Entertainment
Nollywood Stars, Dakore Egbuson-Akande and Ini Edo Share Their Encounters with Drug Abuse
| Nollywood Stars, Ini Edo and Dakore-Egbuson Akande shared their personal encounters with drug abuse at the recently concluded Drug Convos, a virtual event hosted by MTN Foundation in partnership with Businessday, MTV Base and Nigerian Entertainment Today (Netng) in commemoration of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking marked annually on June 26. The discussion was moderated by author and popular social commentator, Japheth J. Omojuwa and the stars came ready to spill! |
 Dakore Egbuson-Akande during the Drug Convos |
| When asked about the role of family and parents in curbing substance abuse among youths, Dakore Egbuson-Akande, mother of twin-girls shared her brush with drug traffickers while she was an undergraduate in the University, “I remember when things were difficult. I was in the university and I could travel abroad at that time. Someone came up to me and said ‘oh, would you want to carry some drugs when you travel and you’ll get paid when you get there?’ I was only 21 at the time!” She added that parenting plays a major role in shaping the decisions that young people make about drugs and substance abuse as she could have made a decision that will ruin her entire life.”Due to upbringing and the discipline my parents had instilled in me, I didn’t have to run home to ask my parents what to say to the guy. I just knew that omo dat one no go happen!” She advised Nigerian parents to unlearn some of the parenting and communication styles that they experienced with their own parents because the present-day situation requires an open relationship that will enable children speak to their parents before they make irreversible mistakes. |
 Ini Edo during the Drug Convos |
| When J. J. Omojuwa, asked Ini Edo what the Nollywood industry was doing to curb the menace of substance abuse among the impressionable youth, the actress admitted there was a general glorification of substance use in entertainment and there was a need to use movies to show the adverse effect, according to her “the Censors Board [National Film and Video Censors Board] has a huge role to play in this. If you are telling a drug-related success story, there has to be a certain result that shows that if you get into this type of lifestyle, this is what you are likely to get at the end of the day.” She disclosed that what young people see is the glamourous part of the whole process, “they may be thinking, ‘oh, I need to be high to perform which is probably what they see on TV and on social media but they don’t get to see the adverse effect of abusing drugs and how damaging it can be on young people.” She insisted that there was a need for drug-abuse education while sharing her experience at a party, “I went to a party some time ago where Cannabis was being served on trays like food and young people not older than 25 were consuming it like it was normal!” |
 J.J. Omojuwa during the Drug Convos |
| J. J. Omojuwa, excited by the positive response from the celebrities said, “I am delighted by what we have heard from the celebrities who are also cultural influencers because there is an assumption that once you are a famous person in the entertainment community, you just need some form of drugs to spice it up.” |
| Other panellists at the event included Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya; Country Manager, ViacomCBS Networks Africa, Bada Akintunde-Johnson; Country Representative, United Nations Office On Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Oliver Stolpe; Senior Lecturer and Consultant Psychiatrist, Yewande Oshodi; Director-General, Christ Against Drug Abuse Ministries, Adedokun Adedeji and the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, among others. |
 Panelists at MTN ASAP’s Drug Convos |
| The Drug Convos is part of MTN Foundation’s Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP), a multi-sectoral intervention targeted at eradicating drug abuse among young Nigerians from ages 10 to 25. |
Entertainment
From Bomb Blast to Praise: Maureen J’s Miracle Song
–Lagos bomb blast survivor tells her story through soul-stirring gospel track
From the ashes of one of Nigeria’s most devastating tragedies has emerged a powerful testimony in song. “How Do I Kelee Gi?” — a soul-stirring blend of English and Igbo meaning “How do I thank You?” — is the heartfelt anthem of Maureen Onwuka, popularly known as Maureen J, a survivor of the January 27, 2002 Lagos bomb blast.
The blast, which rocked the Ikeja Cantonment area, left hundreds dead and thousands displaced in an unforgettable moment of national grief.
For Maureen, then a young evangelist, it marked the beginning of an emotional and spiritual journey that would change her life and eventually give birth to a song of thanksgiving.
On the day of the explosion, Maureen had stepped out for routine evangelism when she was caught in the chaos. Fleeing with a panicked crowd, she found herself at the edge of a canal near Ajao Estate. She couldn’t swim. Before she could react, the surging crowd pushed her into the water.
“I found myself stepping on bodies. People who had already drowned. It was like walking on human carpet, and I didn’t even know at first,” she recounts, her voice heavy with emotion. “Some were grabbing at me, trying to come up, but every time someone held my leg, I felt myself going under.”
Maureen screamed out a desperate prayer: “Lord, remember me! I was just out telling people about You! Please show me mercy!” In that moment, a stranger appeared in the water — a man who swam to her, pulled her to safety, and vanished without a trace. “I don’t know who he was. I believe he was an angel,” she says.
She escaped with her life, but the images of that day, especially the lifeless bodies of children, women, and men, remained etched in her memory. In the aftermath, she made a solemn vow to God: to tell the world what He did for her.
That vow found its fullest expression in “How Do I Kelee Gi?” — a song she describes as a sacred offering of gratitude. “Words weren’t enough to carry my story. I had to pour it into music,” Maureen explains. “Mixing English and Igbo was intentional — what God did for me was too great to explain in just one language.”
Though the song was written two to three years after the tragedy and initially recorded with little fanfare, Maureen never stopped sharing her story. Encouraged by those who’ve heard the track and urged her to push it further, she is now relaunching the song with renewed purpose.
