The Untold Story of How Fela Kuti Married 27 Brides on Same Day in 1978

The Untold Story of How Fela Kuti Married 27 Brides on Same Day in 1978 

In 1978, the pioneer of Afrobeats, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, married 27 women in one day. This should not be strange to those who know the life and style of the Nigerian music legend nicknamed Abami Eda (strange creature).

Many of Fela’s band members became homeless after the devastating soldier attack on Fela’s commune (Kalakuta Republic) in 1977. In order to keep them together, Fela decided to do the unusual.

He gave a piece of paper to his female band members requesting the names of those that would like to marry him; the entire twenty-seven female band members put down their names.

After getting their consent, Fela Kuti married the 27 women on the 20th of February, 1978, at the Parisona Hotel in Anthony, Lagos, with the blessings of twelve Ifa priests. It was alleged that some parents of the ladies objected the marriage.

Fela married the women to protect and keep them together. The marriage ceremony was attended by Fela’s families, friends and other band members.

During the marriage ceremony, Fela rendered a short speech, pressed naira notes on his new wives’ foreheads and gave them marriage certificates. Fela embraced a rotation system of 12 wives at a time. After the marriage, Fela took his 27 wives to Ghana for honeymoon.

However, in 1986, shortly after his release from prison, Fela Kuti divorced his 27 wives on the claim that marriage brings jealousy. It should be noted that they were not forced to leave his house after the divorce; some lived with him till his death in 1997.

Source: NIGERIA STORIES

Unknown Gunmen Shot Dead Governor, Five Others in Philippines

Unknown Gunmen Shot Dead Governor, Five Others in Philippines 

A provincial governor in the central Philippines and five other people were shot dead by unknown gunmen on Saturday, his widow said, in the latest attack against local officials.

Local police said six suspects carrying rifles and dressed in uniforms similar to those worn by the armed services entered the governor’s home in Pamplona town and opened fire.

Roel Degamo, governor of Negros Oriental province, and five others were killed in the shooting, his widow said.

“Governor Degamo did not deserve that kind of death. He was serving his constituents on a Saturday,” Janice Degamo, who is also the mayor of Pamplona, said in a video posted on Facebook.

President Ferdinand Marcos condemned what he described as the “assassination” of his political ally and warned the perpetrators to “surrender now it will be your best option”.

“My government will not rest until we have brought the perpetrators of this dastardly and heinous crime to justice,” Marcos added.

The condition of four other people who were shot in the incident was not disclosed.

The politician was distributing aid to constituents when he was shot, provincial police spokesman Kym Lopez told AFP.

Police said they were searching for 10 suspects, including the six gunmen, who fled the scene in two SUVs and a pickup truck before abandoning the vehicles in a nearby city.

Degamo, 56, is the latest target in the Philippines’ long history of attacks on politicians, and at least the third to be shot since last year’s local elections.

The Supreme Court last month declared him the rightful winner of the contest for the Negros Oriental governorship following a recount that unseated his local rival, who had previously been proclaimed the victor.

Degamo had also campaigned for Marcos in his own candidacy for president last year.

Mamintal Adiong, governor of the southern province of Lanao del Sur, was shot and wounded in February in an attack that killed his driver and three police escorts.

That same month, the vice-mayor of the northern town of Aparri, Rommel Alameda, and five other people who were travelling with him were shot dead in a highway ambush.

In the bloodiest politically motivated ambush on record, the leaders of a powerful southern clan and about two dozen followers were sentenced to life in prison for a 2009 attack on supporters of a gubernatorial election rival in Maguindanao province.

The attack left 58 people dead, including the politician’s wife and relatives, along with 32 journalists and media workers who were covering the race.

Deposit Banks in Nigeria resume receipt of old N500 and N1000 notes

Deposit Banks in Nigeria resume receipt of old N500 and N1000 notes

Investigation has revealed that Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria have resumed the receipt of old N500 and N1000 notes.

According to reports, the banks started receiving these notes at the beginning of this week.

A bank official disclosed to Vanguard in Abuja on Wednesday that customers could now deposit any amount below N500,000. To do so, they must download the appropriate form from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) portal, from where a code would be allocated for the deposit.

It has been learned that individuals holding the affected old notes could deposit them in their bank accounts until April 10. The decision was made by the CBN in a bid to prevent holders of the old notes from losing their money.

