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Sunday, 21 April 2019

What Does 420 Mean—How It Became Known for Marijuana


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There are a lot of Spring celebrations—religious and secular. One that’s growing in popularity is 4/20: April 20 happens to match a slang term for getting high—420. Part protest, part smoke out, part celebration, April 20—also known as “Weed Day”—is a tribute to all things cannabis.

What does 420 mean—and who invented it?

The origin story is a bit muddy because there are so many myths: 420 has been linked to penal codes, Hitler’s birthday, or the numerical references in a Bob Dylan song. Most aficionados stick to the story of 420 as a police code for “marijuana smoking in progress,” though police will tell you there is no such code.

According to TIME , the best evidence suggests that 420 got its start in 1971 amongst a group of high school buddies in San Rafael, California, who would meet at 4:20—when their extracurriculars had typically ended—to smoke. (Although pot is now considered relatively safe for adults, its effect on teens can be much more damaging.) They began using “420” as code for smoking at any time. Much later, the Grateful Dead caught wind of the phrase, which had been growing by word of mouth. In the early 1990s, a flier circulated at a Dead Show that urged people to “meet at 4:20 on 4/20 for 420-ing,” and the term hit the public domain.

The high holiday of cannabis

Gatherings for 420 live on across the country and even globally as a flagrant display of cannabis culture and advocacy, the event runs the gamut from laid back dance party to a fierce fight for human rights. Some of the most iconic 420 rallies are on Hippie Hill in San Francisco, the Mile-High Festival in Denver, and in Hyde Park in London, England.

“While it is a cause to celebrate, it’s also a call to action,” says Justin Strekal, the political director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).”We take it seriously as an issue. Despite the increased support, growing and possessing marijuana is still unfairly penalized. In states where it’s still not legal, racial bias runs rampant in terms of who gets targeted and arrested by law enforcement.”

Is cannabis legal or not?

It’s both, though from a federal perspective it’s not legal anywhere says Strekal. It’s still considered a prohibited Schedule 1 drug (grouped with heroin), according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which claims it has “a high potential for abuse.” Yet legality laws vary state by state. According to Strekal, almost every state except four—Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota—allow for some form of marijuana, with most permitting medical use. Recreational use is allowed in Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Washington state, Washington D.C., and Vermont, with New Mexico jumping on the bandwagon in July. According to NORML, in states where marijuana is illegal, merely smoking it can lead to serious repercussions. For adults, marijuana possession convictions can interfere with access to public housing, financial aid for school, loans, and jobs.

What do you call it?

As big business moves into marijuana—according to

NBC , in 2019, the combined North American market is expected to exceed $16 billion—the industry has begun to prefer the term cannabis. “People have switched because it doesn’t have the baggage of marijuana,” says Jane Allen, a marijuana expert at RTI International, an independent, nonprofit institute based in North Carolina. Some other popular names include pot, herb, kush, dope, reefer, weed, and ganja. According to NPR , “marijuana” came into popularity in the early 20th century because anti-cannabis factions wanted to underscore the drug’s “Mexican-ness.” One theory explains marijuana as a hybrid of the common Spanish girl’s names María and Juana. (Mary Jane is the Americanized version of María Juana.)


Revealed! Beyonce Died In 2000 What We Have Now Is Her Clone


What we have now as Queen BEY is in fact not the real Beyonce because she died in the year 2000 and was replaced by a clone.

A bizarre conspiracy theory has claimed that apon the death of the real Beyonce, her record label cloned her using stem cells. Beyoncé was in her Destiny’s Child heyday around that time and the suits didn’t want to lose the money she was making them.

Wacky theorists claim the Crazy In Love hitmaker is clearly a clone because she looks different to how she did back then. Of course, the theory doesn’t take into account age, as the years would have definitely made Bey, 37, look different to her 19-year-old self.

The theory claims Beyoncé was cloned from her stem cells (Image: BACKGRID)

It also doesn’t explain where industry execs would even get the singer’s stem cells in order to clone her. Beyoncé is back on top this week after the release of her Netflix film Homecoming and its accompanying album .

