Entertainment
Swell Time For Fun Lovers …As Wike Commissions PH Pleasure Park Cinema
It is boom time for movie buffs and other fun lovers in Port Harcourt,capital of Rivers State and environs following the return of the cinema culture to the garden city as the State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike commissions the Port Harcourt pleasure park cinema as part of activities to mark his 100days in office.
The event which took place on Wednesday September 11th 2019 attracted top government functionaries which included Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Deputy Governor Ipalibo Harry Banigo and chairman, Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, among others.
The event also attracted dignitaries from the movies, music and comedy industries as well as showbiz personalities.
Commissioning the Port Harcourt Pleasure Park Cinema, Governor Wike said that Rivers people should expend their funds on relaxation and entertainment facilities in the state capital.
Governor Wike said: “This time, there is no need to travel to Dubai, United States or United Kingdom to relax or be entertained.
“We now have such facilities here in Port Harcourt. We have provided entertainment facilities to stop our people from travelling out for that purpose. Spend your money in our State. There is no need for you to go to Abuja”.
The Governor said that the new cinema though built by the Rivers State Government, would be administered by a private investor for sustenance.
He added that high level security had been provided in and around the Port Harcourt Pleasure Park to protect the serene and beautiful facility.
He assured that the Rivers State Government will continue to work to satisfy Rivers people and create the right environment for them to live comfortably.
Governor Wike reiterated that the leadership of the State will not succumb to blackmail and negative propaganda.
Earlier in his post on social media, the governor stated that the park was born out of the vision to have a world class recreation center and the cinema was a valued addition.
Also speaking in an interview with The Tide, the former chairman Performing Musicians, Employers, Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Mr Robin Maja, (The farmer) described the new cinema as the harbinger of a new dawn in the entertainment industry in the state.
He said it will also help to reduce tension in the society as it provides the needed avenue for fun and relaxation.
Also speaking, Port Harcourt based movie star and publisher of Nollywood Magazine, Mr Innocent Okereke, noted that the pleasure park cinema will soon become a centre of attraction for all movie lovers in the State which would go a long way in reviving the cinema culture which had suffered decline in the past as a result of the advent of home videos in the country.
It would be recalled that the pleasure park was commissioned by Chief (Barr) Nyesom Wike on Friday, 26 May,2017 in a grand style that attracted thousands of Rivers people from all walks of life.
It is a public recreational park located at Rumuola town along Aba road near the 2nd amphibious brigade barracks also known as Bori Camp, Port Harcourt. Apart from providing fun, excitement and relaxation, the park also serves as a tourist destination and a revenue generators for the State.
Spotify yesterday revealed a significant surge in heartbreak song streams in Nigeria during the Valentine’s Day season, with a 626 percent increase between 2022 and 2024.
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Lagos, Nigeria by Spotify’s Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa Phiona Okumu.
Okumu said, “Spotify data reveals a surprising trend, a massive surge in heartbreak song streams.
“Nigerians are turning to their playlists to express their emotions, with a staggering 626 per cent overall growth in heartbreak streams from 2022 to 2024.
“This Valentine, the sound of love is accompanied by the sound of heartbreak, and the data shows it’s louder than ever before.”
She said on Valentine’s Day, most surprisingly, male listeners streamed heartbreak songs at a significantly higher rate than female listeners, with a 362 per cent increase compared to 169 per cent among women.
“This could suggest that men resonate with the feeling of heartbreak more and turn to music as a private outlet for processing emotions.
“Whatever the reason, one thing is clear, when love is in the air, so is heartbreak and Nigerian men are pressing play on their pain more than expected.
“While Valentine’s Day is often celebrated with grand gestures, heartbreak is a common theme on Valentine’s Day -more than what’s publicly shown,” she said.
Nigerians will join their counterparts across the world to mark the 2025 Valentine’s today.
Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has joined MLS side San Diego FC’s ownership group as a club partner.
SDFC announced today that Tems joined the ownership group through her company, The Leading Vibe.
In the process, Tems became the first African woman to be involved in MLS ownership.
“We are delighted that Tems has joined San Diego FC as a club partner,” SDFC chairman Sir Mohamed Mansour said in a statement.
“Tems is a globally significant artist who will help us reach new audiences and spread the word about our unique project, which, of course, has its foundations in sub-Saharan Africa through the unique Right to Dream organisation.”
Reacting to her addition as the latest partner in SDFC’s ownership group, the singer said: “I am thrilled to join San Diego FC’s ownership group and to be part of a club that celebrates creativity, culture, and the power of community.
“Football has a unique way of bringing people together, and I am excited to help build something special in San Diego, a city that thrives on diversity and innovation.”
Fashion and beauty entrepreneur, Toyin Lawani, has claimed she is enduring back pain and that her spine is degenerating.
Lawani revealed this in a video posted on social media last Tuesday.
In the clip, she opened up about her experience with epidural anesthesia, an injection administered to pregnant women in the spine to reduce pain during childbirth.
The mother of three claimed that since receiving the injection, she has not felt like herself.
She accused doctors of not fully informing women about the long-term side effects of epidurals.
According to Lawani, she received the anesthetic injection during the birth of her last two children.
She said, “When you hear ‘epidural,’ run. Doctors tell you about the side effects but do not tell you about the long-term effects on your body. I have about three friends having the same issues that I am having.
“Like, I am just 42, how did I end up with spine issues? I have a degenerating spine. I have implants in my spine. I go paralyzed. I can’t stand for a long time. I can’t even breathe properly sometimes because it affected so many things in my body when I had the surgery.
“They will not tell you because you just want the pain to go away. I have had two epidurals. I had my first as natural birth. The last two were epidural. The last one I had epidural because I had to undergo a surgery and I had no choice.
“See, the pain does not stop. My back is killing me and my spine is degenerating.”