“This song is my flagship,” she says. “It’s time to tell the world. I want people to not just hear my voice, but to know the miracle behind it.”
Maureen, who hails from Umukparo, Mbala Isuochi, in Abia State, has always been musically inclined, serving in choirs from her youth. But the 2002 experience gave her voice a new purpose. “After the blast, music became more than a gift — it became a mission,” she says.
Inspired by gospel icons like Mercy Chinwo, Sinach, and Nathaniel Bassey, Maureen hopes to reach hearts and stir worship through her sound. “Their songs move me toward God. That’s what I want mine to do too.”
“How Do I Kelee Gi?” is currently available on Audiomack and CD Baby, with plans for a full official launch slated for August this year.
From tragedy came a testimony. From near-death, a new life’s mission. And through it all, Maureen J stands — a living witness that miracles still happen, and when they do, the only fitting response is to sing.
Entertainment
You’re a priceless gift: Gov Mbah Celebrates Jim Nwobodo at 85
… Nwobodo: Mbah is a Success, reports SANDRA ANI
Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, at the weekend, led other who-is-who in the state to celebrate elder statesman and a former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo
Speaking during the 85th birthday anniversary celebration event in honour of Nwobodo at his Amechi Awkunanaw, Enugu, country home, Friday evening, Mbah recalled the octogenarian’s outstanding service to Enugu State, old Anambra State, Nigeria, and humanity in various capacities, describing him as an epitome of excellence.
“It will be difficult to find words that amply capture the true essence of what Dr. Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo represents. Your life is a living proof that the true value of existence is selfless service.
“Nothing endears one to his people than selfless service. That is what you epitomise. The men and women gathered here today to celebrate you is a reflection of that selfless service that you have provided for the people of Enugu State and Nigeria.
“Today, we celebrate an extraordinary journey. We celebrate 85 years of impactful life.
“As Governor at 39 years, you left bold legacies that are still evident today. As a Minister of Youth and Sport, your record remains unbeatable; and it’s still a heartwarming reference point in this country. As a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, you were an epitome of courage and patriotism. We are indeed very proud of you.
“You are a priceless gift to humanity and to Enugu State and indeed our dear country. We are so blessed to have you. You have also provided a shoulder on which countless leaders stand on. You are a charismatic, yet unassuming leader; a man of all seasons,” the governor stated.
He wished him many happy returns in sound health and cherished moments so that the new generation of leaders could continue to benefit from his fatherly counsel and wealth of experience.
In his remarks, Nwobodo enjoined leaders to utilise the opportunities God had given to them to work for the people, citing the Mbah example in Enugu State.
“Today, Peter (Mbah) is a success. Whether anybody likes it or not. He is a success because the results speak for him. Whatever he is in Enugu today was God’s design from time. God gave it to him. God inspires all that he is doing in Enugu today.
“Governor Mbah also listens. He really does. I suggested something to him not long ago. He reflected on it and told me that he would do it. Today, he is already doing it. That is how your know a leader that would go far,” the elder statesman said.
While thanking the governor for organising a state event to mark his birthday, Nwobodo said that Mbah had underscored the need to celebrate people while they are alive.
“I did not expect an elaborate celebration as this. But the governor insisted on celebrating me so well. He maintained that it was better to celebrate people when they are alive, to say all the beautiful things to their hearing. So, Governor, I thank you for this show of love and thank all of you, who came out in your numbers to celebrate me,” he added.
Also, at the event were the former governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai; members of the Enugu State Executive Council; serving and former federal and state lawmakers, Council Chairmen under the leadership of the Chairman, Enugu State chapter of ALGON, Hon. Okechukwu Edeh, as well as the traditional rulers led by the Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, His Majesty, Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, among a host of others.
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of Christian faith. In commemoration of this, the Love of God in Christ (LOGIC) Church is hosting the first edition of the Jesus + Nothing Worship, an uplifting evening dedicated to expressing the message of the death, burial and resurrection in music.
This event will be held on, Friday, April 18, 2025, by 4PM, at The LOGIC Church headquarters in Lekki, Lagos.
The event offers worshippers an opportunity to connect with the essence of the Gospel in worship.
The Lead Pastor and Apostolic Head of the LOGIC Church, Apostle Flourish Peters, asserts that worship is a significant part of the New Testament believers’ experience in Christ.
“As a Christocentric faith community, this event is a great way to celebrate the gift of Christ, who laid down his life for our redemption. Good Friday is a great time to have a worship celebration like this,” notes Peters.
On the context for the event, he notes, “Nothing speaks to the culture of a people like the music they listen to.
Jesus + Nothing Worship will contribute to shaping and mainstreaming a culture of christocentric worship, where the Gospel of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection is platformed through worship.
With Nigeria’s young demography heavily influenced by the music and the arts, Christocentric music is a powerful tool in pointing this generation to Christ,”
Guest ministers expected include; Ministers Neon Adejo, Greatman Takit, Victor Thompson, Timi Dakolo, Samuel Giveson (SMJ), Noble G, Steve Hills, and Lily Perez. Others include Ministers Joxie, Anderson Qozan, Pastor Victor Paul, EmekaSongz, Flo, Dorcas Moore, Magpsalms, Mera Owili, Gerald Bishung, Phebe Lion, and the vibrant Evolution Children’s Choir.
The Jesus + Nothing Worship is a free event and attendees are guaranteed an unforgettable experience.
For more information, visit the official website: https://thelogicchurch.org/en/ and follow on YouTube at @TheLOGICChurch and on Instagram at @thelogicchurch.
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