The documentary follows the icon as she prepares for Coachella, and reveals the gruelling diet that she followed .

After giving birth to twins Rumi and Sir via C-section June 2017, Bey didn’t eat bread, carbs, sugar, dairy, meat, fish or alcohol to drop weight so that she could keep up with rehearsals and performing.

The Coachella performance was the first gig for Bey after giving birth.

She admits in the documentary of the gruelling regime: “I definitely pushed myself further than I knew I could and I learned a very valuable lesson.

“I will never, never push myself that far again.”

Where is Game of Thrones filmed?


Game of Thrones has been filmed all over the world (Picture: Getty/HBO)

Brace yourselves – the release date of the first episode of Game of Thrones season eight is inching closer and closer.

There’s no reason to think that the eighth and final season of GOT won’t be at least as brutal as any of the ones that have gone before it.

If events like The Red Wedding are anything to go by, GOT is going to be coming for our emotional stability, especially as the events from all previous seasons are finally due to come to a head.

Soon it’ll all be over and we may well find ourselves missing the GOT shocks and feels that we’ve come to expect from the show.

While we wait with excitement – tinged with a healthy dose of fear – for the drop date of Monday 15 April, here’s everything you need to know about the stunning locations in which the show’s seven seasons so far have been filmed.

If you’re into travel, some of these would make great additions to your sight-seeing bucket list.

Game of Thrones filming locations

Game of Thrones has been filmed all over the world, so there are plenty of destinations that you might recognise.

During season one, Northern Ireland featured heavily, with filming locations in Castle Ward (used for Winterfell), Saintfield Estates (used for the Winterfell godswood), and the Magheramorne quarry (used for Castle Black).

Sadly, the famous Azure Window, which was used as the setting for the wedding of Daenerys and Khal Drogo, has since collapsed.

The Azure Window as it formerly stood (Picture: Mateusz Wlodarczyk/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

One of the other most easily recognisable GOT filming locations is that of Dubrovnik in Croatia, which from season two through to season eight has been used as King’s Landing, replacing the city of Mdina in Malta which was used in season one.

Many of the show’s southern set scenes moved from filming in Malta to Croatia after season one, including the Dubac quarry (used for scenes set in Qarth) Fort Lovrijenac, (used as the basis for the CGI Red Keep), and the surrounding bay (used for the Battle of Blackwater).

Do the walls around Dubrovnik look familiar? (Picture: Greg Marinovich/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Filming has also occurred all over Spain. Seville was used to represent Dorne in season five, and in season six the crew also branched out to Navarra, Almeria, Guadalajara, Girona and Peniscola. The crew returned to Spain for season seven, including places like Seville, Santiponce, Almodovar del Rio, Zumaia, Cáceres, and Bermeo.

In stark contrast, scenes set north of the Wall have been filmed in Iceland on the Vatnajökull glacier near Smyrlabjörg, the Mýrdalsjökull glacier near Vik on Höfðabrekkuheiði and the Svínafellsjökull glacier near Skaftafell.

Scenes have also been carried out at Hverfjall volcano near Lake Myvatin, and Thingvellir National Park, which was used for the epic fight between Brienne and the Hound.

The Fort Lovrijenac in Dubrovnik, Croatia. (Picture: Laszlo Szirtesi/Getty Images)

As for interior scenes, for Season 8 they were shot at the usual location of Paint Hall Studios in Titanic Quarter in Belfast, as well as Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge.

A dedicated Twitter account snapped some pics of what looked very much like a green screen and ship sets back in 2018 at Linen Mill Studios when they were still filming season eight. Does that mean we can expect even more sea battles this time around?

Can you visit any of these film locations?

The cities like Dubrovnik and Seville are naturally open to the public.

In Dubrovnik, you can walk along the walls where many key scenes were filmed throughout the show. Tickets cost around €29, and it takes roughly two hours to walk the whole way around.

