New Video by Tiwa Savage: Ife waa Gbona

Brand new single from African soul queen-Tiwa Savage

MOBILE PUBLISHING: A GIANT LEAP FOR AFRICAN LITERATURE

 

Award winning fiction-writer, Ayo Oyeku was recently cornered at an event and I sought to have a few words with him, judging from his blockbuster novel (Tears of the Lonely)which is available in mobile downloadable version, he offered a few words about himself, career and the inspiration that lead to the novel, excerpts below....enjoy!!!

 

Tell us about yourself.

Ayo Oyeku is my name. I was born in Ibadan, Nigeria in 1985, into a family of four. My childhood years in Ibadan were fun-filled and memorable; some of those childhood experiences built up my literature curriculum. I attended a popular secondary school in Ibadan; Government College Ibadan. And I went on to study Physics with Electronics at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Most people wonder why a writer would study a science/engineering course. But the truth is that a deep understanding about matter and its related properties, combined with my literature savvy actually gave me an edge. And also before I graduated from the University, I took some professional trainings and courses in Information Technology. And that I.T knowledge, combined with my entrepreneurship skills is what I earn my living from presently.

I shuttle states within the country for one project or the other, but I currently reside in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Tell us about your life in writing.

My interest in writing began in my Secondary schooling days when my friends and I fell in love with the school library, and subsequently became bookworms.  We were young teens in our junior classes then. After reading volumes of books, we realised we had this ‘little ability’ to write. And so, my friends and I began writing in our teenage years.

Years after, I was introduced to a new publisher, based in Ibadan. The publisher took interest in my writing, and he requested for some of my manuscripts. I had to write a couple of Children Stories and he (my publisher) selected the best two. And that was how I released two Children Storybooks under Benevolence Publishers in 2004: FIRST AMONG EQUALS and NOBLE AMBITION.

Subsequently after that, some of my poems started appearing in foreign anthologies, journals, and online poetry magazines. And most recently, I self-published my first novel, TEARS OF THE LONELY under Trafford Publishing, 2011.

Some of my Children Storybooks are yet to be published, and some of my recent writings would be appearing in various collections later. My second novel is in the pipeline.

 

Tell us about your novel.

TEARS OF THE LONELY is an African fiction set in Nigeria’s post-independence years. The story casts its light on a young native, Okiki, who had to battle the vicissitudes of rural life, a dysfunctional family, and the desire to salvage his mother’s life from the fangs of epilepsy.

Okiki finds solace in a mysterious cashew tree – a talking tree. This novel brings life into a tree, as Okiki regularly communes with this mysterious tree, and leans on its advice to shape his future. The stage is set when Okiki grasps education as his lasting panacea to end his tears. He emerges as the first person in his village to do so. But darkness begins to roam around his flickering light of hope when his father escapes to the city with his secret lover, his brother is being pursued by a weight of guilty conscience, and his sister’s marital dream is being smeared in their pursuit to salvage their mother’s life.

Can Okiki turn the tides? Would his flickering light of hope survive the storms ahead? Would the tears of the lonely ever dry? This heart-rending and inspiring story with twists and turns, brings pieces of life’s challenges to the fore, and leaves every reader with a lesson or two.

Can you give us a bottom-line phrase about the whole book?

Life is in phases, and men are made in stages.

The readership level.

Thirteen years upward.

Where can readers find your book?

This novel is available in Paperback, E-book, Amazon Kindle, Nook Reader and Mobile Application format. It is available on my website ( www.tearsofthelonely.com ), through my publishers, Trafford Publishing ( www.trafford.com ), Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com Borders.com.au and all major booksellers worldwide.

Your book is not currently available in Nigeria, how do you intend to bridge this gap?

That’s true. Tears Of The Lonely has been published in the international market for the purpose of quality production and global reach, as such people can place orders for the book online, and have it shipped to their homes within three days in Europe and within a week in Africa. The book is also available in major bookstores online, and across all continents.

Currently, we are still looking up to sign a publishing contract with a reputable Nigerian publishing company, so that the book would be more accessible and affordable for Nigerians.

