SARAKI FIGHTS DANIEL OVER GOVERNORS FORUM CHAIRMANSHIP

[caption id="attachment_1985" align="alignleft" width="228" caption="Dr. Bukola Saraki of Kwara State"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1986" align="alignright" width="256" caption="Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State"][/caption]

By Folake Alu/Gistmaster.com

Dr.Bukola Saraki,a presidential aspirant and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum is very bitter at the moment with Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State. Trouble started when Daniel was reportedly announced as the new Chairman of the powerful forum.The announcement, we gathered was done by Govenor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State.

Feelers show that  Governor Saraki is ready to trade words with Governor Daniel because he viewed his (Saraki) purported removal as nothing but a political machinery set up against him by President Goodluck Jonathan, who is also aspiring to contest next presidential election.

Saraki said today that it is a politics of bitterness and its unwarranted. He noted that for anyone to become the Chairman of Governors Forum, it has to be a consensus issue.Governors must be well represented.

Some Governors such as comrade Adams Oshiomole of Edo State and Governor Shekarau of Kano State have dissociated themselves from the 'declaration' of Daniel as new Chairman of the forum. They have both issued a statement to the effect.

Political observers in Nigeria believe that Daniel, who is the South West co-ordinator of the Goodluck Jonathan campaign organization is being positioned as a true 'eye' of President Jonathan in the Governors Forum.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH OKOCHA's NUMBER 10 HANGOUT?

[caption id="attachment_1980" align="alignleft" width="400" caption="Austin Jay Jay Okocha and wife, Nkechi in this file photo taken by Niyi Tabiti in 2008"][/caption]

By Niyi Tabiti

Almost everyone would agree with us that Austin Jay Jay Okocha is one of the best soccer stars ever produced in Africa. The handsome and skillful football player thrilled us anytime he plays for Nigeria and his club side too. Yes, he told us in 2008 that he was retiring and gistmaster.com was part of those who witnessed the flamboyant party thrown by Tracia Eseigbe of Bold Faces TV show to celebrate Okocha's exit from the national team.

Now, he is  big time into business, making money from his wise investments and endorsements from multinational companies in Nigeria.

However, some people think  that Okocha's hangout, known as Number 10 on Saka Tinubu street, Victoria Island, Lagos, was not a wise investment. At a time, the club was enjoying patronage because of the perceived connection of Okocha to bring his friends to the place.

Soon, the club was closed down and Okocha spent some cool millions to renovate the place. gistmaster.com gathered that Okocha and his wife, Nkechi are doing all within reach to ensure that they get enough patronage. Gistmaster.com visits to the club in recent times show that the place is not getting much patronage. We noticed that only few cars are parked outside the club. The last two times that visited the place the place in October, we counted less than 10 cars.

Okocha needs to do something fast."I bet he needs someone to help him get the place up and running" said a club attendant.

COMPLETE LIST OF NOMINEES FOR MTV AWARDS (MAMA) 2010

MTV Networks Africa and Zain have today announced the nominations for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain (MAMA).  The nominees for the annual poll of young African’s music tastes were announced tonight at a star-studded celebration at De Marquee, Lagos, Nigeria, attended by artists, nominees, celebrities and VIPs including 2Face, Sasha and Mo Cheddah.  The nominations were revealed by Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, MTV Networks Africa, Andre Beyers, Chief Marketing Officer, Airtel Group and Rajan Swaroop, CEO, Zain Nigeria.

Nigerian artists scored an impressive 13 nominations including three nominations for duo- P-Square (Artist of the Year, Best Group and Best Video), and two nominations each for MAMA 2009 winner 2FACE (Best Male, Artist of the Year), Wande Coal (Best Anglophone, Best Male) and Banky W (Song of the Year, Best Video).  Nigerian female artists also rated well with Best Female nods for Nneka and Sasha, and a nomination as Brand:New artist for Mo Cheddah.  D’banj, a four-time MAMA winner, received yet another MAMA nomination for Song of the Year for “Fall in Love”.

MAMA 2008 Best Live Performer winners Jozi (South Africa) notched up another ‘nod’ from the MAMA academy with a nomination for Artist of the Year.  Six further South African artists were recognised by the MAMA Academy, with nominations for Teargas (Best Group), JR (Song of the Year), Black Coffee (Best Male), Big Nuz (Best Anglophone), Liquideep (Song of the Year) and The Parlotones (Best Video).

