Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog: 08/31/2008 - 09/07/2008

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Sunday 7 September 2008

Frank Osodi's Summer Collection + Mercedes Benz Fashion Week


He is without doubt one of the best designers to emerge from this part of the world. Ex-top model, choreographer, model manager and renowned make-up artist, Frank Osodi Richard, is the incredibly talented guy behind the House of Bunor fashion label which he started over 15 years ago and has clothed the most high profile people in Nigeria.


He will forever be remembered as the designer who made the dress Agbani Darego wore the night she won Miss World in 2001.

He's my friend, my mentor and he managed my modeling career for five years.

Here's his summer glamour collection which he unveiled at Convention Center, Sandton Joburg, at the 2008 South African fashion week that took place recently...
Check it out...







Beautiful clothes....


Celia Bissong, Frank Osodi and ex-top Model, Ann Leonard

West African Fashion Week

Frank Osodi Richard of the House of Bunor in conjunction with Jan Malan of the MNET Face of Africa fame presents, West Africa Fashion Week 2008.
A three day explosive West Africa fashion show, showcasing top 10 West Africa's fashion designers and top Nigerian designers. Fabric and accessory exhibition, fashion student workshop and young designer competition.
For enquiries and sponsorship, please call
08033257711, 08055170366, 08023085061, 01 7933580
http://www.wafashionweek.com/

And here are some pictures from the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Spring 2009 which featured P Diddy's Sean John line.
Pictures thanks to bossip.com
Enjoy....
The guys are fly huh?

Meanwhile here's good news.
Former US sprinter Marion Jones has been released from a federal prison in Texas after serving a six-month term for lying to prosecutors about using drugs.
So happy to hear this.

Photos of the day
Beyonce performing at the 5th Annual Fashion Rocks concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York, she sang legendary R&B singer Etta James’ hit song “At Last” and gave audiences a preview of her role as James in the upcoming movie “Cadillac Records.” She donned a costume from the flick, got into character (short blonde wig and all) and took a few minutes to give tribute to James, who was also in the audience.
Source: BET.com

Beyonce on stage with Mariah Carey and Mary J Blige

Beyonce looking delicious

That's it, see y'all later.
Have a fabulous week ahead.

Friday 5 September 2008

Are We Crazy In Africa?

Let me start by saying some of the pictures you're about to view aren't nice...so please note.

I'm going to write something a few of you might find offensive. It's kinda anti-Africa. I feel a little uncomfortable writing it but I can't help myself. Hopefully some of you will reason with me.

See I love Nigeria, I love Africa. I doubt if there's anyone who's more in love with this continent than I am. I've had many opportunities to live outside of this continent and I've always refused. In fact it's one of the reasons I haven't gotten married...YET...(that's a story for another day lol), so believe me I love Africa...

BUT sometimes I'm so angry with it's people. Are we out of our minds? Are some of us mentally deranged?



If we are not deranged, then how do we explain Xenophobia? Why would we set a human being on fire just because he is a foreigner in our land? Why not deport them? Look at that police officer in the middle smiling while an innocent soul burns to death. And is that a woman in the picture?

Are we insane?



If we are sane, then please explain Genocide to me. We kill people who are our country men just because they belong to another tribe? We are from the same country but I deserve to die because I speak another language?

Are we alright in the head?



If we are alright in the head, then how do we explain students beating a teacher to death just because she unknowingly threw the Quran to the ground?

Are we mad in Africa?



If we are not mad, then please explain why a court in Africa will decree that a 16 year old boy stab to death, a man who killed his father, in a public execution? The picture of the boy stabbing the man you see tied to this tree is too gruesome that I can't even upload it.

Why my people? Why do we act like animals?



If we are not animals, then why would we kidnap little children, cut them up and sell their body parts for ritual purposes or sell them into child slavery?

Don't we have a conscience in Africa?


If we have a conscience, then why do we make wives and mothers out of our 12 year old daughters?



And killers and rapists out of 13 year old sons? How can we put guns in the hands of our children and make soldiers of them? Don't they have a right to grow up first?
What's our problem in Africa?

Don't we get it?


If we get it, then why would we set ourselves on fire just to protest racism? If they are treating us like second class citizens in a foreign land then why don't we just pack our bags and go back home?

Why are we so unreasonable?


If we reason well, then why strip a woman naked because she was unfaithful. Why not just divorce her?

