Dr. Sule E. Egya (Nigerian) has emerged Commonwealth Book Prize Regional Winner (Africa)

Kiyo: Commonwealth foundation has announced the 2013 Commonwealth Book Prize regional winners for Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, Caribbean and the Pacific.

Dr. Sule E. Egya, who is an associate professor in Department of English, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, has emerged as the Commonwealth Book Prize Regional winner (Africa) for his novel ‘Sterile Sky.’

KiyoandFilo Blog gathered that Dr.Egya, whose pen-name is E. E. SULE is the author of the short story collections ‘Impotent Heavens’ and ‘Dream and Shame’, and the poetry volumes Naked Sun, Knifing Tongues and What the Sea Told Me.

His poems, short stories, and critical work have appeared in numerous journals, anthologies and literary magazines. Sterile Sky is his first novel.

Dr. Sule, who was full of excitement said; 

“This is great news for me! I’m bursting with excitement! I consider it a milestone in my career as a writer – that moment you think you have got a needed impetus, in fact a revelation, to perform better, to aim higher. I also feel confident that Sterile Sky is a worthy work; it has begun its own journey in life. I sincerely thank everyone involved in making it what it is.”

Filo: Other regional winners are;

Nayomi Munaweera for ‘Island of a Thousand Mirrors’ (Sri Lanka) - ASIA

Lisa O’Donnell for ‘The Death of Bees’ (United Kingdom) - CANADA and EUROPE

Ezekel Alan for ‘Disposable People’ (Jamaica) - CARIBBEAN

Michael Sala for ‘The Last Thread’ (Australia) – PACIFIC

KiyoandFilo Blog also learnt that this year’s Commonwealth Book Prize was awarded for best first book and it was open to writers who have had their first novel (full length work of fiction) published between 1 January and 31 December 2012. 

Banky W set to deliver speech at Intel Campus Forum in UNILAG

Filo: Yes or No singer, Banky W is the guest speaker at the Intel "Create Your Tomorrow" Campus Forum. The event, which starts by 12pm, would hold today at the Unilag Main Auditorium, and students stand a chance of winning free laptops.

40 mentally-ill patients escape Kenya hospital

Kiyo: Ten of 40 mentally ill patients who escaped from a psychiatric hospital in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, have been found, officials said.

Kenyan police have launched a search for 40 mentally ill patients who escaped from a psychiatric hospital in the capital Nairobi, officials say.

"We are now talking of 30 mental patients who are not back. Some have come back on their own volition while some were captured and brought back by their relatives," police Chief Samuel Anampiu said.

About 70 patients’ overpowered guards and forced open the door of their ward in the Mathari Mental Hospital on Sunday morning, Samuel Anampiu, the local police chief, said on Monday.

Anampiu said two of the patients went back to the hospital voluntarily while eight others were taken back by their families.

Kevin Kemboi, a patient who was returned to the facility by family members, said he escaped after another patient told him that the hospital nurses were on strike.

Filo: Fire on the mountain!!!

Jonathan should learn governance from Obasanjo – Ex-Oyo SSG

Kiyo: Former Secretary to Oyo State Government, Dr. Dejo Raimi, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to learn the art of governance from former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He also said Governor Abiola Ajumobi would not be re-elected in 2015.

Raimi, who is a People’s Democratic Party chief, spoke on Monday in Ibadan in a radio programme, Bull’s Eye.

Recalling how the former president suppressed the Odi crisis with the use of force, he urged the Jonathan administration to be more assertive.

The prevailing insecurity in parts of the country, he said, was because of Federal Government’s inability to assert itself.

He said, “There was Niger-Delta crisis during Obasanjo. There was Odi. But Odi is no more.

“Let Jonathan go and learn how to do Odi experience for the Boko Haram. Obasanjo removed all the militants in the Niger-Delta. Where are they now?

Filo: The former SSG should explain what he meant by ‘being more assertive,’ taking into account the fact that we are yet to recover from the Baga Massacre.

Angelina Jolie undergoes Double Mastectomy

Actress Angelina Jolie announced in a New York Times op-ed article on Tuesday that she underwent a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carries a mutation of the BRCA1 gene, which sharply increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

"My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman," Jolie wrote. "Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy."

