Untold Story Of The Decaying 500-year-old Kano Dye Pits

It’s a business that the people of Kano have been practising for over five centuries, and is still seen aslucrative in the face of modern-day developmentprocesses; the dye business. But due to neglect,
the dye pits in Kofar Mata can no longer satisfy theneeds of the dye industry, while the site has become
a tourism site. Abubakar Salihi, Kano writes The Kofar Mata dye pits have been in existence in the heart of the ancient city of Kano for the past 500
years; that is to say, it was established in 1498. It has remained a
tourists’ attraction site for students and researchers from across the world. Kofar Mata dye pits also played a significant role in the collective
economy of the then everbusiness community of Kano. History also has it that the originators of Kofar Mata dye pits were the
earliest wise business people who had cleverly set up the industry in a time when even the western world was yet to be industrialised.
Kofar Mata dye pits are located very close to the old Kofar Mata historical
gate and walls, also known as Ganuwa. According to a school of thought, the dye pits existedlong before the building of the Kofar Mata gate and walls. The Kofar Mata dye pits are also located east
of the Kano City central mosque.The famous Kofar Mata dye pits have surpassed history as even the greatest of world leaders have confirmed knowledge of it in books of
history and great museums across the globe.However, it is now faced with time changing events and leadership.It was originally an open place with no fence or beautification, and
nothing was being done to modernise it.JOURNALIST checks have revealed that the less-thantwo square kilometres field was well fenced, painted and all the dye pits were either rebuilt or reconstructed
to meet modern demands.At Kofar Mata dye pits, there areno fewer than a hundred dye pits grounds of about 12 pits below the ground with the distance of one o two metres from each dye pit.
Malam Mamudu Abubakar is among the great grandchildren of the inventors of Kofar Mata dye pits, and he is 60-year-old, and has spent over 50 years in the business of dying. Abubakar was born in Kofar
Mata quarters, so also his father and grandfather. He described the business of dying as quite lucrative in the heydays unlike now when modernisation has taken over almost
everything, including the dying business.He confirmed to Journalists that Kofar Mata dye pits remains a tourists attraction
site and that students, researchers,tourists and journalists from across the world have been visiting the site throughout the year. Foreign tourists come to buy their materials there and learn how the dying
is conducted in the old ways.According to him, many of the visitors took a lot of pictures and movie shots of them and jot down some of their words.Others who visit the dye pits are businessmen and women from
Mali, Niger and Maiduguri in Nigeria,who brought their fabrics, such as Babbar Riga, Rawani for dying.Abubakar explained that they don’t just dye fabrics and keep them, but rather they make it for those in the
business of selling traditional attires.Malam Abubakar explained how they put in the efforts and materials into the dye pit and all other needed items for them to do the dying job.He said they make sure that each pit
contained between 2,000 to 2,500litres of water and mixed with ashes made from firewood of about 50 kilogramme, followed by what they termed Baba (pieces of wood) which they normal sourced from villages,to produce the required deep blue
colour.
Having this mixture for seven days, the next thing is to go back to what they termed as Katsi; that’s the excess of the previous mixture that was removed out of the particular dye pit and kept to dry. This excess Katsi will be made in blocks
and put on fire made of huge pieces of firewood for about seven days before it burnt to ashes. This residue Katsi will then be mixed with the 2,000 litres of water, 50 kilogramme of firewood ashes and would continue to be diluted on
daily basis for another two weeks.According to him, each of the mixture has a specific function to  give required colour or colour quality, and also, a well mixed dye pit can have a lifespan of a year before it lost its value.
It takes Malam Abubakar and his colleagues in the dying business three days of soaking fabrics in and out of the pits for three days before it finalised.He also explained the health benefit of the concoction, saying a pregnant women can
drink it for the cure of pile,among other ailments, while making the allegation that medical doctors have recommended the concoction for their pregnant patients. It also cures rashes, diarrhea, and starvation in children, he further claimed.
He gave an incident that happened about 30 years ago, when the Yoruba people came to him for Katsi and they told him that it was used for curing other diseases,which he didn’t know much about.
However, at the other end of the dye pits site, there were a number of people practicing what they called Bugu; that is hammering the dyed and dried fabrics with wood. According to a young Baballe, the practice of Bugu is as old as dying itself and
always came second to dying. In fact, it was an old way of pressing clothes into shape, he added,while describing the business as lucrative, considering that it goes with modern time where people brought their clothes for bugu in the case of
power outage.
It was observed with utmost dismay how the long-age dying industry became a shadow of itself, where out of the almost 100 dye pits only one has been functioning.
Enquiries at the Kano State Tourism Board to ascertain the mystery surrounding the total collapsed of the trade of traditional dying revealed that insurgency, modern dying and negligence on the part of government were the causes of the
death of the trade.In our encounter with one of the tourism board staff, he expressed concern that the board had not been doing enough to assist the business than doing all what it could to keep the  place as the only tourists attraction site.
He also emphasised the significance of modern dying as all-encompassing and can dye various colours than traditional dying that produced only lagoon blue colour.
Kofar Mata dye pits site is now under the control and administration of the Kano State Tourism Board, and still exists and continues to receive tourists
and business patrons, only marred by the insurgency in the country today.

