 100 per cent betrayed by that. They should have a rethink and know what went wrong. I believe some people don't want the real intentions to be carried out,” Mbah Joseph pointed out.
Another recent development that painfully opens the wound that they sustained four decades ago was the recalling of ex-Nigerian Army Officers that fought on the Biafran side who the Federal Government paid them gratuity and pensions. To the veterans, that gesture was discriminative as well as biased even though they understood the basis on which the benefits were disbursed.
“We know that Ojukwu and others were serving in the Nigerian Army before the onset of the war and we are happy he was called back but then, what about us that were lured into the war? We should also be compensated in one way or the other. The FG should pay us also,” the association's secretary declared.
Ifeatu Joseph, another member of the association is of the opinion that since they all fought in one war, the spirit of reconciliation which the gesture was supposed to bring should also be extended to them.
“The No Victor, No Vanquished proclamation should have guided the government. The way Okeke was treated, Okafor should benefit too. This selective payment of ex-Nigerian Army Officers is not good after all, we were all soldiers, he said.
To their fellow comrades at arms, who were beneficiaries of the largess of the policy, the veterans had mixed feelings for as they believed the spirit of Espirit d' Corps that bound them should have touched them to speak up on their behalf.
“They are the one that are supposed to have taken up our case especially our former Commander-in-Chief, Col. Ojukwu,” Ambrose Oko, a father of three argued, “Whatever Ojukwu says about us will be taken seriously but it is unfortunate that it went the way it did. We have resigned ourselves to fate. We fought as soldiers but have now been abandoned. If he wants to help us, we will be happy and appeased but if they keep on turning deaf ears to our pleas, we can't do anything than wait for the day death will come calling.” He said.
But the more painful experience they are can't bear is the manner in which most of the South-East governors has been treating them.
“We are always here and see them passing with their convoy and they don't look at us. They were children when we were in battle to save them from being annihilated but today we can't even attract their sympathy.
Let them know that the God of the Igbos is watching,” Ifeatu sounded.
As if they still believe in the Proudly Nigerian project, they happily replied that they are the crop of Nigerians that are still been seen as the enemies and to them that is the worst ill treatment that touches their innermost soul.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Idols Judge, Dede Mabiaku, sad at Timi’s delayed album…as MNET washes hands over recording deal. By Ahaoma Kanu
As reaction trail the complaints made by Idols West Africa winner, Timi Dakolo about his delayed contract, Dede Mabiaku, who was a judge in the last edition of the show has expressed disappointment about the development, describing it as sad and disappointing.
Speaking from his base in Ghana, Dede expressed sadness that none of the highly talented contestants have any of their work completed close to a year after the show that was meant to discover youngsters with singing abilities.
“It is rather very sad and disappointing that almost a year after the Idols competition, Timi Dakolo, the winner, still has no album ready or video out in the media or market. I had hoped that the management/organizers would have taken advantage of the interest generated in Nigeria in particular to release quickly top quality productions for Timi and some of the very gifted Nigerian Idols contestants. But well alas here we are no trace whatsoever. That to me sucks,” he said.
Timi Dakolo, whose contract will expire in May, expressed concerns recently that he wants to go back to school as it seems as if the recording deal which is the star prize he won in the competition, was taking forever to come. During the competition which spanned over five months, Timi endeared himself to the whole of Africa and was voted the Idols by winning 67 per cent of the votes but Dede is asking if the organisers are of the opinion that Timi is not good enough for the contract.
“Are they telling us that they are not quality enough for them?” He asked, urging the Nigerian media to ask the organisers the question.
While expressing that he has not being contacted by the organisers of the show for a another season of the show, he maintained that he came into the project because of the value the show will add to West Africa and was happy he did a good job.
“First of all I involved myself with the Idols project to add value as much as possible to a West African project and I am so happy that the whole world saw and commended me for a job well done,” he said.
As for the allegations that he may have been dropped as a judge in the show in preference to Carl Raccah, Dede said he is not worried as he has not being contacted by the organizers officially to that effect.
“If the organisers have taken Carl Raccah, a foreigner, to replace a Nigerian of worth, then they need to be asked why and not me. I state here that I have not been contacted at all by the organizers about a re-run, a new season or any changes made to the judges for Idols West Africa,” he replied.
He however said that there is the possibility of Timi and the rest of the contestants signed on to SONY/BMG to come out with something good despite the short time available and promised not to keep quiet in the event of any irregularity.
“Well it is still very possible to come out in the few months left with something special because those kids are gifted, talented, and very eager to achieve. Look my brother you and I know that if things are not being done right, I must halla oo.. and if that is their reason for turning their back on me for the next idols thing........well ooo me I no fit talk sha, abi no b credibility we all dey look for? I am not aware yet of any intent or otherwise by the organisers, so please ask them land et them answer,” he finished.
Meanwhile, M-Net, the foremost Television content provider on the African continent, and official broadcaster of the Idols West Africa show which was aired continent wide by the company from February 18th to May 26, 2007 has washed their hands off the scandal rocking the international recording contract promised the winner, Timi Dakolo.
MNET had issued a press statement saying that their contract started and ended effectively with the successful hosting of the show on our their network
According to MNET, they are not responsible for the ongoing relationship between the winner and their recording company.
“This was clearly communicated to the contestants and to the audiences of the show whenever the subject of prize fulfilment was raised and through several press conferences held in the course of the show,” MNET explained.
Going further to clarify themselves of the ensuing matter, M-Net informed that they followed the established international format of the series in which a broadcaster screens the show and offers contestants a large television platform from which to begin their careers. Thereafter the relationship between the recording company and the winner is an individual, private business arrangement.
“Around the globe, the relationship between the winner and the prize-giving recording company is one in which the broadcaster is not involved. With Idols West Africa, the recording contract was offered to the winner of the show by Pan African Entertainment (PAE) Sony/BMG,” they stated.
