Jerry Douglas' Blog

Share this on Facebook Tweet this The much talked about Lagos Crossover Concert has come and gone, leaving behind memories that will linger for a very long time. Organized by the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), it was the very first of its kind and, with Nigeria’s premium lager beer, Star, stepping in as a major sponsor of the programme, much was expected from the concert which was held on 31st December 2012, the eve of the New Year. It wasn’t just about ending the outgoing year in grand style, it was also about ushering in the New Year in a unique way.  The event featured more than 15 electrifying musical performances from some of the biggest names in the Nigerian music industry including 2Face Idibia, Iyanya, Olamide, Davido, Banky W, Tiwa Sawage, Omawumi, D’Prince , MI, Brymo, Dare, W4 and a host of others. Other artistes that performed at the event included the 2012 winners of Star Quest – Crystals, Kel, Solid Star, DRB, Tunde Ednut, O...

      Demba Ba has completed his transfer to Chelsea for an undisclosed fee on a three-and-half-year contract, the club's website (www.chelseaafc.com) said on Friday. The former Newcastle striker, who is the joint third highest Premier League goal scorer this season, will be eligible for Chelsea's FA Cup tie at Southampton on Saturday the club said. "It feels good to be here, I'm very happy and very proud," the 27-year-old Senegalese forward said. "When the club who won the Champions League wants you, the decision is very easy. This club is massive and that's something that helped the decision a lot. It was not a hard one." Chelsea are currently fourth in the Premier League after losing at home to bottom club Queens Park Rangers on Wednesday.

Naijarish Baby is a rising video blogger. Her collection of videos range from makeup tutorials to hilarious uploads like this one. Honestly, when we saw the title of this video, we were rolling our eyes but after we watched it, it was pretty spot on and funny! If you are Nigerian, sure you have heard this “ Runs Girl ” gist about one or more people. “She’s a runs girl” “She looks like a runs girl” “I heard that girl used to do runs” “Why is she now acting innocent?, she’s a runs girl jo” She takes you through various steps on “ How to Transform into a Naija Runs Girl " Watch video below...

With speculation increasing that the 34-year-old will not be offered a new contract at Stamford Bridge, the Blues captain has called for the club to honour his team-mate. Chelsea defender John Terry has called on the club to retire Frank Lampard's No.8 shirt in honour of the midfielder, with speculation mounting he is set to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of this season. The club captain was speaking via his personal Webstagram account in which he described himself as being "devastated". Terry wrote: "Devastated is an understatement. We should retire the number 8 shirt in honour of Lamps." The 32-year-old also paid tribute to his team-mate with a message, in hashtag form, that read: "#theheartbeat #hero #legend #hero #goalmachine #friend #ktbffh [keep the blue flag flying high] #cfc #chelsea." Despite the pleas of numerous Chelsea fans, it looks as though the veteran midfielder will not be offered a new contract when his curr...

Barcelona expect to have coach Tito Vilanova back at the helm following cancer surgery as they return to league action after the winter break with a local derby against Espanyol. Although news that Vilanova had a recurrence of a tumour on a saliva gland sent shockwaves around the Catalan club, the impact has been limited by the stoppage over Christmas. After a successful operation he has missed just one game, an away victory against Valladolid where his assistant Jordi Roura took charge and Barcelona extended their record start to the campaign to 16 wins from 17 games in La Liga. Vilanova returned to the training ground this week where fullback Eric Abidal, who has had his own battle with cancer, is also on the comeback trail. "Tito and Abidal are both examples of fighting spirit. They are examples to follow for all that they have been through and yet at the same time they have always been there to help the club and their teammates," said keeper Victor Valdes. ...

Injured Taraba State Governor, Danbaba Suntai, will soon bounce back to his duty post and shame those who claim that the air crash he was involved in last October damaged his brain, the state Commissioner for Information, Emmanuel Bello, has said. Bello, told Vanguard in an interview that contrary to insinuations by certain persons that the governor was incapacitated, he would soon return to Nigeria and continue with governance of the state. The commissioner said, “Look let me tell you the truth, the picture being used in the media did not come from Taraba State but from Germany, it was not generated from Jalingo, as claimed by some persons. “Governor Danbaba Suntai is coming back any moment from now but I cannot say exactly when. It is the doctors who are attending to him who will decide when he should return home. “We are not under any pressure to embark on desperate measure since the machinery of government is working perfectly with the Deputy Governor in charge. “I ca...

After sustaining a minor knee injury during Christmas day training, the England international is now due to be out for longer than the two weeks which were initially expected. Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney will miss their sides Premier League clash with Liverpool as well as Saturday's FA Cup tie against West Ham United. Rooney sustained a minor knee injury during training on Christmas Day, and was initially believed to be sidelined for a fortnight. However, the Manchester United manager has revealed that the 27-year-old is expected to be out for a further two weeks, missing the highly anticipated tie with The Reds on the January 13th. "Wayne is still injured," said Ferguson. "It is not serious but it is going to take longer than we thought, probably another two weeks. He won't be fit for Liverpool" Some positive news for The Red Devils will be that Phil Jones is believed to be back in training this week, as...

