NewsEdge Online: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Reboots Writing Workshop

NewsEdge Online: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Reboots Writing Workshop: By Nehru Odeh Multiple-award winning writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is set to reboot the Farafina Creative Writing workshop. T...

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Reboots Writing Workshop

By Nehru Odeh

Multiple-award-winning writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is set to reboot the Farafina Creative Writing workshop. The 10-day event, which kicks off on 20 November 2018, will be known as Purple Hibiscus Creative Writing Workshop and sponsored by Trace Nigeria.

She made this known at a press conference held on Monday, 24 September, 2018 in Ikoyi, Lagos. The author of award-winning novels such as Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah, also said she is passionate about the workshop and proud of the successes it has recorded since its inception 11 years ago.

“I have been so happy and proud to see many of the alumni of this workshop who want to do so many wonderful things,” she enthused.

Adichie said the workshop will continue to provide her the opportunity to contribute to the growth of the writing community in Nigeria. It will also serve as a platform for writers to learn from one another and from established writers. The award-winning writer also stressed the diverse views and opinions that the workshop encourages. “I think it is important to have a diverse group of people, to have people who think differently.  

“What is happening there is that people are being validated, that people are being made to understand  that this thing they want to do matters. Every society needs its storytellers. Because if we don’t have them, we lose something. We lose something in our souls,” she said.

On his part, Sam Onyemelukwe, Managing Director, Venator Partners/Trace Nigeria, said: “We are very pleased to partner with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She is an inspiration to youths in Africa and around the world; and through her art, she not only entertains but challenges stereotypes and kindles conversations that would often otherwise not be heard. This corresponds with the Trace mission to engage and inspire urban and Afro-Caribbean youths through news, entertainment, arts, lifestyle and culture.”

Sheila Chukwulozie and Mazi Nwonwu, two alumni of the workshop from different backgrounds, also spoke on how the creative writing workshop had impacted their lives. A high point of the parley was when alumni of the workshop present identified themselves and took a group photograph with Adichie and Onyemelukwe.

Adichie also fielded questions from journalists on issues ranging from feminism, literature and the writing workshop.

The workshop has graduated over 200 participants, many of whom have become published and award-winning writers and editors.       

NewsEdge Online: Ras Kimono's Wife Is Dead

NewsEdge Online: Ras Kimono's Wife Is Dead:  By Nehru Odeh Efemena Okedi, wife of the late Nigerian reggae superstar, Ras Kimono, has died. She allegedly collapsed and ...

NewsEdge Online: Two Die as Fire Guts Building in Lagos

NewsEdge Online: Two Die as Fire Guts Building in Lagos:         By Nehru Odeh A middle-aged man and his son were reportedly burnt to death in the early hours of Saturday 8, September 2018 ...

NewsEdge Online: Two Die as Fire Guts Building in Lagos

NewsEdge Online: Two Die as Fire Guts Building in Lagos:         By Nehru Odeh A middle-aged man and his son were reportedly burnt to death in the early hours of Saturday 8, September 2018 ...

NewsEdge Online: Ras Kimono's Wife Is Dead

NewsEdge Online: Ras Kimono's Wife Is Dead:  By Nehru Odeh Efemena Okedi, wife of the late Nigerian reggae superstar, Ras Kimono, has died. She allegedly collapsed and ...

Ras Kimono's Wife Is Dead

 By Nehru Odeh

Efemena Okedi, wife of the late Nigerian reggae superstar, Ras Kimono, has died. She allegedly collapsed and died on the night of Saturday, 23 September 2018 at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH.

The news of her death has sent shock waves across the nation, considering the fact that her demise came barely three months after her husband's death.

 Efe, mother of three, who also doubled as Kimono’s manager, played an active role during his burial a month ago.

NewsEdge Online: Catholic Priest Dies after Release by Captors

NewsEdge Online: Catholic Priest Dies after Release by Captors:    By Nehru Odeh Fr. Louis Odudu, a Catholic Priest, has died four days after regaining freedom from his captors in Effurun...

Catholic Priest Dies after Release by Captors

   By Nehru Odeh

Fr. Louis Odudu, a Catholic Priest, has died four days after regaining freedom from his captors in Effurun, Delta State. 

 Odudu, who  was Chaplain to Seat of Wisdom Catholic Chaplaincy, Petroleum Training Institute, PTI, Effurun in Delta State was kidnapped on Friday 14 September 2018  along PTI Road Effurun. He died on Wednesday 19 September 2018 from trauma, high blood pressure and other complications related to the kidnap.

The death of the priest, who many regard as gentle, erudite and vicarious, has gone viral on social media generating a lot of criticisms. The death of the clergy is coming in the heels of rising cases of kidnap of Catholic priests in the country in recent times. It would be recalled that the Catholic priest, famous for the love of his people, just returned to his fatherland six months ago after spending a couple of years in the United Kingdom.

