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Rapper, Nicki Minaj and boyfriend Kenneth Petty appear to have officially tied the knot—and just in the nick of time! After obtaining a marriage license at a Beverly Hills Courthouse in late July, the couple had just 90 days to say “I do.”

But on Monday night, Minaj announced the exciting news on Instagram with a video that showcased matching “Mr. and Mrs.” mugs and black and white baseball caps that had “Bride” and “Groom” written across the front. “Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty 10•21•19,” she captionedthe post with a bride and groom emoji.

Minaj has sparked marriage rumors left and right throughout their relationship, which they made Instagram official in December 2018. Indeed, she lovingly called the 41-year-old her husband in March, changed her Twitter name to Mrs. Petty in August and tweeted about feeling “unconditionally loved” in September.

And just days after those tweets, things got even more serious when Minaj announced her retirement from music, saying she was ready for the next phase of her life: motherhood.

“I’ve decided to retire and have my family,” she tweeted in September. “I know you guys are happy now.”

“To my fans, keep reppin me,” she continued. “Do it til da death of me, in the box—cuz ain’t nobody checkin me. Love you for LIFE.”

Rather than keep their relationship under wraps, Minaj frequently makes her love for Petty clear. She has referred to him as the Ken to her Barbie, and, back in December, she wrote in another Instagram post, “He want me to be his wife- his MISSIS like SIPPI NOW.”

 

 

 

Credit: E News!

After two years of living together with a man as wife, popular Yoruba actress, Bose Oladimeji, says she’s had just about enough and walking out fast. Her reason is none other than domestic abuse, which she says has become not only brutally violent but life-threatening as well.

“Yes I’m ready to go, in fact, I’m not with him right now. I just have to run for my life, my life is very precious to me. I can’t just allow someone to kill me like that and I want to address some ladies out there that they should not love a guy because of what he gives them. They should be sure the love is genuine and not be fooled by money and comfort. I’m leaving right now, I need to run away for my life. I need to save myself. My life will be in danger if I continue to stay with him, so I’m leaving right now,” she said in a chat with Potpourri.

Highlighting the gory details of the abuse, Bose Oladimeji said the beatings start whenever he comes home drunk

“Whenever he’s drunk he’s out of his senses and starts misbehaving, beating me. He acts very crazy. Any weapon he sees around he uses it on me but when he is sober he starts to regret whatever he has done. What I’m saying is that in the process of beating me what if I collapse and die or get injured, what will people say?” she said with agony in her eyes.

When asked if she didn’t see it coming, Bose Oladimeji said he pretended and hid his true nature at the beginning of their relationship, explaining how they met and how all the abuse began.

“We meet in the club through a friend and he was well presented and loving, humble and respectful and he spent a lot of money that night but after everything, to be honest, we went home separately. The following day we hooked up and that was how it all started. He was taking good care of me and that was one of the reasons I fell in love with him. But what I found odd about him is the forceful way he has sex with. No foreplay, nothing, just to jump on me and forces his way through. No affection, no cuddling, no romance just brutal sex. I was raped like this most nights, and usually followed by beating and insults,” she added

Though not legally married, they lived together for two years with issues between them. But Bose Oladimeji would not want to drag the children into it.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its nominees for the newest class of inductees with late legendary stars, Whitney Houston and Notorious B.I.G among 16 nominees.

In the list released on Tuesday morning (Oct.15), the 2020 nominees also include Dave Matthews Band, Pat Benatar, Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Judas Priest, MC5, Motörhead, Nine Inch Nails, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, Todd Rundgren, Soundgarden, T. Rex, and Thin Lizzy.

The 2020 inductees will be announced in January; the next ceremony will take place in Cleveland on Saturday, May 2, 2020.

The Complete List Of 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees

 

  • Pat Benatar
  • Dave Matthews Band
  • Depeche Mode
  • The Doobie Brothers
  • Whitney Houston
  • Judas Priest
  • Kraftwerk
  • MC5
  • Motörhead
  • Nine Inch Nails
  • The Notorious B.I.G.
  • Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
  • Todd Rundgren
  • Soundgarden
  • T.Rex
  • Thin Lizzy

 

 

Credit: LIB

The selection of joint winners breaks the 30 year tradition of the judging body for the prize. Reporting on the split of the prize money, The Guardian states thatThe Booker prize has been split twice before: in 1974, by Nadine Gordimer and Stanley Middleton, and in 1992, by Michael Ondaatje and Barry Unsworth. After 1992, the rules were changed to insist that the prize “may not be divided or withheld”.