A 28-year-old photography student from Nigeria allegedly committed suicide after jumping off the second floor of his rented accommodation in Sector 41. Police said preliminary probe suggests that the deceased, Kelvin Lakoju, was in depression. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Embassy and the deceased's family have been informed about the incident. Kelvin had been living in Noida since 2009 and was pursuing a photography course from an institute in Film City. Cops said he jumped off around 11pm on Wednesday, January 2nd. "We have questioned some people and came to know that he was upset for some reasons," said deputy SP, S Chinappa. "His friends said Kelvin was good at studies. Some personal problem could be the reason for committing suicide," said a senior police officer. An FIR has been lodged with Sector 39 police station.

Chelsea interim manager Rafa Benitez admits he has "no idea" when captain John Terry will return to fitness. Terry has been out of action ever since sustaining a knee injury in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on November 11. A return date was originally set for December, but the centre-back remained sidelined and missed the Blues' trip to Japan to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup just before the Christmas period.  Now in January, the former England skipper is still yet to resume full training, and Benitez admits that he does not know when the 32-year-old will be available again. "I talked with John on Wednesday morning and he is getting there and can start to do the warm-up with the team soon and then we will see how he will progress," Benitez is quoted as saying in the  Daily Mirror . "Talking to the doctor, the problem is a build-up of fluid on the bone. So at this stage we have no idea when he will be back." Benitez is...

Alan Pardew heaped praise on Papiss Cisse after claiming the in-form Newcastle centre forward's wonder strike should be up for Goal of the Season. Two-goal Cisse's second was an incredible stoppage-time clincher with a stunning 25-yard curling shot and Pardew insisted he meant it despite it looking an improbable effort. Senegal striker Cisse has now hit 13 goals in 12 games and he looks one of the bargains of the season following his £10million move from Freiburg to Newcastle in January. Striker who cost 'only' £10million staked his claim for Goal of the Season with a stunner that keeps Newcastle in Champions League hunt.  Pardew said: "The first goal is special, but for the second, he hit it true and you have to say he meant it. It is one of the great goals. It was an astonishing goal. "Cisse took a chance... you could see he meant it. It means so much to win here after 18 attempts. He's in great form - the first goal was a great goal, too - and he des...

Manchester United remain the world's most valuable football club, according to Forbes magazine. Forbes rich list 1. Manchester United - $2.235bn (£1.396bn) 2. Real Madrid - $1.877bn (£1.17bn) 3. Barcelona - $1.307bn (£816m) 4. Arsenal - $1.292bn (£807m) 5. Bayern Munich - $1.235bn (£770m) 6. AC Milan - $989m (£615m) 7. Chelsea - $761m (£473m) 8. Liverpool - $619m (£385m) 9. Juventus - $591m (£367m) 10. Schalke 04 - $587m (£365m) 11. Tottenham Hotspur -$564m (£351m) 13. Manchester City - $443m (£275m)

A former manager with Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank), Mr. Olayinka Sanni and Personal Assistant to Adeyemi Ikuforiji,  Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Oyebode Atoyebi have been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over a case of conspiracy, stealing and forgery amounting to about N1.5billion. Sanni, a chartered accountant and operator of SIDAW Ventures, a Bureau de Change, was alleged to have fraudulently transferred various sums of money from more than seven customers of the bank into the account of SIDAW ventures owned and operated by him without the customers’ consent. Specifically, he transferred N65million from the account of Babington Junior Seminary; N40million from P.W. Nigeria Limited’s account; N15million from Mikano International’s account; N20million from Viju Industries Limited’s account, N306million from the account of Falana & Falana Chambers and Fafun Nigeria Limited and N1.2billion from Murhi Inter...

Rumours about the breakup of the management relationship between Nigerian superstar Davido and his longtime manager, Asa Asika have been intense over the last week. Though all the chatter had been speculative, it has now been confirmed by both parties that Davido and Asa are no longer working together. While rumours about the reasons for their split vary from “money matters” to “simply moving on”, only Davido and Asa know the full story. Davido's rise to fame with Asa’s support was a really positive example of talent and youthful resourcefulness working well together. From an unknown teenage musician and young manager, to an African superstar. They did well. Here is an official press release on Asa’s next steps. Asa Asika is a very well known name in the entertainment industry; in Africa and beyond. He is a hardworking driven young man whose meteoric rise in the entertainment industry is unprecedented. Identifying his passion for entertainment at a young age and gifte...

Since the inception of the fourth republic in 1999, Governors have been the subject of intense speculation and debate whenever they disappear from official and other public functions. As the year tails to an end, a serious call for concern is the plight of some state governors that have been missing in action for the past few months. Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua  spent most of his tenure governing Katsina state from various hospital beds in Europe, unknown to people of Katsina, till he was foisted on Nigerians by Olusegun Obasanjo in 2007 as President. He lost his battle with his health in 2010. Crisis was averted when  Goodluck Jonathan  was eventually sworn in as acting and much later, substantive President. Two-term governor of Edo State,  Lucky Igbinedion  also had his own share of health challenges, which he tacitly managed and kept away from public knowledge. Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada , on friday December 28, was involved in an auto c...

The Osun State Government has announced a comprehensive plan for the state’s secondary school students to study Ifa as one of their subjects. The state Governor, Ogbeni Raufu Aregbesola, said the schools’ computer tablet had application for Ifa studies. Aregbesola made the relevation yesterday during the special prayers session to usher in the New Year, organized with clerics from all religions praying for the peace and growth of the state. Clerics who offered special prayers for the state included the President General, League of Imams and Alfas in the South-West, Alhaji Mustapha Ajisafe; the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state, Evangelist Abraham Aladeseye; and frontline Ifa priest, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon, among others. The special prayer affected official functions in the state secretariat and other government offices, as top civil servants across all parastatal agencies graced the occasion held in the premises of the Bola Ige House, state secretariat, Abe...

Just when we thought pop star 2face Idibia and actress Annie Macaulay were finally settling to their new life as husband and wife after last year’s surprise engagement and secret wedding, we have now confirmed that the Idibias aren’t done just yet! The lovebirds have something big up their sleeves, we’ve been told. And NET has gathered, reliably, that preparation for a more flamboyant ’2face and Annie’ wedding is in top gear. Sources told us yesterday, that the couple will have the ceremony  in Abuja next month. We’re told plans for Dubai are also in the works, but we could not immediately confirm if that’s for a belated honeymoon or friends + family only reception. Everyone who has heard the news is excited and Annie herself has already been dropping hints on her Twitter page. ‘Wedding planning with the bride to be @AnnieMacaulay1 … #ActlikeYouKnow’, Nigerian model and Jacob’s Cross star Kendra Etufunwa excitedly tweeted, with Annie retweeting yesterday. Anoth...

Dana Airlines will today conduct its inaugural flight to Abuja, six months after one of its aircraft got involved in a crash that killed all 153 passengers and crew on board and others on ground at Iju Ishaga, Lagos, on June 3, 2012. Coming barely two weeks after the House of Representatives called for revocation of the airline’s operating licence, the flight, expected to take off in Lagos at 9:45 a.m, would have on board some VIPs, journalists, stakeholders in the aviation sector and celebrities, including Nollywood stars. The airline’s spokesman, Tony Usidamen, who confirmed this, yesterday, said all arrangements had been concluded for a seamless flight. Vanguard learnt that Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah, had issued a resumption letter to the airline to recommence operation after series of investigation and test flights by Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA. Usidamen said the resumption came after necessary approval was received from the Federal Government...

The convoy of Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Lawal Jimoh, was on Monday involved in a ghastly motor accident, killing a police escort instantly. Just last week, the state governor, Idris Wada, had an auto crash which claimed the life of his Aide- de- Camp, Idris Mohammed. The Speaker was said to be travelling to his Okene home town when a heavy duty truck ran into his escort van at Osara along Okene road. While the Speaker’s vehicle along with others were not affected by the accident, a police corporal Lamidi Akeem, who was in the affected escort car died on Thursday at the hospital. The Speaker’s Chief Press Secretary, Austin Akubo, confirmed the report and said the Speaker’s vehicle was not affected. Meanwhile, Benue State was on Thursday thrown into mourning following the death of a former member of the state House of Assembly, Msen Sarwuan. The lawmaker’s sudden death shocked the people of the state as many of them wept profusely on hearing the news of h...

Lescott made a £22m move from Everton to Manchester City in August 2009 Aston Villa are considering a move for Manchester City's out-of-favour 30-year-old defender Joleon Lescott, who supported Villa as a boy. Full story: Daily Mirror   QPR manager Harry Redknapp has been offered Inter Milan forward Wesley Sneijder, 28, to boost his side's relegation scrap. Full story: the Sun   Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish expects forward Wilfried Zaha, 20, to stay at Selhurst Park until the summer - but admits a big bid could tempt the Championship club to sell in January. Full story: talkSPORT   Meanwhile, Manchester United are in pole position to sign Zaha and the Old Trafford club are confident of recruiting the England international in the summer. Full story: ESPN   Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has been quoted by Spanish newspaper AS as describing reports linking striker Radamel Falcao, 26, with Real Madrid as "totally false". ...