Stephanie Ghaida finally explains why she decided to make Nigerian music
Discussing with us, the singer revealed that she decided to make Nigerian music because she lived most of her life in Nigeria and she is still living in Nigeria till now. He also revealed a lot of things about her personal life
1. Could you please give us a brief history about yourself and your family members?
I'm Stephanie Ghaida. I'm 18 years old and I celebrate my birthday with the Nigerian Independence Day. I'm Lebanese, but I've lived most of my life in Nigeria since my father was born here and spend all his life in Nigeria. Our family consists of 5 members, my parents, my elder sister Nadine and younger brother Samer.
2. For how long have you been Singing and at what point did you discover your talent
I've been singing since I was 3 years old and discovered my talent at the age of 13 from friends and family.
3. Why Did you choose to Make Nigerian Music instead of Your Countries music?
I've lived most of my life in Nigeria and I'm still living in Nigeria till now. I'm into English music. I love listening to Arabic songs but I'm not so good at singing it.
4. What projects you are currently working on? Which project is going to be released first in the coming days?
I'm working on a few songs that will be released in the next few weeks by the Grace of God.
5. Do you believe in love at first sight?
I believe in love, but admiration at first sight and love comes later.
6. Who is your ideal man?
If I start I'll never end.
Conclusion: complete man in all means.
7. Which Celebrity would you like to work with? Local and Internationally.
I would love to work with Enrique Iglesias and Davido.
8. Who inspires you and why?
Oprah Winfrey inspires not only me, but many people around the world because she's passed through a lot in life and always stood strong and never gave up. She taught us women to stand for ourselves and made a tv program for them to go and talk about everything they're passing through! She is one strong willed woman who has defied age and gender and has been super successful! #Respect
9. On what do you spend the most: clothes, accessories, perfumes, underwear, or anything else?
On all.
10. Do you think as a foreigner the public and critics will expect too much from you?
Yes I do!
Push it up link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZwun23MUuY
Check out Stephanie Ghaida On instagram @stephanie_ghaida .
Guys do you think she will succeed in the Nigerian Music Industry?
More photos of her below...
Federal ministry of health on fire
There
was a fire incident at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja today. The fire
reportedly started on the sixth floor of the building,
which houses major government offices, and is believed to have affected
the seventh and eighth floors.
According to Channels TV,
the damaged area is reported to be occupied by the Federal Ministry of
Education. No casualty was recorded. More photos after the cut.
The Epistle Of 'Saint' Babangida By SOC Okenwa
Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) is a retired armored General in the
Nigerian Armed Forces. A professional coup plotter, he ruled the giant
of Africa from August 1985 to August 1993. He was forced to 'step aside'
following the violent aftermath of the June 12 '93 presidential
election won 'fair and square' by the late Bashorun MKO Abiola.
Babangida never wanted to hand over power to anyone hence the
culmination of the hidden agenda that played itself out at every stage
of the bogus transition program designed from the onset to fail.
Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) is a retired armored General in the Nigerian Armed Forces. A professional coup plotter, he ruled the giant of Africa from August 1985 to August 1993. He was forced to 'step aside' following the violent aftermath of the June 12 '93 presidential election won 'fair and square' by the late Bashorun MKO Abiola. Babangida never wanted to hand over power to anyone hence the culmination of the hidden agenda that played itself out at every stage of the bogus transition program designed from the onset to fail. Some critical minds had described the transition program fraught with intrigues as the greatest electoral fraud ever imposed on a sovereign people! And we agree. Twenty four years after June 12 remains a watershed in the annals of our political history.
Babangida means many things to many people. Some like calling him "the evil genius", a moniker he himself had acknowledged in the affirmative of being a truism. Others prefer to address him as 'Maradona' given his toxic political dribbling skills. The original Maradona, a popular soccer legend from Argentina dazzled the world with his football talent winning gold for his country and making both money and name for himself and country. Nearer home you have another soccer legend, Senator George Weah, former Ballon D'or winner, who could become Liberia's President later this year. But IBB was a 'militrician' who conned us all for eight giddy years in a political engineering and re-engineering never before seen in our history. He had banned political parties and politicians and unbanned them creating two political parties in his own image -- NRC and SDP.
