Entertainment
Gov Bello Appoints Mercy Johnson SSA On Entertainment
Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, has appointed Nollywood star actress, Mercy Johnson Okojie Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on entertainment, arts and culture.
The delectable actress was appointed along 53 others by the governor into various offices in his administration. A statement by the secretary to the State Government, Dr Mrs. Ayoade Folashade Arike made available to newsmen on Tuesday said, the appointment takes effect from April 1, 2017.
The rationale for the additional appointees at the state level, the statement read, is to “plug indentified gaps in service delivery, fill key positions with the right people and to broaden inclusiveness in governance by bringing people from more communities on board.”
Born in Lagos to a former naval officer, Mercy Johnson represents Okehi local government area in Bello’s list of SSAs, listed as Google’s most searched Nollywood celebrity in December 2013; the woman of power is married to Edo Indigene, Prince Odianosen Okojie.
R&B star, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has recounted the early-career challenges she faced, revealing that she was once booed out of the stage while performing at a school event.
Speaking in an interview with Newsmen, the Crazy Tings crooner shared that she wasn’t only booed but was also harassed with plastic bottles.
“I remember one time I was going to perform at my school as an up-and-coming singer and I thought I was going to receiving a standing ovation.
“But I got booed. They even threw plastic bottles at me,” she recalled.
Tems explained that despite the embarrassing incident and other such rejections, she remained determined to pursue a career in music.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Tems admitted that some of the initial rejections she faced could be due to her conviction to stick to her originality instead of doing covers or familiar sounds like most of her peers.
The Grammy-winning singer said looking back now, she is glad that she didn’t compromise her style despite the initial pressures.
A close associate of late singer Mohbad, Primeboy, has appealed for the artiste’s burial nearly three years after his death.
According to him, Mohbad’s body remains in the mortuary since September 12, 2023, pending burial arrangements.
The Tide Entertainment reports that in a statement Primeboy urged the family, public, and government to permit the burial, stating, “It’s been almost three years since Mohbad left us. His body is still in the mortuary. I’m begging the family, I’m begging the public, I’m begging the government, please let’s bury our brother. He deserves a befitting burial.”
It would be recalled that Mohbad’s death sparked public outrage, protests, and investigations. Ongoing autopsy examinations, police inquiries, and legal proceedings have delayed burial arrangements amid family disagreements and public scrutiny.