But most recently, the novel has been converted into a Mobile Application and millions of Nigerians can now download it on their phones for free. With the advent of the Mobile version of Tears Of The Lonely, we have been able to bridge the gap between the young Nigerians who connect with the world through their mobile devices.

Tell us about the mobile version of your novel.

The Mobile version of Tears Of The Lonely was published a few months back, and this novel debuts as the first Nigerian novel to achieve this feat. Once you download the novel on your mobile phones, the book’s icon would appear in your folder. All you have to do is click on the icon to open the novel, and start reading. It has some pretty features like:

-          You can change the font size between small and large, as you prefer.

-          You can also change the background colour from black to white, as you wish.

-          You can use the ‘Bookmark’ option to continue reading the book from where you previously stopped reading.

-          You can use the ‘Help’ menu to guide you.

Basically, the application is easy to navigate, and the features make the book readable and enjoyable.

Where can people download it?

You can download it from the download page of the novel’s official website:

www.tearsofthelonely.com/downloads.html

You can also download it from:

www.m.greenspek.com/TEARSOFTHELONELY.html

Please, you have to open these web links from your mobile phones. Follow the instruction on the page, and download the book automatically on your phones either by clicking on “Phone Version” or “Blackberry Version”

Blackberry users can also download this novel for free from the Blackberry Application World.

Give us your ‘writer’s view’ of Nigeria.

That’s a topical issue which must be treated with all sincerity. But I would prefer to save my words and just make a brief comment: Nigeria is yet to develop fully into her nationhood; this is largely due to the religious, ethnic, regional, socio-strata and cultural sentiments rocking the affairs of our country, and the overall decision of the common Nigerian. Nigerians are yet to co-habit and coexist successfully without treading on the issues I stated earlier.

Sometimes we have to go back before we can go forward. We must review and strengthen our ‘culture of community,’ and out of that we can challenge each other’s point of view constructively, and also foster each other’s noble ideas towards an egalitarian society.

Are Nigerians truly reading?

Definitely, Nigerians are reading. But they are mostly reading what’s in their academic curriculum, motivational books, religious materials, and foreign novels. The problem we have presently is that most Nigerians don’t read local content. It’s hard for an average Nigerian youth to mention five current Nigerian authors – they don’t know most of them, and they are not even interested in knowing them.

We can’t just revive the reading culture in Nigeria with just book revival campaigns. We need to “take the book to the people.” We have to study the average Nigerian; find out what they love to read, how they love to read and how they wish to see the books they are reading. We need to study the ‘reading budget’ of the average Nigerian and key into this. And we must be able to write our poems and stories in a convincing and understandable way the typical Nigerian would appreciate.

Most importantly we need to build a good connection between the Nigerians readers and their authors. There has to be a real connection.

Ok, let’s relax a little. What inspires you?

People, and the thirst for a better world.

My day-to-day experience with people truly inspires me. And because I always have these refreshing dreams of a better world in my mind, I simply put my pen to paper and write about how we can get there.

Who is your favourite musical artiste?

My all-time favourite is Beautiful Nubia. His lyrics are so compelling and his songs are so inspiring.

Who is your favourite movie artiste?

I really appreciate the works of Nigerian actors and actresses. But, Brad Pitt is my all-time favourite. I really admire the way he acts.

Tell us one of your memorable experiences?

I have had quite a number of memorable experiences, but the memory of the day I received my first published book lingers on my mind.

After completing my first Children Storybook manuscript, my family and my friends all anticipated the release of the book.  But you know manuscripts have to go through thorough editing, sketch work, cover design and printing. So we had to wait for quite a while, and during this process of long waiting I couldn’t predict just when I was going to receive my Author Copies any longer.

And so on a certain afternoon, my publisher delivered my copies in our apartment. Everyone at home was thrilled, but I was in school. Rather than wait for me to travel home by the end of that month to see the book myself, one of my neighbours; a very dear sister of mine, collected the book and persuaded a friend of hers to drive her down to my school that evening. They had to risk their life and their time, covering several kilometres just for me to receive my first published book later in the evening of that same day.