And for others still, IBB was a courageous soldier who had fought a war to keep Nigeria one -- even when that war led to the extermination of millions of Igbos seeking the Biafran nationhood. For this group, IBB must be a survivalist for surviving many coup d'etats aimed at demystifying him in power and generally surviving the crude politics Nigeriana that constantly featured betrayals and hypocrisy of the worst kind. But for some uncharitable others (including yours sincerely) Babangida was a crafty kleptocrat who stole the nation blind becoming a billionaire as he retreated to his Minna hill-top mansion containing hundreds of rooms!
Like him or loathe him, however, Babangida will forever be remembered in our collective consciousness for good or evil. He came to power via a bloodless coup against the then Head of State (and now invisible President!) Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. He was the Chief of Army Staff then, so part of the ruling military elite. IBB and his boys had claimed that they struck because Buhari was endangering the democratic prospects of Nigerians by his dictatorial tendencies. They cited some examples like the dreaded draconian Decree 4 that was used to kill some drug peddlers and jail some press-men. Buhari and the late Gen. Tunde Idiagbon were overthrown because Babangida was desperate for power in order to be able to cover his corrupt past. President Buhari himself had acknowledged the fact that he was shoved off power because his administration was investigating some senior military officers (including IBB) for corrupt practices and indiscipline.
When the late Major Gideon Okar and other junior officers staged a bloody revolt to oust Babangida from Dodan Barracks in Lagos they had released a statement detailing the reason behind their treasonable action. Though the coup was shortlived the damage had been done to the Babangida regime. Okar and co had accused Babangida of many things including homosexuality, grand larceny, murder and illicit 'deals' unbecoming of the office he was then occupying unconstitutionally. Besides, they went a step further by excising some northern states from the federation and giving conditions for their re-admission! Okar and his fellow adventurers were summarily tried, convicted and executed. But they were not alone. Babangida's childhood friend and best-man during his wedding, Mamman Vatsa, and others equally tasted bullets of the firing squad after being accused of coup plotting!
The failed Okar coup shook Babangida so much that he fled Dodan Barracks for Aso Rock in Abuja. Arriving the Villa in a jiffy IBB was alleged to have sacrificed scores of live cows to Allah for sparing his life and making it possible for the official (albeit unceremonious) relocation from the chaotic state of aquatic splendor to the serene FCT! Abuja presented Babangida with an opportunity to transform himself into a Mobutu or Bokassa. The fortress of Aso Rock gave him the false sense of security and tempted him to become an emperor in a nation without an empire. To play a Herod or Pharoah there must be an Egypt!
Alas, after a confused lonely long distance race he ended up killing 'Hope '93' and the prospect of greatness it bore for suffering Nigerians. Even the hero (Abiola) and his wife (Kudirat) paid the supreme price for standing by the mandate freely given. Babangida, by annulling June 12 criminally proved himself a villain of all times.
His legacy will indeed endure long after keeping a date with the grim reaper. At 76 Babangida must apologize to Nigerians for taking their hopes and aspirations away without any cogent reason. Otherwise, if he goes to the great beyond without the expression of public contrition we shall be glad to revisit his many sins posthumously. June 12 and Bashorun Abiola will always haunt him to his grave. Now as a septuagenarian IBB knows deep down in his body and soul that he is getting ever nearer to the grave with each passing day. He is much closer to the end than the beginning thereof! But before his eventual obituary, he needs to humble himself by doing the needful: atoning for his June 12 crime! For the June 12 perfidy would continue to define his forced entry into and exit from our political space.
Today no one talks about the many white elephant projects IBB bequeathed our generation; projects like Mass Mobilisation for Social Justice and Economic Recovery (MAMSER). People like Prof. Jerry Gana made name and money for themselves yet no one was ever mobilized for any social justice or economic recovery! Projects like the Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructures (DFRRI). Or the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) that sapped our morals and gave jobs to the boys in the media. IBB left Nigeria worse than he had met it -- even leaving the nation more polarised and disunited than ever before!
I saw IBB at a close range in Benin City in the early 90's. As a student in my youthful innocence, Babangida had paid a state visit to Edo State. And there I stood at Upper Lawani street junction among people lining New Lagos Road as the presidential outriders attracted our attention by the sirens. Standing side by side with the then Governor (and now APC Chairman) John Odigie-Oyegun on top of the state-of-the-art presidential car Babangida waved at us grinning and obviously feeling on top of his little corrupt world. Diminutive, physiologically sound, fair-complexioned and decked in an immaculate green military ceremonial costume he must have mistaken the large crowd turnout as a measure of his popularity!