Fally Ipupa scored the highest individual number of the nominations with four separate MAMA award nominations.  The charismatic artist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), who is also performing at MAMA 2010, has been nominated for Artist of the Year, Best Male, Best Video and Best Francophone.  Barbara Kanam brought the DRC nomination tally to five with a first-time nomination in the Best Female category.

East African artists continued their positive nominations run with five nominations from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.  Kenyan Gospel crossover artist Daddy Owen is nominated for the first time in the Best Anglophone category while hip hop outfit P-Unit gets a mention for Best Group and Muthoni is recognised in the Brand:New category. In Uganda there is a first time nomination for Radio and Weasle (Best Group) while Tanzania’s Diamond gets his commendation in the Brand:New category.

Following the MAMA success of Samini in 2009, Ghanaian artist Sarkodie gets a first time nomination in the Best Anglophone category.

Four US mega-artists are to fight it out in the Best International category which sees Rihanna representing the gals against Eminem, Drake and Rick Ross in the ultimate urban music face-off.

Two new categories in 2010 have broadened the scope of artists eligible for the MAMA.  The Best Francophone category sees Gabon enter the MAMA race for the first time with a nomination for Ba Ponga, while Senegalese artist Awadi and Ivory Coast‘s DJ Arafat also pick up their first ever MAMA nominations.  Angolan artists Cabo Snoop and Paul G pick up nominations in the Best Lusophone category alongside Mozambique’s hip hop queens Lizha James and Dama do Bling.

Commented Alex Okosi, “This year’s MAMA is even more representative of the growth of the pan-African music scene and the added emphasis on Lusophone and Francophone artists makes this the most exciting MAMA nominations race that we have seen so far. We congratulate all the artists on their nominations and wish them success on December 11^th in Lagos.”

Commented Andre Beyers, Chief Marketing Officer, Airtel Africa, “The nominations today have shown the universality of music and the fact all genres strike a chord and a cross-over appeal with Africa’s youth regardless of their nationality.  We are happy to be associated with a platform that recognises and celebrates the rich musical heritage that positively depicts culture from across Africa.”

Speaking during the same occasion, Rajan Swaroop, Zain Nigeria CEO, commended Nigerian artistes for their showing at the nominations stage of the awards. “The fact that Nigerian artists have scooped many nominations is a proof that investment in the industry is paying off. We hope this will translate to more awards for Nigerian artistes during the main show. We at Zain Nigeria are committed to supporting our artistes through various initiatives that showcase the pool of talent in this great nation.”

The nominees for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain were shortlisted by the MAMA Academy – a handpicked group of music industry experts and taste makers from across the African continent.  The winners for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain will be revealed on Saturday 11 December 2010 at the Eko Expo Centre, Lagos, Nigeria.

The nominees for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain are:

Best Video Fally Ipupa - Sexy dance (DRC) P-Square f/t J. Martins- E No Easy (Nigeria) The Parlotones - Life Design (South Africa) Banky W - Strong Ting (Nigeria)

Brand:New Mo Cheddah (Nigeria) Diamond (Tanzania) Muthoni (Kenya) JoJo (Gabon)

Artist of The Year 2 Face (Nigeria) P-Square (Nigeria) Jozi (South Africa) Fally Ipupa (DRC)	Song Of The Year D'Banj - Fall In Love (Nigeria) Liquideep - Fairytale (South Africa) JR - Show Dem (South Africa) Banky W - Lagos Party (Nigeria)
Best Anglophone Sarkodie (Ghana) Wande Coal (Nigeria) Daddy Owen (Kenya) Big Nuz (South Africa)		Best Francophone Fally Ipupa (DRC) Awadi (Senegal) DJ Arafat (Ivory Coast) Ba Ponga (Gabon)
Best Lusophone Lizha James (Mozambique) Paul G (Angola) Cabo Snoop (Angola) Dama Do Bling (Mozambique)		Best Group P-Square (Nigeria) Radio & Weasle (Uganda) Teargas (South Africa) P-Unit (Kenya)
Best Female Sasha (Nigeria) Lizha James (Mozambique) Nneka (Nigeria) Barbara Kanam (DRC)		Best Male 2 Face (Nigeria) Fally Ipupa (DRC) Black Coffee (South Africa) Wande Coal (Nigeria)
Best International Rihanna (USA) Drake (USA) Eminem (USA) Rick Ross (USA)

The MTV Africa Music Awards 2010 is sponsored by Zain in association with MasterCard.  Arik Air is the official airline partner of the MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain.