Dirty tricks petrol stations, attendants use to cheat customers

Mrs. Bisola Ayeni, a businesswoman in her early 40s confidently left her house at Egbeda (Lagos) with an almost empty tank heading for Ikeja. The red light of the fuel indicator was blinking nonstop but Ayeni knew the quantity of fuel in her tank would take her to the next available filling station where she had hoped to fill up her tank.

Indeed, as she got to the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Ayeni drove into the filling station and told the attendant to fill her car with N5,000 worth of fuel while she rummaged her handbag to bring out the money as well as pick a call. That was her undoing.

Ayeni would tell our correspondent that she didn’t bother to look at the pump while the sale was on because she didn’t envisage any foul act, besides she knew the level a N5,000 worth of fuel would rise to on her fuel gauge. Ayeni only managed a quick glance at the meter and when she saw that it was reading, she relaxed and enjoyed her discussion on the phone.

She said, “When I finished, I looked at the pump and I saw N5,000 on the price column, I paid him and drove away. I expected the light indicating low fuel to go off and the indicator to rise, but it didn’t happen.

“Even if the rise in the fuel indicator would be gradual, I expected a major shift. Lo and behold, the light never went off and the indicator never rose.

“Oh my God, I was confused and very angry, so I turned back, while praying that the car wouldn’t run out of fuel. By the time I got to the petrol station, I was fuming.”

Ayeni said she had almost slapped the attendant who attended to her having shouted on him when the station manager came out.

“On hearing what happened, the manager gave the sales boy a resounding slap, apologised to me and ordered him to sell the fuel again, and I heard him saying the N5,000 would be deducted from his salary. We both stood by him while he sold the fuel, the gauge rose even before I left the station, which means he cheated me earlier. I still wouldn’t know how he did it,” she said.

Ayeni’s experience is common among vehicle owners, who had at one time or the other thought they had bought fuel but later found out they either bought nothing or were short-changed in terms of the quantity. A cross section of vehicle owners who spoke to our correspondent alleged that they had noticed same at one time or the other but said that there was nothing they could do since they really could not establish any foul play.

In case you once bought fuel from a filling station and it seemed like nothing was added to your fuel tank after you have left, or you felt what was sold to you wasn’t commensurate with what you paid for or expected, you may have been cheated under your close watch even with your eyes wide open.

press and journalist  had a revealing chat with fuel attendants of some popular filling stations in Lagos and they explained how they make quick but huge cash from unsuspecting customers.

One of them who identified himself simply as Owolabi John, said there are many ways fuel attendants cheat customers who have come to buy fuel, which many people are not aware of.

Devouring a massive plate of hot and spicy pepper soup and a bottle of chilled beer our correspondent bought for him, John readily exposed all the tricks on how they make money.

