HOW I SLEPT ON NIGERIAN ,LAGOS BEACH FOR TWO WEEKS-KEN LIVINGSTONE,FORMER LONDON MAYOR

The elections are here.Okay,that's no news.The race for the office of the Mayor of London many believe is mainly between the incumbent,Boris Johnson and his Predecessor,Ken Livingstone whom many still root for not just because he is the first ever Mayor of London but because a lot of ethnic minorities still speak with nostalgia about his tenure in office.Ken was hosted in a fundaraising dinner at Stoke Newington,London on the 25th of February,2012 by Africans for labour,a large gathering of people of African descent from diverse background but a common goal-The British Labour Party and ensuring Ken returns to the Lodon Myoral post.
Enjoying the African funfair and food,Ken revealed his interest in Africa which dates back to the '60s.Excerpts.
'Back in 1966,when I was a very young naughty English boy,I went with my friend to Africa and my life was tranformed for ever.We travelled different countries,we learnt to dance to Hi-life,when we got to Nigeria,we camped at the Lagos beach,sleeping and waking,going to town for two weeks.Leaving our stuffs at the Beach,and it was completely safe'.


(BELOW IS INFORMATION FROM KEN CAMPAIGN WEBISTE)

I want to be Mayor for one overriding reason: if I am elected my focus will be to do everything I can to protect Londoners from the recession and the effects of the Government's policies.”

Ken is standing to be Mayor of London in 2012 to put London first and use his experience of office to get the most from what will be a difficult economic and political time for Britain and for London.
Ken’s running mate, standing to be London’s Deputy Mayor, is Val Shawcross AM.

Ken Livingstone was London’s first elected mayor from May 2000. An elected Mayor for the capital saw devolved government restored after fourteen years without a strategic authority and voice for London.

Born in Lambeth and now living in Cricklewood Ken Livingstone is a Londoner first and foremost.

From better transport and lower fares to climate change and addressing inequality, Ken has always been on the cutting edge of politics.



Find out more about Ken’s record as Mayor here and his record at the GLC here and view documents from his selection as Labour's candidate for Mayor here.

Background



Ken Livingstone was born in Streatham in 1945, attending Tulse Hill Comprehensive and working as a lab technician at Chester Beatty cancer research unit.

Since becoming the MP for Brent East he has lived in Cricklewood.

Click here for ten things you may not know about Ken.

Elected Office:

2000-2008, Mayor of London
1987-2001, Member of Parliament for Brent East

1981-1986, Leader of the Greater London Council, GLC member for Paddington

Ken has also been a borough councillor in Lambeth and Camden, and served as a GLC councillor in Hackney before Paddington. He stood as a parliamentary candidate in 1979 in Hampstead.

ABIKE DABIRI DAZZLED STUDENTS AT LEICESTER,UNITED KINGDOM

Nigerian students of De Montfort University Leiscester and a few others from neighbouring cities played host to Honourable Abike Dabiri-Erewa,the Chairman,House Committee on diaspora affairs yesterday in a Lecture organised by the Nigerian Students Society of the school.Hon Abike, who just a day before was one of the Speakers at the BEN TV security conference in London spoke on the theme,Nigeria,a country of paradox:antecedent,apposition and way forward.

The event which had the school's Pro Vice Chancellor(Teaching and Learning),notable personalites such as Prof.Andy Downton in attendance and the representative of Student Services/International Student Support Office,Andy Gale was well attended.The Nigerian High Commissioner,Dr Dalhatu Tarfida who was unavoidably absent due to another function was represented by Mr Simon Ogah,Minister and Head Information in the Nigerian High Commission,UK.

Led by their President Damilare,the Students who were descibed as very well behaved and hardworking by Prof.Downton, engaged Hon Abike fully after her speech in the question and answer session.

De MOntfort University with hundreds of Nigerians which include Lecturers and Students at all levels we gathered has a conducive environment for Students of diverse races.

De Montfort University is a public research and teaching university situated in the medieval Old Town of Leicester, England, adjacent to the River Soar and the Leicester Castle Gardens. 40% of the university's research was deemed 'world leading' or 'internationally excellent' in the United Kingdom Research Assessment Exercise, highlighting particular strength in English literature, where it equalled the University of Cambridge.[3] The university has the second highest number of National Teaching Fellows of all UK universities.The school was established in 1870 as Leiseter School of Arts but gained University status in 1992.

