Its Isoken Edek's blog

Sunday, 15 February 2015

Ebube, ini Edo, Rukky Sanda, and Alex Ekubo celebrate valentine together....

Still in the valentine spirit, these nollywood stars, celebrates the valentine together in a beach.....

Saturday, 14 February 2015

Love is in the air......lol Toyin Aimakhun gets a toyota Camry voltron as valentines gifft from hubby...

The actress just posted this in her instagram page with the caption that reads

"I cant help this I am so happy @adeniyijohnson tanx alot....i am super happy i'm crying @adeniyijohnson this is just too much..I am still in shocj....."

Wow...am so happy for her..where are all my vals..hehehe I wouldn't mind getting this...lol

Etcetera comes for entertainers who has lend their voices/support to politicians in Nigeria

Singer turned columnist Etcetera comes for all the entertainers who have lend their voices and support to politicians in Nigeria. Read the article below...

Some say Afro Candy is a prostitute. Some say she’s not or at least, not yet. A few others say she’s a porn star, which is not in the same league as prostitution. Porn stars are taxed, prostitutes are not. So Afrolicious baybay, you have to up your game to get into the league of prostitutes, if it is what you really desire. My suggestion would be; instruct your agent or booker to get you appearances in any of the political campaign videos, so you can put to use that floppy behind your mama gave you. And if you are lucky enough, you can get cameos and wiggle that thing around the aspirants themselves. You have to get your bum (sorry your hands) bloodied to earn the highly coveted “Political prostitute” tag. Now my Candilicious Afrolistic baybay, these are a few names of the latest political prostitutes in the country: Olamide, Banky W, Don Jazzy, Flavour, Duncan Mighty, D banj, Mercy Johnson, Ibinabo, Ini Edo, Mama Gee, Naeto C, Joseph Yobo, Daddy Showkey, Kanu Nwankwo, and Sammie Okposo.

I have been asked several times if our celebs should get involved with politics. But today, let me push the same question in different words to everyone reading this article. Do politicians making affiliations with celebs prompt you to vote for them? For me, it’s a definite No. Nigerians are not influenced by celebs to indulge in certain acts because their favourite celeb says so. For instance, I like Kate Henshaw but expecting me to vote for a candidate she supports in the forthcoming elections is like asking me to start buying a particular milk brand because Don Jazzy endorsed it. Puh-leez, things like that don’t cut it here in Naija. Naija is a different kettle of fish compared to what is obtainable in places like the US.

The politicians using celebs for their campaigns should ask themselves what on earth the average person has got in common with Dbanj. He has millions and he may never have to lift a finger again in his life if he so desires. And you think the boys in Okokomaiko who are not smiling will listen to his unrealistic rants on TV and radio? Using a celeb for election campaigns is as stupid as the political aspirants themselves dancing in their campaign musical videos. Imagine Jimmy Agbaje and Ambode dancing in their campaign videos? Ok, I am sorry, no imagination is needed. I feel sorry for the politicians that Nigerians are not fooled by all the media images of celebs pushed at them every day on TV. It has become so much that we can’t tell the difference anymore between political campaign videos and the Nigerian musical videos.

The only cocktail of politics and celebrity that the masses are bound to endorse is that of creating useful awareness that will benefit the larger society. People like Bono have political views which bring attention to real, humanitarian issues that transcend the established political doctrines and have nothing to do with producing those plastic karaoke like political jingles our entertainers are paid to produce. Those entertainers who see nothing wrong in frolicking with politicians will say I am speaking from a misguided perspective. Go ahead, defend your support for that politician. Tell me you are campaigning for change. You can’t fool anyone but yourselves.

Hey, my Afro Candilicious baybay, you go ahead with your trade okay? Don’t let the criticisms of your fellow entertainers bother you anymore. Tell them your porn is definitely a kinder and gentler version when placed side by side with their political prostitution. Now, good day ladies and gentlemen. Please don’t forget to tip the waitress on your way out.

Will Smith talks about the most painful part of his career and also talked about his son....Jaden....

The "Focus" star is getting super candid in the March issue of Esquire magazine, where he reflects on his career, reveals his most painful failure and how his famous kids handle being in the public eye.

The father-of-three has enjoyed a very long and successful career with many box office hits, but that doesn't mean he's immune to a flop or two. Will revealed to the mag that the biggest failure of his career, "After Earth," wasn't even about him, but his son.

"That was the most painful failure in my career," he shared. "Wild Wild West" was less painful than "After Earth" because my son was involved in "After Earth" and I led him into it."

The Philadelphia native's defeat was short lived though. When he learned his father had been diagnosed with cancer, that put everything into perspective for him.

"You can’t win enough, you can’t have enough money, you can’t succeed enough. The only thing that will ever satiate that existential thirst is love," he added.

