'Why I’m going into politics' -Kennis St. Brown finally Reveals!

Kenny Saint-BrownToday, she is one of the artistes responsible for putting gospel music into the mainstream Nigerian music industry. Interestingly, KSB as she’s popularly called by her fans is stepping out for good. She has declared her intention to go into politics.
In this interview with Showtime Celebrity, the 2010 recipient of Soundcity Music Video Awards for Best Gospel video, explains why she wants to vie for a seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly come 2015 and many more…


You said that you are re-channelling all your energies into re-orientating the minds of young Nigerians which are your target audience. How do you intend to accomplish this goal?

I’m still looking at my area of calling which is youth development. I have been involved in youth development programmes in the last 16 years, using our company, Kenny’s Music as a platform.
We have helped in pioneering not just a record label, but a company which has been able to discover raw talents as it developed them to become international acts.
The likes of Tu-face Idibia, Paul Play Dairo to mention but a few are products of Kenny’s Music. We have discovered over fifty artistes and most of these artistes we made them household names. We urged them to go and convert their brands into something else that can generate wealth for them even after they have stopped doing music.
Particularly, I have the ability to discover as well as ascertain how to divert the energies of our youths, especially in the area of entertainment. Since it has added to the GDP of the country.
What am I saying, if you have the kind of rescources that have been pumped into sports development over the years, if only 10 percent of such rescources have been pumped into the entertainment industry, things would have been different in this country.
Talking about Nigerian football for instance, the various teams we have like the Super Eagles, Under 23, Under 20, Under 17, Under 13 and before you know, we are going to have also Under 5. This indicates a system that encourages discovering of young footballers.
The likes of Odegbami, Nduka Ugbade, Jay Jay Okocha and the Kanu Nwankwos were discovered young, before they became international soccer stars. They made mega millions in pounds Sterling, but the British government did not fail to tax them heavily.
So, if 10 percent of what we have been spending on sports were channelled into entertainment you would be sure that Nigeria would become the centre of global entertainment. At the moment, we don’t have such funds in the entertainment industry.
Yet, we have world class entertainers as we are also adding to the GDP of the nation. Don’t you think, it’s high time we begin to put structures in place.
Let’s start from the grassroots by encouraging youth development. It’s obvious now that becoming a graduate does not make one useful. Before now, they used to say that if you don’t have anything you cannot become an artist.
But today, the story has changed. One does not need to be a rich man before becoming an artiste. Look at what MTV is doing in Africa today because of the talents that abound in Nigeria.
The truth is that there are lots of talented youths out there that don’t have the platform to showcase their talents. Oftentimes, either in the Church, or where I’m shopping, I have had to contend with these young talents who would want to give me their CDs and urged me to listen to their works so that I can help promote them.
There are so many of them like that but after listening to them what’s the next thing to do? They cannot afford to pay for air time. In most cases, I have sent so many of them to my brother, Baba Keke.
But it got to a point where Keke called me and said, they are too many. How many of them would I send to radio stations or individuals for assistance? But the money we need to develop these talents is in the hands of the government.
So, how do you intend to help in the area of putting the structures in place?
I can’t work for government at the moment. So, I have to join a political party to let them know what I can do to help the youths.
On which platform are you coming out?
I am contesting under the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC. I have been registered with APC, I’m in ward 4, ward D of Onigbongbo Local Government of Lagos. I’m very active in my ward as well as in my local government.
You are vying for what political office?
I want to contest for the membership of Lagos State House of Assembly.
What made you think that you can achieve all these goals?
Because it’s the legislative arm of government that make bills and laws. And Lagos State is the hub of entertainment; it’s the cosmopolitan city of Nigeria.
It took someone that has an insight into what LAWMA could do and he got into the government and said hey, we can do this! Till date, I still marvel at what LAWMA is doing in Lagos.
The workers keep the streets of Lagos clean. It’s same way I want to become a law maker starting with Lagos State House of Assembly. It is the youth all over the world that my heart is crying for.
Where is your constituency?
Onigbongbo Local Government in Ikeja, Lagos State is my constituency. And guess what! This is the hub of prostitution in Lagos State; Allen Avenue Junction, Opebi road and Doyin.
Why do you think that you are the right candidate to represent your people?
Actually, I have been a youth coach. Few weeks ago, I was at university of Lagos to deliver a lecture on “From Passion to Profession”, which was organised by the Lagos State government.
I was assisting the Senior Assistant to the Lagos State governor, Mr. Akim Animashaun. Recently too, we were at the College of Education, Akoka, where I taught the students on how to regenerate opportunities.
You said that you have been very active in you ward and local government. How active are you in your ward?
About 4-5 years ago, I was the face of education in my local government, the entertainer, as well as the ambassador of change leading the upgrading of public schools to meet up with the standard of that of private schools in my local government.
But until recently, the number of prostitutes on Opebi -Allen axis in the last ten months have increased to over 200 percent. This burden became so heavy in my heart.
You would see a beautiful young girl looking decent in the day time, while in the night, you would see same girl looking half-naked and you’d wonder what has happened to her over night? Isn’t somebody going to show them love and I just can’t fold my arms any more and watch things go wrong in our society.
There’s fire on the mounting, let’s be honest, see what corruption has done to us; see what happens when budget is not meeting project. …So, it’s high time we do something.

