Asa sues Lagos based magazine for N700 million for Libel -Publication

Award-winning Nigerian-born jazz and soul musician, Bukola Elemide,  a..k.a  Asa, has slammed a N700 million suit against publishers  and editors of a Lagos based soft-sell magazine, ‘News of the People’ magazine at the Lagos High Court.

In a writ of summons instituted on her behalf by Lagos lawyer, Mena  Ajakpovi, the musician and her manager, Janet Nwose, have sued the reporter of the alleged defamatory story, the editor of the magazine and the registered parent company of the magazine.

The claimants have sought an order of court, declaring the allegation of lesbianism against Asa and Janet as false, illegal and a violation of their rights, more so that the allegation is entirely false.

They stated that the defendants have in most reckless manner portrayed them as loose, licentious and persons with perverted sexual orientation who lack any claim to moral rectitude.

They added since the publication they have been inundated with phone calls from relatives, friends and fans on the matter and that this has affected the perception of people to their persons.

They argued that the defamatory statement is calculated to discredit and malign them in their unblemished careers as international music artistes with high moral standing which they have consistently conveyed in their songs and interactions with their teeming fans in Nigeria and abroad.

In the summons, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent, Asa claimed that the publication was not only malicious but also a clear case of a well-orchestrated plan by Publishers of the magazine to bring down her and also bring her into disrepute.

She added that she filed the action to clear her name and sustain her good reputation and that of her Manager. In addition to the declaratory orders, the two dreadlocks wearing ladies, Asa and Janet , have sued the defendants for a sum of N700million as damages.

They have also sought further orders of court restraining the defendants from further publication of malicious statements against them.

It will be recalled that in the Dec 14-22, 2009 edition of the ‘News of the People’ a story captioned “Lesbianism trails Asa and Manager” was published, alleging that the two ladies were involved in a lesbian relationship.


Source: Thisday

Pennsylvania Democrat, Rep. John Murtha dies at 77 at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va.

John Murtha was born June 17, 1932. The former newspaper delivery boy left college in 1952 to join the Marines, where he rose through the ranks to become a drill instructor at Parris Island, S.C., and later served in the 2nd Marine Division. He settled in Johnstown, then volunteered for Vietnam, where he served as an intelligence officer and earned a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.

He was serving in the Pennsylvania House in Harrisburg when he was elected to Congress in a special election in 1974. Murtha, then an officer in the Marine Reserves, became the first Vietnam War combat veteran elected to Congress. In 1990, he retired from the Marine Reserves as a colonel.

Murtha voted in 2002 to authorize President George W. Bush to use military force in Iraq, but his growing frustration over the administration's handling of the war prompted him in November 2005 to call for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops. In his 2004 book titled "From Vietnam to 9/11, Murtha wrote, "Ever since I was a young boy, I had two goals in life — I wanted to be a colonel in the Marine Corps and a member of Congress."

The Pennsylvania Democrat had been suffering from complications from gallbladder surgery. He died at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va., with his family at his bedside.

John Murtha was survived by his wife of nearly 55 years, Joyce, and three children.

The Movie "Dear John" dethroned "Avatar" at box office

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The new romantic drama "Dear John" unexpectedly ended the seven-week reign of "Avatar" at the weekend box office in North America on Sunday, pulling in large numbers of young female moviegoers.

"Dear John" grossed an estimated $32.4 million in the three-day period since opening Friday, said distributor Screen Gems, the low-budget division of Sony Corp.

It had hoped for an opening of about $20 million on a weekend when many Americans forsake movies to watch the Super Bowl, traditionally the year's most-watched television broadcast. The football championship starts around 6:25 pm in Miami.

"Dear John" stars Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried as lovers whose romance is curtailed by the September 11 attacks. It is directed by Swedish filmmaker Lasse Hallstrom and based on "The Notebook," a novel by Nicholas Sparks.

"Avatar" earned $23.6 million in its eighth weekend, taking its total to $630.1 million. James Cameron's sci-fi blockbuster surpassed the $601 million haul of his 1997 release "Titanic" last Tuesday to become the biggest movie of all time in the United States and Canada.

Source:(Reuters)

Leno, Letterman and Oprah Winfrey team up for Super Bowl TV Ad.

In an David Letterman, Oprah Winfrey and Jay Leno, from right, record a promo for CBS' 'Late Show' that aired during the broadcast of the NFL football Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010.


The promo was recorded earlier in the week at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York. The ad revisited Letterman and Winfrey's Super Bowl spot from 2007, but with another person watching the game with them - late night talk show host Jay Leno.

Rihanna's outfit at pre-Super Bowl concert: A Visual Appetizer for Old raunchy men and (lesbians)

Nigerians and tougher U.S. visa policy

A DIRECTIVE reportedly issued by President Barack Obama of the United States (U.S.) 'to enhance the security of the American people' has charged a number of departments and agencies of the U.S. government to 'review visa issuance and revocation criteria and processes with special emphasis on counter terrorism'.