By the way, John earns N10,000 as a fuel attendant. He wants to pursue a university education. There is no other help from anywhere else, as such John admitted leaving no stone unturned to take advantage of gullible customers to make some money from what he described as “the customers’ carelessness.”

“Ideally, when we resume, we take the reading on the meter on the fuel dispenser, which we call the opening meter, and when we close, we take the reading, which we also call the closing meter. Then, we multiply the difference in the readings by the cost per litre, which is the amount we deliver to the manager. If there is any surplus, it belongs to the attendant, and if there is loss, the attendant will look for money to make it up. If the shortage is a lot of money, the manager may allow that the money be deducted from the person’s salary if the person is not sacked,” he explained.

However, that surplus money may not have been a miracle or manna from heaven; it could simply be a product of manipulation by the attendants.

According to John, there are different types of fuel dispensers, such as Marathon, Sanki, Eagle Star, etc, and each machine has its peculiar way of being adjusted. “On the keyboard of some of them, where we enter the number of litres or amount, which is either in front or on the side, there is usually a button labelled ‘Recall, TIM/CAL’ or any other label, depending on the machine. The essence of the button is to enable the attendant to see the past sales. If you want to see your last ten sales, you just press Recall, then the number you want to see etc, depending on the number you want, and it shows you the amount. Beyond seeing our past sales, we use it to make money.

“If I sell N2,000 worth of fuel to a customer, and the next customer also wants to buy N2,000. If I observe that the second customer Isn’t paying attention, I will sell some quantity, maybe N1,500 and press Stop or Cancel, depending on the machine press Recall, 1, then press Ok. With that, N2,000 will appear on the screen and that is what the customer will see on the meter, believing the sale is complete. This can be done in less than one second. That is one of the ways, and at the close of business I remove mine which is the excess of the actual litre sales.

“Imagine if I do that for about ten customers in a day, with varying gain from each case, which depends largely on the amount of fuel the customer is buying and how sensitive the person is. I could make up to N10, 000 in one day,” he explained.

According to him, attendants could go to the extent of writing out some past sales on a paper where they can easily have a glance to know which number to recall when a customer is distracted or looks away, since many people prefer to buy based on price and not litre.

“When customers come, we observe them and see if they are tired or we try to distract them, sometimes with the help of our colleagues by engaging them in a chat or doing things that could easily distract them. As soon as they look away, if the seller has made an appreciable sale, he/she would have mastered or checked his paper to see the last time he sold that particular amount, as soon as it is possible, he will press it, and press OK. Before the customer looks back, the sale will appear complete,” John explained.

John’s revelation explained one of the ways Ayeni might have been cheated. Another fuel attendant, who simply identified himself as Owode Kabir, told our correspondent that the use of Recall or TIM button is the easiest way to make quick money because the customers would think the machine was fast, so they wouldn’t always suspect anything, even though some come back to complain.

However, Kabir stressed that not all attendants are involved in the act, but that many of them do it as long as there is opportunity and that in some cases, they settle the station manager at the close of work if they are able to make some money, which they do everyday anyway.

But ‘Recall or TIM/CAL’ button is not the only way to make money from customers, Kabir would tell our correspondent. There is yet another way!

Even though many people know that when the nozzle is hanged on the pump, the readings revert to zero, he said they (fuel attendants) have also found a way to manoeuvre it to make some money.

“What we do is to gently place the nozzle, such that it won’t click to rub off the old sales and revert to zero, so, we fake it, which means the dispenser is still running, so if anyone comes, we simply continue from where we stop and that is why sometimes it seems like we are rushing the customers. It is easier when the last sale is a small quantity.

“Even though the use of the Recall or TIM/CAL’ button on some of these machines is the easiest method, faking the nozzle is another viable way to make money.

“If the previous sale is about N200 maybe by a Keke NAPEP and Okada rider, or even commercial buses (danfo) drivers, because they are the ones who buy fuel in bits, we will gently place the nozzle, and naturally, when you see that we remove the nozzle from the hanger, that is, from the engine, you believe that it started from zero. However, it is not always the case,” he said.

