TONI KAN'S NEW SONG

Toni Kan

Only recently,he woke up from The Nights Of The Creaking Bed. Now prolific writer Toni Kan Onwordi is singing Songs Of Absence And Despair,a new collection of Poetry.This is Toni Kan's second collection of poetry.He had earlier written When The Dream Lingers Too Long

This tireless writer's pen won't just stop scribbling.Kudos to Toni for this one as we look forward to more great works from him.

Pictures courtesy of Jeremy Weates

MADONNA:PLEASE,CAN YOU COME AND ADOPT ME!

Mercy James..soon to be adopted by Madonna

Madonna and David Banda

...An African child..waiting for the next Celebrity adoption

Music diva,legend and mum-extraordinaire,Madonna is heading back to Malawi to adopt a 14-month old baby girl named Mercy James,who is an orphan in the Mchunji Home of Hope Orphanage.

In 2006,Madonna adopted then 11 months-old David Banda.Ever since,the little boy have been enjoying a good life in New York,far from the maddening poverty fate would have subjected him to if Madge hadn't reached out to alter his destiny.I honestly commend Madonna for her kind-heartedness.

Madonna is facing a lot of opposition and criticisms from Children charities and adoption groups both from and outside Malawi, since her recent adoption plans were made public. Maxwell Matewerere of the Malawian rights group,'Eye of the child' seems most vocal.According to him:

''In the absence of a husband,it is important to properly access the scenario.She really needs to demonstrate...that despite her being a single mother she has got a capacity to care for the child she is trying to adopt.'' Andrew Cate of SOS Villages laments that 'for the cost of bringing up this child (Mercy) in Madonna's lifestyle,you could pay for 50 children in Malawi to have a secure upbringing and a nice home..'

Madonna is expected to be in Malawi on March 30th to complete the adoption process. In most typical African settings,growing up as a child could be really harrowing.Poverty and civil strifes are the order of the day.Corrupt leaders who have long lost their conscience are not bothered by the plight of the African child.Today,the African child looks up to no future as there is barely none to look up to.If truth must be told,a lot of Africa parents will willingly give up their entire families for adoption to the likes of Madonna and Angelina Jolie,if only to ease them of the harsh realities of raising these kids in the face of gruelling poverty,political crisis and corruption.There have been cases where parents have been forced to sell one of their child just to enable them cater for the rest or give them out as House-helps to strangers in order to keep life going.

So,when Western celebrities like Madonna and Angelina Jolie give some of these African kids a new lease of life through adoption,they must be highly commended and encouraged.

ADIEU JADE GODDY!

Did Jade Goody intentionally waited for today,being Mother's Day to keep her destiny with death or that death waited till this day to take her away?

She did put up a very courageous fight in the face of an imminent death.

Goodbye Jade.May you find eternal rest in the warm embrace of the Lord.

Adieu!

NOLLYWOOD OR NOLLY-STICK?

Nollywood..not yet what it ought to be.

FESPACO 2009

Nigerian born Newton Aduaka with The Stallion award..at FESPACO 2007

At the recently concluded African film festival- FESPACO,held in Ouagadougou,Burkina Fasso,Ethiopian film,Teza won the Golden Stallion of Yennenga.Coming second was South Africa's entry Nothing But The Truth,while Algerian comedy Mascarades won the Bronze.There was nothing Nigerian near even the least brass that was for picks at the festival.Yet,the Nigerian movie industry was reported to have had the highest representation of officials and celebrities who graced the occasion-from Nigeria's films Corporation's Afolabi Adesanya to Joke Jacobs to Osita Iheme and Chinedu Ikedieze (of the Aki and Paw-paw fame),to Peace Anyiam-Osigwe,C.E.O of the African(?) Movie Academy Awards-AMAA,Keppy Epeyong and Fred Amata,to mention just a few.That was quite ridiculous.If Nigeria was not picking the festival's top prize,what then was that Nollywood crowd doing at Ouagadougou? Just to strut the red carpets in self delusion as Africa's best movie stars? I learnt that the 2009 AMAA's nominees list was unveiled at Ouagadougou.Haba!