Nominations for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain are open to all soloists or groups who have received airplay on MTV base or MTV during the qualifying period (30 June 2009 to 31 August 2010)  including artists from: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Comores, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, St Helena, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

To vote for your favourite artists in the MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain, go to www.mama.mtvbase.com or www.mtvmama.mobi.  Zain mobile subscribers in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Congo B, Gabon, Madagascar, Niger, DRC and Chad can also vote for their favourite artists in selected categories via SMS.  To vote for Artist of the Year text AY to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen artist; to vote for Song of the Year text SY to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen song; to vote for Best Anglophone Act text BA to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen artist; to vote for Best Francophone Act text BFR to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen artist; to vote for Best Lusophone Act text BL to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen artist; to vote for Best Group text BG to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen artist; to vote for Best Female text BF to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen artist; to vote for Best Male text BM to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen artist; to vote for Brand:New Act text BNA to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen artist.  Vote online or on your phone and you could win a trip to the MAMAs, Nokia phones and more. (For terms and conditions and call tariffs go to www.mama.mtvbase.com).

TARUWA's NEW EDITION:IT's ALL ABOUT THE FUTURE

Taruwa, the arts and culture magazine, grown out of the bi-monthly event Taruwa for performers and artistes, has unveiled its October edition.

The Independence Issue has on the cover the two guys behind RedSTRAT, the content and communications firm that owns the popular The Future Awards – Adebola Williams and Chude Jideonwo. RedSTRAT also owned new youth culture brand Y!, which includes Y! magazine, TV and radio shows and online platform. RedSTRAT is also communication company to a range of brands including the Nigeria LNG, Storm 360, Harambe Nigeria, amongst others.

“The interview centers on the work that they have done over the past five years, the hot brands they have introduced to the market, their inspiration, where they get their strength and what plans they have for the future,” Lydia Sobogun, founder of Taruwa and publisher of the magazine, said. “Most times, they are busy celebrating others and giving platforms for others to shine and it was pleasure to have this in depth conversation with them.”

This edition also has an exclusive interview with the legendary gospel singer Panam Percy Paul as well as an article by singer Christine Ben-Ameh on 50 years of Nigerian music, and what the future holds.

Taruwa is an idea to promote the arts and culture in Nigeria and to retain pride in our common heritage. Its flagship is the bi-weekly event Taruwa, which grew out of Lagos and has now spread to Abuja and Kaduna – holding monthly.

ALEXANDRIA MILLS IS MISS WORLD 2010

[caption id="attachment_1973" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="New Miss World 2010, Alexandria Mills from United States (middle),First runner up, Miss Bostwana on the left and second runner up. Miss Vnezuela"][/caption]

By Gistmaster.com

Alexandria Mills, young and talented model from the United States is the winner of the 2010 Miss World beauty pageant, which took place on Saturday 30 October in Sanya, China.The beauty crown plaza in China saw 115 girls competing for the coveted Miss World crown. Eventually, Mills the drop dead beauty and intelligent contestant from the United States of America emerged as the winner. The first and second runner ups position went to Miss Botswana and Miss Venezuela respectively.

The new queen who shed tears of joy as soon as her victory was announced was crowned by her predecessor, World 2009 Kaiane Aldorino.Gracing the platform as judges for the 2010 edition includes seven past Miss World winners-

Denise Perrier Lanfranchi    Miss World 1953        France
Ann Sidney            Miss World 1964        United Kingdom
Mary Stävin            Miss World 1977        Sweden
Agbani Darego            Miss World 2001        Nigeria
Maria Julia Mantilla        Miss World 2004        Peru
Zhang Xi Lin            Miss World 2007        China
KseniaSukhinova        Miss World 2008        Russia

The Miss World 2010 is the 60th edition.All the contestants went through exciting moments and some of them wished they would have stayed at least a day or two longer in China to see more of the blessed tourist sites in the country.They went to places like Wall of China and Genghis Khan’s mausoleum in Ordos, Inner Mongolia.They also  went on a tour of the Shanghai EXPO