Kabir was quick to add that some station managers or managements know about their tricks but that once they are caught or reported by a customer, such person could be sacked. He added that attendants usually sell in all cases but such sales might not start from zero or could be recalled to a previous sale that had the same amount, which would be an incomplete sale for the customer.

“Sometimes we could gain up to N1,000 from one sale, it depends on the quantity that the consumer wants, and those that are caught are usually the greedy ones,” he noted.

He added that in filling stations where their dispensers do not have Recall or TIM/CAL only the last sale could be recalled, hence, once the last sale is not the same with the current sale, faking the hanging of the nozzle might be the only way to make money through such pump.

Station owners and managers also dupe customers

A female attendant with a major oil marketer company in Lagos Island, Seun Jegede, told our correspondent how station managers and filling station owners also cheat their customers.

She alleged that most filling stations alter their meters to under-dispense fuel at the detriment of customers, which is a known phenomenon among consumers. Even though this could be a product of greed and inadequate regulation, she said they also do that to make up for some loss they might have incurred during sales.

“Based on experience, I can tell you that almost all filling stations, including the ones being run by government, adjust their meters and what they do is to settle the officials from the Department of Petroleum Resources if or when they come for inspection.

“No attendant can alter the meter on his own, except the manager sanctions it because it involves the engineer changing the panel and doing some mechanical readjustment. That is why many filling stations that alter their meters have to bribe their way through because the engineers are not always there, except the manager recommends a trusted attendant to be trained so as to put the pumps back to normal if DPR comes.

“The adjustment is easier with the marathon machine because it has a key in front of the meter. This allows for quick readjustment of the meter so as to scale through the due diligence check by the DPR, which could be once in six months,” Jegede explained.

She added that the decision to alter the meter could either come from the owner of the station or the station manager in connivance with the engineer, adding that whoever orders the adjustment takes the money made from the unsold quantity.

Station attendants also cheat their employers

According to John, not only customers are open to this fraud, even the management that the attendants work for are not immune to their fraudulent acts, through what he called ‘no reading’. In this case only the price meter reads while the litre reading does not move. He said this could be a product of frequent repairs of the pump or any other mechanical fault, which could make it malfunction.

“When there is ‘no reading’ on the litre menu, and the management is not aware, there is no way the management will know the actual number of litres that have been sold.

“What we do in such cases is to sell on the basis of amount only and we sometimes negotiate with the customer for settlement because we can sell more to make money. I can even call someone from home to come and buy and keep for me, before the management finds out that the litre is not reading.

“Even though the ‘no reading’ issue rarely happens, it becomes a free for all if it happens to the diesel or kerosene pump that usually has no attendant attached to it. With that, tracing who sells what quantity may be difficult, even though an attendant must be smart to avoid being penalised.

“Another form of ‘no reading’ is when some attendants, especially those attached to diesel or kerosene that have lesser patronage compared to petrol, gently press the nozzle (just like a one-touch press) that may not read on the meter whereas some fuel will still come out. It can also happen when they finish selling and instead of hanging the nozzle, they place it inside the keg for the little quantity to drip into their kegs. It may appear little, but over a long time, the gentle one-touch press and the leftovers become a large quantity. That is why you see some attendants having kegs beside them,” John explained.

The attendants further explained that they make more money when there is epileptic power supply which force people to buy fuel in kegs. “When there is no power supply and people struggle or force your nozzle in their kegs, many of them don’t care about starting from zero, which is a plus for us,” he said.

They however said station attendants find it difficult to cheat if the customer comes out of the vehicle to stay with them, adding that those who sit in their vehicles can easily be distracted or shortchanged.

A Director in DPR, Mr. George Osahon, had strongly advised in a television programme recently that it was better for vehicle owners to buy specific amount of fuel rather than using number of litres as a yardstick.

“When you go to a modern filling station and you ask for N5,000 worth of fuel, they simply punch a pad and when it’s complete it stops by itself, and it is better to stand by the seller or keep a close watch from your car if you choose to sit in the car.