Jolie's mother, actress and producer Marcheline Bertrand, died of ovarian cancer in 2007 at the age of 56.

Mastectomy is the surgical removal of a breast to remove a malignant tumour.

In the Times op-ed, titled "My Medical Choice," Jolie said she finished three months of medical procedures at the Pink Lotus Breast Center in California on April 27 that included the mastectomies and reconstruction.

Nollywood Actress Moyo Lawal Loses Mother

Filo: The mother of Nollywood actress, Moyo Lawal passed on yesterday May 12, 2013 – she was 62.

She will be buried at 2pm tomorrow, at a private ceremony, at Vaults and Gardens Cemetery, Ikoyi

May her soul rest in peace

NEW VIDEO: MI - Chairman

Iranian Azim Aghajani convicted over Nigeria arms

A Nigerian federal judge has found an Iranian and a Nigerian guilty of attempting to smuggle a shipment of military-grade weapons seized at the country's main port.

Justice Okechukwu J. Okeke ruled Monday that Azim Aghajani and his Nigerian accomplice,  Usman Abbas Jega, must serve a five-year prison sentence.

The two men were arrested after authorities in Lagos' Apapa Port found a container full of 107 mm mortars, rifle rounds and other weapons in 2010. Authorities initially speculated the weapons might have been bound for Nigeria, before officials said they were being sent illegally through the country to Gambia.

BBC

Selena Gomez Announces Mom's Pregnancy on Mother's Day

 Filo: Selena Gomez has confirmed her mother’s pregnancy by sharing a photo of her pregnant mom on Mother’s Day

“Hope all the amazing moms had a great day! I have the best momma in the world :)) I love you so much!” the 20-year-old tweeted that day, along with a picture of her holding her mom’s baby bump.

Selena’s mom, Mandy and her husband Brian Teefey married in 2006, although, Selena’s birth parents divorced when she was five years old.

In a related development, American singer, Monica Brown had earlier shared photos of her five months pregnancy on Twitter.

Kiyo: Is Mother’s Day a day to reveal baby bump? Anyway, Congratulations to the happy family!

Kate Upton Covers US Vogue June 2013 Issue

Filo: Kate Upton has gone from a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue cover model to the front page of Vogue.

Upton tells Vogue that runway modelling is “not what I set out to do” and that she desires to front a major fashion campaign and maybe even launch her own lingerie line.

She also says she would like to continue acting. Upton has appeared in “The Three Stooges” and “Tower Heist.” She’s also got a part in an upcoming film called “The Other Woman” starring Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann.

Kiyo: The June 2013 issue of US Vogue would be out on 21 May. Is she HOT or NOT?

ANOTHER PIC ON THE FLIP

JIM IYKE and EBBE BASSEY to Star in New Hollywood Movie, ‘And Then There Was You’

Jim Iyke

 Filo: Award winning US-based Ghanaian filmmaker Leila Djansi is directing a new Indie drama titled ‘And Then There was You.’ The movie is about a woman named Natalie (played by Garcelle Beauvais) who resorts to picking up the pieces of her life after her husband left her for the family he has outside. She later fell in love with Darrell (Brian White), but he has secrets of his own.

Kiyo and Filo Blog has gathered that Nollywood actor, Jim Iyke, will be playing the role of the Shey bar runner called Zuma while Ebbe Bassey who also starred in Leila's previous movie, "Ties That Bind" will be playing the role of Mrs. Timmens.

Ebbe Bassey is an actress, writer, and producer - she was born in the Bronx, New York but raised in Calabar, Nigeria.

Other casts include Kate Nauta, Garcelle Beauvais, Greg Vaughan, Brian White, Trilby Glover and Lainey Lipson - the executive producer is Matthew Blakely. Kiyo and Filo Blog also learnt that production of the movie started last week, and the possible release date is Sept 19, 2013.

Kiyo: Congrats to them

Ebbe Bassey

Justin Bieber serenades mom in Johannesburg

Justin and Mom, Patricia

Filo: Justin Bieber had a special Mother's Day surprise planned for his mom in Johannesburg when he brought her onstage to be his "One Less Lonely Girl".

