Video - Nigerian becomes first black Polish MP

A Nigerian has become the first black man to become a member of parliament in Poland.

John Abraham Godson has lived in Poland for almost half his life and has become a Polish citizen.

Mr Godson's success has been hailed as a landmark in a country where there are just 4,000 black people. 

BBC

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London's 'FELA!' to stream live in Ann Arbor

Following the spectacular success of the Metropolitan Opera's live HD transmissions to cinemas, London's National Theatre has quietly developed its own international broadcast series, and Ann Arbor's Michigan Theater is drawing patrons to that big-screen stage.

In the second season of collaboration with Ann Arbor's University Musical Society, Michigan Theater will present an HD transmission of the Afro-beat musical "Fela!" on Sunday, then Shakespeare's "King Lear" on Feb. 20.

The splashy, colorful revue "Fela!" is based on the life of Nigerian composer-activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti and his struggle to prevent government soldiers from shutting down a legendary Lagos nightclub called The Shrine. The show's Broadway production received 11 Tony Award nominations in 2010, including Best Choreography by Bill T. Jones.

"King Lear" is the tragedy of a vain, aging monarch who retires from the throne and divides his kingdom among his three daughters in proportion to their flattering protestations of love, only to discover too late the cheapness of words and value of true affection.

The current National Theatre Live series winds up with playwright Danny Boyle's adaptation of "Frankenstein" on April 6 and Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" on July 17.

The National Theatre's HD series is the first electronic presentation in UMS' long history. UMS programming director Michael Kondziolka says the experience can only induce patrons to attend UMS' live theater events.

"I believe the HD productions deepen the engagement of an audience with these very well produced stage works," he says. "Early on, some people seemed to be afraid of this sort of electronic experience, as if it were not a real theater experience. But now patrons are urging us to offer the HD series again next year."

UMS handles promotion and ticket sales for the cinema productions, and Michigan Theater manages the logistics of linkup and screening.

Kondziolka says attendance has jumped from about 300 at the first presentation last season to nearly 900. Thus far, he says, ticket sales have covered costs. There's also plenty of room for growth. Michigan Theater seats 1,700.

"I have found it personally to be a very rewarding and exciting experience," says Kondziolka, "and it's my hope that National Theatre is in it for the long term. A project like this really needs three to five years to seed itself. We certainly intend to continue."

detnews

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Jay Jay Okocha Laments Fallen National Team

Nigeria are no longer a giant in African football, the players are over-rated and officials have failed in their responsibilities, according to the country's former skipper Austin 'Jay Jay'.

"Everything is wrong, right from the players, coaches and the management. And the fans expect too much," moaned Okocha as a guest on a programme of pay television channel SuperSport.

"The best way forward is for Nigerians to accept that we are no longer one of the giants in African football as we have lost the dominance.

"We must also accept the fact that Nigeria does not possess the kind of talents we used to have and we must go back and get our football administration right."

Nigeria are presently ranked fourth in Africa by FIFA, but the last time the team won a major championship was 17 years ago when they clinched only their second Africa Nations Cup in Tunisia.

Okocha, who led Nigeria to the 2002 World Cup, was most critical of the current crop of the country's stars, saying they have struggled to establish themselves at their various European clubs.

"Our players are overrated. When you look at the way they play for their various clubs, I don't think we have up to five players who are regulars at their clubs," said the 37-year-old Okocha now a Lagos businessman since he quit the game in 2008.

"Take Yakubu Aiyegbeni example. He's one of Nigeria's finest but he has not been consistent maybe because of his injury which has of course slowed him down.

"And you can't tell me that his recent loan move from Everton to Championship team Leicester City is a good one, rather your desire as a player is to play in the top class league."

Okocha has now been appointed to head a scouting unit of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to discover fresh talent for the country.

Daily Trust

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Video - Nigerian interest rate rise with CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido

Nigeria raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 6.5 percent.
The Central Bank says this is part of the normalisation of monetary policy after the financial crisis.

The CBN took aggressive measures to tighten liquidity as its seeks to get inflation down to single digits. It raised the cash reserve requirement for banks to 2 percent from 1.

ABN's Wole Faumera spoke to CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi about whether this monetary tightening is necessary considering the fact that inflation has been on a downward trend and private sector credit has contracted.

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Former Super Eagle Uche Okafor Was Murdered - FBI

There has been a twist in the death of former Eagles' defender, Uche Okafor as the Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI) claimed in a report yesterday that the player was murdered.

Uche was found hanging at his Dallas, Texas home earlier this month and a preliminary report by the Dallas police ruled that the easy-going defender hanged himself. But his family, friends and the Nigerian community in America rejected the suicide claims as they suspected foul play.

The FBI stepped into the controversy last week after protests from the family members who even alleged racism for the shoddy investigation over the death of the player. And the latest findings have confirmed the suspicion of murder held by many of the former Eagles' admirers. The FBI report however, did not state who killed Uche Okafor or why his life was terminated.

This piece of information from the USA, will interest the Nigerian government. The foreign affairs Minister, Odein Ajumogobia declared only on Monday that Nigeria was awaiting the result of the FBI report, before the country could take necessary action.

A source close to the family disclosed that the latest twist in the death of the player was quite a relief to his tribesmen who are holding on to an ancient myth that it was a taboo for an Ibo man to take his own life.

Uche Okafor's Eagles colleagues and indeed Nigerians also struggled to come to terms with the death of the player who was comfortably living with his wife and daughter. He was into business and also into football commentary with ESPN sports.

It was gathered that the corpse of the departed player will be flown in for burial next month.

Vanguard

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