Welcome

Welcome to Quickinfo where you get it all, If you want to Advertise with us, Buy 90million Nigeria GSM Numbers For your adverts, Bulk SMS, Email Addresses (worldwide), etc. contact us via e-mail: quicknews@ymail.com

Friday 27 April 2012

ThisDay: we won’t be deterred

By
Sympathisers in front of This Day’s office in Abuja...yesterday  
Sympathisers in front of This Day’s office in Abuja...yesterday

ThisDay issued a statement last night on the attacks. The statement, signed by Managing Director Eniola Bello, entitled: “Simultaneous attack on ThisDay Abuja, Kaduna offices…an attck on journalism and free speech”,  reads: “At about 11:05 am today, a suicide bomber drove an SUV into the premises of our Abuja office, rammed his vehicle into the building housing our printing presses, igniting a massive explosion and fuelling speculations it was a suicide bomber. About the same time, our Abuja office was under siege, the building housing our office, along with two other newspapers’ in Kaduna, came under another bomb attack.
“In Abuja, we can confirm the death of our security man, by name Christopher Sadiq. Three passers-by and the suicide bomber also died. Eight of our staff, who sustained injuries, are receiving treatment at the National Hospital. The roof of the building was blown off, the power generator burnt, the printing plant damaged.
“We regard the coordinated bombings as an attack on journalism and free speech. However, we want to assure our readers and advertisers that we remain committed to the fundamental principles on which the newspaper is founded: democracy, free enterprise and social justice. We will not be deterred in our pursuit of truth and reason. No amount of threat or intimidation will weaken our resolve.
“While thanking all the government agencies, particularly Fire Service, VIO and FRSC, that rallied to put the situation under control and restore normalcy, we urge the security agencies to thoroughly investigate the obviously co-ordinated attacks and fish out the masterminds.”

How our office was bombed, by The Sun

By
How our office was bombed, by The Sun
The Sun, in a statement last night by its Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Tony Onyima, said: “At about 11.30 am today, Thursday, April 26, 2012, an explosion occurred at the premises of our North West Zonal headquarters in Kaduna, Kaduna State.
“The property located along Kontagora Road equally houses the state offices of two other media organisations, namely THISDAY newspaper and The Moment newspaper.
“The explosion occurred when a suspected suicide bomber, driving a gold colour Honda Academy, with registration number AL 306 MKA rammed into the building.
“However, the bomb-laden vehicle failed to explode on impact with the building. But when the driver of the car jumped out and began to shout that there were bombs inside the vehicle and that they would explode any moment, angry residents and onlookers seized him and forced him to begin to dispose of the bombs. In the process, one of them exploded, killing three people and injuring several others. 
“The angry youths then turned on the driver, and would have lynched him, but for the timely intervention of the policemen who had by then been invited to the scene by our North West Bureau Chief.
“Although there were casualties, no staff of The Sun died or suffered any physical injury. 
“The police and other security agencies have since moved in to investigate the matter. The security operatives have also taken custody of the driver and suspected suicide bomber.
“Despite this seeming set back, The Sun Publishing Limited, remains undeterred and refuses to be intimidated in its quest for a better and safer Nigeria. We will continue to report without fear or favour and with utmost sense of responsibility and patriotism.”

Suicide bombers kill eight in attacks on media houses

By
•One of the victims, a 12-year-old boy at the National Hospital…yesterday   
•One of the victims, a 12-year-old boy at the National Hospital…yesterday