Hverfjall volcano near Lake Myvatin in Iceland, where they filmed scenes which took place beyond the Wall, can be accessed via a guided tour of the Vatnajokull National Park, which costs roughly £83.20 – not including flights and accommodation of course.

Iceland’s Thingvellir National Park is popular with tourists too, and has a visitors centre where people can get information as to the history of the park. There are also hiking trails, and scuba diving in the Silfra Lake for the braver of heart.

Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge are due to open a Game of Thrones tour – date tbc – giving attendees the chance take a deep dive into Westeros.

Into the Badlands Season 3 Episode 13 Review: Black Lotus, White Rose


Into the Badlands dumps all the info ever just a few episodes before its explosive series finale airs.

This Into The Badlands review contains spoilers.

Into the Badlands Season 3 Episode 13

There’s a scene towards the beginning of the episode where the Magnus of the Black Lotus (Francis Magee) challenges Sunny’s newly revealed long-lost sister Kannin (Eugenia Yuan) with what seems like impossible task: activating her brother’s dark-eyed powers. He picks up a huge hourglass (which he calls “a souvenir from Azra”), turns it over, and sets it down on his table. “You have until the sand runs out to turn him,” Magnus says, and walks out the room, leaving Kannin to wonder how the hell she’s going to make Sunny a dark-eyed one in the next 30 odd minutes.

This scene feels like a metaphor for the writing of this entire episode. “You have until the sands runs out to tie up all the loose ends.” Now that we’re in the home stretch, barrelling towards the series finale of Into the Badlands faster than a flying kick, the writers have some ‘splainin to do. Since the last episode should be all about the action, this is the episode where they get most of that ‘splainin done, and as quickly as possible.

“Black Lotus, White Rose” is the densest episode of Into the Badlands. Every line of dialogue carries the answers to questions the audience has been waiting for since day one while making sure that the more recent additions to the show’s storylines (like Pilgrim and the Black Lotus) are tied into the show’s larger mythology. As a denoument, you could do a lot worse.

We witness multiple key flashbacks, sit through several monologues, and contemplate the pros and cons of wielding true power. In short, a lot happens here, and in a very short amount of time. The writers of the show know which of its storylines it can use to burn off as fuel and which it can use to sustain itself during its eleventh hour. Watching “Black Lotus, White Rose” felt as though we were watching them sort it out in real-time. It’s kind of like clearing house to get ready for a big move.

In the eye of this expository storm is what should be the emotional core of this episode, which is strangely — and noticeably — absent. Meeting your long lost sister should be the focus of the episode, and would be if Badlands’ was in its first or second seasons. And, yes, this subplot does get a decent amount of screentime here. Yet it feels like it’s on the peripheral here.

Discovering all we ever wanted to know about Sunny’s mysterious past and then some feels nice to have, but dropping it all on us at once not only makes my head spin, it makes me feel like the show would rather spend what precious time it has left on The Widow and her enlightening adventures into the redemption-lands, rather than put Sunny front and center. Besides, the audience, too, is now more preoccupied with tracking these storylines more than following Sunny's perils in wrapping thngs up. 

Maybe that's because we can tell Kannin isn't really a true flesh-and-blood character; she's a story bot. She's like one of those helpers you add to your party in a video game RPG that provides endless backstory to scroll through at the touch of a button and also has a high enough HP (and MP) to help you kick ass. And that's about it. Eugenia Yuan (daughter of Wuxia legend Pei-Pei Cheng) plays the role well, and she recites her lines perfectly, but we still don't get a sense of her inner world. Then again, we're like four or five episodes away from the finale, so maybe we don't really need to.

There are two big deaths in "Black Lotus, White Rose" that bear mentioning. Obviously, the cliffhanger from the last episode featuring Bajie being stabbed in the gut by Magnus was immediately retconned during this week's opening moments by the witch Ankara (Clare Higgins), who sacrificed her own life with magic to save Bajie's. How convenient. The second big dirt nap that we're coming to terms with is that of The Master whose real name is actually Ada. This was a surprisngly emotional sequence that featured Flea — er, The Widow, guiding her back to her past through another paper crane induced vision quest to the home of her childhood. 