The thrust of this directive, apparently, is targeted at the 13 or so countries that are on the 'dreaded' 'terror watch list' as drawn up by the American authorities. That the new policy emanates from the highest authority is an indication of the seriousness with which America continues to take perceived terrorist threats, and how far and wide its government will go to protect its citizens, and understandably so. In fairness, neither the concern nor the effort may be faulted.

Considering the target group of the presidential directive, this is a sad development for Nigeria as her citizens' request for U.S. entry visas are very likely to face even tougher hurdles; in truth part of a widening range of U.S. pressures on the country. But not the U.S. alone, even other Western countries now subject Nigerians to humiliating treatment in the name of counter-terrorist measures. In sum, we may be up against an increasingly contemptuous and/or hostile global community, and for reasons that are largely, though not wholly, justified.

Having, in recent times said so in both words and action, through various high officials of state, America appears to be sending further message that this country must get its acts together and get serious about many things not the least, religion-driven violence. There is no denying the woeful failure of the Nigerian government to address in a forceful and open manner, the religious strife that erupts every once in a while in the Northern part of the country.

The world takes note that culprits are arrested but never have their day in court, ring leaders-cum preachers are summarily executed, the case drags on into lost memory - until the next trouble breaks out with the attendant loss of many lives, the destruction of property, and the personal and national trauma. In this specific regard, the time has come for a clear and firmly enforced regulation of religious preaching and who qualifies to do it. For too long, anyone claiming whatever credentials could claim to be a preacher and begin to promote narrow, sometimes heretical interpretations of the holy books. And, as the country reels from one trauma to another, there is no defined leadership to hold responsible. The leaders of the various faiths in the country must pay close attention to the kind of doctrines that the preachers espouse.

The whole Nigerian story is not only about religious violence, of one or two misguided youths, nor about political and financial corruption. It is also about the many adults who speak up - even take to the streets - against bad governance, about young people defying great odds at home and abroad and who are good and useful citizens wherever they find themselves. The majority of Nigerians are peace-loving. To institute a tougher visa policy on all citizens of countries on that watch list, to seek to humiliate the many for the sins of a few, would be a grave error - as it would be very unfair indeed. One, there must be a better way to check terrorism without aggravating the sensibilities of honest, decent peoples and we urge the Obama administration to reconsider the visa policy.

Two, it is reported that the idea has been suggested that Nigerians, alongside citizens of those countries on 'the U.S. terrorism watch list' be denied multiple entry visas. This would not just be humiliating to Nigerians, but considered as most unfriendly. And were it to come into effect, the Federal Government must respond by activating the principle of reciprocity. The government should not hesitate to stand up for Nigerians and protect their best interests.

Source: Guardian

Peter Obi Declared Winner In Anambra

AWKA, Nigeria — The incumbent in Nigeria's Anambra state was on Sunday pronounced the winner of a flawed gubernatorial vote seen as a test for Africa's largest democracy ahead of presidential elections next year.

The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Peter Obi of the opposition All Progressives Grand Alliance victor despite glitches and fears the vote would be rigged in favour of President Umaru Yar'Adua's party.

"Peter Obi... having satisfied all requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner," said chief returning officer Josiah Uwazuruonye.

Despite flaws arising from chaotic voter registration and long delays in opening the polls, some observers declared the elections free and an improvement on previous polls in the politically volatile southeastern state.

Observers reported incidents of vote buying, and police confirmed that thugs had tried to snatch a ballot box from one polling post.

The 2007 poll that brought Yar'Adua to power was tainted by widespread rigging and voter intimidation, and he had vowed to improve the credibility of elections in the continent's most populous nation.

Obi overwhelmingly won the vote with 97,843 votes, ahead of closest rival Chris Ngige, from the Action Congress opposition party, who took 60,240 ballots. The ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and former central bank governor Chukwuma Soludo came third garnering 59,755 votes.

There were widespread fears that INEC would manipulate the vote in favour of PDP.

"We give kudos to INEC for not living up to the justified cynical perception," said Ikeazor Akaraiwe who headed an independent team of monitors appointed by INEC.

"In the midst of all we can say the result reflects the will of the people of Anambra," he added.

Governors of Nigeria's 36 states are powerful, being key in the selection of presidential candidates at party conventions.

The PDP controls all but eight of the 36 states and Anambra is one of the few in the hands of the opposition.

Presidential elections next year should ensure only a second successive democratic handover between civilian rulers in oil-rich Nigeria since a long period of military rule ended a decade ago.

A bill proposing changes to the electoral laws is still before parliament but analysts say Nigeria's problem is less about the law than its application.

Source:AFP.