"And I just remember that day I made the shift from wanting to be a winner to wanting to have the most powerful, deep, and beautiful relationships I could possibly have."Animportant relationship in Will's life is with his son, Jaden, who also starred alongside him in the "Pursuit of Happiness." The 16-year-old is famous in his own right and with that comes critics ... especially on social media.

"With this generation of kids growing up, the technological battering is almost the norm. They generally avoid the stuff," the 46-year-old said of his kids dealing with the limelight. "And Jaden understands that that's a part of this business. If he wants to do it, there's a certain amount of battery that you have to be willing to live through."

"There's a certain amount of suffering that you have to be willing to sustain if you want to have a good life. And the trick is to be able to sustain it with your heart open and still be loving. That is the real trick."

Will insists that his kids aren't affected by fame or money, in fact, his son lives a more modest lifestyle then one might think!

"It’s such a strange thing. [Jaden], he has one pair of shoes. He has three pairs of pants and he has five shirts. He has refused to be a slave to money. I so respect that.”

Its Valentine's day!!!

Ooh I feel good....pa ra ran ra ran.....lol...
Friendship is the most beautiful relationship invented ever, love may fade at some point in time but friends are bound to stay forever...

Happy Valentines day to all IB readers....its a special day so enjoy it...for those that are single "who needs a boyfriend when you have an uninterrupted wifi at home and some chocolates".....lol get out there and enjoy today...see my valentines gift to everyone after the cut

Lol....hope you like...hehehe..

Friday, 13 February 2015

Read this touching story of a youth corper and Dr Goodluck Jonathan..

First Published on The Guardian Newspaper, The Whistle has obtained (with proof) the Emotional and Provoking Story of a former youth corper whose meeting with Jonathan in 2003 Changed his life and those of many other sick people for ever. Read;

All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership. —John Kenneth Galbraith.

There are three kinds of people: Those you meet and instantly forget a few minutes later. Those that give you a negative impression when you meet them, and those that leave long-lasting pleasant memories after you’ve met them.

I am Onyeizu Chinedu from Obingwa LGA of Abia State a co-founder and member board of trustees, Martha Iyaya Development Foundation; a Harvard University trained professional and a graduate of Petroleum Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

In late 2002, I was posted to Bayelsa State as a “Batch A” National Youth Service Corp member and after the three weeks orientation camp; I was assigned to serve in Kiama Grammar School, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area to teach physics and mathematics. Of course, I had a pleasant experience teaching in the community school and hanging out with locals, friends and other corps members most evenings under the famous Kiama bridge.

One of the most memorable events of my youth service experience occurred outside the classroom and it started with a visit from an elderly friend of mine, Papa, who supplied fresh plantain and fish to corpers. Anytime he visited, I observed he had a cloudy white substance that covered a large part of his right eye. While we conversed, I remembered the NYSC encouraged corps members to engage in group or personal community development projects (CDP) when posted to their respective primary locations.

Initially, I was a bit worried my meager monthly allowance popularly referred to as allowee, which was a paltry 11, 500 naira back then, would not be enough pay for my needs, let alone fund a humanitarian initiative. But I figured that if Papa didn’t hesitate in sharing his bunches of plantains, neither would I spare any effort in the bid to restore his sight; it would be worth my time, energy and allowance.

The first thing I did was to register the initiative as a personal Community Development Project. Then, I began my research, learning the name and cause of his eye infection. When I was told it was cataract, I started surfing the net on weekends to either find a group, an NGO or a medical institution that would be willing to offer free eye surgery to Papa.

After much search, I eventually found a medical charity in the United Kingdom, named Sight 2020 Direct. I sent them an e-mail, asking if they could come to Bayelsa for a free eye surgery camp. After several correspondences, I was able to convince the group to come over.

In all this, I was unaware of a big bureaucratic hurdle I had to jump with the Bayelsa state government ministries. Since this was a group of ophthalmologists and nurses that were coming to carry out a free eye saving surgery for persons blinded by cataract in the state, I assumed that the government officials would be enthusiastic about the project. In this hope and anticipation, I informed the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Health and the numerous special advisers to the Governor on health matters, of my intention. To my utmost surprise, I was turned into a ping pong ball, sent back and forth between officials and ministries. Each day, I was either told “Chinedu come tomorrow,” “Chinedu the commissioner is busy with an important delegation,” or “Chinedu the initiative is laudable, we will consider it and call you,” etc.

After three months of seeking for help and support from the government, I exhausted my resources and that of the corps members who’d volunteered for the project.

Frustrated and tad angry, my small team and I decided to organize the eye camp on our own. We informed the NYSC state office and got approval to go ahead, with a humanitarian branded message and creative ideas we could muster. Shortly, we started making progress as more corps members volunteered. Soon, we had opticians, medical doctors and other professionals on the team. We set up make-shift diagnostic centers across the state, using opticians who volunteered in areas outside Yenagoa. Within weeks, we registered over fifty blind patients and conducted visual acuity tests on them.