Just two weeks ago, there was confusion surrounding the fate of those who held the affected notes in their possession. The CBN had initially extended the deadline for the circulation of the old notes from January 31 to February 10, stating that it would continue to receive them between February 10 and 17 after they had ceased to be legal tender.

However, some holders of the notes were turned away when they tried to deposit them at the apex bank. The CBN later clarified that individuals with less than N500,000 should take such monies to their banks, but some banks refused to accept them.

On February 21, the CBN issued a statement denying reports that it had directed DMBs to receive old N500 and N1000 notes from their customers. Mr. Osita Nwanisobi, who retired as Director, Corporate Communications of CBN last week, clarified that only old N200 notes had been directed by President Muhammadu Buhari to be reissued, and the CBN would stick to that directive.

Nnamdi Kanu Needs Urgent Heart Surgery- IPOB Raises Alarm

Nnamdi Kanu Needs Urgent Heart Surgery- IPOB Raises Alarm

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) provided an update on the health of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, on Friday.

According to IPOB, there is an urgent need to transport their leader to a specialist facility for treatment of his worsening health.

Emma Powerful, the group’s media and publicity secretary, raised the warning in a statement issued on Friday.

Kanu’s weakening heart, according to Sources, requires immediate medical attention.

He stated that the IPOB leader, who was brought to what he described as an ill-equipped DSS clinic in Abuja on Monday February 27, 2023, need the treatment of his own doctors.

He said rushing him to the DSS clinic is cosmetic and may cause more harm to his health.

The statement reads, “The attention of the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been drawn to the continued deteriorating health of our Leader Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu who was rushed to an ill-equipped DSS clinic on a medical emergency in Abuja on Monday, February 27, 2023. We are aware that the Nigeria Government and her DSS, including the British High Commissioner in Abuja, planned to kill Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu in DSS solitary confinement but they should also be ready for the consequences.

“Our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is critically ill in the DSS solitary confinement and must be released unconditionally to attend to his deteriorating health urgently. The Nigeria government must do the needful now that there is time to avoid negative consequences that may follow, the statement added.

March 11: No Ayakoromo bridge, No Vote for PDP, Delta ljaws tell Okowa

March 11: No Ayakoromo bridge, No Vote for PDP, Delta ljaws tell Okowa

Francis Tayor

Warri _______ Ahead of the forthcoming Gubernatorial/State House of Assembly elections slated on the 11th of March, 2023 across the country, the ljaw speaking ethnic nationality in Delta State has sent a signal to the governor of the state, His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP that it will not be as usual for the ljaws to massively vote for the umbrella party due to the ill treatment the current administration metted against them in the past seven years.

In a Press Statement released on Friday at Ayakoromo community in Burutu and signed by Comrade Ekpegha Preye, who is the Spokesman of Concerned Citizens for lzon-lbe Development (CCFID) noted that Governor Okowa's deliberate neglect of the Delta ljaw people in development wise, especially the abandoned Ayakoromo bridge, Torugbene Ojobo road, Odorobu, Odofori, Bulu-Angiama road, Apelebiri link road to Patani main Town amongst others in the past seven years of his PDP led administration where the reasons for their decision.

The group vows to vote against Delta State PDP governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori comes 11th March, 2023, saying they have lost trust and confidence in him as well due to his boss Okowa mal-administration against the ljaw people who in the past twenty one years gave bloc votes to PDP.

The group added that Delta ljaw people are tired of the umbrella party and that they want to change the narrative and try another party in the forthcoming elections.

The group bitterly expressed their anger at Gov. Okowa for consistently lying and failed to match his words with action by deceiving Ijaw people, especially Ayakoromo community over failed promise to re-award Ayakoromo bridge project to SETRACO.

It was unfortunate that Okowa promised to mobilize SETRACO to site in early January 2023 but all promises he made where lies and political gimmick to mock ljaw people in the state.

They however, urged governor OKowa and the PDP led government to do the needful by completing the Ayakoromo bridge and other abandoned road projects in the riverine communities before his administration elapsed by May 29 or else, be ready to face EFCC/ICPC over his incessant borrowing and loan taken to the detriment of Deltans towards the end of his administration, the statement added.