The show was an unforgettable one for thousands of Beliebers at FNB Stadium, but the highlight of the show was when his mum Patricia aka Pattie was brought onto the stage and Bieber sang One Less Lonely Girl to her in celebration of Mother’s Day.

An estimated 95 000 fans – and their parents – descended on the FNB Stadium to see Bieber live in concert on his Believe world tour on Sunday.

Later the singer exchanged tweet with his mom

Kiyo: The singer is sure rising above controversies – it seems Selena and Pastor Judah Smith’s effort is paying off.

Tinubu’s youngest daughter graduates from Berklee College of Music in USA

The Tinubu's at the graduation ceremony

Filo: The youngest daughter of the National leader of Action Congress of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, achieved a feat on Saturday as she officially graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.

Abibat Tinubu’s graduation was marked with a great ceremony. The ceremony was attended by her parents, and her elder sister, Zainab.

Berklee College of Music was founded in 1945 by pianist composer and arranger Lawrence Berk, then, it was known as Schillinger House - the first U.S. school to teach the popular music of the time, jazz. The School graduated its first fully accredited baccalaureate degree class in 1966 and changed her name to Berklee College of Music in 1970.

Kiyo: Congrats to Abibat

17 injured in shooting at New Orleans Mother's Day Parade

New Orleans police are searching for three suspects Sunday after at least 17 people were shot during a Mother’s Day parade.

Police spokeswoman Remi Braden said in an email that many of the 17 victims were grazed and most of the wounds weren't life-threatening. No deaths were reported.

Chief Serpas announced in a press conference that the youngest victim is believed to be a 10-year-old girl.  Police say she suffered a graze wound, WVUE Fox 8 reported.

Officers were interspersed with the marchers, which is routine for such events. As many as 400 people joined in the procession that stretched for about 3 blocks, though only half that many were in the immediate vicinity of the shooting, Serpas said.

Serpas said that the procession had been accompanied by officers, who saw two or three suspects run from the scene in the city's 7th Ward.

Nobody has been arrested. It's unclear what sparked the gunfire.

A social club called The Original Big 7 organized Sunday's event. The group was founded in 1996 at the Saint Bernard housing projects, according to its MySpace page.

The neighborhood where the shooting happened was a mix of low-income and middle-class row houses, some boarded up. As of last year, the neighborhood's population was about 60 percent of its pre-Hurricane Katrina level.

2Shotz Drops New Joint Titled Kpo kpo di kpo

Filo: The last time you listened to a song with same title was probably in 2006/07 when Faze released his ‘Independent’ Album; today, Ummunamu soldier, 2Shotz would release his new and hilarious joint, Kpo kpo di kpo.

Enjoy a sample.

PHOTOS: American Singer, Monica Reveals She's Five Months Pregnant

Monica and Shannon

Filo: The rumours have been swirling for the last couple of months but now it is confirmed…Monica Brown is pregnant. 32 year old singer, Monica and her husband, Phoenix Suns basketball player, Shannon Brown are expecting their first child together, which is also the third child for Monica.

The singer chose a special day - Mother’s Day to announce she is five months pregnant, and she shares the photos on her Instagram page.

Congrats to Monica and Shannon

Monica

MORE PICS ON THE FLIP

VIDEO: Dbanj & Olamide Perform Together In Houston

Fake nuns arrested for trying to smuggle cocaine

Kiyo: Three women have been arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle drugs through an airport dressed as nuns.

The smugglers were stopped as they arrived at a popular Colombian holiday destination, because police thought that their outfits did not look real.

Officers found that each of the women had more than 4lb of cocaine strapped to her legs.

Adding insult to injury, the smugglers were paraded in front of cameras still dressed in their bizarre disguise.

The three women, aged 20, 32 and 37, had landed on the island of San Andres on a flight from Bogota on Saturday morning.

All three burst into tears and insisted they had only taken to smuggling because of their financial problems, Mr Davila said.

The women were arrested and jailed on charges of drug trafficking.

The drugs had an estimated street value of around $35,000 (£23,000), according to local police commissioner Jorge Gomez.

