THE NATION MONDAY DECEMBER 23, 2013
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NEWS (SHOWBIZ)
Future Awards: Actor O.C Ukeje floors three singers •Dedicates prize to AMAA’s Anyiam-Osigwe
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OVIE-famed youngster, O.C Ukeje, at the weekend, beat his music counterparts, Ice Prince, Iyanya and Omawumi, in the Entertainment Talent Prize category of the Future Awards. “I’m just an ordinary guy who has been blessed, especially this year-a year that has completely taken me by surprise,” Ukeje said at the Aztech Arcum, Port Harcourt venue of the award show hosted by the Rivers State government. “It is very rare to win over musicians; so, this is very rare. I am very proud to finally be a recipient of Africa’s biggest prize for young people, The Future Awards Africa. I dedicate this prize to Peace Anyiam-Osigwe for believing in me.” Ever since he won the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA)’s laurel as Best Upcoming Actor in 2008, the career of the 32year old actor has been on the rise, with the City People’s Award for Best New Act (2010); Best Actor at the Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards (2013) for Two Brides & A Baby; Best Actor in a Leading Role
By Victor Akande
at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards (2013) and Best Actor at the Nollywood Movies Awards (2013) for Hoodrush. This is the actor’s second nomination for the awards - after he lost The Future Awards for ‘Actor of the Year’ to Tonto Dike last year. Other winners at the event included Jobberman founders, Ayodeji Adewunmi, Opeyemi Awoyemi and Olalekan Olude for the Prize in Enterprise Support; Kenneth Gyang for the Prize in Arts & Culture and Precious Peter Nweke for the Prize in Agriculture, among others. The winner of the ultimate reward, Young Person of the YearThe Africa Prize- was announced as Ugandan Ashish Thakar who is recognized as Africa’s youngest billionare at 32. Anchored by OAP Toke Makinwa and rapper Vector, the event also featured The Future Awards Africa ‘Best 100’ in commemoration of Nigeria’s centenary anniversary and hosted by Rubbin’ Minds presenter, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu.
•Tuface and D'banj
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•Davido
Victory concert for Eagles, Eaglets at CALFEST
HE Cross River State is to host the Super Eagles and the Golden Eaglets in a victory concert at the ongoing Calabar Festival. The Eagles are in the final list of the 32 nations whose flags will be hoisted at the Mundial in Brazil come 2014. Organizers say the concert is to encourage and garner support for both teams. The state, it will be recalled, had also provided a camp ground for the Eaglets, champions of the U17 World Cup at United Arab Emirate, prior to their competition. Slated for December 30, the event is being put together by Project Nigeria, Cross River
By Victor Akande
State government, De-SearchLight Group and the Nigeria Football Federation. Notable Nigerian music stars billed for the concert include 2face, D’banj, P-Square, Alpha-U-Turn, Davido, Chris Mba, Brig Brown Bread, The Royal Model, South-Cast, Emmyluv R.E and Mr. Pack, among others. According to the chief coordinator, Mr. Viktor Egbe, “The event marks the peak of the Christmas Festival, which eve-
rybody looks up to. All football-loving Nigerians are advised to wear the traditional colours of the Super Eagles on the D-day and come to Calabar, where members of the Super Eagles and Golden Eaglets will be celebrated before the World Cup finale.” Egbe also noted that the reception for the celebrity footballers would be laced with strip float and football artistry and goodwill messages by Governor Liyel Imoke as well as special appearance by notable football-loving Nigerians.
Alariwo beaten by Area boys
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•OC Ukeje - winner of The Future Awards in Entertainment Talent
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OME popular Yoruba Nollywood thespians have formed a pressure group, G10, to correct what they call the industry’s ills. They are Foluke DaramolaSalako, Moji Olaiya, Funsho Adeolu, Yomi Fash-Lanso, Muyiwa Ademola, Ronke Ojo (Oshodi Oke), Fathia Balogun, Ayo Adesanya, Bisi Ibidapo Obey and Eniola Badmus. In an interview, DaramolaSalako said the Yoruba actors were being used and dumped by the Southeast counterparts. According to her, “if they want to contest any elective posts, it is our industry that they come to. But once they get that assistance, they dump us like a pack of rub-
OPULLAR artiste Rotimi Martins aka Alariwo of Africa will not forget December 19 in a hurry. He was allegedly beaten up on Thursday by ‘area’ boys at the launch of the debut album of Ewade, wife of popular On-Air Personality (OAP) Soji Omotayo. The launch of the album titled Ore Ofe was full of music, fun and entertainment. But Alariwo, the master of celerimony got more than he bargained for when he was accosted by street urchins Trouble w a s s a i d t o h a v e started when he reportedly failed to acknowledge the presence of gospel music act, Busola Oke, alias Eleyele, on the occasion. According to an eye witness account, Alariwo also asked the people whom he didn’t recognize to forward their names to him. “Immediately, Eleyele told
By Dupe Ayinla-Olasunkanmi
some people that Alariwo was fond of looking down on her at events. She equally disclosed that her age-long problem with Alariwo is due to the fact that she has refused to address him as ‘Brother’,” the source said. However, what many could not explain was how the Area boys,who were outside the hall, got hint of what our source described as “Alariwo’s arrogant attitude.” It was also gathered that immediately he wrapped up his performance and stepped out of the hall, the area boys descended on him mercilessly. “He made an attempt to run for his dear life. He tried to seek cover in a building around the venue. While he was being beaten, the hoodlums screamed that he had disgraced Eleyele on several occasions, so he deserved to be beaten,” he disclosed.
Yoruba actors form G10 By Mercy Michael
bish. “We decided to give ourselves G10 because we believe that we are the great 10. What do I mean by that? We believe that the Yoruba Nollywood is being sidelined in a lot of ways and we have a lot of people that are enlightened among us. So, we said to ourselves that we could actually have a platform, like a pressure group, where we can air our views. “In the Ibo movie genre, our contemporaries get appointments and they call them for significant things. But the same
treatment is not giving to us in the Yoruba movie industry. So, we thought that we needed to come up with this group. We don’t like the way we have been sidelined. It’s as if they always bring us down and it doesn’t make our contemporaries better than us. A lot of us are Master degree holders and some of us are Doctorate degree holders. Some of us are well read enough to understand our rights, so we shouldn’t be treated less than the next person there. Go to any home in Nigeria today, you will find out that at least one of five will be watching Africa Magic. In fact, it is not just Africa Mag-
•Daramola-Salako
ic, but Africa Magic Yoruba; so, that tells you the impact and the
•Alariwo 2
kind of money Africa Magic is making from us. So, for them to be treating us like unwanted items, we’ll not take that any more. That is what we stand for, aside the fact that we intend to be churning out quality movies and series that will impact our society. We also intend to embark on social responsibility programmes, such as going to orphanages, having healthy walkswalk for life, walk for domestic violence etc. Those are the things that we stand for.” It will be recalled that a couple of days ago, another member from the group, Eniola Badmus, also lamented that actors and actresses of the Yoruba movie industry were being underrated by bloggers.