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No girl should be dreaming of marriage with me —Michael Ogolo
Upwardly mobile dude and one of the eligible bachelors in the Garden City, Michael Ogolo is famed for entertainment and showbiz in Port-Harcourt. Michael’s foray into showbiz dates back as far as 2009 when he berth the Odudu Music Award. The award which has helped to shine spotlight on Port-Harcourt born stars, the likes of Wacomzy, Burna Boy is in its fourth year. The on-air personality of rave programme, Funky Four Plus One in this interview with Mercy Michael speaks on his passion, relationship with women, entertainment in Port-Harcourt and other things:
WHAT was your involvement in entertainment before Obudu Music Award?
I’m a Theater Art graduate, from university of Port-Harcourt. After that I did some practice. Did one or two clips but it wasn’t my line so I concentrated on doing the corporate emcee’s and comedies out there in Port-Harcourt. I had a short experience with KORA Awards. KORA Award is one of Africa’s most recognized music Award. I worked with Ernest Ajovi, the owner of the award while he was in Nigeria. He made some attempts in Calabar. He made other attempt in Lagos; a few things didn’t work so he left. I gained some experience from that and I berth a music award in Port-Harcourt against the backdrop of the poor experiences we used to have in Port-Harcourt then. A lot of you then in Lagos use to think people don’t move around in Port-Harcourt in those days when we had the militancy, the camp struggle, so on so it sent a lot of shows and companies out of the town.
Business was not moving smoothly for us anymore and a few of us came together and said to ourselves, we have to reinvent entertainment in Port-Harcourt. We have to tell the world that Port-Harcourt still got some talents that everybody can see. We needed to tell the world that Port-Harcourt is not totally dead; it’s still an entertainment centre in Nigeria just like Lagos and Abuja. That was what actually gave the push to start the music award. I thought to myself, I’m a comedian; if I start a comedy award how many of us are here, few of us. And for me, I think that the bedrock of entertainment is music, so if we start a music award we will reawaken the city because we have a lot of musicians with a lot of fellowship, a lot of listeners.
And all the radio stations, TV stations, they all depend on music and not comedy so music is for me like the mother. So haven’t learnt a few tricks from KORA Award and being an entertainer so we decided to start a music award. And that led us to the kind of award we wanted to do. We didn’t want to do a popularity award. We wanted to do an award based on the quality of music and the genre.
Today Odudu Music Awards is like the Headies award in Port-Harcourt. Initially what was it like breaking in?
Breaking through a fresh idea is usually very difficult because the people you are coming to talk to are usually skeptical about what you are coming to tell them. They are not even sure you can pull through what you have proposed on your paper. I know that because I’ve done some events that I attempted to get sponsors but they never came through. I muted this idea a very long time, 2003. It only happened in 2009, six years after. That was because of these problems of raising fund to do an event of that magnitude. It was a big problem. I tell you a secret; I do some small contracts here and there. So I did one for NDDC. They paid me. I made some profit. I used the profit to do my first show instead of buying a car, land or something.
I did job very well. My job is there. It speaks for itself because I was building a name. And I’m still building a name. I know people will make references to certain things you’ve done before in case of tomorrow. So I’m very careful about the things I do when it comes to public things. I spoke to my governor. He was in America then. He was on vacation. He said he was going to just give me something from his pocket. He did. Very small but it helped. It went a long away because at that point, like a week to the show I was drained financially. One naira wasn’t coming from anywhere. All I wanted to do was do it first so that I can say, I’ve done it before. Here are pictures. This is the video. That way people will listen to you.
So I had to manage myself to do the first show. Second show I went back to those same people and told them I have content now because no sponsor will give you money for nothing. This time they took the proposal from me. But they were still not able to help. So this time, I now used my personal relationship with some of the commissioners in the government because I’ve always worked for them. And some of local government chairman that were my friends before they became chairman and they helped. The governor didn’t give me a dime this time. He was watching. But I was able to put all I got together. Fortunately the NDDC job I did, I was paid my retention so I used the money to do the second Odudu Music Award.