Into the Badlands has always made our relationship with the Master a questionable one. At times, we're more inclined to agree with Pilgrim's stance on her methods of containing the dangerous abilities of the dark-eyed ones than side with her. Nevertheless, The Master (Chipo Chung) is truly an integral part of Badlands' mythology as she trained its most pivotal characters, so her death, while obligatory, definitely feels like a catalyst to push the show's final endgame forward. Chung does an excellent job during her death scene, where she advises The Widow to make sure the world doesn't need masters anymore, which is a powerful statement and one that re-inforces the our heroes' goals of changing the way the Badlands works forever. I'm fairly certain they can do it. How about you?

See List of States That Have Agreed To Implement The 30,000 National Minimum Wage



Following President Muhammadu Buhari latest decision which consequently led to him appending his signature on the proposed 30,000 national minimum wage bill, reports have it that some states have agreed to pay the new minimum wage of N30,000.

States like Kano, Zamfara, Kwara, Rivers, Kogi and Edo state have agreed to pay the 30,000 national minimum wage. In Kano state, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, said“We are ready to pay N30,000 monthly salary, because the welfare of our workers is paramount to anything and we will always give it. We will pay the N30,000,” Ganduje said.

Similarly in Zamfara state, the governor through his media aide, Ibrahim Dosara, stated that the state government under his leadership would implement the new directive.  Also, the governor-elect of Osun state has declared assent. He stated that he is currently awaiting guidelines on payment of the N30,000 minimum wage.

The Kwara state government has also stated that it is prepared for the payment of the new minimum wage. The senior special assistant to the governor on media and communications Dr Muyideen Akorede stated that a committee has been set up to work out the payment modalities.

Also, in Kogi state, a similar committee was set up to look into the payment modalities, and compliance while in Niger, the Governor’s aide on media and publicity, Jide Orintunsin said “Governor Sani Bello, early this year, had assured the state workforce of the new minimum wage at a special session he had with organised labour recently. He is committed to ensuring the welfare of the state workforce,” Orintunsin said.

Similarly, in Delta state,  the chief press secretary to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said the Delta State government will not lag behind when it comes complying with the provisions of the bill.

Wike through the state’s commissioner for information and communications, Emma Okah, said “Rivers state Government will pay whatever is prescribed as the new minimum wage bill.”

Man Whose Fiancee Dumped Him Days To Wedding Last Week Denies Sleeping With Her Younger Sister, Reveals The Whole Truth

On Monday April 15th, Nigerians were hit with the news that a Nigerian man identified as Marshal Bernard, took to his Facebook page to announce the cancellation of his wedding which was scheduled to hold today April 20th after his bride-to-be, Gloria, called off the wedding over what he termed as ”irreconciliable differences”.

Image Credit: Linda Ikeji Blog

As the reason for the cancellation was not well spelt out in his post, many people went online to allege that his bride to be found out that he was sleeping with one of her sisters. Some others also claimed that their dispute was as a result of finance.

Well, Bernard has come out to deny the allegations in a statement released via his committee of friends which he posted on his Facebook page. Read below

Against the spate of rumours, claims and counter claims on the circumstances surrounding the cancellation of the wedding between our friends Marshal and Gloria, we are constrained to make this official statement to clear all doubts and set the records straight as follows:

1. That Marshal and Gloria had a flourishing relationship which led to the man (Marshal) proposing to Gloria on Sunday 30th September 2018. The relationship was modeled according to Bible standards and by choice and in accordance with Biblical instructions, they agreed NOT to have any sexual relations up until their wedding day.

2. That after series of meetings by both families the traditional wedding was scheduled to hold on Thursday the 18th of April 2019, and the church wedding was fixed for Saturday, the 20th of April, 2019.