But they went on to assure that given that M-Net does want to see the winner of Idols West Africa find success, it has liaised with Pan African Entertainment regarding this matter and the management responded that that logistical challenges including Timi's overseas performance, his recent injury and visa acquisition have impacted on the production timeline.
“They have advised M-Net that plans for this recording are already well underway and song selection as well as backing tracks have been prepared.”
In respect of the alleged second season of the show, MNET said they have no plan to have a season II of the show and promised that should there be any development to that effect, they would furnish the public with the information.
It was reliably gathered that Peter Theunessen, the Chairman of Pan African Entertainment flew into Nigeria recently to see to it that Timi’s recording session’s starts off immediately.
Speaking from his base in Ghana, Dede expressed sadness that none of the highly talented contestants have any of their work completed close to a year after the show that was meant to discover youngsters with singing abilities.
“It is rather very sad and disappointing that almost a year after the Idols competition, Timi Dakolo, the winner, still has no album ready or video out in the media or market. I had hoped that the management/organizers would have taken advantage of the interest generated in Nigeria in particular to release quickly top quality productions for Timi and some of the very gifted Nigerian Idols contestants. But well alas here we are no trace whatsoever. That to me sucks,” he said.
Timi Dakolo, whose contract will expire in May, expressed concerns recently that he wants to go back to school as it seems as if the recording deal which is the star prize he won in the competition, was taking forever to come. During the competition which spanned over five months, Timi endeared himself to the whole of Africa and was voted the Idols by winning 67 per cent of the votes but Dede is asking if the organisers are of the opinion that Timi is not good enough for the contract.
“Are they telling us that they are not quality enough for them?” He asked, urging the Nigerian media to ask the organisers the question.
While expressing that he has not being contacted by the organisers of the show for a another season of the show, he maintained that he came into the project because of the value the show will add to West Africa and was happy he did a good job.
“First of all I involved myself with the Idols project to add value as much as possible to a West African project and I am so happy that the whole world saw and commended me for a job well done,” he said.
As for the allegations that he may have been dropped as a judge in the show in preference to Carl Raccah, Dede said he is not worried as he has not being contacted by the organizers officially to that effect.
“If the organisers have taken Carl Raccah, a foreigner, to replace a Nigerian of worth, then they need to be asked why and not me. I state here that I have not been contacted at all by the organizers about a re-run, a new season or any changes made to the judges for Idols West Africa,” he replied.
He however said that there is the possibility of Timi and the rest of the contestants signed on to SONY/BMG to come out with something good despite the short time available and promised not to keep quiet in the event of any irregularity.
“Well it is still very possible to come out in the few months left with something special because those kids are gifted, talented, and very eager to achieve. Look my brother you and I know that if things are not being done right, I must halla oo.. and if that is their reason for turning their back on me for the next idols thing........well ooo me I no fit talk sha, abi no b credibility we all dey look for? I am not aware yet of any intent or otherwise by the organisers, so please ask them land et them answer,” he finished.
Meanwhile, M-Net, the foremost Television content provider on the African continent, and official broadcaster of the Idols West Africa show which was aired continent wide by the company from February 18th to May 26, 2007 has washed their hands off the scandal rocking the international recording contract promised the winner, Timi Dakolo.
MNET had issued a press statement saying that their contract started and ended effectively with the successful hosting of the show on our their network
According to MNET, they are not responsible for the ongoing relationship between the winner and their recording company.
“This was clearly communicated to the contestants and to the audiences of the show whenever the subject of prize fulfilment was raised and through several press conferences held in the course of the show,” MNET explained.
Going further to clarify themselves of the ensuing matter, M-Net informed that they followed the established international format of the series in which a broadcaster screens the show and offers contestants a large television platform from which to begin their careers. Thereafter the relationship between the recording company and the winner is an individual, private business arrangement.
“Around the globe, the relationship between the winner and the prize-giving recording company is one in which the broadcaster is not involved. With Idols West Africa, the recording contract was offered to the winner of the show by Pan African Entertainment (PAE) Sony/BMG,” they stated.
But they went on to assure that given that M-Net does want to see the winner of Idols West Africa find success, it has liaised with Pan African Entertainment regarding this matter and the management responded that that logistical challenges including Timi's overseas performance, his recent injury and visa acquisition have impacted on the production timeline.
“They have advised M-Net that plans for this recording are already well underway and song selection as well as backing tracks have been prepared.”
In respect of the alleged second season of the show, MNET said they have no plan to have a season II of the show and promised that should there be any development to that effect, they would furnish the public with the information.
It was reliably gathered that Peter Theunessen, the Chairman of Pan African Entertainment flew into Nigeria recently to see to it that Timi’s recording session’s starts off immediately.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Scandals rocks Idols West Africa. By Ahaoma Kanu
The reality TV show, “Idols West Africa, which held the attention of many Nigerians and other Africans for days last year may be heading for the rocks as its organizers are not living up to the mouth watering promise of bank-rolling in international recording contract for the 27 year-event winner Timi Dakolo, with Sony BMG.
The recording contract was reportedly promised as part of the prizes won by the singer. National Daily investigations revealed that four months to the expiration of the one year contract, Dakolo is yet to commence recording due to inaction from the event organizers whereas preparations are already in top gear for the second season of the TV show.
The show which ended on May 26 2007 had the optimistic undergraduate student of Mass Communication at the University of Port-Harcourt, scoring 63 per cent of total votes cast from viewers round the continent to become the first winner in the West African version of the show thereby joining the ranks of other Idols winners in the life changing experience which has been described as a dream-come-true-tale.
Unlike the other Idols winners that became instant stars, Timi Dakolo is yet to have the microphone to do what makes him the Idol; this time, not to fans from the stage but in the studio where he is expected to record his songs.