Recently Gen. Babangida released a missile of a missive via a statement from Minna against the background of the mounting social tensions across ethnic lines in the country: Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's IPOB campaigning for the Biafran nationhood and the Arewa youths issuing a quit notice to the Igbos living in the north. It was quintessential IBB: brutally frank, statesmanly and detribalized. The epistle of the 'Prince of the Niger' was unusually lengthy and coherent dripping with patriotic rhetorics and historical antecedents. It drew attention to the dangers inherent in fanning the embers of ethnic hatred and beating the drum of war. But more importantly, IBB strongly canvassed for the establishment of the state police, devolution of more powers to the states and the fundamental restructuring of the country.
Before him was former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who has openly queried some of the policies of his party and is believed to be eyeing the presidency in 2019.Abubakar is a known supporter of restructuring so his call is nothing new. But the fiery Kaduna state Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, had risen in stout defense of the defective federal status quo maintaining that those calling for restructuring were hypocrites and irresponsible! The controversial loquacious state Chief Executive is known to be a conservative element hell-bent on defending the indefensible. Here is a man who thus far has not been able to fulfill his promise of arresting and prosecuting the Arewa youths calling on the Igbos to quit the north before October 1st. Here is a man who has deliberately refused to lay his hands on any rampaging Fulani herdsman -- killing and raping and committing arson across the length and breadth of the country with impunity.
If anyone could be described as a hypocrite or an irresponsible political animal then it is El-Rufai that fits the description. He runs his mouth yet his performance so far as Kaduna Governor has seen many religious killings of Christians and persecution of bloggers and the opposition. So who is fooling whom here?
The Babangida epistle cannot be described here as one full of fire and fury signifying nothing. Hell no! It was generally a good one from all indications in these trying times for our dear nation. But the problem is that while the message sounded good to the ear the messenger was discredited long ago! His hypocrisy cannot be disputed. The statement, more or less, portrayed the image of a repentant mad Mullah in desperate search of some spiritual rehabilitation nay, sainthood. We refuse to accord him one.
SOC Okenwa
soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr
SOC Okenwa
Two dead, several injured as youths and vigilante group clash in Kontagora, Niger State over death of a teenager
Two young men have been confirmed dead with several injured
in a clash between youths and members of a vigilante group and in
Angwan Yaman, Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger State.
Spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, (DSP) Bala Elkana, who confirmed the incident in Minna on Friday, said the violence which broke out on Thursday was caused by the death of a 17-old boy who was allegedly tortured by members of the vigilance group.
“Only two people died while five others sustained injuries, with one of the youths a female, critically injured,” he said.
He added that death of the boy led to violent demonstration
by the youths in the area against the vigilance group which led to the
death of the second victim.
The second victim, 20- year old man, was killed when
members of the vigilance group used firearms to disperse the protesting
youths, who attempted to burn their head office.
He said that anti-riot police were drafted to the area to restore peace and bring the demonstration under control.
Meanwhile, two personnel of the vigilance group had been arrested by the police for torturing the 17-year old boy.
"We have ordered the arrest of members of the vigilance group who were alleged to have arrested, kept and tortured the young man as they have no power to do so." said Elkana.
“There is no law authorising them to detain anybody talkless of torturing the person. They only have the power to arrest anyone who commit an offence in their presence and hand him over to the police. For keeping the deceased youth in their detention camp and torturing him, they will face the wrath of the law. If his death is linked to the torture, then they will be charged with culpable homicide which is punishable with death.
“So far, two persons have been arrested and we are still investigating to get the rest involved. The youths should have reported the incident to the police instead of taking the law into their hands,” he added.
More photos below...
Photo credit: Babangiwa
Group Asks EFCC To Freeze Zamfara Governor's Bank Accounts
A pro-democracy and transparency-focused group, Concerned Nigerians, has
called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to
investigate Mr. Abdul'aziz Yari, governor of Zamfara State, and freeze
all of his bank accounts.
The group made the demand in a statement signed by Messrs. Deji Adeyanju
and John Danfulani, Convener and Secretary respectively.
The group made the demand in a statement signed by Messrs. Deji Adeyanju and John Danfulani, Convener and Secretary respectively.