3. That after a little misunderstanding between both parties, Gloria, on Sunday the 14th of April, unilaterally canceled their wedding, stating that she and Marshal are incompatible, and as such, insisted that the wedding which was to hold in a few days be canceled.

4. That both Gloria and Marshal have massive respect and admiration for each other, and have at no occasion made any negative allegations against each other, as seen on social media.

5. That Gloria has NO younger sister, and the claim that Marshal had sexual relations with her younger sister is plain stupid. As a matter of fact, Marshal has at all times preached Bible tenets and could not have turned around to practice what he publicly stands against.

6. That both Gloria and Marshal are gainfully employed (one in a commercial bank, the other in one of the state Government House) and were financially transparent to each other.

7. That we have resolved not to make any further statement on this issue and we urge the public to respect their privacy as we continue to pray for their emotional well-being in these trying times. We therefore urge the general public to desist from further speculations and negative comments on this issue.

8. That all claims made in this statement are true and verifiable from both parties.

Goodwill Essien
For: Community of Friends
Marshal & Gloria


Chidinma Finally Confronts Kizz Daniel!! Here Are The Shocking Details Of Their Reunion


Nigerian singers and Chidinma and Kizz Daniel are back together!!! At least in a new movie, The rumoured love birds are together starring in a romantic comedy titled ‘Love Me’. The romantic comedy ‘Love Me’ is set to debut on the Nigerian movie scene and other markets across Africa.

Away from the usual love stories characteristic of Nigerian home videos, ‘Love me’ comes across in style, class, technique and the whole gamut a Hollywood crafted kind of production, sure to keep audiences on a viewing bliss. According to the producer of the new movie, the work which promises a lot of entertainment value for members of the public, is currently being shot in Lagos. The cast and crew of the movie will shift location to Dubai in the UAE next month.

‘Love me’, according to the producer, teaches the values of having a strong character and the courage to make the right choices, while also addressing true friendship as one that ought to remain constant when situations oscillate between the good and the bad.

With a stellar cast, which includes Kizz Daniel, Chidinma Ekile, Alex Ekubo, Ngozi Nwosu, Broda Shaggi, Annie Idibia and a host of others, the movie is sure to drive viewers to the cinemas through their influence and their huge social media following as well as its engaging content.

Two of the movie’s stars, Kizz Daniel and Chidinma were recently involved in heavy rumours of betrayal and disloyalty when Kizz released a song titled ‘Fvck You’ which many claims were shade towards Chidinma who was said to be dating the singer and then cheated on him with other men. The song went viral and also spawned a challenge (#Fvckyouchallenge) which also went viral. Notable artists who took part in the challenge include; Tiwa Savage, Rugged Man, Dremo, Skiibii, Simi, Ycee, Victoria Kimani. Of course, some artists used it as an opportunity to shade their colleagues in the industry. Case in point was Victoria Kimani who took shots at a certain female singer whom she shaded for lying her about her success claiming it was more from sleeping with men for money than rather than from music. Many believed the female artist in question was Mavin star, Tiwa Savage. However, nothing was heard back from the Queen of the Mavin label as her #Fvckyouchallenge was not directed towards any female singer.

Despite all the drama surrounding his challenge, it seems Kizz Daniel and Chidinma still have some sort of decorum between themselves.

NIGERIA IS IN SOUP! See Huge Amount Of Money Governor Ajimobi, Deputy And State Lawmakers Will Be Going Home With Despite Losing To Opposition



Going by a template obtained from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, the Oyo State outgoing Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, will get a total of N6.67m as severance allowance.

According to an information obtained, the deputy Governor, Otunba Moses Alake-Adeyemo will receive a total of N6.34m as severance allowance.

Ajimobi and Alake-Adeyemo will collect their pay after necessary papers have been perfected after their tenure which ends May 29, 2019. They assumed office on May 29, 2011, after defeating incumbent Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala.

The severance allowance is, however, separate from other packages which many states have put in place as retirement benefits or pension packages for their governors and deputy governors.