This rather unexpected twist in an already progressive start of his musical career is not only causing the West African Idol sleepless nights and embarrassment, it has made him start losing respect among the millions of people who voted him to emerge the winner last year. He is now thinking about returning to school to finish his education as he fears the one year recording deal he had with SONY BMG International which is the star prize in the competition, is becoming a mirage.
“The songs are ready, but the label I am signed on to; has not started recording, which is not a problem from me. My only fear is that the deal is taking forever to come”, a worried Timi revealed recently while celebrating his birthday at Legato Niteclub in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The contract will expire in May 2008.
When the management of MNET, a Satellite TV Channel, in Partnership with Pan Africa Entertainment Ltd, announced on December 1, 2006, that West Africa will experience the thrills and excitement associated with the Idols competition, it was heralded all over the continent as a welcome development that would give young aspiring artistes in the music circle a chance and platform to exhibit their talents.
No sooner had the gates of the venues for the audition which held in different locations in Nigeria and Ghana, were opened than thousands of hopeful youths from 16 West African countries of - Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Helena, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, appeared to partake in the show which is unarguably one of the most popular and successful reality TV shows that have ever attracted millions of audience voter participation.
After a hectic and eventful selection which came with so much drama, thrills and disappointments, the trio of Ghanaian singer, Abrewa Nana, Fela Kuti’s protégé, Dede Mabiaku and American-born-Nigeria based radio presenter, Dan Foster, who constituted the panel of judges in the show, picked 80 contestants who did make an impression in their performances. The lucky ones were chosen from the audition venues in Lagos, Calabar, Abuja, and Accra.
The number was further reduced to 24 contestants who were given the opportunity to proceed to Planet One Entertainment Centre in Maryland, Lagos, venue of the Idols West Africa show to begin the very intensive part of the show which saw the systematic elimination phase of the contestants as they were voted out one after the other till the last man standing. Week after week, the smiling and at-times-sad face of Michael Adekunle a.k.a Mike Magic, announced the contestants who were shown the way out.
The elimination process reduced the number of contestants to 10 who contested and gradually got evicted from the show. At the end of the day, Timi Dakolo was announced the winner in the First West African Idols Competition with Omawunmi who scored 37 percent emerging first runner up while Temitayo George came third in the competition that lasted close to five months.
Being the winner in the sensational search for the Idol, Timi won an international recording contract with Sony/BMG International; a Kia Picanto car from Dana Group Nigeria; $10 000 from Ecobank while telecommunication company, Celtel, gave him an ultimate viewing prize comprising of a 26 inches flat screen television, I-Pod and cable television system.
But ironically, Timi is yet to fully benefit from his star prize of the international recording contract four months to the expiration of his contract and information exclusively gathered reveals that talks have reached an appreciable extent for the second edition of the show.
When the South African owned Multichoice Nig Ltd, came up with the idea of staging the Idols Show, many observers in the industry were skeptical about how realistic the show would be but the involvement of Pan Africa Entertainment who were the producers of the show, along with the information from Elvina Ibru on how the Idols concept came about, doused whatever doubt anybody had.
Said she, “A friend informed me that a certain company wanted to meet her about their plans of becoming the number one music power in Nigeria. So she wanted me to come along. We went and found out they wanted to bring in international artistes. I advised them rather to make use of the artistes we have in the country because they would need a lot of catching up to do with respect to Nigeria Breweries and Guinness unless they were ready to bring Michael Jackson. I suggested they do a kind of talent competition and they bought the idea. In passing, I mentioned it to my brother, Peter, and he in turn told his friend in South Africa who happened to be working with Fremantle, owners of the Idols franchise in Africa. Coincidentally, MNET had been toying with the idea of staging Idols and somehow, we found ourselves; Pan – African Entertainment and MNET and that was it.”
But it did not take long for signs indicating the earlier fears that the participants and eventual winners of the show stand to be exploited were confirmed.
Prominent among the early signals was the period it took the organizers to announce the prizes for the winner of the show. It took close to three months into the show and so much pressure from the press for the prizes to be announced. Apart from the prizes for the eventual winner, the other contestants got N50, 000 courtesy of Ecobank and a Motorola phone each.
At the presentation ceremony of the Kia Picanto from Dana Motors to Timi, Elvina Ibru announced to the media that the 10 contestants who made the top 10 would proceed on a tour after which Timi will jet out to start recording his album possibly in South Africa. Today, Timi has not being contacted on when he will start recording contract he painstakingly won in the show nor has he stepped his foot in South Africa as was promised. The only time Timi was oppurtuned to travel out of Nigeria was when Celtel took him and Omanwumi to the United Kingdom for the Music of Black Origin Awards (MOBO) and also to Ghana last year.
It became noticeable that all was not well with the outcome of the event when the second runner up, Temitayo George, was not part of the group when the tour was about to kick off. Investigations revealed that as a result of the stringent conditions attached to the contract, Temitayo, daughter of Rev. Dele George who runs the charitable Little Saints Orphanage, refused to put pen on paper.
A contract proposed by Twice As Nice, which had Elvina Ibru as its CEO, made Temitayo opt out of the tour. Though the contract was not compulsive, its terms and conditions were non negotiable.
“I felt I wanted my parents to be my management as they have always been my management. The contract wasn’t really clear to me so I had my lawyer take a look at it. He asked me to wait because the terms there would not really favour me.” Temitayo responded when she was asked by journalists on why she was not part of the tour.
After the road show which took the contestants to Abuja, Lagos and Calabar; they were told to wait for responses from Sony BMG for possible sign on. Apart from Timi, whose contract was automatic, the other contestants were told that they could be signed on provided they were contacted. Omawunmi, Uche, and Jodie were eventually among those selected for the contract.