I remember organizing a sensitization road walk along the major streets of Yenagoa wearing a white T-shirt, on which was branded, “Sight for all Bayelsans in 2003”. Because we had no money, we produced the roadwalk T-shirts using cut-outs from cardboard paper and diluted oil paints. Fortunately, the Bayelsa Radio and TV stations agreed to air our public announcements and jingles free of charge. That helped us reach out to patients who lived outside Yenagoa. I hardly slept for more than two hours in a day. I would co-ordinate and plan project deliverables with the volunteer optometrists, follow up on other corp members that volunteered to support logistics and at the same time, chase after the ministries responsible for health matters in the state. We had nothing to go on, but determination and the passion to serve our nation kept the life line.

When the medical team from the United Kingdom arrived at the Port Harcourt airport on November 14, 2003, I still had no financial or logistical support from any government agency. But before I made the last move towards getting the state government’s support, I said a quick prayer. I asked God to intervene, at least for the sake of the poor, blind persons who had made it out of the creeks, in hopes of regaining their sights. This final move was to visit the head of a youth organization there in Bayelsa. I met him and explained my ordeal with the state ministries. He apologized and asked if I’d met the state deputy governor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. I hadn’t and told him so. I told him that if any help was to come, it needed to be swift, because the expatriate doctors were already on their way to Bayelsa from Port Harcourt.

Right there, he made some calls and together, we drove down to the Bayelsa State Government House. When we got there, we were ushered into the deputy governor’s office. We logged in our names and after a few minutes, we were sitting face to face with Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. I told him about the free eye surgery programme and my fruitless efforts to get support from the state. I was specific; I asked him for three things: accommodation, security, and transportation. After listening to me, he smiled and thanked me for initiating such a laudable project in his state. Very courteously, he asked us to wait in the reception. I was exhausted and anxious, still praying for a miracle.

As God could have it, the Chief of Staff soon appeared and relayed a message from Dr. Jonathan.

“You will be given a coaster bus, five mobile policemen and accommodation at the Intercontinental Hotel, Yenagoa,” he’d said. In addition, I was also given the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand naira to purchase medical equipment. I couldn’t believe my ears. After months of going through hell, I’d finally gotten my miracle.

The free eye surgery programme started on Tuesday, the 18th of November 2003, at Okolobiri General Hospital. The Sight 2020 Direct team performed a total of sixty-eight surgical operations, removing cataracts and inserting intraocular lenses. Over sixty-eight blind indigenes of Bayelsa State had their eyesight restored at the end of the programme. The full story was published in the Sun Newspaper on the 13th of December, 2003; pages 24 and 25.

Twelve years have gone by since my youth service in Bayelsa State, but I have never stopped wondering what would have happened to that free eye surgery programme if Dr. Goodluck Jonathan hadn’t intervened. What would have happened to Papa and the other sixty-seven patients?

I strongly believe that Dr. GoodluckEbele Jonathan certainly belongs to the group of individuals who leave positive positive memories that last a lifetime. He addressed the major anxiety of his people at a time it was most needed. Although we talked for less than ten minutes, his prompt action that fateful day had a huge impact on my life and the lives of those sixty-eight people.

From that brief encounter with him, I learned that persistence pays off. Problems and challenges may obstruct your progress, but if you believe in yourself and your goal, you will eventually succeed. I remember waiting for hours, particularly at the Ministry of Health, with nobody to attend to me. I remember being referred to this or that special adviser, and being forced to use my meager corper allowance which was less than a hundred dollars, to support the free eye surgery programme. In spite of these setbacks, the breakthrough finally came.

The second thing I learned from my encounter with Dr. Jonathan is that there are government officials who genuinely care about the welfare of Nigerians and strive to improve lives. Even in the midst of corruption and apathy, you will find God-fearing leaders who provide immediate solutions to pressing problems.

The last thing I would like people to learn from this story, is that it is okay to aim high. I could have donated textbooks to the students of Kiama Grammar School and registered the donation with NYSC as a personal community development initiative. But I decided to aim high and touch as many lives as possible, and thanks to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, I succeeded.

These three lessons have inspired me to share my national youth service experience with Nigerian youths and with those who find it difficult to cope with government bureaucracy and life’s challenges. A lot has been written about the upcoming presidential elections in February, and most of the debates revolve around speculation. I already know my choice for the office of the president and it is based on personal experience, not fantasy or rumors. He might not be a perfect president, but he is a man that can listen and act, especially when approached with solutions to our national problems.

My vote will go to the affable former deputy governor of Bayelsa State who believed in a youth corper and acted promptly to improve the health of the helples