“The reason the same worth of fuel would vary in quantity at different filling stations is because some under-dispense. Nobody will ever over-dispense, people will either dispense normally or under-dispense, so if you see such differential, it is very necessary for you to call the attention of the DPR to it,” he had said.

Osahon had also said people should stop using statements like ‘fill-up the tank’ not minding how much fuel was inside their tank or the quantity coming into it, saying there is a lot of wastage in that, which is not necessary.

However, while some filling station attendants who spoke to our correspondent denied the fraud allegations, a few others admitted that some attendants do it and that it depends on the circumstance and the type of pump, as pointed out by John.

A cross section of station managers who spoke to our correspondent also dissociated their filling stations from those who cheat their customers, adding that none of their staff would survive such an attempt.

Mr. Adebola Durojaiye, who is a manager of a filling station in Ikeja, said, “People say all filling stations under-dispense but that is not true. One good way to identify those who do it is that they don’t have good patronage because whether we like it or not, customers know the good and bad stations, so, the generalisation is wrong.”

The Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Ejigbo Satellite, Mr. Ajayi Adebayo, said recently that any member of the association found indulging in sharp practices would have his/her office sealed off alongside other sanctions, while urging members to be transparent and objective in their business transactions.

In a telephone conversation with our correspondent, the Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Obafemi Olawore, said no member of the association could be involved in under-dispensing or fiddling with the pump, adding that anyone with proof of such malpractice against any MOMAN member should feel free to contact the association to complain.

“I am not aware that any MOMAN member engages in under-dispensing. However, I cannot swear an oath or beat my chest and say there is no such thing by those that we contracted to run the stations, that is, the dealers. I am not saying they do it, but anyone with proof that it happens should contact us and we will take immediate action,” Olawore added.

DPR Spokesperson, Ms. Dorothy Bassey, said the agency was doing its best to check the fraudulent practices by some filling stations through its random inspection, while describing the bribe allegations against DPR officials as untrue.

“I am confirming to you that it is not true that officials of DPR collect bribe, what kind of money are they going to pay DPR staff? That is why we shut down stations once we have any indication that they carry out any malpractice.

“It happens but not as rampant as people make it look because nobody is a fool or wants to be cheated. That is why we do a lot of public engagement for people to watch out.

“We may not be 100 per cent, but certainly, we are working to ensure that everybody is happy. We have operation offices nationwide where people can go to complain,” Bassey said.

Meanwhile, a report culled from dailyfinance.com says filling up the tank may be another way to lose money and fuel, because when the pump clicks off automatically, no additional fuel enters the tank. “Instead, fuel is likely being diverted through the pump’s vapour recovery system and back into the station’s tank, which means you are paying for gas that you are not getting.

“More importantly, the car needs space in its tank for fuel vapours to expand. Overfilling can force gas into the car’s carbon filter, leading to poor performance, reduced mileage or costly repairs. So, the next time you want to buy fuel, don’t top off your tank, it’s good for your car and even better for your wallet,” the report said.

Catholic denies condemning Oritsejafor over $9.3m arms deal

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria on Friday denied that its President, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, had accused the President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, of denting the image of Christianity in Nigeria over the controversial $9.3m allegedly found in the aircraft owned by the CAN President.

In a statement made available to  press men by its Director, (Social Communications), Rev. Fr. Chris Anyanwu, the CBCN said, “There is a poison of deliberate misinformation in the air, more deadly than the Ebola Virus Disease.

“This may be a symptom of how forthcoming political events may be handled in the media. Some persons want to, at all cost, see the North and the South, Christians and Muslims fight. In God’s name it shall not come to be.”

The organisation described such reports by some newspapers as “not only false and malicious, but a calculated attempt to further sow the seed of disharmony between Catholics and the leadership of CAN.”

The statement also said in part, “While we disassociate ourselves from the newspaper reports, it is important to put the records in the right perspective. Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama granted an interview with the Hausa BBC Service in Kaduna in which he condemned money laundering.

“All that Archbishop Kaigama said about the $9.3m saga was that the matter should be investigated in-depth to avoid insinuations, psychological projections and unhealthy rumours and gossips. A transcription of his interview will reveal that the words attributed to him were a figment of somebody’s imagination.