Further enquiries showed that unlike Timi who was signed on to Sony BMG International automatically for being the winnwr, the rest had terms of their contract different as they would be assigned to indigenous recording labels which meant that Timi’s songs would be recorded in South Africa while those of Omawunmi, Uche and Jodie will be recorded in Nigeria. The expected dste of release for Timi and Omawunmi’s albums was slated for December 2007 while Uche and Jodie album were to be released during or before Easter this year’s celebration of 2008.
But as at the last week of January, Timi is yet to start recording and has not been informed of a likely date the recording session will start suggesting that he might have been dumped by SONY BMG. The delay is causing the Idol start thinking about returning to school.
“I want to go back to school, I will still continue with my music as I don’t want people to look at me and think that if the microphone is taken from me, I will not be able to do another thing,” Timi said recently during his birthday celebration.
When asked if he had been told why the whole project is still on hold, a very disappointed Timi replied, “I don’t know. If there is any problem, it is certainly not from me. I don’t just understand what is happening. I have asked questions and they will say today or tomorrow. This is very frustrating and embarrassing as people who meet me keep asking when my album is coming out,” he lamented.
Timi is not the only person in this dilemma; Omawunmi, Jodie and Uche are faced with similar predicaments. Uche, who became a beneficiary of the “juicy” deal with Sony BMG, was even luckier than the Idol himself.
Carl Raccah, the CEO of Orangootan Records, a record label in Nigeria, had interest in the talent of the young Uche and met with Peter Theunissen, who is the representative of Sony BMG in Africa on signing him. His request was turned down while a completely different deal was offered him; a chance to become a judge in the next edition of the West African Idols which was silently being hatched after one of the telecommunication giants which was involved in the sponsorship of the last edition indicted their willingness to bankroll the project.
Reliable sources revealed that Dan Foster, one of the judges is very much involved in the talks suggesting that Dede Mabiaku may be the likely judge to be dropped
Having got a willing sponsor and with talks going on, a little problem was perceived; it would be embarrassing for the second edition of the West African Idols to begin without the substantive works of the earlier winners on ground.
In order to clear the tide and take care of the situation, Uche was immediately granted leave to start recording with Orangootan Records and it was reliably gathered that he has started recording sessions with Cobhams Asuquo.
According to a reliable source, “what they intend to do is to hastily release a single from any of the former Idols Contestants and put it on air so that it would not clash with the upcoming Idols second edition.”
And to make sure that is realized, Orangootan Records was given a deadline to finish up with Uche’s work by the middle of February and have a single released in that same February so that the album will be released in March this year. This rush had led to Uche’s intended 14-track album to be reduced to 10 tracks.
Interestingly, while all the plans about the next Idols Show were being plotted, Twice As Nice which played a major role in realizing Idols West Africa, is being kept on the dark on the new deal. Evidently, the South Africans have schemed Elvina Ibru and family out of the Idols show.
Many observers of the unfolding drama are not surprised as there were so many indications that the show after all, was not particularly held with the sincere objective of finding a singer they can help launch his career as is obtainable in Idols around the world, one motive that stands out in the whole arrangement is the quest to make money from SMS sent by viewers while voting.
Moreso, factual statistics stood some distance away as Alexander Forbes the firm that authenticated the votes came out with final results in each of the stages with only percentiles that had no grand total. Unlike the American Idols were more than 60 millions votes were announced cast, Africans were not informed the grand total of votes cast or the likely approximate.
Again, there were insinuations in some quarters that the idea of all the contestants performing together on the final day was actually not in the Idols schedule. A reality TV show company alleged that the idea was stolen from the proposal of a similar show which they had submitted with one of the main sponsors of the West African Idol show while they were looking for sponsorship.
While the West Africa Idol, Timi, is still waiting for a recording deal that might never come, MNET’s Director of Operation for Sub-Saharan Africa, Joseph Hundah, had announced another Idols auditions which will begin next month before it hits the screens in April 2008 from its new home in Nairobi and will be open to citizens of Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Reunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia and Swaziland.
Unlike other Idols like Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Will Young, Karin Kortjie, Heinz Winkler and Jordin Spark, who have been treated to the elegance and stardom normally associated with the show which has over 37 million viewers and grossed a global number of votes exceeded 36m, will the next editions of the West African Idols produce a real Idol? Maybe Timi Dakolo can give a better answer.
The recording contract was reportedly promised as part of the prizes won by the singer. National Daily investigations revealed that four months to the expiration of the one year contract, Dakolo is yet to commence recording due to inaction from the event organizers whereas preparations are already in top gear for the second season of the TV show.
The show which ended on May 26 2007 had the optimistic undergraduate student of Mass Communication at the University of Port-Harcourt, scoring 63 per cent of total votes cast from viewers round the continent to become the first winner in the West African version of the show thereby joining the ranks of other Idols winners in the life changing experience which has been described as a dream-come-true-tale.
Unlike the other Idols winners that became instant stars, Timi Dakolo is yet to have the microphone to do what makes him the Idol; this time, not to fans from the stage but in the studio where he is expected to record his songs.
This rather unexpected twist in an already progressive start of his musical career is not only causing the West African Idol sleepless nights and embarrassment, it has made him start losing respect among the millions of people who voted him to emerge the winner last year. He is now thinking about returning to school to finish his education as he fears the one year recording deal he had with SONY BMG International which is the star prize in the competition, is becoming a mirage.
“The songs are ready, but the label I am signed on to; has not started recording, which is not a problem from me. My only fear is that the deal is taking forever to come”, a worried Timi revealed recently while celebrating his birthday at Legato Niteclub in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The contract will expire in May 2008.
When the management of MNET, a Satellite TV Channel, in Partnership with Pan Africa Entertainment Ltd, announced on December 1, 2006, that West Africa will experience the thrills and excitement associated with the Idols competition, it was heralded all over the continent as a welcome development that would give young aspiring artistes in the music circle a chance and platform to exhibit their talents.