While there, he made it a point of duty to always celebrate the monthly Urhobo Mass of the Nigerian Catholic Chaplaincy, England and Wales with the Urhobo community.

“I told him not to return home last year, one Ofere Tonia commented on Facebook.

African Catholics Growing on Facebook, a group on Facebook, posted: “Sadly another priest has passed away … following his horrifying encounter with kidnappers and his subsequent release.”

Two Die as Fire Guts Building in Lagos

        By Nehru Odeh
A middle-aged man and his son were reportedly burnt to death in the early hours of Saturday 8, September 2018 after fire razed a two-storey building at Awolowo Road Ikeja, in Lagos. 

The incident occurred at about three o’clock this morning at the commercial nerve centre of Lagos, just a stone throw from Ikeja Bridge. The two-storey building houses several shops in which goods such as clothes and electronics are sold.

It was gathered that the fire was caused by an air conditioner which an occupant left plugged to a power souce in one of the shops in the building.  The man and his son who died in the inferno couldn’t escaped when the fire started because their apartment was locked from outside.

 An eye witness told this reporter that the victim, who was indebted to his landlord, asked someone to lock his apartment from outside so as to avoid being noticed and harassed by his landlord.

“This is a big lesson to everyone,” the eye-witness who spoke on condition of anonymity said. “If the man hadn’t locked his apartment from outside he and his son would have escaped when the fire started, she said lamenting that the officials of the Lagos State Fire Service did not respond on time.

“The fire started at about three o’ clock this morning, but the Lagos State Fire Service didn’t arrive in the place until about five’ o clock,” she said.

When New Narrative Online got to the scene this morning, sympathizers gathered in front of the building, discussing and lamenting the lives and property lost in the inferno. One of the occupants of the building, an exporter who deals in clothes and fashion wears and lost goods worth 10 billion naira, wasn’t in the building when the inferno occurred. He had allegedly traveled to attend a burial ceremony.
     

  

NewsEdge Online: How Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu Picked Nomination Form ...

 How Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu Picked Nomination Form ...: In line with speculations, friends of Bianca Odumegwu yesterday teamed up to pick a nomination form for her at the All Progressives Gr...

How Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu Picked Nomination Form By Nehru Odeh

In line with speculations, friends of Bianca Odumegwu yesterday teamed up to pick a nomination form for her at the All Progressives Grand Alliance,  APGA, Secretariat in Abuja to run for Anambra South senatorial position in Anambra State, 

The entourage, which was made up of  Hon. Martins Ndujekwu (C.C. Martins), Comrade Peter Nwosu (Peter Nupeng),Engr. Chidi Anuligo (Arcon), Chief Chukwuebuka Ileka (Solid Base) and other friends, out of their own volition, and to Bianca’s surprise, raised the money and picked the form. This action confirmed earlier speculations that 15 billionaires are backing the former ambassador and wife of late Igbo leader, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu to contest for senate.

This recent development goes a long way to prove not just her level of acceptance but also how much the people of Anambra South Senatorial District want her to represent them in the red chamber .

However this is coming in the heels of opposition from the children of the late Igbo leader.  At a press conference on Wednesday, 5 September, Dr. Ike Ojukwu, one of Ojukwu’s sons and Director of Ojukwu Transport Company Limited,  said it would be a let-down to allow a woman from Ngwo in Enugu State to represent Anambra South Senatorial District.

“The district has several prominent people. Is she from Nnewi? She is from Ngwo in Enugu State. If you ask me, I would prefer someone who is a son of the soil and because I come from Nnewi, I would like an Nnewi indigene to represent us,” he said.

 Also speaking at the press conference, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (Jnr) said: “A young woman who was supposedly married to my father who is late; a young woman who could remarry tomorrow maybe from Abia State or later from Sokoto State. And you want her to come and represent us. I wonder if there are no other people in Anambra South that can represent us?”

Meanwhile, Bianca’s paternal family has dismissed Ojuwu’s children open attack on their father’s wife for aspiring to run in the 2019 election. Bianca’s brother, Dr. Josef Onoh, said since the Onoh family did not enter into matrimonial contract with the Ojukwu children, but their father, they would want to put the records straight for their short knowledge.

“Emeka Ojukwu Jnr is not in a position to talk on this matter because he is in All Progressives Congress, APC. It is either Nnewi people, the Anambra South senatorial district or her political party, APGA (All Progressives Grand Alliance) that would have to decide who will represent them but I can assure our in-law’s children that we will meet at Bianca’s swearing-in ceremony.”

  

Onoh advised Emeka Ojukwu jnr to field a better candidate than Bianca if he has one in his political party the APC, rather than subjecting himself to open ridicule.