“He said nothing about Pastor Ayo hobnobbing with Mr. President or dragging CAN to the mud; neither did he mention the pastor’s name or Mr. President’s.

“He (Kaigama) said that the relevant authorities in Nigeria ought to investigate the issue of the $9.3m arms deals saga dispassionately and ensure that those found guilty of money laundering be punished according to the provision of the existing law of our land against money laundering.”

Julius Agwu:The zero to hero of a versatile Comedian!

It is no news anymore that Ace Comedian, Julius Agwu was born “without a spoon” as he always mention in most of his interviews.

richandfamousHis story is that of a young man who wasn’t born into wealth, yet his love for the good things of life prompted his struggle which led to his glory. Julius devised ways to become better than his contemporaries even at School, social gatherings and everywhere he went.

Agwu began the journey as a little sales boy; hawking wares on the streets of Portharcourt; he was only a young boy,but he became a perpetual late-comer just because he had to attend his own business in the early hours of the morning before going to School which was also in the morning. His saviour on such days which were not few was his comedy and entertainment.

He would get to the School very late and he would have to entertain his class until it became a pattern for him to get to the class late and entertain everyone as punishment.

It is no wonder that, entertainment and comedy is an integral part of his life. Julius Agwu charges over three million naira per show as a comedian and as a performer, He is a musician, an actor as he has acted in some movies; he kicked- off his acting career when he acted in a popular, Nigerian movie titled“Rattle Snake”.

Rattle Snake was shot and produced in 1993. Julius also comperes events as well as he does other businesses.

Today, he has taken upon himself to run for the gubernitorial election in his state in 2015. In this edition, we introduce to you, a versatile young man who is planning another ‘Crack Ya Ribs show’ in Abuja next month, as well as his declaration party.

Enjoy!

Julius D’ Genius

Julius Agwu is from Choba in Obio /Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. He was born 41 years ago in Choba, Portharcourt main Town on April 7th, 1973 to Chief Augustine Amadi Agwu and Mrs. Mary Agwu. He was the fifth child of his father’s six children.

He completed his primary education in Choba and attended Government Secondary school, Borokiri, also in Portharcourt. He obtained a Diploma in Theatre Acts and a degree also in Theatre Arts.

Although it was not rosy for Julius even as a student, in the University as he virtually sponsored himself, but that didn’t stop him from taking it further. While in the Higher Institution, Julius would travel all the way from Portharcourt to Lagos sitting on the ”attachment” seat, just to find greener pasture in entertainment .

It was one of such journeys that he first landed a role in the movie titled “Rattle Snake’ in 1993. After Rattle Snake, Julius did other movies and also produced one of his titled ‘the gods also cry’.

He tried his hands also in music, since he was in the choir as a child and as a youth. Julius Agwu single-handedly founded the genre of music in Nigeria known as musicomedy which actually made him so popular.

He became the first Comedian to release a comedy album in Nigeria and since then many other Comedians have tried their hands and have been successful.

After conquering the home front, D’ Genius took his shows and skills to different parts of the world; he has shows in Atlanta, Maryland, London, among others. He has show case his Crack Ya Ribs and Laff for Christ Sake in these places and received many accolades.

Charity/ Foundation

One outstanding thing about Julius Agwu is that he is a massive giver and considers people.

This, he display via his yearly Crack Ya Ribs shows where he usually sponsors all his cast and crew abroad. With the support of some great establishments like the Diamond Bank, Arik Air, which has been his official airline and Virgin Nigeria.

He has a foundation called JAFOY, Julius Agwu Foundation for the Youths. Under which he has a football talent hunt that he does in Portharcourt yearly, he also supports the orphanages. He empowers and creates platforms to enable the youths both in Rivers state and other parts of Nigeria to achieve their dreams.

Awards/ Recognition

As recent as a week ago, D’ genius travelled to Dehli, India for a summit sponsored by the Indians. The summit was to discuss the way forward for the Nigerian entertainment business partnering with the Indian entertainment business.