Why do we act stupid?


If we don't act stupid, then why do we lynch people for the smallest reasons? Why do we take justice into our own hands?

Don't we have value for human life?


If we have value for human life, then why gun down an African legend who has blessed millions with his music, just because we want to steal his car? Kill the owner, steal the car, sell the car and buy marijuana with the money. Then go back the next day looking for another person to kill, another car to steal?

What's wrong with us in Africa?


If there's nothing wrong with Africa, then explain why AIDS, which was discovered in Europe, is killing more people in Africa than any other continent in the world?
Why my people???

I ask again, are we cursed? Can someone answer me?
What can we do to make Africa great again? When will Africans unite again?
All through our history, it's people, it's beauty, it's wonders and despite our tragedies and sadness, outsiders have come to visit, some never even go back. That tells me there's something beautiful about Africa.

I love Africa and I will never give up on it. Despite our difficulties, Africa shall be at peace. We deserve peace because we are a beautiful people. But how do we find peace if we keep doing this to ourselves?

Someone please tell me we are not crazy in Africa. Or are we?

Thursday 4 September 2008

Ritual Kidnapping

No matter how many times you hear or read some stories, you find it too too hard to believe them, ‘cos you just can’t fathom it. A friend’s cousin told me a story of how she was abducted from a bus around the Jibowu area of Lagos, sometime last year, on her way back from school (Yaba College of Technology) and how she survived being used for ritual.

They let her go because she was on her period. And like the story you’re about to read, she was also taken outside of Lagos to a forest in the western part of Nigeria. When she was released and dumped on a busy road, a Good Samaritan found a church ID card (St Dominics Catholic Church) on her and brought her back to Lagos.

I’m interviewing her for the next edition of our magazine, hoping her story will help others be a bit more conscious and more careful of the kind of bus they enter and how to ask for help when kidnapped.

In City People Magazine this week, I read a similar story. A story of how a Redeem Pastor, Pastor Oladeji, the Pastor in charge of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Amazing God Parsh, Alagbado, Lagos, was recently kidnapped by some ritualists, but miraculously survived to tell his own story. In this report, Pastor Oladeji recounts his tragic experience, how it all started, what he went through and how he was miraculously saved.
By Bola Akinboade.

“It all began in the week of my wedding. I had already told my fiancée that I wouldn’t be going out but later in the day, I got a call from my former church that they wanted to support me with a token amount of money for my wedding preparation.

So I went to Ketu Alapere to collect the money. On my way back home that night, I boarded a bus at Ketu bus stop going to Oshodi, but I noticed that the vehicle did not pass through Anthony. At that point, a woman who was also one of the passengers inquired from the driver where he was taking us to, only for a man in the vehicle to bring out a gun and asked everybody to co-operate. He ordered everybody to bow his or her head.

I then noticed that the vehicle made a u-turn at Jibowu to an unknown destination, from one jungle to another. And when it was around 3am, the bus stopped and we were blindfolded. They later took us to a waiting bus with 14 passengers and we embarked on another journey in a thick forest. We were all kept at this final destination which is also a thick forest.

They later searched all our pockets and collected phones, money and other items. After we stayed at that particular location for days, another bus came again and they marched us inside. Our eyes were covered again and we were taken to another destination which is also a thick forest. At that place we were all stripped naked and ordered to take a calabash each.

Later we were taken inside where we saw an old woman who later appeared to be their controller. Blood littered everywhere and there were so many people. Our captors paraded us before the woman with the aid of a gun. The woman later came out with a charm which she used to touch our heads and used another charm to beat us on the chest. Then we were told to say our last prayer as nobody who entered there had ever come out alive.

In front of us was a long pole with a big Calabash. The woman ordered us to pass under it one after the other. Once the Calabash rolls that’s the end of that person. Four hefty men came out and slaughtered one of us. A calabash was used to collect the human parts and another was used to collect blood. People were coming to buy all the human parts with huge amount of money.

There was a woman in our midst, when she passed under the calabash, the woman controller discovered she was pregnant and she ordered that the foetus in her womb be removed and put in a mortar.

Suddenly, a breeze hit me and I started speaking in tongues. They threatened me with a gun but for ten minutes, I spoke in tongues and there was this man in front of me who was saying amen to all my prayers.

