Entertainment
Mr Ibu, Arinze Condemn Court Judgement Against Ibinabo’s Election
John Okafor (Mr Ibu)
Nollywood Comic Actor,
John Ikechukwu Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu and ‘Black Arrow, Star Actor, Segun Arinze have condemned the recent court judgment which upturned Ibinabo Fiberesima-Ebuka’s election as the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN). They said it as an attempt to draw the AGN backward.
In a telephone interview with The Tide Entertainment on Monday, Mr Okafor who condemned in strong terms the high court ruling on the matter said “it is an unfortunate development as it would affect the image of the industry negatively. It is an internal affair that could have been handled in-house rather than going to court”.
He, however, stressed that as a law abiding Guild, the actors body would not disobey the court ruling, because that would amount to contempt of the court which is not a good thing, but the body will do everything possible to resolve the issue amicably among the members and inform the court of our resolution on the matter.
The award winning comedian noted that Ibinabo had done very well for the movie industry by repositioning it positively among other glaring achievements which have given the actors and actress a sense of belonging not only in Nollywood but the society at large.
He said the AGN president should be allowed to continue with her selfless service towards moving the industry forward instead of dragging the members backward because of selfish interest. He stressed that members of the Guild are solidly behind their dynamic president, Mrs Ibinabo Fiberesima-Egbuka.
In a related development, a former president of the AGN, Mr Segun Arinze popularly known as ‘Black Arrow’ recently lambasted A-list Actor Emeka Ike for taking the AGN president, Ibinabo Fiberesima-Egbuka to court. He said “it is a sick joke, I find the judgment shaddy and a kankaroo arrangement”.
The former AGN president noted that Emeka Ike is a non issue as far as the AGN members are concerned. He urged members of the Guild to resist the evil plans of Emeka Ike and his cohorts. According to him, the AGN has gone passed that, we should not condone one man to embarrass the industry.
The ‘Black Arrow’ declared that Emeka Ike needs help to save himself from himself. He stressed that AGN should declare him a person non grata in the industry as they are moving forward ‘cest fini’. The popular actor stressed that Ibinabo Fiberesima-Egbuka remains the bonafide president of the AGN, enough is enough. This shenanigan has to stop for good”, he maintained.
However, Nollywood Super, Actor Emeka Ike, has described the court ruling that upturned Ibinabo’s election as AGN president few days ago as “victory for Nigerian judiciary and Nigeria as a whole, it is a victory for the young and oppressed in Nigeria and it shows that our justice system is still very tenable, Ibinabo should cover her face in shame for wanting to deceive the Nigerian people.
He described Arinze’s comments as “mere market talk”, that should be discredited. He stressed that Arinze is an illiterate who should be ignored. According to him, reacting to the comment of a man the court has disenfranchised shows that I do not have respect for the rule of law. His statement does not matter as much as the statement of the judge.
Meanwhile, in a statement released by Ibinabo’s camp, the actress insists that she is still the president of the AGN since the judgement did not make Emeka Ike the president of AGN. According to her, the Board of Trustee (BOT) had done well to uphold the AGN constitution’s provision that there cannot be a lacuna in government, hence she remains the president of AGN.
The actress and ex-beauty queen said she does not have any problem with Emeka Ike, but ‘the case in question is between Emeka Ike, the Board of Trustees (BOT) and the Segun Arinze-led government of national unity, it is not I and Emeka as some blogs have wrongfully reported”. She however stated that she would appeal against the judgement.
It would be recalled that two weeks ago justice James Tsoho at the Federal High Court Lagos, nullified Ibinabo Fiberesima-Ebuka presidency of the AGN which he said was illegal, while Emeka Ike, who filed the case against Ibinabo is rejoicing over the judgment which annulled the election of November 2012 that brought Ibinabo into office, the registered board of trustees has gone to the appeal court to challenge the judgement.
Entertainment
“French Up Your Career” PH, 2025 :Consul General Of France Harps On Proficiency In French
The Consul, General of France in Nigeria, Laurent Favier has encouraged French Learners to improve their skills on the language, as there are lots of opportunities up for grabs on the job market with fluency in French Language, saying that there are many other career paths which are often less well known to learners of French.
Participants at the “French Up Your Career” event held in Port Harcourt.
Favier who disclosed this during the just concluded third edition of the seminar tagged “French Up Your Career” organized by Alliance
Française, Port Harcourt explained that learning French doesn’t mean adding a language to your resume. It rather provides learners with new opportunities. Irrespective of their area of interest, be it diplomatic and International relations, international development, translation and Interpretation or journalism.
According to the Consul General, it was important to create awareness for young Nigerians in Port Harcourt who desire to have better understanding of how been fluent in French can create diverse career opportunities for users of the languages in Nigeria and the world at large, emphasizing that proficiency in French could possibly make learner a bridge between Nigeria and fast-developing regions.
