Hi everyone, hi y’all doin? Not doing too fine at all, just read in the papers of the demise of one of Naija’s finest, one of the pioneers and a veteran in the field of Acting: Chief Wole Amele. (Its been just 2 months of his wife’s death). Councillor Balogun as he is fondly called in the popular sitcom “Village Headmaster” (created by Chief Segun Olusola) was one of the most influential characters who had the ability to pass his views across in a humourous and radical manner. Those were the good old days of acting and real entertainment; you don’t have them that good anymore. I must confess that Nollywood ( the Nigerian Movie Industry) has made remarkable improvements in recent times, but its not just all about home videos, our inability to create innovating and captivating soaps, sitcoms or series has left a huge vacuum in the integrity of the industry and its practitioners.
Even in Holly wood, series or sitcoms are the bomb, they sell more and keep the actors in shape, but in naija these days, you can’t have soaps lasting more than a few months before crash-landing probably as a result of funds or lack of creativity. Which is why we are more familiar with Mexican tele novellas, Hollywood series like 24, prison break, desperate housewives, friends, everybody loves Christ (I call it that way)Lost, which is common in both our local television channels and cable channels.
The only time we have sitcoms these days is if its Mnet sponsoring. Is Nollywood trying to tell us that they have not reached that level? Veterans like Chief. Wole Amele and his friends had millions of Nigerians addicted and glued to their screens for almost a decade (if not more), yet they didn’t have the opportunities the younger generation has, the exposure (thanks to Africa Magic) and the resources, yet they still achieved such success. Nolly wood should learn from our past, from these veterans and step up the quality of soaps they are putting out.
Truth be told, even if they produce ten million home videos daily, they will never be able to attain the height am talking about. The true test of a movie industry is its ability to produce captivating sitcoms or series that will last for a long time and still be entertaining, am talking about creativity not technology. People relate more to sitcoms, because they watch them longer and develop a certain connection with the characters of the particular soap, most of the mega stars you see today on holly wood chart busters were either discovered thru sitcoms or currently involved in them. How can a footballer only play for the national team and be fit, it’s impossible. You have to play in a club so that you can have regular action and attain fitness, other wise you are just wasting your time. No movie industry is built on just home videos, the next level is soaps, series and this is the level that I feel is beyond our generation of actors, actresses and movie makers.
Lets take a nostalgic look at our history in Nolly wood, the best we have produced so far all came from soaps, “village headmaster “ brought stars like Late Joe Layode, Late Chief. Wole Amele, Dejumo Lewis, Funso Adeolu, and Justis Esiri (the village Esiri) who is one of nollywood’s finest currently.
Lets come down to Olu Jacobs (third eye), RMD (second chance, Checkmate), Joke Silva (Second chance), Babara Soky (Mirror in the sun), Nobert Young (checkmate), Kunle Bantefa (Checkmate), Bob Manuel Udokwu (checkmate), late Francis Agu – one of the pioneers of home videos (checkmate), Alex Usifo(Ripples- Talab Abbas), Antar Laniyan (checkmate), Bukky Ajayi(checkmate) not forgetting the Amata family, Matt and Gladyz Dadze, Sadiq Dabba, the list is endless.
Okay let talk production, the Amaka Igwes of this world- checkmate, Zeb Ejiro –Ripples, the Charles Novia ( NTA tele movies and a lot of other soaps), chika Okpala (Zebrudaya-New masquerade), and many more that I cant even remember but you can fill in the blanks.
How would it feel like seeing KOK or Ini Edo in a sitcom, it will improve their acting a great deal, they could even start staring in foreign movies or sitcoms. It will even improve the quality of our movies and a lot of young talents will be discovered. How nice will it be for a young actor to be on the same set with Olu Jacobs or Rita Dominic, you know.
Am not trying to diss any one or to say that nolly wood is not doing well, they have improved tremendously and am truly proud of them (nolly wood), but am saying that it doesn’t just end here, there is still another level to attain, one more road to cross, and we must do it fast. I want to see something like checkmate or ripples or even New masquerade on our local channels that will stand the test of time.
Once again, we have lost a rare gem, a man of character, an actor par excellence, a true Nigerian and a son of the soil, a man loved by all, wish we still had patriotic men like this as leaders, with a heavy heart we say REST IN PEACE, we will always love you. To all those he left behind, we say take heart and to all his fans (me inclusive) – we will never forget you -Councillor Balogun, you will always live on – in our hearts.