Concerned Nigerians noted that Mr. Yari was alleged, in May, to have diverted $3 million from the Paris Club Refund to build a 100-room Hotel in Lekki, Lagos and another N500million from the special account of the Nigeria Governors' Forum and deposited the said sum into a mortgage bank account to pay off a loan. The group referred to an exclusive report by SaharaReporters stating that Mr. Yari, who is the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum used the money to pay back a loan he obtained from a mortgage institution to purchase two properties in 2013.
It equally noted that the EFCC, which investigated the matter, has refused to act or disclose to the public the outcome of its investigation, even when the mortgage bank forfeited the N500million to the commission. While stating that the EFCC could claim that the governor enjoys constitutional immunity, it argued that the privilege does not prohibit investigation, as was the situation in the case of Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose. See Also
How Zamfara Gov. Abdulaziz Yari Bought $1m US Mansion, Kept Foreign Accounts Two Years After Assuming Office
In Mr. Fayose's case, said Concerned Nigerians, the commission regularly updated Nigerians on its investigation on the matter.
"It is pertinent to note that the Zamfara State Governor is the Chairman of Nigeria Governors' Forum and he is a high ranking member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and very close to President Muhammadu Buhari. This is a government that claims to be fighting corruption, but the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum is spearheading corruption and he has been exempted from an investigation. This is a paradox," the group stated.
Concerned Nigerians also noted that earlier in the week, SaharaReporters exclusively revealed that Mr. Yari bought a property in the United States of America for a sum of $950,000 with state funds. This property sits on a 2.1 hectares of land at 14800 Bowie Farm Court, Bowie Maryland with Zip Code MD20021. It has six rooms and two bathrooms with a jacuzzi in a master bedroom.
"SaharaReporters has shown incontrovertible evidence that Mr. Yari paid estate tax in 2017 of $16,583.10. Mr.Yari bought this property two years after assuming office. Mr. Yari has also been alleged to be operating several foreign accounts. The EFCC must not just investigate Mr Yari, but freeze all accounts associated with him where government funds must have been diverted just like they did in the case of Mr.Fayose," the group demanded.
Governor Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari's mansion in Bowie, MD -Property information
F G gives Nollywood over N420m additional grant
According to a statement issued by the Deputy Director of Information, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Patricia Deworitshe, on Friday in Abuja, the money, which is the second tranche payment will benefit 105 film distributors.
The
Federal Government had earlier introduced the “Project Act Nollywood’’,
with three primary components aimed at developing the movie making
value chain.
The components are the Film Production Fund (FPF), Capacity Building Fund (CBF) and Innovative Distribution Fund (IDF).
The FPF and CBF have been fully implemented, while the IDF, which is the third component of the project, is on-going.
The IDF covers online, National, Regional and community categories of Nollywood Film distribution and exhibition.
The
objectives of IDF is to improve the distribution network of Nigerian
Audio-Visual contents, cut down on piracy, create jobs, and protect
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) within the Nigerian Entertainment
Industry.
N1.8 billion was approved for
disbursement to 106 beneficiaries in this component, and N1.335 billion
was disbursed earlier in the year as the first tranche to 105
beneficiaries.
Deworitshe said that before the
release of the second tranche, the finance ministry had earlier carried
out a successful monitoring and evaluation of the first tranche
disbursement.
“Fifteen community cinemas and
viewing centres have been established through the grant and this has
improved the distribution network of movies in Nigeria.
“The
programme has supported 18 firms in strengthening online distribution
platforms, this has helped curb illegal downloads and piracy.
“Two
hundred and fifty-six permanent jobs and 544 temporary jobs have been
created through the financial support provided to 105 beneficiaries by
the programme,’’ she said.
Deworitshe said the
programme had also aided the extension of the Nollywood Industry to
sub-Sahara Africa through the funding of National distributors to expand
their distribution capacity and network.
She
said through the programme, distributors had expanded their capacity to
lip-synching their content in French for onward distribution to the
ECOWAS sub-region.
Shakira and Gerard Pique land in Argentina for Messi's wedding
Congrat to world best and God of football messi and his wife Antonella Roccuzzo
According to Argentine newspaper La Nacion, Messi, invited only four of his international team-mates - Sergio Aguero, Javier Mascherano, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria.
The couple, who have known each other for about 25 years, banned mobile
phones at the ceremony. Staff were also sworn to secrecy and 450 police
officers were on hand for the big day.
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| Lionel and Antonella |
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