I can never forget that feeling. It wasn’t just about the book; it was about the love people shared with me. And I guess the honour of having your joy shared with others who appreciate you is such a humbling feeling one would never forget.

What’s the most exciting remark you’ve ever heard from your readers?

Well, have received a lot of compliments and encouragements from my friends and readers. But the most recent remark, which I find very exciting also, was from Jumi Suleman, a female friend in UK, who said “When are you writing your next novel?...Can I be in your next novel?”

That really sounds exciting. So will she be in your next novel?

(Laughs)…I can’t answer that presently.

Any other useful information about your novel?

Yes. Readers can join (Like) the Facebook fan page for Tears Of The Lonely to get useful updates about the book, gifts, and also get to interact with other book lovers:

www.facebook.com/TearsOfTheLonely

Readers’ requests, requests for book reading, queries from book agents, book promoters and publishers, can send their queries to:

info@tearsofthelonely.com

A final word to your readers.

Circumstances build character; character builds legends; legends live forever. Never let your present circumstances or shortcomings deter you from fulfilling your God-given dreams. And most importantly; your life is a gift, do not waste it.

I hope to engage you in another interesting interview some other time.

I would be looking forward to that (smiles). Thank you.

You must have this by 30 !!!

So, i turned 30 sometime ago and somewhere in the midst of the birthday wishes i got lost in thought. it started off as a reminisce of my journey so far, then it turned into a self assessment session. when i finally came back to, i realized am a work in progress though am not where i ought to be yet and far from where i want to be, the good thing is i’m well on the way. i ended up compiling a list of some things a progressive mind like YOU and i should have by age 30. Enjoy

1) A resume: a profile of jobs you can fit into
2) A savings account: haba! That’s the least you can have
3) A good job: that’s what people do when they grow up, work!!
4) A good friend: arguably the hardest thing to come by
5) A dream: not the one you have when you sleep, the one you have that makes you not want to sleep
6) A belief that you can achieve whatever you set your heart to: founded on the awareness of your potentials
7) A big heart: being charitable doesn’t end at giving materially, it also includes receiving others’ crap
8) A realization that one woman/man is enough: if you have two, you’ll still want one more
9) A sense of pride: pride here is talking about a good feeling about your heritage
10) A sense of responsibility: responsibility simply means being accountable for your actions
11) A good hair stylist: we can’t over emphasize the importance of appearance
12) A voters registration card: besides the fact that only grownups can own them, you should have a say in matters that affect you.
13) A little brother: a protégé, someone that looks up to you for direction and guidance
14) A sense of direction: an idea of what you want from life
15) A good sense of timing: timing is almost everything
16) At least, a post high school certification: the biggest room in life is the room for self improvement
17) A realization that friends come and go: this is a function of change
18) A set of dating rules and standards for courtship: part of growing up is knowing what you want
19) A healthy spending and saving habit: it’s called handling your business
20) A strong spiritual base: by now you should have sorted out the question of faith
21) A good sense of humor: growing up shouldn’t be so intense that we will forget how to enjoy a good laugh
22) A defined social circle: how and who do you roll with? Take note that it has nothing to do with your financial status
23) A relaxation routine: very necessary for creative minds
24) A stable relationship: for focus’ sake at the least
25) Real life experience: you have been around for 30 years right?

Miss Cote'd ivoire falls on stage with 10' inches high-heel shoes

Fun Video: Miss Cote'd ivoire falls on stage with 10'inches high-heel shoes

A White Lady Takes on Unilag Students

A white lady obviously infuriated about the needless cry against the name change of Unilag. Watch and Enjoy.

22year old Nigerian emerges the best graduating student of John Hopkins University

A 22-year-old Nigerian, Emmanuel Ohuabunwa, has made history at John Hopkins University, United States of America.  Ohuabunwa from Arochukwu, Abia State, has done the nation proud by becoming the first black man to make a Grade Point Average of 3.98 out of 4.0 to bag a degree in Neurosciences in the university. He was also adjudged as having the highest honours during the graduation that was held on May 24 this year.