Thanks for reading, see y’all around - Uchevelli
Friday 14 March 2008
Thursday 13 March 2008
CERTIFICATE MADE IN NAIJA
Hi everyone, how are ya’ ll doin? Men am gud like hell, all thanks to God for life and all other benefits thereof, wat can a man do now? One luv to all the other bloggers especially naija bloggers, I dey hail o.
For those who care to know, Naija na jungle, e no easy at all, Naija na for strong men and women, which is why we survive anywhere we find ourselves, we dey get the ability to keep on keeping on which makes us succeed in any endeavour of life. Go round the globe and see naija boys and girls doing well, the problem is for us to use the harness this energy to develop our country. Na for only other people country we dey do well but if na for naija, who sai? It is a pitiable situation indeed. If you go round naija, poverty, hunger, chaos, suffering, crime in low and high places, even the leaders who should know better……………. God have mercy. Don’t even go to the church because it seems to be worse there, the common man is left confused, with no where to run to. Our educational system is not recognized anywhere in the world including in Nigeria. Our people dey reject our own certificates, wetin foreigners go do now? Our graduates are roaming the streets looking for jobs that they may never find.
The rate of corruption is alarming, you need to “sort” in every sector to get to the next level, this thing just dey worry me and I decide say make I speak my mind as usual. For those who don’t understand, “sorting” means bribing or giving a kick-back (egunje’, parti-kola, shockings). These days, u can t pass in some schools if u don’t “sort”, even in secondary school level (high school). For a child to pass WAEC or NECO (O’levels), you must sort the principal to be among his special candidates, who will be favoured during the exams, forget about JAMB because that one na gist for another day. Well, finally you gain admission into one of the Universities only to find out that our lecturers are not well paid, the lucky ones among them go to other countries to ply their trade while the few who stay behind are frustrated into abject poverty. How you no go “sort” the man?
Okay, you no wan pass, you fit do 4 year course for 6 years for your eyes to clear, may be by then, you will be old enough to read between the lines. If you are a fine girl, well you could trade by barter (using your natural endowments) especially if you no sabi book. I dey lie abi? Okay I dey lie…. Stay there make khaki wear you.
How can ASUU (Academic Staff of Universities Union- in Nigeria) go on strike again? ehh, why won’t the Government settle these academicians so that they can face their research and help to bridge the technological gap between us in the third world countries and the developed ones, ehh? The importance of education cannot be over-emphasized in the development of any country, especially in the developing ones. These politicians now send their children abroad to go and study, only to come back and take over the oil conglomerates and business empires they acquired with the money they embezzled while in office. The lecturers who served this country for years are hardly paid their pension; rather another politician embezzles the insufficient funds made available for their pension, and use it to buy a house in London. If them no fit pay common salary, how them go fit pay pension, many of these veterans have died out of frustration. I feel for them.
How them no go collect bribe? Why shouldn’t the serving lecturers accept bribe from students when they can’t take care of their families? Don’t put these gifted men and women on a tight corner and blame them for any action they take, man must survive. Its not as if am supporting the corruption in the educational sector, but all am saying is that if these men and women who take their time to teach and mould our future leaders are not well catered for, distractions and confusion may set in. with bills to pay, school fees of your children, a poor accommodation, etc, how will a scholar concentrate?
How do you want fight corruption without a conducive environment? This must be a circus cos it sounds very funny, veeery funny indeed. Like I always say, our leaders know what to do but they keep on doing the opposite. Me dey wonder whether na jazz say Nigeria no go ever better?
For how long will our people keep suffering over the ignorance of our leaders? They will rather invest the available resources into white elephant projects, ignoring the issues that need urgent attention, see the amount of money these politicians are embezzling – billions of dollars, thank to EFCC for their anti-corruption efforts. All these money wey you dey thief sef, wetin u wan take am do? Do you want to disorganize your life with money, ehh? It’s too bad, very bad. The state of some universities is appalling; in short some should be called colleges of Education because they have no attributes to be called universities. In some universities, lectures are conducted under trees, some universities don’t have hostels, some universities don’t have computer labs, yet they offer computer sciences and IT related courses. Some Universities don’t even have science Laboratories, yet they have a faculty of science, offering courses like microbiology, cell biology and genetics, chemistry, physics, etc. only in naija. People dey even leave naija, to go and school in Ghana, can u imagine? Na who you blame?
