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I’m Deeply Sorry – Basketmouth Finally Apologises To AY And Others

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Nigerian Comedian Bright Okpocha, known by his stage name Basketmouth, has finally extended an apology to his colleague Ayodeji Richard Makun, popularly referred to as AY, bringing an end to their 17-year-long feud.

The longstanding rift between AY and Basketmouth has been widely discussed in the media.

In a May 2023 interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, AY attributed the cause of their dispute to a business deal gone awry back in 2006.

However, as Basketmouth works on selling tickets for his upcoming show in November, he took the initiative to seek forgiveness from AY and others he may have offended.Assuming responsibility for the lengthy discord, the comedian shared a video on his Instagram page on Monday, publicly tendering his apology.

He said;

“Now to all the people in the industry and beyond that I have offended. I’m saying this to you right now from the bottom of my heart, I’m genuinely sorry please forgive me.

To the people that have accused me of doing things that have affected their careers in one way or the other, I’m not going to accept or deny these allegations, but God knows the truth. But regardless, please forgive me from the bottom of my heart.

“Now to my guy AY, I don’t know if my apology is still valid right now but if it is, please forgive me for whatever I have done or said in the past that affected you in any way forgive me. And I want you to know that I have forgiven you for whatever you have done or said knowingly or unknowingly. It’s gone, and I just wanted us to live in peace and harmony.

“Now for the people who are assuming that this apology video is birthed because I have a show coming up on the 26th of November, I will like to say you are absolutely correct. I’m trying to sell tickets for my show but I’m also sorry for everything that I have done.”

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Elie Kamano’s Anthem Amplifies Pan-African Reparations Call with Striking New Music Video

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Elie Kamanos Anthem Amplifies
Source: Elie Kamano and the Pan-African Reparations Movement

Guinean artist and activist Elie Kamano has released a powerful new music video for his single, “Ils veulent l’Afrique sans les Africains” (“They Want Africa Without Africans”), delivering a bold artistic statement that fuses political resistance, cultural memory, and Pan-African solidarity.

Filmed on the sacred grounds of the Thiaroye mass graves in Dakar, the video honors victims of one of colonialism’s most heinous massacres. Kamano’s visual tribute transforms the site into a defiant stage, linking Africa’s historical trauma to the modern reparations movement. With raw lyricism and symbolic imagery, the video makes a clear demand: “Africa will reclaim what Europe stole.”

The release arrives at a pivotal moment. The African Union has declared 2025 as the Year of Reparations, providing institutional momentum to cultural and civic efforts across the continent. In Dakar, a recent high-profile conference reignited demands for justice surrounding the Thiaroye massacre, leading Senegalese authorities to launch archaeological excavations to document the scope of the 1944 French military crime—evidence that may substantiate formal reparations claims to France.

The reparations conversation has visibly moved to the streets. Dakar’s walls now feature bold graffiti murals demanding €50 trillion in reparations from former colonial powers—vivid calls for justice that cannot be ignored. In Bamako, Malian scholars and policymakers echo the urgency, calling for strategic frameworks that link historical redress with sustainable African futures.

Kamano’s work stands at the intersection of music and movement—galvanizing Pan-African youth, scholars, and policymakers alike. His anthem doesn’t just commemorate the past—it ignites the future.

“This is not just a song,” says Kamano. “It’s a voice for the voiceless. A call for dignity. A battle cry for what is rightfully ours.”

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“His Death Leaves a Huge Void”, Gov Mbah Mourns Music Icon, Ejeagha

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'Gentleman' Mike Ejeagha

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has expressed deep grief over the death of music icon, ‘Gentleman’ Mike Ejeagha, saying the legend had created a void that would be too difficult to fill.

Mbah described Ejeagha as an unassuming and easygoing personality, whose fanbase spread across international boundaries.

Recall that the news of the passing on of the ‘Gwo gwo gwo ngwo’ crooner at age 95 filtered into public space Friday evening.

Reacting to the sad development, the governor, who had celebrated the folklorist during his lifetime by reconstructing the popular Obinagu Road and the adjoining Chief Mike Ejeagha Crescent leading directly to his residence in Abakpa Nike, Enugu, a long wish of the icon left unfulfilled by successive administrations in the state, and by renaming Obinagu Road as Chief Mike Ejeagha Road in his honour, assured that his government would further immortalise the legend in death.

Taking to his verified  social media handles, @PNMbah, the governor paid a heartfelt tribute to the Enugu-born musician

“I’m profoundly saddened by the death of music icon, Gentleman Mike Ejeagha.

“Mike Ejeagha was a legend, a cultural ambassador and a revered son of Enugu State.

“He was one of the finest musicians of his generation with an easygoing personality and humility that belied his towering celebrity status.

“I will always cherish fond memories of the time spent in his company – the warmth and wisdom he radiated; the joy he found in the ordinary.

“This is a loss not only for his immediate family; it’s a big loss for Enugu State, the entire music community, and the country as well.

“Ejeagha’s immense talent and genius lay in how he took simple indigenous folktales and turned them into unforgettable songs that resonate across cultures.

“Ejeagha’s fan-base transcended boundaries. He was easily one of the most recognizable voices in music.

“His death leaves a huge void that will be difficult to fill. But the legacies he has left behind will last a lifetime.

“On behalf of the Enugu State government, I offer heartfelt condolences to the Ejeagha family, and assure them of our support.

“As a government, we would ensure that his memory is duly immortalized.

“Above all, I pray that his family experiences the comforting grace of God’s love, and the fortitude to bear the loss.”

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From Bomb Blast to Praise: Maureen J’s Miracle Song

–Lagos bomb blast survivor tells her story through soul-stirring gospel track

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Maureen J

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.

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