“You previously heard this morning about how you can improve your French skills. This afternoon you will discover how being fluent in French can provide a significant edge on the job market and lead to professional careers that you may not have even considered before,”
“This event comes at the right time, as it launches the celebration of the richness and diversity of French-speaking cultures, which will mobilize us for more than a month throughout Nigeria and alongside other French-speaking countries,” Favier added.
He further highlighted that French is spoken by over 300 million people across the world, saying that, it’s one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union, and the African Union.
“There are many neighbouring African countries to Nigeria ,who have French as one of their primary languages of communication including Cameroon, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. So, what does this mean for you as students here in Nigeria?” He asked
“These sectors in which the French Embassy is often mobilized are the business and marketing field for example, as French is often the preferred language in many multinational companies, particularly those in the energy, oil and telecommunications sectors. I’m thinking as well in technology and IT,” he said
He noted that French-speaking countries in Africa are investing heavily in tech, innovation, and infrastructure, revealing that companies in Tech are looking for bilingual professionals to assist with software localization, customer support, and managing projects in French-speaking regions.
“The French embassy is not only mobilized to help learners discover promising sectors. We are also providing our support and expertise in
training teachers and optimizing university programs,” he summed up
Also, the linguistics cooperation attaché, French Embassy in Nigeria, Magaly Losange, who also gave a lecture at the seminar, in an interview with Newsmen said that the main purpose of the seminar was to be more informative and supportive to those who want to make a skill out of French Language,saying that as the linguistics cooperation attaché of the French Embassy it is her duty to promote French language through culture.
She cited traditional stereotypes as a major challenge affecting the growth and development of French in Nigeria, as school, teachers at the primary and secondary level in most cases teach French using the traditional way, where students learn French, but could not put words and grammar together as a skill for communicate.
“French is important. I don’t see French as colonization, l see French as a key to embrace globalization, l hope that learners will be inspired and ready to embrace the global village,” Losange said.
She however said that the French Embassy is working to ensure that equipments to facilitate the learning of French is put in place to enable learners improve their skills fast, which in two to three years learners should be able to communicate with French, advising learners to be intentional with learning the language, through social media and other workable devices to advance their skills for certification and better opportunities.
Highlight of the event which had about 250 participants in attendance was the eloquence award ceremony where students were awarded for their eloquence in French language by the Director, Alliance Française Port Harcourt, Mrs.Marina Lacal alongside the Linguistics cooperation attaché of the French Embassy in Nigeria, Magaly Losange.
After two edition of the seminar it was the turn of the Alliance Française, Port Harcourt to host the Third edition.
It would be recalled that the first edition of ” “French Up Your Career” event was organized at the Alliance Française Lagos on October 23, the second one at UNILAG on November 24, 2024 respectfully.
Popular Nigerian comedienne, Tomama has revealed how she waited for Afrobeats superstar, Wizkid outside the bathroom.
She shared this while recounting her encounter with the singer at a recent event with heavy security.
In a video posted on her Instagram page, Tomama explained that she waited by the bathroom in an attempt to have a one-on-one conversation with Wizkid.
She stated that she positioned herself near the restroom, hoping Wizkid would eventually use it, giving her the perfect opportunity to speak with him.
“Wizkid, I saw you, and I waited for you to pee, but you didn’t even stand up from where you were sitting. You just stayed there. All your crew members standing around got up to go pee. I was standing by the bathroom, waiting for you to come pee so that you would notice me,” she said.
Content creator and actor, Mr Macaroni has opened up about his financial struggles, saying he was both a victim of a scam and a failed investment in 2021.
He revealed that after losing all his savings, he resorted to borrowing to settle pending commitments and slipped into N500 million in debt.
He admitted that he is financially reckless and generous, impacting his financial stability negatively.
In lengthy post shared via his X handle yesterday, Mr Macaroni wrote, “Sometime around 2020/2022, I was a victim of a scam and simultaneously a failed investment that cost me all I had saved at the time. It shook me deeply but I told no one about it. If you know me well enough, you would know I do not like to share my problems. I could be going through the worst and at the same time helping others solve their own problems but I just would never share mine.”
“After I lost all the money I had then, Trouble started when I had to borrow money from different sources to settle all pending commitments and also fulfill certain responsibilities I have always believed were mine to fulfill. I make money in millions so I never thought borrowing money to pay back with interest could ever be a problem. But I got too comfortable and it took me a long time to realise that I was using the money I was earning to pay back interests. Also, my financial recklessness did not help. Please don’t borrow money! But if you must, please be responsible.”
The actor stated that 2024 marked a pivotal moment in his acting career but it was also the most challenging year for him as he faced over half a billion naira in debt.
Mr Macaroni revealed that his frustration grew worse after he was betrayed by someone he considered “a friend and sister.”
He added that with the support of family and friends who stood by him during his trying times, he now “feels better than I have felt in the last three years!”
The comedian stated that he decided to finally share his story to encourage others who are going through challenges.