As a celebrity in Port-Harcourt how to you relate to your fans?
I try to be very humble and I think that’s an escape for me. I cannot say I am not a celebrity but I’m very down-to-earth with everybody. I’m actually not a snob. So I think I find people appreciating the fact that I could talk to anybody, eat anything anywhere so it makes me acceptable to the high and low but there is one thing I do not compromise. The way I dress. The way you dress is the way you are address. If I have an event to emcee you have no idea how far I’m going to go.
If I’m paid for instance, N500,000 I spend sometimes, N200, N250 just to dress for that particular event. I do that. I have a number of suits that I’ve not worn more than once. To manager yourself through as an artiste in port-Harcourt, there certain places I don’t go to. Even If I go to those places, 10, 5 minutes I’m out. Before I’m in I’m out. I’m a Port-Harcourt boy, born, bread and schooled there. So I know a lot of people. I’m also a member of the Port-Harcourt Polo club. It’s an elitist club. A lot of people can’t get to come there so it gives me a hiding place most times. When people are somewhere drinking I’m in there on the pitch or on the field with a few friends gisting. You want to place yourself in a class but even if you place yourself in a class that does not mean you’ve become a superstar. Try and relate with everybody the way they are. Give everybody there respect. It will come back to you.
You present a show on Radio Funky Four Plus One in Port-Harcourt. Tell us a bit about it?
I tell people my problem is not Odudu Music award. In Port-Harcourt my problem is the show I do on radio, the Funky Four Plus One. We are four comedians. The plus one is a natural presenter of Rhythm 93.7 in Port-Harcourt. He speaks Pigin while the rest of us speak English. Now, that programme is the only satire problem in the whole of Port-Harcourt. You discover that most radio people end up praising singing the government. But you don’t help the government that way. Government is everybody. So why do you praise yourself if you’re government? For us what we do on that problem is we call the governor’s or public officers at it were, we call their attention to certain areas that we believing he’s forgetting.
How easy is that when you dine with them?
That’s were creative comes to play. I’m a former staff of Radio Nigeria. So I’m a trained broadcaster. Now, we dine with them, we are emcee’s for them yet we tell them Oga, this road was not well done. This road was done with sand instead of bitumen. Why ask questions,” Oga who did you give this work to? “We suspect that you gave this work to someone you were dating he’s sister when you were not yet Governor. If you think I’m joking, do me a favour ask anyone in Port-Harcourt, Funky four plus one, we call names on Radio. We say so, so, so, company what you’re doing for us is a bad job. We say Governor your aids are not helping you.
We call commissioners. For instance the commissioner for education, you know they built new school in Port-Harcourt. So they contracted the security to a company and that company has not been paid therefore the company did not pay the staff. The staffs then locked up the schools. Teachers and students were outside. Oh come and see us on Friday, how we embarrassment the authorities in charge. We raised questions, “how can students learn outside?, Commissioner please come and explain. Those are the things we do on radio. So that’s where the problem is for me, not Odudu Awards.
As a celebrity how do you handle the female folks?
We are very careful so we don’t get a bad name. And the Port-Harcourt scenario is different from the Lagos scenario. Port-Harcourt is so small that sometime you virtually know everybody. As someone on the street, I don’t want to use the word celebrity, if you get down with one girl and you are trying to get down with another, the next girl will know. So it’s so small. So most of us are very careful with the things we do with women.
Are you married?
I have a daughter. I attempted marriage…Let me just make a blanket statement here. No girl should be dreaming that it will work. Marriage is far off my agenda for now. I have a mum to take care of us. I have a daughter to take care of us. I have an elder sister that lost her husband and her children to take care of. I have an elder brother. I have a younger brother who is in the university to make sure he gets through school. I go come carry one woman put for house now come begin carry her own wahala. I wouldn’t want to marry a woman who will say I’m doing this job because of this or because I have to take care of the home.
The Nation
•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
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Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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