Rihanna Shares Uncanny Mother’s Day Message

Monica Fenty (Rihanna's Mum)

Kiyo: In the spirit of Mother’s Day - singer, Rihanna took to twitter to celebrate her mum, Monica Fenty in a rather hilarious way. She said;

“Her attitude Rihanna, she got it from her mama!!!.... Happy Mother's Day beautiful!! What a lucky little bitch I am to have come from you! You showed me real strength, how to be independent, how to love and be loved, not to judge people or their situations, how to forgive, how to learn from every mistake I make, how to be hospitable, how to do my makeup, cook, clean, not to lower my standards for anything or anyone! DOLLY taught you so well, I can only imagine how incredibly proud of you she is!!! I am who I am because that's all I've known!! Thank you for all that you've endured to make sure I got here, with a smile!! I could never repay you, you're PRICELESS!!! My gem!!!”

Filo: Wishing all mothers in the house a happy Mother’s Day – Say something good to your mum.

Rihanna and Mum

Marry your best friend, No marriage is perfect — Klint da drunk

Klint da Drunk and wife, Lilien

In a recent interview with Punch Newspaper, Comedian and actor, Afaemena Igwemba a.k.a Klint da Drunk and his wife, Lilien give an insight into what makes their six-year-old marriage tick

How long have you been married?

Klint: We thank God for the journey so far because we have been married for six happy years.

How did you meet?

Lilien: We met in Jos, where I used to reside.  Not like we planned to meet but it just happened. According to my husband, when he saw me, he told his friend, ‘That is my wife, I will marry that girl.’

Did you entertain any fears about dating and later marrying someone in the limelight?

Lilien: No profession is sacred. Even if you are marrying a doctor or a lawyer, the most important thing is knowing your partner and trusting God. For me, I was not scared at all because we were friends for a long while and that gave me the opportunity to study him real good.

Justice Rhodes-Vivour’s Wife, Daughter Kidnapped

Kiyo: Unknown gunmen Saturday kidnapped the wife and daughter of a Supreme Court Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour. Also abducted is the driver of the vehicle conveying them. Sources said the trio were intercepted as they were about to enter Benin, Edo State capital.

Justice Rhodes-Vivour’s daughter is slated to get married in the next one week and arrangements for the wedding are said to be in top gear.

THISDAY learnt the kidnappers were yet to contact any member of the family by last night. Justice Rhodes-Vivour was formerly a judge in Lagos State before he rose to the Court of Appeal and later Supreme Court.

She is an actress/singer - Can you guess her name?

Filo: Recently, this celebrity tried to conceal her identity; can you tell who she is?

Ghanaian attacks passers-by with pickaxe in Italy

Mada Kabobo

Kiyo: An illegal immigrant has gone on rampage with a pickaxe in the Italian city of Milan, killing a passer-by and wounding four others, police say.

A suspect has been arrested and named as Mada Kabobo, a 21-year-old Ghanaian.

Meanwhile, a 40-year-old man was killed in the attack in a northern suburb of the city. Two of the four people injured are said to be in a critical state.

Correspondents say the incident has revived a long-running debate over illegal immigrants in Italy.

The motive for Saturday morning's attack remains unclear.

Police say Mr Kabobo was in the country illegally, and had previously been arrested over a variety of alleged offences including theft and robbery.

Fans criticised Peter Okoye of Psquare over tweet on SA Music Awards

Filo: Peter Okoye of Psquare might be stirring up a hornet's nest with his latest Twitter comment on the on-going South Africa Music Awards. The singer, who is currently in South Africa, is excited with the way and manner the South Africa Music Awards is organised; however, he lashed at his country for not living up to expectation.

“In JHB watchin South Africa Music Awards... Well and properly organised. SMH 4 naija” he said.

Then the fans started reacting ‘Sharap, contribute your quota’, one said, while another said “Next Time Use Ur Brain B4 Tweeting”

Kiyo: Was it the way or medium through which he passed the message, that gets his fans infuriated or the content?

BOB MARLEY: Celebrating his 32nd Anniversary Today

Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the reggae bands The Wailers (1963-1974) and Bob Marley & The Wailers (1974–1981). Marley remains the best-selling performer of reggae music, having sold more than 75 million albums worldwide.

"Money can't buy life" were the final words said by Bob Marley to his son Ziggy on his death bed.

This post is dedicated to the Reggae Legend on the 32nd anniversary of his death.