To be able to achieve your dreams, you need funds. How prepared are you to play the game of politics?
Well, why should I see problems and not see reasons I should be in the House of Assembly. Where there’s a will, there is a way. Because there is a will for me to help in the area of youth development in Lagos State, there will be a way out to achieve this goal.

Do you think it’s only by becoming a law maker that this particular project can be achieved?
Tell me which other way you can use government money, if democracy is government of the people by the people and for the people, how will the people benefit from the funds belonging to them? Tell me if there’s any other way because if I start an NGO now, you know how people have bastardized NGO’s. You should know that am not hungry. I told someone recently that everything that people have on their lips as prayer points, God has blessed me with. Tell me what is the prayer point now, if I have two cars, is it not only one car that I will drive? If I have a whole house, is it not one bed that I will sleep on? God has blessed me with a son and daughter. I have three degrees and I’m the CEO of my company, KSB International Consulting Company. I’m the vice president of Kennis Music. So, if people want to be famous thank God, I am famous at least for the last 16 years. I have become a household name. So, you can see that I’m a proud beneficiary of these factors in Nigeria. These are some of the benefits that Nigeria has offered me and it’s time for me to help government to transform the country.

Why did you choose APC as your party?
If you see what APC as a party has done in the states where they are controlling, you would be amazed. If you are familiar with how beautiful Lagos State is at the moment, then take a ride to Ogun State where APC is currently in control, and see the massive change that has taken place there. May be, you need to travel to Ibadan, Oyo State and behold the massive changes that have taken place in the city of Ibadan. Or better still, you travel to Osun State and behold what Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is doing in that state. APC signature is change; especially in the south-west. They have done so well in propagating change not just in the environment but also, in education, infrastructure, health, efficiency and many others. So, they are the team I want to work with for now.

What kind of change would you bring about when you eventually become a law maker in Lagos State?
Now, we are talking about funding, revenue and expenditure. You can’t take it away from the fact that Lagos State has about 57 LCDs and the federal government is funding only 27, according to their records. I am not trying to speak for governor Fashola right now, but the truth is that there is so much demand in respect of the amount of money the state is getting from the federation account. I am saying it would get to a point where the federal government would be able to recognise the great work that the Lagos State government is doing with the LCDA that they are not funding. The state government is using the little amount it’s generating internally to fund the other Local Governments.

Being a celebrated music star, are you going to dump music for politics?
I can’t stop singing. Singing is my nature, music is my life. Give me a stage now and I will kill the stage,. I will get you up and get you dancing. It’s a ministry; I am actually the youth pastor in my church, and every Sunday morning, I’m there. I am a professional person, I can’t say because of this I can’t do that. I’m never an idle person and again, I easily get bored doing one thing.
According to Karl Max, “religion is the opium of the people.”


Vanguard

Impeachment of Nasarawa Governor Turns Very Bloody; 3 Men Killed one person was serious wounded

Three people have died while one person was serious wounded during clashes between Gwandara and Eggon youths who were protesting over the commencement of impeachment proceedings against Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State on Thursday.

Leadership gathered that some armed Gwandara youths stormed the house of an Eggon man around Old Alamis Market and set it ablaze along with his car. Many governorship posters of information minister Labaran Maku were said to have been pasted on the walls of the house.

The state police public relations officer, Ismaila Numan, confirmed the development, saying the house was burnt in the early hours of the day but he could not confirm who was responsible.

Investigations has however revealed that...

The impeachment notice served on the governor by the PDP-controlled state lawmakers did not go down well with the Gwandara youths who resorted to violent protests to register their anger over the attempt to impeach their kinsman to pave way for an Eggon man to take over the leadership of the state.

One of the warring youths was seen with a very deep machete cut in the upper arm as he was being taken to the hospital for medication.

The Gwandara are said to be accusing the Eggon elite of being behind the woes of the governor, leading to the impeachment process by the state legislators.

Maku, the information minister, is of the Eggon extraction whereas Governor Al-Makura is of Gwandara ethnic stock; the latter are considered one of the smallest ethnic nationalities in the state.

When Leadership visited the scene of the violence, burnt-down commercial tricycles littered the area even as shops and other business premises hurriedly closed for fear of being vandalized.


Presidency behind my travails – Gov. Al-Makura
Governor Umoru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has attributed his present travails to the Presidency. The governor made the disclosure through his senior special assistant on public affairs, Abdulhamid Yakubu Kwarra, while fielding questions from journalists in Jos, the Plateau State capital, on Thursday.

According to him, this development is meant to destabilize APC-controlled states in the country.

Mr Kwarra said: “They are threatened by the monumental achievements of the APC administration in Nasarawa State; there is no administration that is as corrupt as the present PDP-led government in the country.

“Authorities in Abuja should stop the bull from entering a china shop. They are opening a new war front; they should address the issue of the insecurity and Chibok girls instead of chasing shadows in the country.”