He was their guest of honor and the only African invited to speak. Julius Agwu has won lots of awards and nomination both in Nigeria and outside Nigeria.

He was the first to take comedy abroad as a way of making the Africans in Diaspora feel at home. His latest show in Abuja for October is sponsored by Heritage bank; the official airline is Dana.

Investment

Julius believes in investing in human lives more than buying all the properties in the world; it is no wonder, he registered a Construction company in Portharcourt where he has employed many Youths, and the aged.

These ones for lack of employment would have ended up as armed robbers, militants, prostitutes and killers. Perhaps, this is the singular reason why the sons and daughters of Rivers state in the Diaspora believe so much in him and are willing to support him come 2015? Julius Agwu plans to pick up the mantle when his brother, Governor Rotimi Amechi, the present governor leaves.

Properties/ cars

Although he is still in a nice, rented apartment on the Island, the dude has a state of the art mansion in Portharcourt. He is also secretly concluding a mansion in Portharcourt for his … As for cars, the dude loves the Mercedes Benz above all, he is of the opinion that the Benz is a machine. He has the latest 4matic SUV and a few others.

When KSA blessed me —Waje

We haven’t seen Waje this excited in a while. ‘Inspired’ is the most appropriate word to describe her feeling when she took to her Instagram page to wish King Sunny Ade a happy birthday.

In her words: “I watched him perform in 2010 for the first time in London and I was reborn. Amazed! Inspired and blessed because few minutes before he climbed the stage he laid his hands on me and prayed for me backstage. Powerful words of wisdom, he gave me happy birthday my daddy music KSA”

Waje is currently promoting the visuals of her song’ Onye’ featuring Tiwa Savage.

Big Brother unveils Nigerian Housemate

Another twist has been introduced to this season’s Big Brother Africa, which will hit the screens on 5 October, 2014.

Lillian-Afegbai

Lillian-Afegbai

It is appropriately termed Hotshots, and Big Brother has commenced teasing its teeming fansby revealing three Hotshots from the various participating countries, daily.

The Nigerian Housemate has also been revealed, and her name is Lilian Afegbai. Known as ‘SexyLeeLee’ to her friends, Lillian is a model, actor, presenter, and tax collector! She entered Big Brother Hotshots for ‘the platform it provides and the publicity that comes with it, and of course the winning prize – the money’.

22-year old Lillian disclosed that she’s not willing to sell herself short to win the grand prize. If she does win, she’ll invest in her talk show, which is about ‘helping upcoming talents’ and get herself a house.

Lilian’s favourite foods are rice and plantain and she likes watching Baggage on TV and listing to 2Face Idibia.

She doesn’t have a favourite book, but likes movies like Think Like A Man, Blended, Friends With Benefits, Bridesmaids and Twelve Years A Slave. Her favourite actor is Angelina Jolie, because ‘she’s creative and can switch roles easily’.

Speaking on the reality show,M-Net Africa Regional Director (West Africa), Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, says the viewers are in for almost as many surprises as the housemates. “We work hard to make each season of   Big Brother Africa bigger than the last – and we’ve really upped the ante this year,” she says.

Many people think I did surgery on my hips- Ella Martins

Ella Martins has been under fire since her picture and that of Genevieve Nnaji surfaced online, allegedly kissing.

Ella-Martins-yanBut the actress that cried out that there is nothing untoward between her and the Nigerian leading lady of the screen, has shrugged off the experience has since continued with her life.

She recently released her 5th album tagged ‘Success’ featuring hit single ‘Baby Chocolat’

In another chat with Showtime she opened up on what was her most embarrassing moment. She said during a stage performance fans carried her up and tried to have a feel of her    backside.

She puts it this way:”There are two accounts of my most embarrassing moments as an artiste. The first one was when I was performing with DJ Arafat   and during the performance he stopped to kiss me. I was also performing with    Orezi when the crowd carried me and tried to have a feel of my backside. I was really embarrassed.”

She continues:”A lot of people     think I did a surgery on my hips but I didn’t” she declares.