Some of such packages include unlimited health care benefits as well as houses in any place of their choice in the state. Some also offer another house in the Federal Capital Territory.

Some former governors have been known to implement some of the packages for themselves towards the end of their tenures.

Also, the speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Olagunju Ojo, and his deputy, Barr Abdulwasii Musah, and the 28 others who were not re-elected will go home with a total N130.14m.

Each of them will go home N4.34m a reliable source has learnt. Each state lawmaker is entitled to 300 per cent of their annual basic salary as severance allowance when their tenure ends in June 2019.

This is also in line with a template obtained from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

Only two out of the 32 lawmakers- Honourables Wunmi Oladeji ( Ogbomoso North) and Adebo Ogundoyin (Ibarapa East) were re-elected.

Ojo and Musah lost their bids to represent Oriire/Ogbomoso North/Ogbomoso South  and ATISBO/Saki East/Saki West federal constituencies respectively on the platforms All Progressives Congress, APC, and African Democratic Congress, ADC, in the February 23rd, 2019 election.

Saturday, 20 April 2019

Manchester City Hit Hard by Drake Curse!



You’ve probably heard about the ‘Drake Curse’ by now.

Manchester City are the latest to be hit hard with Drake curse after one of their sensational players was seen in a photo with the Canadian rapper and the event that followed was Man City being thrashed out of Champions League

Man City succumbed to a defeat at Etihad by Tottenham after a 4-4 aggregate with Pochettino’s boys prevailing with away goal advantage.

For that reason, fans were swift to point out what made Guardiola’s boys lose despite their remarkable effort.

Fans blamed Kevin De Bruyne for having taken a photo with Drake after knowing clearly that the rapper has caused many clubs pain.

Basically, whenever Drake meets a sports star or worn a particular team’s gear, things end badly for the sports star or team in question.

And, in recent weeks, so too have various footballers including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Layvin Kurzawa and Jadon Sancho, whose respective teams succumbed to unusual defeat.

Throwback Photos Of Omotola Jalade PROTESTING Against Yar’adua In 2010 Resurfaces



Below are pictures showing stress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde during a protest in 2010. The pictures resurfaced after she got engaged with the presidency on the current state of the nation.

Two days ago, Omotola took to Twitter to lament how hellish the country is under the watch of President Buhari and his VP Yemi Osinbajo. According to her, things are hard because money is no longer in circulation.

A post from a presidential assistant, Bashir Ahmad, in response to the actress was however seen as an insinuation that she is only complaining because she has stopped receiving free money from politicians.

Well, the pictures from the protests in 2010 against the continued stay in office of then sick president, Umar Yar’adua, which she participated in, shows she only speaks up when issues are wrong in the country, not because of free money.


Why I don’t sleep —Kunle Afolayan


Kunle Afolayan has made a name for himself as not just a movie maker but also an award-winning movie director. With major blockbuster movies to his credit, Afolayan, son of famous theatre and film director and producer, Ade Love, has carved a niche for himself in the movie industry and says he only wants to keep getting better. Days back, at the screening of his new movie, he speaks with Segun Adebayo on his career, new projects and what to expect from his latest work.

There is something about your movie that evokes reactions and emotions. What could have inspired your new movie Mokalik (Mechanic)?

I think we have a lot of children who are caged and we have to begin to alter that belief so that our society can move away from that belief. It is a way to inform our parents that aside formal education, they can engage their children in a lot of other activities that can help them in life. My children, most of the times, are inside watching the TV but there are other ways they can be empowered and prepare them for the future. The story of the movie is not something that I woke up one day and I decided to write. It was something that I experienced. And, I feel the movie would make a lot of impact in the society when it is finally released.

 

Why Mechanic? There are other vocations you could have focused on.

I visited mechanic workshop and I discovered a lot happens in that place. I was visiting that place everyday to study the environment and how the people relate, so I reached out to Tunde Babalola and informed him about my ideas to shoot a movie in a mechanic’s workshop.