For his efforts, he has won a scholarship to Yale University to pursue a degree in medicine. Besides, he has been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa Society, a prestigious honour group that features membership of 17 US Presidents, 37 US Supreme Court Justices, and 136 Nobel Prize winners.

According to Wikipedia, The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honour society. Its mission is to “celebrate and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences” and induct “the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at America’s leading colleges and universities.”

 It was founded at The College of William and Mary on December 5, 1776, and thus it is the oldest honour society for the liberal arts and sciences and among the oldest undergraduate societies in the US.

Patrick Obahiagbon: Nigeria's Comedy Grammatologist

Do you understand what he is saying ???

$3 million bribery scandal video: Dishourable Honourables

Please view the video in which Honourable farouk lawan asked that Mr Otedola's companies names be removed from the list. Is this the $ 3 million at work or mere coincidence??

New Video From Psquare: Oyinye rmx ft Rick Ross

It seems the signing to Konvict Music by Psquare has began to yield the much desired fruits. after the massive Chop My Money remix which featured Akon himself. The duo are back with a remix of the song Beautiful Oyinye featuring Rick Ross. Massive blast, enjoy !!!

El-rufai urges Pastor Adeboye to retire.....

Foot in Mouth suffering controversial former minister of the FCT, Malam Nasir Elrufai, has given an unusual birthday gift to the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye. The controversial minister is asking Pastor Adeboye to resign in a post on his twitter profile.

As usual, olawaleoni.blogspot.com brings you the post unedited below.

Some pundits mocked Elrufai and say that since he sees his hopes of clinching the CPC presidential ticket dimming as Buhari has indicated that he will contest inn 2015 contrary to his earlier promise, Elrufai now has set his eye on contesting for the post of General Overseer of the RCCG annd sees Adeboye as a stumbling block in his ambition.

Many are wondering what business Elrufai who is not a member of the RCCG has with the retirement or non retirement of Adeboye.

How Peter of Psquare won 10,000 dollars Chelsea bet !!!

Nigerians are ardent followers of European football and the Chelsea defeat of Barcelona in a two-legged semi final of the Uefa Champions League in April showed creativity on many fronts.

The biggest hype that the game got in Twitter-sphere was the huge $10,000 bet between super star singer Peter Okoye of P-Square and his elder brother/producer Jude “Engees” Okoye on the day.

Peter tweeted to his numerous followers the following: “I and @JUDEENGEES $10k bet on who qualifies…. #teamchelsea #teambarca.”

Alongside that tweet was the photo of them standing head to head beside a swimming pool in Chelsea and Barca colours which predictably went viral.

If Peter got his $10,000 in cash, we do not know, but it sure was one of the most memorable images that came out of the Chelsea-Barcelona game.

Chelsea later went on to win the cup in a tense final with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Pastor Adeboye asked to step down

The General Overseer, GO of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare. Adeboye has been advised to step down to pave way for younger Pastors to take over.

We learnt about 20 Pastors from the branches of the Church in Europe met with the revered man of God fondly called “Daddy G.O” in his International office at Redemption Camp to advise him to resign since he has clocked 70 years.

The pastors were said to have cited the case of the four Assistant General Overseers (AGOs) of the church, Pastors M.O. Ojo, Ilori, Aderibigbe and D. Ojo, whose retirements were announced at the conclusion of Minister Conference on Sunday, August 8, 2010.

KENYAN MAN STUCK INSIDE ANOTHER MAN'S WIFE DUE TO BLACK MAGIC

Please watch what happened to a man that got stuck inside another man's wife due to black magic that the husband of the wife placed on her. the suspecting husband has been on the trail of the two lovebirds for a while and nemesis eventually caught up with them. The man had to agree to pay the husband of the woman 20 thousand kenyan shillings before he released the anti-dote for the magic........***serves him right**

45 THINGS YOU SHOULD DO TO YOUR WOMAN

45 THINGS A GIRL WANT, BUT WON’T ASK FOR IT FROM YOU.

1. Touch her waist.
2. Actually talk to her.
3. Share secrets with her.
…4. Give her your jacket.
5. Kiss her slowly.

Are you remembering this?
6. Hug her.
7. Hold her.
8. Laugh with her.
9. Invite her somewhere.
10. Hangout with her and your friends together.