No sooner had the gates of the venues for the audition which held in different locations in Nigeria and Ghana, were opened than thousands of hopeful youths from 16 West African countries of - Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Helena, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, appeared to partake in the show which is unarguably one of the most popular and successful reality TV shows that have ever attracted millions of audience voter participation.
After a hectic and eventful selection which came with so much drama, thrills and disappointments, the trio of Ghanaian singer, Abrewa Nana, Fela Kuti’s protégé, Dede Mabiaku and American-born-Nigeria based radio presenter, Dan Foster, who constituted the panel of judges in the show, picked 80 contestants who did make an impression in their performances. The lucky ones were chosen from the audition venues in Lagos, Calabar, Abuja, and Accra.
The number was further reduced to 24 contestants who were given the opportunity to proceed to Planet One Entertainment Centre in Maryland, Lagos, venue of the Idols West Africa show to begin the very intensive part of the show which saw the systematic elimination phase of the contestants as they were voted out one after the other till the last man standing. Week after week, the smiling and at-times-sad face of Michael Adekunle a.k.a Mike Magic, announced the contestants who were shown the way out.
The elimination process reduced the number of contestants to 10 who contested and gradually got evicted from the show. At the end of the day, Timi Dakolo was announced the winner in the First West African Idols Competition with Omawunmi who scored 37 percent emerging first runner up while Temitayo George came third in the competition that lasted close to five months.
Being the winner in the sensational search for the Idol, Timi won an international recording contract with Sony/BMG International; a Kia Picanto car from Dana Group Nigeria; $10 000 from Ecobank while telecommunication company, Celtel, gave him an ultimate viewing prize comprising of a 26 inches flat screen television, I-Pod and cable television system.
But ironically, Timi is yet to fully benefit from his star prize of the international recording contract four months to the expiration of his contract and information exclusively gathered reveals that talks have reached an appreciable extent for the second edition of the show.
When the South African owned Multichoice Nig Ltd, came up with the idea of staging the Idols Show, many observers in the industry were skeptical about how realistic the show would be but the involvement of Pan Africa Entertainment who were the producers of the show, along with the information from Elvina Ibru on how the Idols concept came about, doused whatever doubt anybody had.
Said she, “A friend informed me that a certain company wanted to meet her about their plans of becoming the number one music power in Nigeria. So she wanted me to come along. We went and found out they wanted to bring in international artistes. I advised them rather to make use of the artistes we have in the country because they would need a lot of catching up to do with respect to Nigeria Breweries and Guinness unless they were ready to bring Michael Jackson. I suggested they do a kind of talent competition and they bought the idea. In passing, I mentioned it to my brother, Peter, and he in turn told his friend in South Africa who happened to be working with Fremantle, owners of the Idols franchise in Africa. Coincidentally, MNET had been toying with the idea of staging Idols and somehow, we found ourselves; Pan – African Entertainment and MNET and that was it.”
But it did not take long for signs indicating the earlier fears that the participants and eventual winners of the show stand to be exploited were confirmed.
Prominent among the early signals was the period it took the organizers to announce the prizes for the winner of the show. It took close to three months into the show and so much pressure from the press for the prizes to be announced. Apart from the prizes for the eventual winner, the other contestants got N50, 000 courtesy of Ecobank and a Motorola phone each.
At the presentation ceremony of the Kia Picanto from Dana Motors to Timi, Elvina Ibru announced to the media that the 10 contestants who made the top 10 would proceed on a tour after which Timi will jet out to start recording his album possibly in South Africa. Today, Timi has not being contacted on when he will start recording contract he painstakingly won in the show nor has he stepped his foot in South Africa as was promised. The only time Timi was oppurtuned to travel out of Nigeria was when Celtel took him and Omanwumi to the United Kingdom for the Music of Black Origin Awards (MOBO) and also to Ghana last year.
It became noticeable that all was not well with the outcome of the event when the second runner up, Temitayo George, was not part of the group when the tour was about to kick off. Investigations revealed that as a result of the stringent conditions attached to the contract, Temitayo, daughter of Rev. Dele George who runs the charitable Little Saints Orphanage, refused to put pen on paper.
A contract proposed by Twice As Nice, which had Elvina Ibru as its CEO, made Temitayo opt out of the tour. Though the contract was not compulsive, its terms and conditions were non negotiable.
“I felt I wanted my parents to be my management as they have always been my management. The contract wasn’t really clear to me so I had my lawyer take a look at it. He asked me to wait because the terms there would not really favour me.” Temitayo responded when she was asked by journalists on why she was not part of the tour.
After the road show which took the contestants to Abuja, Lagos and Calabar; they were told to wait for responses from Sony BMG for possible sign on. Apart from Timi, whose contract was automatic, the other contestants were told that they could be signed on provided they were contacted. Omawunmi, Uche, and Jodie were eventually among those selected for the contract.
Further enquiries showed that unlike Timi who was signed on to Sony BMG International automatically for being the winnwr, the rest had terms of their contract different as they would be assigned to indigenous recording labels which meant that Timi’s songs would be recorded in South Africa while those of Omawunmi, Uche and Jodie will be recorded in Nigeria. The expected dste of release for Timi and Omawunmi’s albums was slated for December 2007 while Uche and Jodie album were to be released during or before Easter this year’s celebration of 2008.
But as at the last week of January, Timi is yet to start recording and has not been informed of a likely date the recording session will start suggesting that he might have been dumped by SONY BMG. The delay is causing the Idol start thinking about returning to school.
“I want to go back to school, I will still continue with my music as I don’t want people to look at me and think that if the microphone is taken from me, I will not be able to do another thing,” Timi said recently during his birthday celebration.
When asked if he had been told why the whole project is still on hold, a very disappointed Timi replied, “I don’t know. If there is any problem, it is certainly not from me. I don’t just understand what is happening. I have asked questions and they will say today or tomorrow. This is very frustrating and embarrassing as people who meet me keep asking when my album is coming out,” he lamented.