The woman asked me who my herbalist was; I told her I didn’t have any that I am a pastor. She instructed the gun men to return me and we were both kept in a room. They later called somebody to pick us up and dump us in the nearest town. He dropped us at a village called Okuku in Osun State. He gave us N500 to board a bus going to Ile-Ife.

The bus took us to Obafemi University half naked with blood on our bodies. It was some of the market women in front of the University and some students that came to our rescue. They contributed money for us to comeback from Lagos.

And to the glory of God, out of the 14 passengers, only the two of us were saved miraculously."
That's his story.

Like I said, stories like this are so difficult to believe. When my friend's cousin told me her story, sincerely I had my doubts. I knew she was kidnapped 'cos she was in a psyche ward for many months after she was found again (she went missing for 16 days), but I found it hard to believe her tale of seeing people being be-headed, cut up into pieces and sold.

This is the third case of ritual kidnapping I've heard, and now I believe these things are really happening.
But why is this happening?
How can we stay safe?
Have you ever heard of this?
Have you had a similar experience?
You know anyone who has?
Why aren’t the police interviewing survivors, getting directions and raiding these places where humans are killed and their body parts sold just so some people can live in mansions and drive a Hummer?

Tuesday 2 September 2008

Naija Entertainment News

This is Naija Entertainment News courtesy City People Magazine. I always do Encomium but bought City People this week 'cos it's actually a special edition. Those who have seen the cover know why huh? I ain't telling, you go buy it...lol
Anyway, found some interesting Ent. News in it...
Enjoy...

Two Can Play Returns - Juliana Orji

Remember the popular TV Game Show, Two Can Play ofthe 1990's? The creator of the programme Opa Williams has concluded arrangements to bring it back. The programme which was anchored by Keppy Ekpenyong then, will be anchored by Ghanaian star actor Van Vicker as the new anchor.


Already a fresh pilot edition was shot two weeks back with Segun Arinze as the anchor. Two Can Play is a game show in which couples contest against each other for jumbo prizes.

Yemi Sax, 2face Idibia, Seyi Lawson Become U.N Ambassador

On Tuesday August 12 2008, at the ECOWAS Building, Abuja, 3 top Nigerian artistes namely Yemi Sax, Tuface Idibia and Seyi Lawson were presented with the prestigious International Youth Ambassador for Peace Summit


The trio joined the league of other artistes like D'Banj. It was however a double honour for Yemi Sax and Tuface as they were presented with another award, the Nigeria Youth Merit Award by the National Youth Council of Nigeria alongside 9ice in recognition of their outstanding contributions to youth developmentin Nigeria

The Nigeria Fashion Week 2008 Set To Hold


The 2008 edition of the Nigerian Fashion Week comes up between 15th-17th September at the Muson Centre. The 3 consecutive days o fashion shows and exhibition/fair will present the collection of over 70 designers from across Nigeria and Abroad. Already international media who have comfirmed coverage of this year's event include Video Fashion and Fashon TV from Paris, Italian Vogue and Cosmopolitan and French Elle. The event is put together by Legendary Gold in Collaboration with the World Fashion Association and the Federal Ministries of Culture and Toursim, Information and Communication and The Nigeria Export Production Council.

Halima Dangote Receives 15 Car Gift

We have now confirmed that the wedding fatiha between Dangote's daughter, Halima and her hearthrob, Suleiman Sani Bello did go down n the history of weddings in Nigeria as one with the highest number of car gifts to the newly wedded couple. City People confirmed a few days ago that fifteen sleek cars and two houses formed hallmark of the cluster of gifts given to the couple. Some of the car brands range from customised jeeps to Benz to Coupe, various brands of Honda and Toyota. One of the homes is in Kaduna where the newly weds moved into after the wedding while the other one is located in an undisclosed foreign country.
Pix:thanks bellanaija

9ice performs in Dublin on September 19th - Afolabi Oyekoya

On September 19th, rave of the moment Adigun Abolore aka 9ice will be performing in far away Dublin Ireland at a concert tagged 9ice Live In Dublin. The dublin concert was facilitated by ace producer/sound engineer, Zino Foster.
So look out for that.