What informed your decision to bring veteran actors on board for this project?

I have always wanted to blend different age brackets, classes-the A-list and B-list. I was always looking for natural actors, so everybody on that set were natural actors. I was not looking for just anybody to play that role that I wanted; you just have to be talented. It was really a tough casting for me but I am happy they all delivered as expected and I am very impressed.

But Simi has never been an actor; I mean a movie actor?

The fact is that I have seen a lot of things Simi has done and I am impressed. I noticed that she’s a natural talent. She is always very real and natural in most of her works. From when we were writing the scripts, I already knew who would fit what role in the movie, so the decision to bring Simi on the project was not difficult because I knew she could do it. Before now, I had told her that I might bring her into one of my projects and she was excited. She told me then that she would be happy to be part of the project. So, when it was time to create the magic, I reached out to her. She fell in love with the script.

 

Casting Simi is one thing, bringing out the best in her was another thing. How did you make sure she did it well?

Well, I know how to do that very well. You just must give me what I want before you go. That’s why you are on my set.

 

Are you saying you didn’t cast Simi because of her commercial appeal, which might help the movie to open new markets for you?

No, it has nothing to do with that. Let me tell you that before the script was completed, I already had her in mind because I had seen some of her videos and she looks natural even without make-up.

 

What about Tobi Bakare?

It is always difficult to find that child that speaks Yoruba these days. I felt I could control him. Even when I told his dad, I asked him to send Tobi to me first, so that I can prepare him for the role. It was not difficult having him on set. Everything was fine.

 

The movie seems to tilt towards comedy, a pattern of movie you hardly follow. Why are you turning the table for this project?

I think this is about the first time anyone is asking why I am producing a comedy movie. As a matter of fact I wanted to make the movie a different one. I didn’t want the boy, Ponmile, who was the focus of the movie to talk at all until the last scene but when we did the first and second draft, I observed that the movie would be dead if the boy did not talk. I have seen the movie more than 100 times; I am always editing it everyday. I am actually glad now that it has a commercial appeal because we actually have two versions of the movie. What you have just seen is for the Nigerian audience there is a version that we are going to use in festivals that does not have music. So, it is more of dialogue. We also removed some scenes so that it won’t appear too Nigerian. For me, I like the mix of drama and comedy. It is a comedy-drama with a lot of cultural elements.

How would you compare the budget of the movie to other movies you have produced?

Budgeting for the movie was not really much because the whole scene was set in one location and it was intentional. We were able to cut down on some expenses and a lot of things because everything happened in one day. A lot of people, who worked on it fell in love with the script. In fact, they said even if they would not be paid, they would love to be part of the project. So, the movie didn’t cost as much as the average Kunle Afolayan’s movies.

I don’t believe in handsome men, I can date an ugly man —Lilian Afegbai

What are your expectations from this movie?

I am really excited about this movie and I expect people to appreciate and love it from every perspective it presents to them. I know some people will say one thing or the other about the movie, but I am excited and feel fulfilled because the reactions I got from those who saw the private screening were natural.

You featured veteran actors, Alabi Yellow and Papalolo in the movie. What’s your assessment of their deliveries?

I brought them into the movie because I just wanted to resurrect another great actor who has been forgotten. I was impressed by what he did. I was also impressed with Papalolo. He proved why he remains one of the greats the industry has produced.

Talking about the casting, what made you think these old faces would do justice to your movie?

The truth is that I don’t go wrong with casting. If you look at my movies over the years, you can say that my casting was always top-notch. There is always a process I go through with my team and I always speak with the people to tell them what I want. I will ask them if they are they can do it. Once they assure me of their readiness and commitment, I believe the job is done.

 

You have been at this for many years and you seem to be ticking all the boxes on every project. What have you been getting right?

I am born to excel and born great. I am very dedicated to what I do; I don’t sleep. This job is my life. It could be tough if you want to remain relevant but with consistency, belief and the right team around you.