How much will it cost to put these institutions in good shape? The money one politician can embezzle can fund the entire universities in this country. Well, enough said, me just dey yan my mind, who am I? na only God go fit save us, as at the time I wrote this, ASUU was already on strike again, sending over 2 million youths back home, leaving them idle. This is the time that crime rate goes up, girls get pregnant and other funny things start happening because the youths who should utilize their youthful energy to study and do more constructive things with their time and energy will now use that energy for something else (behind closed doors). If you know what I mean……… ha ha ha. Person wey suppose do 4 year course go spend 10 years because of strike, na God go save us o.
As you go to bed tonight, please kindly put this country in prayers cos we need it like mad, only prayers can turn the situation around, am talking of the prayers of those who genuinely love this country and love humanity, not those who are busy enriching themselves to the detriment of their people.
Till I come your way again, its still me as always, yours truly, uchevelli.
So long everybody.
For those who care to know, Naija na jungle, e no easy at all, Naija na for strong men and women, which is why we survive anywhere we find ourselves, we dey get the ability to keep on keeping on which makes us succeed in any endeavour of life. Go round the globe and see naija boys and girls doing well, the problem is for us to use the harness this energy to develop our country. Na for only other people country we dey do well but if na for naija, who sai? It is a pitiable situation indeed. If you go round naija, poverty, hunger, chaos, suffering, crime in low and high places, even the leaders who should know better……………. God have mercy. Don’t even go to the church because it seems to be worse there, the common man is left confused, with no where to run to. Our educational system is not recognized anywhere in the world including in Nigeria. Our people dey reject our own certificates, wetin foreigners go do now? Our graduates are roaming the streets looking for jobs that they may never find.
The rate of corruption is alarming, you need to “sort” in every sector to get to the next level, this thing just dey worry me and I decide say make I speak my mind as usual. For those who don’t understand, “sorting” means bribing or giving a kick-back (egunje’, parti-kola, shockings). These days, u can t pass in some schools if u don’t “sort”, even in secondary school level (high school). For a child to pass WAEC or NECO (O’levels), you must sort the principal to be among his special candidates, who will be favoured during the exams, forget about JAMB because that one na gist for another day. Well, finally you gain admission into one of the Universities only to find out that our lecturers are not well paid, the lucky ones among them go to other countries to ply their trade while the few who stay behind are frustrated into abject poverty. How you no go “sort” the man?
Okay, you no wan pass, you fit do 4 year course for 6 years for your eyes to clear, may be by then, you will be old enough to read between the lines. If you are a fine girl, well you could trade by barter (using your natural endowments) especially if you no sabi book. I dey lie abi? Okay I dey lie…. Stay there make khaki wear you.
How can ASUU (Academic Staff of Universities Union- in Nigeria) go on strike again? ehh, why won’t the Government settle these academicians so that they can face their research and help to bridge the technological gap between us in the third world countries and the developed ones, ehh? The importance of education cannot be over-emphasized in the development of any country, especially in the developing ones. These politicians now send their children abroad to go and study, only to come back and take over the oil conglomerates and business empires they acquired with the money they embezzled while in office. The lecturers who served this country for years are hardly paid their pension; rather another politician embezzles the insufficient funds made available for their pension, and use it to buy a house in London. If them no fit pay common salary, how them go fit pay pension, many of these veterans have died out of frustration. I feel for them.
How them no go collect bribe? Why shouldn’t the serving lecturers accept bribe from students when they can’t take care of their families? Don’t put these gifted men and women on a tight corner and blame them for any action they take, man must survive. Its not as if am supporting the corruption in the educational sector, but all am saying is that if these men and women who take their time to teach and mould our future leaders are not well catered for, distractions and confusion may set in. with bills to pay, school fees of your children, a poor accommodation, etc, how will a scholar concentrate?
How do you want fight corruption without a conducive environment? This must be a circus cos it sounds very funny, veeery funny indeed. Like I always say, our leaders know what to do but they keep on doing the opposite. Me dey wonder whether na jazz say Nigeria no go ever better?
For how long will our people keep suffering over the ignorance of our leaders? They will rather invest the available resources into white elephant projects, ignoring the issues that need urgent attention, see the amount of money these politicians are embezzling – billions of dollars, thank to EFCC for their anti-corruption efforts. All these money wey you dey thief sef, wetin u wan take am do? Do you want to disorganize your life with money, ehh? It’s too bad, very bad. The state of some universities is appalling; in short some should be called colleges of Education because they have no attributes to be called universities. In some universities, lectures are conducted under trees, some universities don’t have hostels, some universities don’t have computer labs, yet they offer computer sciences and IT related courses. Some Universities don’t even have science Laboratories, yet they have a faculty of science, offering courses like microbiology, cell biology and genetics, chemistry, physics, etc. only in naija. People dey even leave naija, to go and school in Ghana, can u imagine? Na who you blame?