Timi is not the only person in this dilemma; Omawunmi, Jodie and Uche are faced with similar predicaments. Uche, who became a beneficiary of the “juicy” deal with Sony BMG, was even luckier than the Idol himself.
Carl Raccah, the CEO of Orangootan Records, a record label in Nigeria, had interest in the talent of the young Uche and met with Peter Theunissen, who is the representative of Sony BMG in Africa on signing him. His request was turned down while a completely different deal was offered him; a chance to become a judge in the next edition of the West African Idols which was silently being hatched after one of the telecommunication giants which was involved in the sponsorship of the last edition indicted their willingness to bankroll the project.
Reliable sources revealed that Dan Foster, one of the judges is very much involved in the talks suggesting that Dede Mabiaku may be the likely judge to be dropped
Having got a willing sponsor and with talks going on, a little problem was perceived; it would be embarrassing for the second edition of the West African Idols to begin without the substantive works of the earlier winners on ground.
In order to clear the tide and take care of the situation, Uche was immediately granted leave to start recording with Orangootan Records and it was reliably gathered that he has started recording sessions with Cobhams Asuquo.
According to a reliable source, “what they intend to do is to hastily release a single from any of the former Idols Contestants and put it on air so that it would not clash with the upcoming Idols second edition.”
And to make sure that is realized, Orangootan Records was given a deadline to finish up with Uche’s work by the middle of February and have a single released in that same February so that the album will be released in March this year. This rush had led to Uche’s intended 14-track album to be reduced to 10 tracks.
Interestingly, while all the plans about the next Idols Show were being plotted, Twice As Nice which played a major role in realizing Idols West Africa, is being kept on the dark on the new deal. Evidently, the South Africans have schemed Elvina Ibru and family out of the Idols show.
Many observers of the unfolding drama are not surprised as there were so many indications that the show after all, was not particularly held with the sincere objective of finding a singer they can help launch his career as is obtainable in Idols around the world, one motive that stands out in the whole arrangement is the quest to make money from SMS sent by viewers while voting.
Moreso, factual statistics stood some distance away as Alexander Forbes the firm that authenticated the votes came out with final results in each of the stages with only percentiles that had no grand total. Unlike the American Idols were more than 60 millions votes were announced cast, Africans were not informed the grand total of votes cast or the likely approximate.
Again, there were insinuations in some quarters that the idea of all the contestants performing together on the final day was actually not in the Idols schedule. A reality TV show company alleged that the idea was stolen from the proposal of a similar show which they had submitted with one of the main sponsors of the West African Idol show while they were looking for sponsorship.
While the West Africa Idol, Timi, is still waiting for a recording deal that might never come, MNET’s Director of Operation for Sub-Saharan Africa, Joseph Hundah, had announced another Idols auditions which will begin next month before it hits the screens in April 2008 from its new home in Nairobi and will be open to citizens of Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Reunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia and Swaziland.
Unlike other Idols like Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Will Young, Karin Kortjie, Heinz Winkler and Jordin Spark, who have been treated to the elegance and stardom normally associated with the show which has over 37 million viewers and grossed a global number of votes exceeded 36m, will the next editions of the West African Idols produce a real Idol? Maybe Timi Dakolo can give a better answer.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Between Ribadu, Ibori, Iyabo Obasanjo and FG: The script the want to act.
I just saw on Channels News now that the former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, has been flown to the National Hospital in Abuja for treatment over undisclosed ailments. Also in the same news channel, I learnt that the former EFCC boss, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has come out to deny the allegations that he owns houses in Abuja and Dubai as was notoriously reported in the media.
Earlier in the day, the EFCC, without their former boss, had declared Chief Lucky Igbenedion, the former governor of Edo State, wanted over charges on corruption, mismanagement of funds and corrupt enrichment; the moustache bearing son of Chief Gabriel Igbenidion, the Esama of Benin, was abruptly absent from his father’s last birthday celebration which according to the Benin tradition is a taboo and great omen.
What am I trying to arrive at you may ask; all of what you are seeing happening in Nigeria is a grand plot by the powers that be to deceive the world, confuse Nigerians and institutionalize corruption as it were since the assumption of the PDP to run the affairs of this country.
When the brouhaha that was started by the memo forwarded to the presidency some couple of days ago suggesting that the president to okay the redeployment of the erstwhile EFCC boss to proceed on a course at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, I saw the well orchestrated strategy that had the strings of falsehood, pretence and a general objective of saving some of the embattled leaders that have taken this country into a much messier mess that it has been.
Now look at the script being acted by the so called leaders poised to tackle corruption.
Act One
Scene one: The Arrest
Scene: Abuja.
After enough hiding and criss-crossing from country to country, Chief James Ibori knew that the game was up because the long arm of the law was closing in on him. He had ridiculed the British Judiciary by deceiving one of its judges to de-freeze his assets in the UK valued at over 35 Million pounds. The order which was given by Right Honorable Lord Justice Thomas, sitting in Chambers on the 14th of October, 2007 in the Appeal Court accepted to vary its earlier order of October 8 2007, which restrained access to them.
While Nigerians and friends of Nigeria were asking if this really happened, the state government in Delta State, led by the governor Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, declared a thanksgiving service in the state. The vibrant Nigeria media made the world know that it took a letter from the Attorney-General of the federation, Mr. Michael Aondaokaa, to the British court to reach that regrettable decision. They thought they were smart but they just added a fresh plot that had had an aggrieved Metropolitan Police as the playwright. It took some few weeks for the Court of Appeal criminal division sitting in London to unanimously rule that the Southwark Crown Court erred by lifting the restraining order on his worldwide assets on October 1 2007.