MTV, ZAIN UNVEIL NOMINATIONS FOR MTV AFRICA MUSIC AWARDS WITH ZAIN 2010

[caption id="attachment_1967" align="alignleft" width="480" caption="Mocheddah, Cynthia, Andre Beyers, 2face,Alex, Rajan, Sasha"][/caption]

MTV Networks Africa and Zain have today announced the nominations for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain (MAMA).  The nominees for the annual poll of young African’s music tastes were announced tonight at a star-studded celebration at De Marquee, Lagos, Nigeria, attended by artists, nominees, celebrities and VIPs including 2Face, Sasha and Mo Cheddah.  The nominations were revealed by Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, MTV Networks Africa, Andre Beyers, Chief Marketing Officer, Airtel Group and Rajan Swaroop, CEO, Zain Nigeria.

Nigerian artists scored an impressive 13 nominations including three nominations for duo- P-Square (Artist of the Year, Best Group and Best Video), and two nominations each for MAMA 2009 winner 2FACE (Best Male, Artist of the Year), Wande Coal (Best Anglophone, Best Male) and Banky W (Song of the Year, Best Video).  Nigerian female artists also rated well with Best Female nods for Nneka and Sasha, and a nomination as Brand:New artist for Mo Cheddah. D’banj, a four-time MAMA winner, received yet another MAMA nomination for Song of the Year for “Fall in Love”.

MAMA 2008 Best Live Performer winners Jozi (South Africa) notched up another ‘nod’ from the MAMA academy with a nomination for Artist of the Year.  Six further South African artists were recognised by the MAMA Academy, with nominations for Teargas (Best Group), JR (Song of the Year), Black Coffee (Best Male), Big Nuz (Best Anglophone), Liquideep (Song of the Year) and The Parlotones (Best Video).

Fally Ipupa scored the highest individual number of the nominations with four separate MAMA award nominations.  The charismatic artist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), who is also performing at MAMA 2010, has been nominated for Artist of the Year, Best Male, Best Video and Best Francophone.  Barbara Kanam brought the DRC nomination tally to five with a first-time nomination in the Best Female category.

East African artists continued their positive nominations run with five nominations from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.  Kenyan Gospel crossover artist Daddy Owen is nominated for the first time in the Best Anglophone category while hip hop outfit P-Unit gets a mention for Best Group and Muthoni is recognised in the Brand:New category. In Uganda there is a first time nomination for Radio and Weasle (Best Group) while Tanzania’s Diamond gets his commendation in the Brand:New category.

Following the MAMA success of Samini in 2009, Ghanaian artist Sarkodie gets a first time nomination in the Best Anglophone category.

Four US mega-artists are to fight it out in the Best International category which sees Rihanna representing the gals against Eminem, Drake and Rick Ross in the ultimate urban music face-off.

Two new categories in 2010 have broadened the scope of artists eligible for the MAMA.  The Best Francophone category sees Gabon enter the MAMA race for the first time with a nomination for Ba Ponga, while Senegalese artist Awadi and Ivory Coast‘s DJ Arafat also pick up their first ever MAMA nominations.  Angolan artists Cabo Snoop and Paul G pick up nominations in the Best Lusophone category alongside Mozambique’s hip hop queens Lizha James and Dama do Bling.

Commented Alex Okosi, “This year’s MAMA is even more representative of the growth of the pan-African music scene and the added emphasis on Lusophone and Francophone artists makes this the most exciting MAMA nominations race that we have seen so far. We congratulate all the artists on their nominations and wish them success on December 11^th in Lagos.”

Commented Andre Beyers, Chief Marketing Officer, Airtel Africa, “The nominations today have shown the universality of music and the fact all genres strike a chord and a cross-over appeal with Africa’s youth regardless of their nationality.  We are happy to be associated with a platform that recognises and celebrates the rich musical heritage that positively depicts culture from across Africa.”

Speaking during the same occasion, Rajan Swaroop, Zain Nigeria CEO, commended Nigerian artistes for their showing at the nominations stage of the awards. “The fact that Nigerian artists have scooped many nominations is a proof that investment in the industry is paying off. We hope this will translate to more awards for Nigerian artistes during the main show. We at Zain Nigeria are committed to supporting our artistes through various initiatives that showcase the pool of talent in this great nation.”

The nominees for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain were shortlisted by the MAMA Academy – a handpicked group of music industry experts and taste makers from across the African continent.  The winners for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain will be revealed on Saturday 11 December 2010 at the Eko Expo Centre, Lagos, Nigeria.