The first and only time a Nigerian won the African films top prize was in the 2007 edition when Nigerian born British based film director ,Newton Aduaka won the Golden Stallion for his film Ezra,which was about the Sierra Leonian war.

The truth must be told:Nigerian home made vids,erroneously called movies, are grossly marred by ineptitude,lacking in technicalities and contents.Most painful is the fact that nothing is being done to correct this anomaly.Instead,we are so proud showcasing much of this mediocrity and even equating it to Hollywood. This is where the Nollywood problem lies.

By now,I expect those that call the shots in Nollywood to be very much concerned about why and how a South African made movie named TOTSI, won an Oscar some few years back or why Franco-phone and North African made movies are always dominating FESPACO and what then can be done to make Nigerian movies as good or even better than what other leading African film-makers are doing.

WHEN THE DEVIL STRUCK!

The young girl in the above picture is little Miss Elizabeth Lawal,aged 9.She was killed by a very close friend to her family,Mr Abudulahi Olalekan,25,who allegedly raped her,by penetrating her through the anus at about 8pm on 18th January right at her home in Ibadan.

According to reports,Olalekan who was very close to the victim's family had visited when the father of the girl was not around.The girl's mother who works in a local hospital,had trusted the man so much that she left her two children in his care until her husband returns from work,while she left for her work at the hospital where she was on night duty.

As soon as Olalekan realised that the coast was clear to perpetrate his diabolical act,he sent Elizabeth's younger sister on an errand. With the little girl now at his mercy,he went ahead to rape her,not through the vigina but through the anus and warned her sternly not to tell anyone unless she was ready to die.

Scared stiff of dying,the little girl didn't tell anyone what transpired until when she started having pains and bleeding from her anus.

As is always the case,the accused is blaming the Devil for the act.He has been remanded in custody while hearing has been adjourned to 30th March 2009.

It is most likely that the accused will be sentenced to life imprisonment which is the punishment for child rape in Nigeria.I feel this is just not enough.Why not start by 'manually' castrating and severing his Devil's instrument of havoc before the court sentence him to Hell!

SOUNDCITY PREMIUM:STEPPING UP NIGERIAN MUSIC

Better part of last week I was hooked unto the test transmission of Soundcity's SoundcityPremium Music Television on DStv's channel 133.Now,it has resumed full transmission on channel 327.I feel really happy and proud of this development.

What makes SoundcityPremium unique is that it is a truly Nigerian thing,with lots of 'Naijacentric' flavors.

Soundcity is Nigeria's foremost music channel that has encouraged the production of quality music video by Nigerian acts and have equally projected many of these act on the global stage.With what I have watched so far,Soundcity has good programming and presentations.There is a good mix of Nigerian and foreign content.

The emergence of Soundcity on the same platform where South Africa's Channel O,Trace,MTV and MTV Base have held sway is a very strong indication that Nigerian music television has finally come to maturity.

Tajuddeen Adepetu and his team at Souncity must be commended for this bold step aimed at putting Nigerian Music television where it should rightly be.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2009

Imagine a world without women!

8th March is observed as International Women's Day. Men use the day to honour the special women in their lives-their mothers,wives,daughters and (Girl) friends.

Use this day and opportunity to thank and appreciate all those special women in your life.

I am starting here: Special thanks to all the great ladies who have made life so beautiful and interesting in Blogsville-Standtall,Yankeenaijababe,Jaycee,Vera,Remi,Stella Dimokokorkus, Bellanaija,Linda,Funmi,Exschoolnerd,Overwhelmed,Uzezi,Solomonsydelle,Afrobabe,Zoe,Diamondhawk,Good Nigerian Girl,Pink-satin,Oyin,Rita,Aloted......

List is endless...

Happy Women's Day!