Zain, MTV align to develop emerging Nigerian Artistes into superstars - Afolabi Oyekoya

Leading Mobile Operator in Nigeria, Zain and American Music Cable Television Network, MTV, have revealed plans to turn upcoming Nigerian Music artistes into super stars through a newly created platform, Zain/MTV Advance Warning. Both companies announced in Lagos last week. that the project will help to create a pool of musicians that will have more prominence on the international and local music scene. Zain/MTV Advance Warning, a music talent development reality TV series will be aired on both satellite and a number of terrestrial television stations such as AIT and STV. The show premieres on Sunday, August 31, 2008 on DSTV at 7:30pm and nationally across Nigeria on AIT and STV at 6:00pm

Rukky Sanda Launches Movie in America - Taiwo Obatuson

The gorgeous and beautiful actress Rukky Sanda has expanded her movie career with the production of the movie titled Lethal Woman. Rukky who had just launched the movie in the US, has concluded all arrangements to relaunch the movie in Nigeria.

Ruggedman In Fresh Collabo with Dude Tetsola

Set to hit the airwaves is a new single, My Money by Vien Tetsola's younger brother, Dude Tetsola featuring rapper Ruggedman. The single will be released under Alec Music.
Also look out for that.

Benita Okojie Releases New Album

Erstwhile kid star, Benita Okojie, who is now 20years old, has released a new album which was launched on August 3rd, 2008, at the 10th year on stage celebration of the singer. According to Benita, her new album carries strong messages and does not deviate from the inspiring message she is known for. Benita released her first album, Child of God at the age of 10 in 1998.

Photo of the day

A one-day-old unnamed dolphin calf, top right, plays with its mother Dolly, in the dolphinarium of Black sea's town of Varna some 450 kms. (280 miles) east of the Bulgarian capital Sofia. It is the eight dolphin born at the Varna's dolphinarium for the last 13 years.

Cheers!!!

Monday 1 September 2008

John Obi's Questions + Nice animal pics

Happy new month everyone. May everything you touch, turn to gold.

So to today's post, John Obi asked me a few questions via a comment on my last post.
I love answering questions so let's go...

1. Your first kiss?
My first kiss?
Sincerely I can't remember. I kissed a few guys in my late teens.

2. Your first crush at school?
Crush at school ke? I went to an all-girls school. But I had a crush on a neighbour. I was probably like 15 and he was 17 and I used peep at him from my bedroom window. One day I saw him beat up a girl...very badly and I got over him ASAP.

3. Which primary and secondary school you went to?
Primary school: St Paul's Catholic Primary School.
Secondary School: Lagos Anglican Girls Grammer School.

4. What you studied in Unilag?
English

5. What part of your body you like most?
My legs

6. Which part you would rather change?
Bigger boobs won't be such a bad idea...lol

7. What do you find sexy or what makes you tick?
I find tall men sexy. What makes me tick? I'm very grounded

8. What do you like in a man?
Maturity.

9. Where do you like most in Nigeria?
Lagos.

10. What is your favourite road snack?
Coconut chips

11. What is your most emabarrasing moment?
Many many many many years ago, when I started my eh.....u know. My pad fell while I was walking. Guess I didn't fix it well.
Pls note: I was very very very young...lol
It's funny now but it wasn't funny when a few guys (laughing their hearts out by the way) told me to come back and pick my 'property'.

12. If you had the world in your palms and you had to choose a husband, who would you go for
1) In Nigeria,
I wouldn't trade the one I have right now for anyone...but to answer your question...Alex Okosi. With him I had my first experience of staring endlessly at a man.
2) In Hollywood?
Vin Diesel. For him, I'll be... whatever man.

13. Do you think Nigeria will ever develop in the true sense or will it continue to be chop make i chop
Sincerely I think Nigeria will develop. We are already on the road. When people like you and I exist, and are doing the things we are doing, Nigeria has no choice but to get better.

14. Finally, how do you think we can change Nigeria for the better?
Re-orientation. Everyone should get busy and stop waiting on the government. More importantly, we need good governance.

Hope I answered your questions well enough...

Meanwhile here are nice animals pix depicting friendship.
Enjoy.


Share with friends

Hold on to good friends; they are few and far between

Exercise to keep fit

Take an occasional risk

Work together as a team

Fall in love with someone..

Be conscious of your appearance

Meet new people, even if they look different to you

Remain calm, even when it seems hopeless

Take lots of naps..

Love your friends, no matter who they are

Don't waste food

Always try to help a friend in need

Be brave...but it's ok to be afraid sometimes

Believe in yourself

Study hard

Give lots of kisses

Will get you Naija Entertainment News next!!!
Stay tuned!!!

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