KEEP READING ..
11. Smile with her.
12. Take pictures with her.
13. Pull her onto your lap.
14. When she says she loves you more, deny it. Fight back.
15. When her friends say “I love her more than you”, deny it. Fight back and hug her tight so she can’t get to her friends. It makes her feel loved.

Are you thinking of someone?
16. Always hug her and say I love you whenever you see her.
17. Kiss her unexpectedly.
18. Hug her from behind around the waist.
19. Tell her she’s beautiful.
20. Tell her the way you feel about her.

One last thing you need to do to show her you actually do mean it.
21. Open doors for her, walk her to her car - it makes her feel protected, plus it never hurts to act like a gentleman.
22. Tell her she’s your everything - only if you mean it.
23. If it seems like there is something wrong, ask her - if she denies something being wrong, it means SHE DOESN’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT - so just hug her.

24. Make her feel loved.
25. Kiss her in front of OTHER girls you know!

WE MIGHT DENY IT BUT WE ACTUALLY LIKE AND KINDA WANT YOU TO TICKLE US ..
26. Don’t lie to her.
27. DON’T cheat on her.
28. Take her ANYWHERE she wants.
29. Text message or call her in the morning and tell her have a good day at school, and how much you miss her.
30. Be there for her whenever she needs you, and even when she doesn’t need you, just be there so she’ll know that she can always count on you.

ARE YOU STILL READING THIS? YOU BETTER, BECAUSE IT’S IMPORTANT.
31. Hold her close when she’s cold so she can hold you too.
32. When you are alone hold her close and kiss her.
33. Kiss her on the cheek; (it will give her the hint that you want to kiss her).
34. While in the movies, put your arm around her and then she will automatically put her head on your shoulder, then lean in and tilt her chin up and kiss her lightly.

35. Don’t ever tell her to leave even jokingly or act like you’re mad. If she’s upset, comfort her.

REMEMBER ALL THESE THINGS WHEN YOU ARE WITH HER NEXT ..
36. When people diss her, stand up for her.
37. Look deep into her eyes and tell her you love her.
38. Lay down under the stars and put her head on your chest so she can listen to the steady beat of your heart, link your fingers together while you whisper to her as she rests her eyes and listens to you.
39. When walking next to each other grab her hand.
40. When you hug her, hold her in your arms as long as possible.

MAKE SURE SHE KNOWS SHES LOVED.
41. Call or text her at night to wish her sweet dreams.
42. Comfort her when she cries and wipe away her tears.
43. Take her for long walks at night.
44. Always remind her how much you love her.
45. Sit on top of her and tell her how much you love her and then bend down to her face and kiss her while you’re sitting on her.

You’ll never know when woman needs just a little more love. 
Note: love making is for married People

Video of the day

This video is soo crazy and entertainment

Court Orders Obama to return Micheal Jackson's Glove To Nguema

A California court has ordered the President of the United States of America to return pop music icon Michael Jackson’s glove to the President of Equatorial Guinea’s son, Teodoro Nguema Obiang. In October 2011, the Obama administration seized assets worth $71 million from the 41 year old, including a yacht, a $38m Gulfstream jet, and $3.2m dollars worth of bejewelled Michael Jackson memorabilia, including the crystal-encrusted glove from the singer’s 1987 ‘Bad’ tour, purchased for $300,000.

Obiang currently serves as the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in his father’s administration, for which he’s paid a monthly salary of $6,800. The court said Obiang hasn’t been charged with any crime in his home country, nor in the U.S, and therefore should take possession of his properties seized by the American government.

Bugatti Veyron on a Lagos road??

As in, a Bugatti Veyron on a Lagos road? na waaa oooo...Big boys doing big things

"Home Alone" star in drugs battle

He was once the mischievous, cherubic star of the hugely successful Home Alone movies.
However, Macaulay Culkin, now 31, appeared dishevelled and emaciated as he greeted fans in New York on Wednesday.