More update on this event soon.
additional info:wikipeadia

RUKE AMATA HAS DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE WITH THE PAST CAME CALLING MOVIE

If anyone says a Scion of the Amata dynasty does not know what he or she is doing as per movies,then something is technically wrong somewhere.Moreso when this particular Amata seems to have done the seemingly impossible-produce a movie that is 80% UK based Cast.Ruke Amata( who is a man not a woman as we have noticed many erroneously assume)is not an Activist as far as we know but with his Class Act UK experiment where talents are discovered,he has just changed the norm where mainly Actors from the Motherland are used in movies at the detriment of UK based ones.His latest work,The Past Came Calling which addresses issues like advanced free fraud (419),inter-racial relationship,juveline deliquencies,effects of divorce on a child,and sins of the father being visited on the child is a film we really recommend.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NIGERIA AND THE UK IS INFRASTRUCTURE-GOV.GABRIEL SUSWAM OF BENUE STATE

.pix show Gov .Suswam and the First Couple of Nigeria,President Goodluck and First Lady,Patience Jonathan in a celebratory mood.

The Who-is-Who in Nigeria Democracy
Awards held recently in the UK. It had
Categories such as the Most Outstanding
Governors, Emerging Political
Phenomenon, Head of Government
Agency, Ministers, Senators, Honorable
members, State Speakers , LGA Chairmen
and Youth Crusaders

This event, we learnt from a member of
the organising Committee, Comrade Tosin
Adeyanju honours notable Nigerians or
group who have served the people well.
This particular one which held in Central
London considered icons in the current
Nigerian democratic experience from
1999 till date. The Central Association
of Nigerians in the UK (CANUK) led by
Chief Bimbo Afolayan gave its backing
to the ceremony after a scrutiny of the
awardees and enjoined Nigerians to
back the Goodluck Jonathan government
rather than just criticizing. CANUK, he
revealed, is working earnestly for people
in the diaspora to participate fully in
future elections in Nigeria.

Winners include Hon Femi
Gbajabiamila (Outstanding Honourable
Member of the House of Representsstive)
who dedicated his award to the
member of the NYSC who died
during the last election.Amb.Dickson
Akoh,the National Commandant
of Peace Corps (Youth Crusaders
of our time),while the outstanding
Governors award goes to Fashola of
Lagos, Gabriel Suswam(Benue),Aliyu
Wamako(Sokoto),(represented by Hon
Dalhiru Meshanu,who dedicated the
award to Nigerians in diaspora),Sullivan
Chime(Enugu) and Adamu Aliero(Kebbi)
amongst others. The next edition we
gathered comes up in 2015.

Speaking at the Ceremony, Governor
Gabriel Suswam of Benue State said those
in leadership should communicate with
the people and those in diaspora should
have a positive attitude towards Nigeria.
Most news in the diaspora portrays a
no win situation hence discouraging
investors and tourists, he lamented.
The Nigerians in the diaspora he
continued have a lot to do in this regard.
If one believes nothing can work then
there is a problem. He enjoined people
to come home and contribute their
quota to the nation’s development. The
difference between the UK and Nigeria
he announced is infrastructure but many
people sacrificed decades ago to ensure
what the UK is enjoying now.
He decried a situation where Nigerians
send their children to Ghana to study
despite the fact that Ghana is not better and this does
not speak well of us. He assuresed that a
lot is being done to deliver the dividends
of democracy especially in Lagos where
the Governor, he says is exemplary. A visit
to Benue also echoes similar improvement
hence our attitude must change in terms
of jobs and believing in Nigeria.

Benue is doing a lot in terms of
agriculture as people with the technical
know-how, for example, the governments
of China and Austria are being invited to
collaborate with the Benue government.
Also, loans are being looked into for
farmers to expand their projects so as to
ensure Benue state retains its reputation as
the food basket of Nigeria, he concluded.

pix:alashock's .blog,fabrimimi

BOURNE IDENTITY ACTOR ADEWALE AKINNUOYE-AGBAJE MARKS ANOTHER YEAR

British Actor,Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje who has nigerian roots but has been able to carve a niche for himself in Hollywood marks another year today.A briilant Actor,Adewale was prominent as the deposed African dictator,Nykwana Wombosi in Bourne Identity,Hitu,the Police officer in Ace Ventura:When Nature Calls,Lock-Nah in The Mummy Returns,and Heavy Duty in G.I Jones:The Rise of the Cobra.

His expertise was also employed in the hugely successful series,Lost and Oz where he played  Mr Eko and Simon Adebisi respectively.More recently,he starred in the second episode of season 8 of Monk and played Derek Jameison in 2011 film,The Thing.He was cited to have expressed a desire to direct a movie about his life and according to reports had asked to be written off Lost,citing a desire to return to England after his parents' recent demise and to direct a film
He marks a year today with an enviable track records in showbiz.
Happy birthday Adewale.

additional info:facebook.wikipedia

whitney goes home

http://www.cbsnews.com/liveFeed/widget.shtml






source,CBS NEWS