 

When you heard Canon would be partnering with you on the project, what was the feeling like?

We had our own cameras but I wanted to shoot the movie with something new, so I wrote to them and they gave us the camera to use for free. When they saw the trailer, they felt it was something really great. So, they decided to take it further and invited other Nigerians to benefit from what they have for they have. We hope to release to the Nigerian market by May this year.

SHOCKING! Court Charges Young Lovers For Screaming ‘Too Loud’ During Lovemaking



A young Kenya lovers has been charged to court after they were arrested for making very loud noise during lovemaking.  The  lovers who were said to be between the ages of 24 and 31 years old respectively were reported to the police after their love making became disruptive.

The aggrieved neighbours who couldn't contain the loud noise went ahead to call the police on the couples. Surprisingly the police came over and were directed to where the couples were lodged on getting to the entrance they discovered the screaming themselves.

According to The Punch,  It was gathered that  Mr Chacha Mwita , a businessman in his early twenties and his lover Ms Cynthia Mauhokha , a 31 years old menial labourer were recently charged in a Kenya court for making so much noise during love making.

It was reported that the screams were disturbing other members of the public. The couples who gave in the said crime pleaded guilty to the two counts charged they were accused of before the resident magistrate Maureen Odhiambo.

According to Adomonline, an eyewitness who craved anonymity 24 year old Chacha and his lover were charged for making so much noise while having intercourse at popular Palms  Guest House, causing  so much discomfort to other occupants and the general  public.

Both lovers told the court that the charges levelled against them was true, but after the prosecutor Adams Chelule read out all the information pertaining to the charges, their affirmation made the court reconsider its stance on the judgement.

The police had visited the lodge where the two were heard screaming in one of the rooms. They proceeded to the room and found Chacha and Cynthia in the act screaming.

The court ordered that they get their freedom after depositing a cash bail of Sh20, 000 or a bond of Sh50, 0000. The case will be mentioned on April 29 and heard on May 15, 2019.

Tension in presidential villa as big black snakes chase Mr President out of office (See details)



There is tension in the presidential villa in Liberia as big black snakes were cited in the office of the president, BBC reported.

According to a BBC report, the snakes were found in President George Weah’s office, forcing him to work from his private residence.


Press secretary Smith Toby said two black snakes were found in the foreign affairs ministry building, site of the official office.


All staff has been told to stay away until 22 April.


“It’s just to make sure that crawling and creeping things get fumigated from the building,” Mr Toby said.


“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosts the office of the president, so it did an internal memo asking the staff to stay home while they do the fumigation,” he said.


“The snakes were never killed,” Mr. Toby said. “There was a little hole somewhere [through which] they made their way back,”BBC quoted Toby as saying.


Police and presidential security were seen guarding Mr. Weah’s residence in the capital Monrovia. A fleet of vehicles including escorts jeeps were parked outside.


Mr. Toby said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs started to fumigate on Friday.

“That building’s been there for years now, and [because of] the drainage system, the possibility of having things like snakes crawling in that building was high,” he said.


The president is definitely returning to his official office on Monday after the fumigation whether or not the snakes are found and killed, Mr. Toby said.

Buhari found in similar situation in 2017

In August 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari was found in a similar situation when it was reported that rats invaded the office of the president, forcing him to work from home.


It was reported in 2017 that the rodents damaged furniture and air conditioning fittings in the president’s official Abuja office while he was in London receiving treatment, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu said.


According to PM News, “These are also general works and it is not uncommon for Nigerian presidents to also work from the presidential villa. He has used the residential office for many years,” said Shehu.


“What is important is that the job gets done. Whether he does it from his bedroom or his sitting room or his anteroom — it does not matter. Let the job be done. And the job will be done,” Shehu told the Arise News.

Shehu was unable to confirm what type of rodent was responsible for the damage, which occurred during the president’s prolonged absence for an undisclosed medical condition.


“I do not have that level of detail,” he said, adding that it was unclear how long the refurbishment would last.