That was the beginning of the end of the man popularly called Ogidiboribo; whatever that means. If Ibori thought that losing an attempt to sustain an ex-parte motion which he may have ‘paid’ for bearing in mind the manner ex-parte motions were being handed out in Nigeria like affidavits for sale near any court in the country was another scene not on the original plot of the grandmasters.
Still believing that he was really above the law, an assumption that was beginning to hold sway in Nigeria due to alleged reports of his financing the present administration with a handsome electioneering capital to the tune of N9b, Ibori got the shock of his life when his dear wife and suspected partner in life and crime who held the office of the first lady in Delta State for eight years, Mrs. Theresa Nkoyo Nakanda Ibori, was arrested by the London Metropolitan on November 1st 2007 on charges of money laundering extensive money laundering at Heathrow Airport in London on her way to sneak out to a safer Nigeria. The Delta State assumed godfather knew that there was fire on the mountain.
He kept eluding the law until December 12th when he was apprehended by the EFCC at the Kwara State Government Lodge in Asokoro area of Abuja and later arraigned with a 103-count of alleged corruption and abuse of office by a Kaduna High Court. He was denied bail and spent both the Christmas and New Year in jail; a place he had miraculously missed on three occasions. The powers that be began looking for a twist in the tale.
Scene Two
Scene: Abuja
The N3.5b can of worms and a slighted Baba.
While many people in the Niger-Delta region were still rejoicing at the fall of the giant, another hidden chapter to another event that were related in nature but conspicuously interested was opened and the actor in the center of the storm was no other than a serving senator of the federal republic, Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello; the daughter of the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Iyabo who is the senator representing Ogun senatorial district, was named in a controversy surrounding N3.5billion contracts in the power sector in a matter before the International Court of Arbitration in Paris, France, where her business partner, M. Schneider, an Austrian company, petitioned the Presidency and the EFCC over what it called the “fraudulent, corrupt and criminal nature involving Senator (Mrs) Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello (alias Mrs Damilola Akinlawon), then serving as a Commissioner with the Ogun State Government”. Many started asking the question, who shall tell the president? It was time for Nuhu Ribadu to actually show the world that he was a upright man and was by no means biased as has been alleged on his fight against corruption. The EFCC came out to acknowledge the report and promised they were going to look into the matter. Ribadu may have shown that he was growing more wings than his creator and chief Oga wanted him to have; in other words, Baba was annoyed.
Act Two
Scene One
The Memo.
While Nuhu and his gang were busy trying to finalize plans on how to tackle Ibori when his case comes up at the court with fresh charges on him, some unforeseen forces were also deliberating on the best way to ease the young man from Yola out before he came too close. The looked around carefully as the mafia and found one water tight way to eliminate the EFCC boss; send him on a course. The ball fell on no other than the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro.
When the news broke out, all hell was let loose as so many people, human rights groups, and religious bodies called for a reverse of the order. But the establishment would not be cowed when there was no union leader like Adams Oshiomole who is famed for crippling the economy with mere words.
After a little more drama, Nuhu was sent to NIPSS by the presidency in a manner Baba may have heaved a sigh of relief by saying, “good riddance to bad nonsense.”
Act Three
Scene One
Give a dog a bad name to hang it.
With the acceptance of the former EFCC boss to proceed to NIPSS, a situation which made a number of police officers attached to the EFCC to ignore a call by their IG, the establishment were still scared that this small shit wey dey spoil yansh may have documents that may pull them down; after all, he got Tafa with just one stone like the story of David and Goliath; who would forget in a hurry the revelations Major Mustapha made at the Oputa panel. The resolve was to make him look bad before the people and thus, the Dubai and Abuja houses allegations.
Scene Two
EFCC makes some noise, create a smokescreen that would cover Ibori and Stella, Odili inclusive.
With Nuhu trying to fight the restoration of his dignity and reputation, one godfather, over a glass of champagne , suggested, “ if we don’t do something that will make the EFCC look active, Nigerians will start crying wolf and call for the return of this boy o, it has already started with the police refusing to heed their oga.”
So, the EFCC were given the nod to cry out in their loudest voice that Lucky Igbenedion is a wanted man. They did that yesterday in a style that has no signature of the way the agency operates under Ribadu. While people were rejoicing over the noise that was made, Ibori suddenly falls sick and was flown not to ABUTH or any other hospital around Kaduna but to the National Hospital Abuja where he would be close to his friends at Aso Rock.
They may even share some bottles of champagne over how they dealt with that boy. The smokescreen has just been released and ask yourself; since this Ribadu, NIPSS saga began, how many times have you heard about Iyabo Obasanjo and her involvement in the N3.5b scandal with the Austrian firm? Whether you like it or not, Ibori, Odili, Kalu, Iyabo Obasanjo and Obasanjo himself will all be free people in Nigeria; who can touch them?
Earlier in the day, the EFCC, without their former boss, had declared Chief Lucky Igbenedion, the former governor of Edo State, wanted over charges on corruption, mismanagement of funds and corrupt enrichment; the moustache bearing son of Chief Gabriel Igbenidion, the Esama of Benin, was abruptly absent from his father’s last birthday celebration which according to the Benin tradition is a taboo and great omen.
What am I trying to arrive at you may ask; all of what you are seeing happening in Nigeria is a grand plot by the powers that be to deceive the world, confuse Nigerians and institutionalize corruption as it were since the assumption of the PDP to run the affairs of this country.
When the brouhaha that was started by the memo forwarded to the presidency some couple of days ago suggesting that the president to okay the redeployment of the erstwhile EFCC boss to proceed on a course at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, I saw the well orchestrated strategy that had the strings of falsehood, pretence and a general objective of saving some of the embattled leaders that have taken this country into a much messier mess that it has been.
Now look at the script being acted by the so called leaders poised to tackle corruption.
Act One
Scene one: The Arrest
Scene: Abuja.