He stressed that they were exploring all the options available to them, pointing out that a situation where some members of the State House of Assembly exercise their power without decorum will be highly resisted.

Source:leadership

[MUST Read] BOKO HARAM: Security Alert in Lagos!

At Last! The Lagos state government has accepted that Boko Haram has infiltrated Lagos. To this effect let us all be cautious of the following. 
1: Please don't buy "Suya" in public places again, the plan is to poison the spice sprinkled on the Suya ".
2. Watch the shoemakers, Cloth menders "obioma", that you call into you premises.
3. If your generator goes off at midnight within an unsecured premise or neighbourhood, Please don't go there to restart.
4. When you go to public places e.g Shoprite, be careful where you park, Government is advising Lagosians to stay clear of such places at night, be mindful of major bustops at night, Obalende, Oshodi, mile2, Ojota, Ojuelegba. Etc.
Local government officials will be going round to collect personal ID's and passport photographs of all gatemen in lagos in a bid to trace suspected Boko Haram members, Please ensure you know and have d personal details of your gatemen, pay close attention to their movement during the day and at night.                                
Please Let's Keep circulating.
It may seem like a joke but being security conscious never killed anyone.

This is Too bad! Masquerade Causes 5month Old Baby To Fall Inside Big Boiling Soup Pot

Not the real pic 

Panic struck Amakohia Ubi community in Owerri West Council Area of Imo State on Monday, as a five-month-old baby boy slipped

from the hands of his minder, a 10-year-old girl, who was being chased by a masquerade and fell inside a large boiling pot of soup.

An eye witness told our correspondent that the 10-year-old girl, who also suffered severe injuries, was fleeing from one of the “ Owu” masquerades that had chased her in front of a house while carrying the deceased toddler and as she ran to the back of the house, she stumbled and the toddler slipped from her hands and fell into a pot of soup being prepared by a food vendor.

According to the witness, the masquerade, on realising the havoc caused, took to his heels.

However, efforts to revive the baby proved abortive as the baby was pronounced dead by a doctor, after some good Samaritans rushed him to a nearby hospital.

When NEWS MEN visited the scene, parents of the deceased baby were still in a state of shock and refused to speak to the press as sympathisers besieged their residence.

The Amakohia masquerade festival also known as “Owu” is the most dreaded festival in Owerri West Council as it is characterised by display of charms, constant flogging and harassment. Meanwhile, the festival, which normally lasts a month, has been temporarily suspended as a result of the incident.

Source: Daily Sun

Security operatives arrest Fake Boko Haram Member! [Photo]

The Defence Headquarters has announced the arrest of a man who specializes in creating pandemonium by sending out text messages threatening attack by Boko Haram terrorists.

Ugwu Lawrence who was tracked by security operatives after dispatching text messages of impending bombings of some hotels in Abuja, confessed that he employed the gimmick because the management of one of the organisation failed to offer him employment.

The suspect further confessed that his motive was a ploy to instil fear in the mind of the management’s chairman, and pleaded that he is actually not a terrorist. The suspect is still undergoing further interrogation preparatory to prosecution.

#BringBackOurGirls!: 'Unthinkable cruelty and evil – Angelina Jolie

US actress Angelina Jolie on Tuesday condemned as “unthinkable cruelty and evil” the kidnapping of over 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria by Boko Haram Islamists.

The star was speaking in Paris about the themes of her latest film “Maleficent” for Disney, in which she plays a vindictive fairy driven to curse an infant princess.

“Sadly of course there is real evil in the world, you watch the news and you see all of the people suffering and so much cruelty,” she told a news conference.

“And it’s unthinkable cruelty like these girls that were kidnapped in Nigeria. Unthinkable cruelty and evil,” she said.

A total of 276 students were kidnapped in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state three weeks ago when Boko Haram stormed their school under the cover of darkness and loaded them onto trucks. Several managed to escape but over 220 girls were still being held, according to police.

In a video message obtained by AFP on Monday, Abubakar Shekau, the head of the Islamist group which has killed thousands in a five-year uprising, said it was holding the girls as “slaves” and threatened to “sell (them)”.

44 Years Later, Igbo Demand N2.6tr From Federal Government As Compensation (Civil War)

 

Igbo delegates have asked the Federal Government to pay N2. 6 trillion as reparation and compensation for the destruction of Igbo lands during the civil war which took place between 1967 to 1970.

According to them, millions of their people were killed and many of their states destroyed which brought hardship to Igbo survivors.

In a document titled: “Atrocities and Injustices against Ndigbo: Ohaneze demand for Reparation” which was circulated with the amendment to the proposed National Intervention Fund, the delegates  demanded that the Federal Government pay a total sum of N2.6trillion to South East States.

“The federal government should pay N400 billion each to the five states of the South East as compensation to those who lost loved ones and properties and those still suffering dislocation today in Nigeria. The same amount should also be paid to the government of Delta State for the benefit of Anioma area of the state”, they asked.

The motion was sponsored by former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gen. Ike Nwachukwu, and 14 others. The Igbo stressed that the demand became imperative following the “atrocities and injustices committed against Ndigbo in Nigeria over a long period.

Source: punchng