Other shortlisted candidates include Lucy EllmannChigozie Obioma, Sir Salman Rushdie and Elif Shafak.

The Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom. The Booker Prize is a leading literary award in the English speaking world that rewards the finest in fiction, highlighting great books to readers and transforming authors’ careers.

Oyinkan Braithwaite, author of ‘My Sister, The Serial Killer’ and Chigozie Obioma, author of ‘An Orchestra of Minorities’ were the only two Africans longlisted for this award, with Oyinkan making it to the final nomination.

The Booker Prize has, so far, been won by three Africans: Nadine GordimerBen Okri, and J. M. Coetzee.

Bernadine Evaristo, who is the first black woman to win the prize since its inception, will also be at the Ake Festival later this month, in Lagos Nigeria.

 

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

She told BBC Hausa that the responsibility to confirm or deny the rumour was that of those involved in the matter.

Speaking in Hausa, she said:

“He is the one they said is getting married not me so he is the one that should publicly deny it. The person they said he’s getting married to didn’t deny it initially, she waited until the wedding didn’t hold on the said date before she publicly denied it.”

Aisha Buhari also called for urgent action against the menace of fake news.

The social media was abuzz last weekend with news that President Buhari was to get married to one of his ministers.

Listen:

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

Featuring a stellar cast of Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi, Wale Ojo, Ozzy Agu, Zainab Balogun, Funsho Adeolu, and more, the movie is an adaptation of Jude Dibia’s book of the same title, and is centred around a man whose search for validation and love caused him to create a personality at variance with his true self and more acceptable to the society.

Speaking about the premiere, Funmi Iyanda said: “Through the unique way the plot unfolds, the film fully explores many pressing societal issues and promotes the importance of self-discovery and acceptance in a cultural society.”

“It is an honor to premiere this movie at one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. We are definitely thrilled by the opportunity to share this with the international community and hope they are inspired by it as much as we are,” she added.

The BFI London Film Festival is an annual event held in the United Kingdom for two weeks in October, with cooperation from the British Film Institute.

‘Walking with Shadows’ will show again at the festival tomorrow, 10 October, 2019.

Funmi-Iyanda, Aoife-OKelly and Ozzy-Agu doing-media-rounds-for-Walking-with-Shadows-movie-screening-at-BFI-London-Film-Festival

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

Bisi Fayemi, wife of the Governor of Ekiti State Kayode Fayemi, has narrated how she was sexually harassed in the University, in reaction to BBC’s hour long #sexforgrade documentary which exposed randy lecturers in some Universities in Nigeria and Ghana.

Bisi said she was luckier than some of the victims because hers didn’t go far, but she noted it was an unpleasant experience.

The Ekiti state First Lady who has already opened a register to name and shame sex offenders, stated that watching the video made her realize that it is time to speak up and speak out for sexual abuse victims and not silence them because the culture of silence has endured enough. She added that most lecturers feel they are entitled to the body of their female students.

“I cried because what this young women have experience is the story of many of us who passed through higher institution in this country,” she said.

“I was educated here in Nigeria and I too was a victim of sexual harassment during my university days. I was luckier than these victims. It didn’t go that far but it was extremely unpleasant and of course back in the days when all these things happened you can’t tell anyone because if you do even up till now people ask you to keep shut.

“You know people don’t talk about things like this. I was watching the documentary and there were three words that came to me, one is voice, it is time to speak up and speak out and for those who do we need to stand with them and stand by them and not silence them because the culture of silence has endured enough.

“Another word that came to me was accountability, we need to be accountable whether there are parents, guidance or teachers or leaders in any form through out the different section of society. We have to be accountable for the well being and health of the young people in our care, from when our children come to say mummy, uncle so so and so touched me and instead of asking further to find out what’s its all about, we should act.

“There has to be accountability and the third thing that came to mind was justice, justice for victim or I choose to call them survivors and so those of us who have worked in the women’s whether at international level or Africa or national air in Nigeria, we know that we have many law and policies in place that are supposed to guard against things such as this but this law sometimes means very little because there is inadequate political” she said.