How much will it cost to put these institutions in good shape? The money one politician can embezzle can fund the entire universities in this country. Well, enough said, me just dey yan my mind, who am I? na only God go fit save us, as at the time I wrote this, ASUU was already on strike again, sending over 2 million youths back home, leaving them idle. This is the time that crime rate goes up, girls get pregnant and other funny things start happening because the youths who should utilize their youthful energy to study and do more constructive things with their time and energy will now use that energy for something else (behind closed doors). If you know what I mean……… ha ha ha. Person wey suppose do 4 year course go spend 10 years because of strike, na God go save us o.
As you go to bed tonight, please kindly put this country in prayers cos we need it like mad, only prayers can turn the situation around, am talking of the prayers of those who genuinely love this country and love humanity, not those who are busy enriching themselves to the detriment of their people.
Till I come your way again, its still me as always, yours truly, uchevelli.
So long everybody.
Monday 10 March 2008
COPS AND ROBBERS
Hi everyone, welcome to my small corner, well am still new in this blogging thing, am not used to being formal, so me I go just speak my mind, no sentiments, no yawa, no maggi or sugar. The issue that got me thinking recently was the rate of armed robberies in our major cities in naija. These days, when I walk into the bank to do some small bizness (u know), I get so scared because nobody knows when they will strike, (I mean the robbers). The issue is even better here in Abuja, in Lagos, they seem to have a roaster, “this month was oceanic, don’t worry, next month will be zenith, and then UBA, its turn by turn, so you can put your mind at ease”, a banker told me while cashing my cheque. Omo, I weak o, so u already know? I asked looking surprised. Yes o, na today yansh don dey dey for back? She replied. I no fit shout o, while the Police are busy granting press briefings on their success in recent times, I wonder what they are doing about this robberies?
The painful thing about the whole issue is that these dare devil robbers come at daylight, between 12 noon and 2 pm, (in the koro- koro), walk into the banks, load cash into cars, spray any one that stands in their way with sufficient bullets and leave slowly. These guys have enough weapons and ammunition to declare war on a small country, how much more a small division of policemen. The last one I witnessed at Ijesha-tedo area of Lagos, not far from surulere was like a war film staring Rambo and friends, they were like 30 in number, including some good-looking females among them, no masks, no fear, they were so bold. They were shooting for hours hoping that the Police might show up, but when they got tired of shooting, they left slowly with a Coaster Bus with enough money to sponsor a World Bank project in a developing country. This brings us to the question, what are we going to do to help our police?
Some years back, they bought Peugeot cars (306 and 406) to help the Police in their duties, but most of those cars are grounded today. How Police man wey no fit chop go dey maintain 406, Na beans, how much dem dey pay am. If say them use that money buy small tokunbo Japanese cars wey dey easy to maintain, e for better. You know how much wey dem they dey sell 406 headlamp for market? My Igbo brothers go tell you. How you want take 306 pursue armed robbers and your no want make the headlamps break or for the car to scratch in the process, you could just escort them rather than pursue them. I no wan talk about the Prado Jeeps wey them give them, that one na for home videos you go see police dey demo’ with their jeeps and helicopters.
Our policemen are not only under paid but in case of their demise in the line of duty, the compensation that is paid to the poor widow can’t even buy a good bike, not to talk of renting a decent place (incase them waka you from barracks), not to talk of paying school fees for the 12 children he left behind (may his soul rest in peace), sorry I did not include the twins the widow is expecting in a few months time. Why Police no go chop bribe when the conditions of service too poor? I feel sorry for them because it’s not easy at all. The state of their barracks is a topic on its own, but I must confess that the last time I visited a sick friend at a Police Barracks, men, I was almost admitted in the hospital, in short, I almost died, just 15 minutes visit o, if I had stayed a little longer …….
……………. My mother would have been making funeral arrangements, na wa o. our leaders know the right thing to do, but they prefer doing the opposite. The issue of bullet-proof bullion vans came as a result of robbers stealing the bullion vans when in transit with money, the sum of money lost in that scenario cannot be quantified but the number of Police men who have lost their lives is what worries me. Na person tell them? Them for no bother now? Are we safe? Is the average Police man safe in Naija? These days, when robbers are operating, you see Policemen running for their dear lives, removing their uniforms and taking cover. My uncle told me that about his ordeal with armed robbers while traveling to the East, somewhere around Benin. The robbers blocked the road and opened fire, everybody scattered into the forest including the policemen who were unfortunate to be on patrol at that time. The way the Policemen abandoned their patrol car and ran into the forest was remarkable. Two hours after the dare-devil robbers had left, one of the Policemen was asked my uncle “Bros, abeg u helep me see where I drop my rifle?”
U blame am? I no blame am at all. Sometimes I dey wonder where this little boys (and girls) dey this weapons from? This problem is a very serious one which needs a rapid and lasting solution other wise, the foreign investors wey Obasanjo try woo to come invest for the betterment of naija go run finish, and as for we, them go kill us tire.
Atleast I thank God for ATM, I no need to go bank anytime I need 2k, so I no go dey go Bank as often as I been dey go before. No be God? Anyway my people I don speak my mind sha, if una no see me soon, make una know say dem don carry me. Till next time, I dey loyal
-uchevelli.
The painful thing about the whole issue is that these dare devil robbers come at daylight, between 12 noon and 2 pm, (in the koro- koro), walk into the banks, load cash into cars, spray any one that stands in their way with sufficient bullets and leave slowly. These guys have enough weapons and ammunition to declare war on a small country, how much more a small division of policemen. The last one I witnessed at Ijesha-tedo area of Lagos, not far from surulere was like a war film staring Rambo and friends, they were like 30 in number, including some good-looking females among them, no masks, no fear, they were so bold. They were shooting for hours hoping that the Police might show up, but when they got tired of shooting, they left slowly with a Coaster Bus with enough money to sponsor a World Bank project in a developing country. This brings us to the question, what are we going to do to help our police?
Some years back, they bought Peugeot cars (306 and 406) to help the Police in their duties, but most of those cars are grounded today. How Police man wey no fit chop go dey maintain 406, Na beans, how much dem dey pay am. If say them use that money buy small tokunbo Japanese cars wey dey easy to maintain, e for better. You know how much wey dem they dey sell 406 headlamp for market? My Igbo brothers go tell you. How you want take 306 pursue armed robbers and your no want make the headlamps break or for the car to scratch in the process, you could just escort them rather than pursue them. I no wan talk about the Prado Jeeps wey them give them, that one na for home videos you go see police dey demo’ with their jeeps and helicopters.
Our policemen are not only under paid but in case of their demise in the line of duty, the compensation that is paid to the poor widow can’t even buy a good bike, not to talk of renting a decent place (incase them waka you from barracks), not to talk of paying school fees for the 12 children he left behind (may his soul rest in peace), sorry I did not include the twins the widow is expecting in a few months time. Why Police no go chop bribe when the conditions of service too poor? I feel sorry for them because it’s not easy at all. The state of their barracks is a topic on its own, but I must confess that the last time I visited a sick friend at a Police Barracks, men, I was almost admitted in the hospital, in short, I almost died, just 15 minutes visit o, if I had stayed a little longer …….
……………. My mother would have been making funeral arrangements, na wa o. our leaders know the right thing to do, but they prefer doing the opposite. The issue of bullet-proof bullion vans came as a result of robbers stealing the bullion vans when in transit with money, the sum of money lost in that scenario cannot be quantified but the number of Police men who have lost their lives is what worries me. Na person tell them? Them for no bother now? Are we safe? Is the average Police man safe in Naija? These days, when robbers are operating, you see Policemen running for their dear lives, removing their uniforms and taking cover. My uncle told me that about his ordeal with armed robbers while traveling to the East, somewhere around Benin. The robbers blocked the road and opened fire, everybody scattered into the forest including the policemen who were unfortunate to be on patrol at that time. The way the Policemen abandoned their patrol car and ran into the forest was remarkable. Two hours after the dare-devil robbers had left, one of the Policemen was asked my uncle “Bros, abeg u helep me see where I drop my rifle?”
U blame am? I no blame am at all. Sometimes I dey wonder where this little boys (and girls) dey this weapons from? This problem is a very serious one which needs a rapid and lasting solution other wise, the foreign investors wey Obasanjo try woo to come invest for the betterment of naija go run finish, and as for we, them go kill us tire.
Atleast I thank God for ATM, I no need to go bank anytime I need 2k, so I no go dey go Bank as often as I been dey go before. No be God? Anyway my people I don speak my mind sha, if una no see me soon, make una know say dem don carry me. Till next time, I dey loyal
-uchevelli.
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