With his straggly goatee beard and messy hair, he looked gaunt as he sipped from an energy drink. He has been battling with drugs for awhile which is occassioned by the loss of his half-sister in a car accident last year and sister in a drug overdose.

Don Jazzy acquires 30million naira duplex in Lekki

Feelers from my sources have revealed that estranged partner of Dbanj, Don Jazzy has just acquired a new home inside Nicon estate in Lekki Phase 1. The property is believed to have cost nothing less than 30million naira and the award winning producer also purchased a range rover sport to compliment the new acquisition.

Don Jazzy recently split up with his partner of 10 years Dbanj and briefly "squatted" with his brother Dprince inside 1004 estate before finally securing his own place.

When you are big, you are big

No competition between Wizkid and I----Davido

Their music race along the same genre. They both have well developed penning skills that leaves them twisting yoruba words beautifully together before sprinkling them most creatively down their song lines.

Like Wizkid, Davido has gotten his own fair share of controversies especially as it concerns love and women. A case is the ‘bad girl picture gone viral’ which many say had further helped push the young singer into the face of the media.

Yet each time Davido is confronted with this question from entertainment journalists and blogs, his answer is a firm No. In his words “There is no competition between me and Wizkid. I’m actually with him most of the time. We sometimes talk about it, laugh about it; we go on twitter and look at blogs.

I don’t know why people weigh us together. I don’t believe in turn by turn; Why can’ Wizkid have a number one song in Abuja and I have another one in Port Harcourt or somewhere else and everyone carries it together; no competition as such. I see him as a colleague, maybe if I didn’t know him personally; but I do. We are even planning some things together, so cool.”

Court dissolves marriage after 30 days !!!

A Kaduna Sharia Court on Wednesday dissolved the marriage between one Maryam Ahmed and Sanusi Idris of Maje Village in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, north central Nigeria after barely 30 days of the marriage.

The court also directed Maryam to refund N25,000 paid to her as dowry by Idris in addition to returning clothes presented to her for the marriage.

Maryam,16, had prayed the court to dissolve her marriage to Idris, 27, after just 30 days into the marriage because of a lack of interest in Idris.

She told the court that she would refund the dowry after the dissolution of the marriage.

In his submission, Maryam’s guardian, Malam Ahmed Maje, told the court that Idris had paid N25,000 as dowry.

Idris, however, claimed that he paid N45,000 as dowry to Maryam and not N25,000, explaining that he also paid N16,000 as compensation to one of Maryam’s suitors.

Lagos Jails Man For Refusing To pay Lekki Toll Fee

An Igbosere Magistrate’s Court, Lagos has sentenced a 39-year-old man, Rozer Oladimeji, to a week imprisonment for refusing to pay at the Lekki-Epe Expressway toll gate.

Oladimeji drove a red Toyota Jeep with number plate LND 607 AC about 3:51pm on March 18 and refused to pay the compulsory N120 toll.

Oladimeji allegedly zoomed at full speed on getting to the toll collection point of the expressway.

Unfortunately for Oladimeji, he was apprehended at 8.10pm when he was returning by toll collectors and security officers on the outward bound lane of the expressway.

The charge sheet read in part, “That you, Rozer Oladimeji, at about 3.51pm at the Toll Plaza, on Lekki-Epe Expressway, Eti Osa Local Government Area, drove a Toyota Jeep and refused to pay the toll when it was lawfully demanded from you.

“That you, Oladimeji, drove the vehicle in a reckless manner on a public highway.”

Oladimeji was charged with two counts of reckless driving and refusal to pay a lawful toll to which he pleaded guilty.

Police prosecutor, Mr. Clifford Ogu, told the court that the offence contravened sections 18(1) and 67(1) Cap 124 Vol. 6 of the Road Traffic Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.

Magistrate A. A. Famobiwo found Oladimeji guilty as charged and sentenced him to a week imprisonment.

Famobiwo, however, gave him an option of N5, 000 fine.