 

 

Credit: LIB

First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has called for urgent action to address sexual harassment against students.

Mrs Buhari made the call during the exclusive screening of the BBC Africa Eye ‘Sex for Grades’ documentary on Monday night in Lagos.

The First Lady lamented that the issue of sexual harassment against women was not unique to universities, but has become prevalent in the society, including religious settings.

Mrs Buhari, represented by Aisha Rimi, a lawyer, condemned sexual harassment against students, saying it was unacceptable as the nation’s educational system had suffered many setbacks that had hindered its development.

“This simply has to change. It is no longer enough to sweep allegations under the carpet or force victims to withdraw their allegations, victimise or stigmatise them,” she said.

Mrs Buhari stressed that there are laws to protect victims of sexual harassment and abuse, but such laws cannot operate except victims speak out to get justice.

Mrs Buhari advised women that their dignity and self respect should outweigh whatever challenge they face, stating her support to ensure a sexual abuse free society for women.

She commended the BBC team for their hard work, bravery and tenacity to expose the ills facing students in the country’s tertiary institutions.

Also, Bisi Fayemi, Wife of Ekiti Governor, said it was time to speak up, speak out and stand by victims of sexual abuse, saying the culture of silence must end.

According to her, universities should have clear sexual and violence policies that will protect students and the sanctity of the educational system.

Mrs Fayemi called for a sexual offence register that would contain list of indicted lecturers, thus preventing them from moving to another university if sacked from one, to commit similar atrocity in another institution.

She stressed the need to be accountable for the well being and care of the young ones, ensure justice for survivor of sexual abuse and the political will to prosecute and punish offenders.

Mrs Fayemi urged the society to desist from shaming survivors of sexual abuse, rather name, shame and punish offenders to serve as deterrents to others.

Toun Sonaiya, Chief Executive Officer, WFM Radio, said everyone should collectively amplify their voices against issues of sexual harassment and abuse against girls and women.

She advocated a safe environment that would enable women share their experiences without fear, and ensure diligent investigation and prosecution of offenders of such allegations.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that “Sex for Grades” is a 53 minutes documentary that exposes alleged sexual harassment against students by lecturers in the University of Lagos (UNILAG), and University of Ghana, Legon.

The documentary features the personal story of Kiki Mordi, an investigative journalist with WFM Radio, who worked with the BBC Africa Eye team to expose the ills in the Universities, based on her personal experience of sexual harassment by lecturers.

During the year-long investigation, journalists posing as students made secret recordings of male academics who harass and abuse young women.

The investigation was conducted by BBC Africa Eye to expose the problem of sex for grades faced by students in many higher institutions. (NAN)

 

Credit: Premium Times, NAN

Kiki Mordi revealed she is not bothered by those threats as the project was inspired by her personal experience which led to her dropping out of the University and becoming a graduate.

In an exclusive interview with Sahara Reporters, she said,

I have received subtle threats since this work was completed but I am not bothered because the BBC takes the security of employees seriously.

Before embarking on this project, the team prayed a lot and also sang because it helped to calm the nerves. But I had to go through the training I received over and over again because I wanted to get it right.

The biggest goal of this work was to be louder than the aggressor because sexual harassment is very loud. I wanted it to be silenced.

I am happy that a lot is changing already since the documentary was release and I can confirm to you that one of the lecturers at the University of Lagos caught sexually harassing a prospective student has been dismissed by the institution.

I believe it doesn’t stop there until there is a conviction. We have to break that culture of impunity.

Since the video went viral, the exposed UNILAG lecturer has been suspended and barred by the Management of the University. The Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria also announced the suspension of Boniface Igbeneghu on Monday.

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

22-year-old US gymnast, Simone Biles collected her 21st career medal at the world gymnastics championships on Tuesday, bringing her career gold to 15.

Biles was part of the United States women’s team who retained their all-around title.

This win breaks the tie between Biles and Russian gymnast Svetlana Khorkina for the most medals by a woman at the world championships.

According to The Guardian, Simone Biles said: ”Every year it feels better and better just because we’re adding to the legacy. I feel like I never think of records. I just go out there and do what I came to do, which is compete for the country”.

Biles is now 2 medals short of Belarus’ Vitaly Scherbo who holds the all-time record, among men or women, of 23.

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija