Entertainment
PH Comedians Converge At Laffwell Show …As Mr D Plans For Comedy Club In Rivers
It was a roll call of who is who in the comedy clan, as Port Harcourt based Ace comedians converged at Mr. D Plaza, D/Line Port Harcourt last Sunday to celebrate this year’s Laffwell comedy show.
Among the comedians that featured at the event were: Prince Hezekiah, Akas Baba, Slow Dog, Mudiaga, Angel D Laungh, Maxi, Romeo without Juliet, Dandy Boy, Arinze Baba, Anti-virus, Ganja Man, Niger Mumu etc.
Speaking with The Tide Entertainment at the event, the founder of Laffwell, Ambassador Induz Godswill, popularly known as Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Comedy matters, disclosed that Laff, well is a brand he came up with two years ago, pointing out that this is the third event. According to him, Laffwell has come to stay and it has become an annual event as well as a brand.
The Ambassador of comedy noted that the aim of Laffwell is to give people hope and for them to laugh away their sorrows and look up to God. He reiterated that he read pure science in the university but later discovered that his talent and destiny rest with comedy, hence he embraced it with all he has and today, he has no regrets as a comedian.
He observed that in the past, comedy was not recognised and comedians were regarded as school dropouts and court jesters, but with people like Julius Agwu, Ali Baba, Basket mouth, I Go Die, Arinze Baba, Dan De Humorous, Mike Ogolo and other numerous rib crackers, comedy has become a lucrative profession and a formidable arm of the entertainment industry in Nigeria.
The owner of Mr. D. Plaza Amb. Dala Iboroma who spoke on the red carpet said, the idea behind the hilarious event was to support the youths and create a conducive environment for them to relax and enjoy themselves. He said by so doing, the rate of criminality and youth restiveness in the state will be curtailed if not totally eradicated. He stated that Ambassador induz is his friend and decided to attend the show personally in order to support him in the area of security and other logistics to ensure maximum success .
Amb. Iboroma who has been in show business for the past 15 years said, Mr. D’S plaza has remained in the forefront when it comes to youth empowerment and has provided employment opportunities to quite a number of youths in the state.
The seasoned philanthropist and show biz personality, disclosed that he has a vision to set up a comedy club in Rivers State where people can go to relax and enjoy themselves. According to him such clubs exist in Abuja and Lagos, adding that his outfit has decided to pioneer one here in the state. He said he has already made the necessary contacts for its take off.
Mr. D who disclosed that his business started on the streets of Port Harcourt and behind, NITEL but has recorded tremendous growth over time and today the business is still growing from strength to, strength. He condemned the new era of strip dancing in night clubs. According to him,” we are Nigerians and an independent country, so we must not copy every thing that is western line, hook and Sinker, rather, we must be able to draw a line between immorality and virtue”.
Other entertainers who spoke with The Tide entertainment on the Redcarpet, include: Mr. Saint leader, the ‘Bad Belle’ crooner who currently does collabo with other artistes. He noted that the Laffwell annual event has awaken the spirit of comedy in the state stressing that comedy is now in vogue in show biz entertainment and Rivers State must not be left out.
He commended Amb. Induz for coming up with the show which he said has turned out to be the gathering of saints of comedy and the re-union of friends and professional colleagues.
For Romeo without Juliet, Mr. Adokiye Horsefall, the evening is long expected and it affords him the opportunity to crack many ribs with his hilarous Jokes which is intended to make people forget their sorrows and look up to God for a greener pasture.
Another entertainer, Aboki shine my shoe music maestro said, the night afforded another great opportunity to thrill his fans with their favourite song and thanked the organisers for given him the opportunity to showcase his talent once more.
Port Harcourt big boy and media practitioner, Mr Tonye Orabere expressed joy that comedy as an important arm of entertainment has come to stay in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.
The Press Secretary, Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Rivers State chapter, said comedy is another avenue for relaxation and fun. He commended Port Harcourt based comedians for doing so well. According to him, comedians in the state could compete favorably with their counter parts in Lagos and Abuja, therefore they must be encouraged to sustain the tempo.
Entertainment
“French Up Your Career” PH, 2025 :Consul General Of France Harps On Proficiency In French
The Consul, General of France in Nigeria, Laurent Favier has encouraged French Learners to improve their skills on the language, as there are lots of opportunities up for grabs on the job market with fluency in French Language, saying that there are many other career paths which are often less well known to learners of French.
Participants at the “French Up Your Career” event held in Port Harcourt.
Favier who disclosed this during the just concluded third edition of the seminar tagged “French Up Your Career” organized by Alliance
Française, Port Harcourt explained that learning French doesn’t mean adding a language to your resume. It rather provides learners with new opportunities. Irrespective of their area of interest, be it diplomatic and International relations, international development, translation and Interpretation or journalism.
According to the Consul General, it was important to create awareness for young Nigerians in Port Harcourt who desire to have better understanding of how been fluent in French can create diverse career opportunities for users of the languages in Nigeria and the world at large, emphasizing that proficiency in French could possibly make learner a bridge between Nigeria and fast-developing regions.
“You previously heard this morning about how you can improve your French skills. This afternoon you will discover how being fluent in French can provide a significant edge on the job market and lead to professional careers that you may not have even considered before,”
“This event comes at the right time, as it launches the celebration of the richness and diversity of French-speaking cultures, which will mobilize us for more than a month throughout Nigeria and alongside other French-speaking countries,” Favier added.
He further highlighted that French is spoken by over 300 million people across the world, saying that, it’s one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union, and the African Union.
“There are many neighbouring African countries to Nigeria ,who have French as one of their primary languages of communication including Cameroon, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. So, what does this mean for you as students here in Nigeria?” He asked
“These sectors in which the French Embassy is often mobilized are the business and marketing field for example, as French is often the preferred language in many multinational companies, particularly those in the energy, oil and telecommunications sectors. I’m thinking as well in technology and IT,” he said
He noted that French-speaking countries in Africa are investing heavily in tech, innovation, and infrastructure, revealing that companies in Tech are looking for bilingual professionals to assist with software localization, customer support, and managing projects in French-speaking regions.
“The French embassy is not only mobilized to help learners discover promising sectors. We are also providing our support and expertise in
training teachers and optimizing university programs,” he summed up
Also, the linguistics cooperation attaché, French Embassy in Nigeria, Magaly Losange, who also gave a lecture at the seminar, in an interview with Newsmen said that the main purpose of the seminar was to be more informative and supportive to those who want to make a skill out of French Language,saying that as the linguistics cooperation attaché of the French Embassy it is her duty to promote French language through culture.
She cited traditional stereotypes as a major challenge affecting the growth and development of French in Nigeria, as school, teachers at the primary and secondary level in most cases teach French using the traditional way, where students learn French, but could not put words and grammar together as a skill for communicate.
“French is important. I don’t see French as colonization, l see French as a key to embrace globalization, l hope that learners will be inspired and ready to embrace the global village,” Losange said.
She however said that the French Embassy is working to ensure that equipments to facilitate the learning of French is put in place to enable learners improve their skills fast, which in two to three years learners should be able to communicate with French, advising learners to be intentional with learning the language, through social media and other workable devices to advance their skills for certification and better opportunities.
Highlight of the event which had about 250 participants in attendance was the eloquence award ceremony where students were awarded for their eloquence in French language by the Director, Alliance Française Port Harcourt, Mrs.Marina Lacal alongside the Linguistics cooperation attaché of the French Embassy in Nigeria, Magaly Losange.
After two edition of the seminar it was the turn of the Alliance Française, Port Harcourt to host the Third edition.
It would be recalled that the first edition of ” “French Up Your Career” event was organized at the Alliance Française Lagos on October 23, the second one at UNILAG on November 24, 2024 respectfully.
Popular Nigerian comedienne, Tomama has revealed how she waited for Afrobeats superstar, Wizkid outside the bathroom.
She shared this while recounting her encounter with the singer at a recent event with heavy security.
In a video posted on her Instagram page, Tomama explained that she waited by the bathroom in an attempt to have a one-on-one conversation with Wizkid.
She stated that she positioned herself near the restroom, hoping Wizkid would eventually use it, giving her the perfect opportunity to speak with him.
“Wizkid, I saw you, and I waited for you to pee, but you didn’t even stand up from where you were sitting. You just stayed there. All your crew members standing around got up to go pee. I was standing by the bathroom, waiting for you to come pee so that you would notice me,” she said.
Content creator and actor, Mr Macaroni has opened up about his financial struggles, saying he was both a victim of a scam and a failed investment in 2021.
He revealed that after losing all his savings, he resorted to borrowing to settle pending commitments and slipped into N500 million in debt.
He admitted that he is financially reckless and generous, impacting his financial stability negatively.
In lengthy post shared via his X handle yesterday, Mr Macaroni wrote, “Sometime around 2020/2022, I was a victim of a scam and simultaneously a failed investment that cost me all I had saved at the time. It shook me deeply but I told no one about it. If you know me well enough, you would know I do not like to share my problems. I could be going through the worst and at the same time helping others solve their own problems but I just would never share mine.”
“After I lost all the money I had then, Trouble started when I had to borrow money from different sources to settle all pending commitments and also fulfill certain responsibilities I have always believed were mine to fulfill. I make money in millions so I never thought borrowing money to pay back with interest could ever be a problem. But I got too comfortable and it took me a long time to realise that I was using the money I was earning to pay back interests. Also, my financial recklessness did not help. Please don’t borrow money! But if you must, please be responsible.”
The actor stated that 2024 marked a pivotal moment in his acting career but it was also the most challenging year for him as he faced over half a billion naira in debt.
Mr Macaroni revealed that his frustration grew worse after he was betrayed by someone he considered “a friend and sister.”
He added that with the support of family and friends who stood by him during his trying times, he now “feels better than I have felt in the last three years!”
The comedian stated that he decided to finally share his story to encourage others who are going through challenges.