After enough hiding and criss-crossing from country to country, Chief James Ibori knew that the game was up because the long arm of the law was closing in on him. He had ridiculed the British Judiciary by deceiving one of its judges to de-freeze his assets in the UK valued at over 35 Million pounds. The order which was given by Right Honorable Lord Justice Thomas, sitting in Chambers on the 14th of October, 2007 in the Appeal Court accepted to vary its earlier order of October 8 2007, which restrained access to them.
While Nigerians and friends of Nigeria were asking if this really happened, the state government in Delta State, led by the governor Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, declared a thanksgiving service in the state. The vibrant Nigeria media made the world know that it took a letter from the Attorney-General of the federation, Mr. Michael Aondaokaa, to the British court to reach that regrettable decision. They thought they were smart but they just added a fresh plot that had had an aggrieved Metropolitan Police as the playwright. It took some few weeks for the Court of Appeal criminal division sitting in London to unanimously rule that the Southwark Crown Court erred by lifting the restraining order on his worldwide assets on October 1 2007.
That was the beginning of the end of the man popularly called Ogidiboribo; whatever that means. If Ibori thought that losing an attempt to sustain an ex-parte motion which he may have ‘paid’ for bearing in mind the manner ex-parte motions were being handed out in Nigeria like affidavits for sale near any court in the country was another scene not on the original plot of the grandmasters.
Still believing that he was really above the law, an assumption that was beginning to hold sway in Nigeria due to alleged reports of his financing the present administration with a handsome electioneering capital to the tune of N9b, Ibori got the shock of his life when his dear wife and suspected partner in life and crime who held the office of the first lady in Delta State for eight years, Mrs. Theresa Nkoyo Nakanda Ibori, was arrested by the London Metropolitan on November 1st 2007 on charges of money laundering extensive money laundering at Heathrow Airport in London on her way to sneak out to a safer Nigeria. The Delta State assumed godfather knew that there was fire on the mountain.
He kept eluding the law until December 12th when he was apprehended by the EFCC at the Kwara State Government Lodge in Asokoro area of Abuja and later arraigned with a 103-count of alleged corruption and abuse of office by a Kaduna High Court. He was denied bail and spent both the Christmas and New Year in jail; a place he had miraculously missed on three occasions. The powers that be began looking for a twist in the tale.
Scene Two
Scene: Abuja
The N3.5b can of worms and a slighted Baba.
While many people in the Niger-Delta region were still rejoicing at the fall of the giant, another hidden chapter to another event that were related in nature but conspicuously interested was opened and the actor in the center of the storm was no other than a serving senator of the federal republic, Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello; the daughter of the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Iyabo who is the senator representing Ogun senatorial district, was named in a controversy surrounding N3.5billion contracts in the power sector in a matter before the International Court of Arbitration in Paris, France, where her business partner, M. Schneider, an Austrian company, petitioned the Presidency and the EFCC over what it called the “fraudulent, corrupt and criminal nature involving Senator (Mrs) Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello (alias Mrs Damilola Akinlawon), then serving as a Commissioner with the Ogun State Government”. Many started asking the question, who shall tell the president? It was time for Nuhu Ribadu to actually show the world that he was a upright man and was by no means biased as has been alleged on his fight against corruption. The EFCC came out to acknowledge the report and promised they were going to look into the matter. Ribadu may have shown that he was growing more wings than his creator and chief Oga wanted him to have; in other words, Baba was annoyed.
Act Two
Scene One
The Memo.
While Nuhu and his gang were busy trying to finalize plans on how to tackle Ibori when his case comes up at the court with fresh charges on him, some unforeseen forces were also deliberating on the best way to ease the young man from Yola out before he came too close. The looked around carefully as the mafia and found one water tight way to eliminate the EFCC boss; send him on a course. The ball fell on no other than the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro.
When the news broke out, all hell was let loose as so many people, human rights groups, and religious bodies called for a reverse of the order. But the establishment would not be cowed when there was no union leader like Adams Oshiomole who is famed for crippling the economy with mere words.
After a little more drama, Nuhu was sent to NIPSS by the presidency in a manner Baba may have heaved a sigh of relief by saying, “good riddance to bad nonsense.”
Act Three
Scene One
Give a dog a bad name to hang it.
With the acceptance of the former EFCC boss to proceed to NIPSS, a situation which made a number of police officers attached to the EFCC to ignore a call by their IG, the establishment were still scared that this small shit wey dey spoil yansh may have documents that may pull them down; after all, he got Tafa with just one stone like the story of David and Goliath; who would forget in a hurry the revelations Major Mustapha made at the Oputa panel. The resolve was to make him look bad before the people and thus, the Dubai and Abuja houses allegations.
Scene Two
EFCC makes some noise, create a smokescreen that would cover Ibori and Stella, Odili inclusive.
With Nuhu trying to fight the restoration of his dignity and reputation, one godfather, over a glass of champagne , suggested, “ if we don’t do something that will make the EFCC look active, Nigerians will start crying wolf and call for the return of this boy o, it has already started with the police refusing to heed their oga.”
So, the EFCC were given the nod to cry out in their loudest voice that Lucky Igbenedion is a wanted man. They did that yesterday in a style that has no signature of the way the agency operates under Ribadu. While people were rejoicing over the noise that was made, Ibori suddenly falls sick and was flown not to ABUTH or any other hospital around Kaduna but to the National Hospital Abuja where he would be close to his friends at Aso Rock.
They may even share some bottles of champagne over how they dealt with that boy. The smokescreen has just been released and ask yourself; since this Ribadu, NIPSS saga began, how many times have you heard about Iyabo Obasanjo and her involvement in the N3.5b scandal with the Austrian firm? Whether you like it or not, Ibori, Odili, Kalu, Iyabo Obasanjo and Obasanjo himself will all be free people in Nigeria; who can touch them?
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