The nominees for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain are:

Best Video Fally Ipupa - Sexy dance (DRC) P-Square f/t J. Martins- E No Easy (Nigeria) The Parlotones - Life Design (South Africa) Banky W - Strong Ting (Nigeria)

Brand:New Mo Cheddah (Nigeria) Diamond (Tanzania) Muthoni (Kenya) JoJo (Gabon)

Artist of The Year 2 Face (Nigeria) P-Square (Nigeria) Jozi (South Africa) Fally Ipupa (DRC)	Song Of The Year D'Banj - Fall In Love (Nigeria) Liquideep - Fairytale (South Africa) JR - Show Dem (South Africa) Banky W - Lagos Party (Nigeria)
Best Anglophone Sarkodie (Ghana) Wande Coal (Nigeria) Daddy Owen (Kenya) Big Nuz (South Africa)		Best Francophone Fally Ipupa (DRC) Awadi (Senegal) DJ Arafat (Ivory Coast) Ba Ponga (Gabon)
Best Lusophone Lizha James (Mozambique) Paul G (Angola) Cabo Snoop (Angola) Dama Do Bling (Mozambique)		Best Group P-Square (Nigeria) Radio & Weasle (Uganda) Teargas (South Africa) P-Unit (Kenya)
Best Female Sasha (Nigeria) Lizha James (Mozambique) Nneka (Nigeria) Barbara Kanam (DRC)		Best Male 2 Face (Nigeria) Fally Ipupa (DRC) Black Coffee (South Africa) Wande Coal (Nigeria)
Best International Rihanna (USA) Drake (USA) Eminem (USA) Rick Ross (USA)

The MTV Africa Music Awards 2010 is sponsored by Zain in association with MasterCard.  Arik Air is the official airline partner of the MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain.

MAMA 2010


Nominations for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain are open to all soloists or groups who have received airplay on MTV base or MTV during the qualifying period (30 June 2009 to 31 August 2010)  including artists from: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Comores, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, St Helena, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

To vote for your favourite artists in the MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain, go to www.mama.mtvbase.com or www.mtvmama.mobi. Zain mobile subscribers in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Congo B, Gabon, Madagascar, Niger, DRC and Chad can also vote for their favourite artists in selected categories via SMS.  To vote for Artist of the Year text AY to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen artist; to vote for Song of the Year text SY to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen song; to vote for Best Anglophone Act text BA to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen artist; to vote for Best Francophone Act text BFR to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen artist; to vote for Best Lusophone Act text BL to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen artist; to vote for Best Group text BG to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen artist; to vote for Best Female text BF to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen artist; to vote for Best Male text BM to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen artist; to vote for Brand:New Act text BNA to shortcode 6262 followed by the name of your chosen artist. Vote online or on your phone and you could win a trip to the MAMAs, Nokia phones and more. (For terms and conditions and call tariffs go to www.mama.mtvbase.com).

US MODEL, ALEXANDRIA MILLS IS MISS WORLD 2010 WINNER

30th October 2010The 60th MISS WORLD Is....UNITED STATES Botswana is first runner up, followed by Venezuela as second runner upUnited States - Alexandria MILLS has been crowned the 60th Miss World.  She won the coveted crown as Miss World 2010, triumphing out of 115 beautiful and talented young women who took to the stage of the 60th Miss World Final from the Beauty Crown Theatre in Sanya, China.As the final duty in her reign, Miss World 2009 Kaiane Aldorino removed the bejeweled crown to place it on the head of her successor as the new Miss World 2010.  Taking up her deserved position on the throne, Miss World 2010 was joined by first runner-up Botswana and second runner-up Venezuela.Alexandria was almost lost for words at the excitement and emotion of the event:  "It's a cliché but this really is a dream come true,' she said.  "I can't believe it's happening to me.  My time has come.  I'm loving it!"The glittering two-hour
live TV spectacular to launch the 60th anniversary of Miss World 2010 showcased the beauty and talent of 115 of the World's most incredible young women, who have spent one month enjoying the wonders of China.Seven previous Miss Worlds from across the decades were among the judges at the live televised final:Denise Perrier Lanfranchi    Miss World 1953        FranceAnn Sidney            Miss World 1964        United KingdomMary Stävin            Miss World 1977        SwedenAgbaniDarego            Miss World 2001        Nigeria