The media yesterday got a taste of the violence in some parts of Nigeria. Eight people died and 14 others were injured in a suicide bomb explosion at THISDAY office in Abuja and Kaduna where a building housing the newspaper as well as The Sun and Moments was attacked. 
In the accident, three people died and two were injured. A suspect was arrested.
The bomber was among the casualties of the Kaduna incident. 
The bombing also destroyed 10 vehicles and left the Press Hall badly damaged. 
The once beautiful edifice became a shadow of itself  - shattered windows, broken walls and shredded copies of part of today’s edition.
The imposing gate leading to the devastated Press Hall that houses the company’s Goss Community printing machine was destroyed. 
The staff gate was severely damaged and partly burnt. The generator beside the gate was burnt. A part of the fence by the gate collapsed, felling a tree. 
The wreckage of the suicide bomb vehicle was buried inside the devastated Press Hall. Policemen and aid workers were battling to retrieve it. 
The newsroom was in tatters – upturned tables, smashed seats and crushed computers. 
 All the glasses in the building, including doors, were shattered. Parts of the roof were blown off with no ceiling left hanging. 
The premises was strewn with pieces of shrapnel from the bomb laden vehicle and broken glasses. 
A crater, which must have resulted from the impact of the blast, was seen about two meters from where the SUV was lodged. Parts of the wall of the building from where the car entered the premises caved in. 
The huge loss drew tears from many workers and sympathisers. For about six hours, business was brought to a halt at Jabi Motor Park , the bustling transit station opposite the THISDAY office.
Islamist sect Boko Haram last night claimed respionsibility for the bombings. It threatened to target other journalists. 
In a statement published by the Premium Times website, a spokesman for Boko Haram said the sect would attack media again over what the group felt was inaccurate coverage. 
The sect is blamed for killing more than 440 people this year alone in its growing sectarian fight against the government.
“This is a war between us and the government of Nigeria,” the website quoted a sect spokesman as saying. “Unfortunately the media have not been objective and fair in their report of the ongoing war. They chose to take sides.”
A journalist with long-standing ties to the sect told the AP that the statement came from the group. The journalist spoke on condition of anonymity over concerns about his safety.
The sect’s spokesman particularly blamed ThisDay for publishing stories the group found inaccurate. 
A probe of the incident has started, with two foreign bomb experts visiting the scene in an unmarked Ford Expedition Sport Utility Vehicle. 
Some samples of the wreckage were retrieved for forensic analysis. 
A source spoke of how the lone suicide bomber, who drove an SUV, entered the premises in Jabi District through the back gate (a.ka. Staff Gate). 
There were indications that the suicide bomber pretended to have come for business transactions to beat the security guards on duty. 
None of the two security guards, who opened the gate for him, lived to tell the story. 
But as soon as the bomber passed through the brick wall, he stepped on the accelerator, sending the vehicle into a furious race and ramming into the Press Hall. 
There was an explosion, the impact of which shattered the newsroom and shook all the adjoining buildings, including a four-storey structure under construction and a shopping complex. 
An official of the newspaper, who pleaded for anonymity said: “The black SUV was allowed entry, unsuspectingly and suddenly it accelerated towards the Press Hall, instead of going to the parking lot. 
“I was going towards the Press Hall when suddenly I heard a loud explosion, which made me to stagger here and there. 
“Before I could regain consciousness, the Press Hall was already in flame and about 10 vehicles parked within the premises had been damaged.”
Another eye-witness, Mr. Bulus Momoh, who was in transit from Adamawa to Abuja , said no one opened the gate for the SUV. 
He said: “When I was coming to deposit my money into a micro-finance bank, I saw a black jeep parked beside the THISDAY office. 
“My instinct was telling me that something was about to happen. So, as I stepped into the bank and came out, I saw the jeep rushing in, though the gate was locked; he used speed to get inside by force before it exploded. Then we began to call people around.” 
The Deputy Head of Disaster Management, Nigerian Red Cross, National Headquarters, Mr. Adeyemo Andronicus, said: “We have taken stock of the situation. I can confirm to you that four people died, including the suicide bomber, and seven were injured. 
“Two minutes after the blast, we received a distress call at our national headquarters. So, we moved in and Red Cross deployed its official team down here. We picked the four dead persons, including the suicide bomber himself. He rammed into the complex with a vehicle. 
“From the way we retrieved the body of the suicide bomber, he was about escaping from the door when the bomb went off. 
“Another dead person at the entrance, then the third person at the newspaper house junk area, the fourth person at the back. Then, one person got injured. All the bodies have been taken to the National Hospital.
“You can see about 10 vehicles were damaged. The adjacent buildings surrounding THISDAY were also affected.” 
Chairman of THISDAY Editorial Board Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi said: “Two hours ago and two of the security men died. The suicide bomber, of course, died and then five of our support staff were injured. They have been taken to the hospital. 
“You can see that the front gate has been locked. The gate at the back was also locked and security men were there. The suicide bomber came in a jeep. They opened for him, but we cannot find out why they opened the gate for him now because they are dead. The guy entered with the vehicle, then rammed the vehicle into the building and it exploded. 
“This is a newspaper house, we’d just printed and there were a lot of support staff and advert executives in the newsroom. 
“Fortunately, the newsroom is a bit far from the back. So, all the people that were in the newsroom, especially the advert people, were safe.” 
Asked if the newspaper got any security report on a likely attack on its premises, Adeniyi said:  “I don’t know about security report. I mean we are all in the media, we know there are threats against the media generally. There are some instances of warnings, but I think we will get into all that later. 
“I don’t believe in speculations. The security men are here, they will get to the root of the matter. It has been confirmed that there is an attack on our office in Kaduna .” 
The FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aderenle Shinaba , said: “It is too early to tell you the exact number of casualty now, but all I can tell you is that our main purpose of being here is to save lives and be on a rescue mission and that we have been able to do. 
“I want to say that there are some injured people that have been taken to hospitals and that is the much I can say as regards the casualty. 
“In a situation like this, all you need do first is not to count the number of people that are injured; it is to take the injured to the hospital to save their lives first and that is what we have done. 
“At the end of the day, once we have stabilised this place, we will be able to go and get the exact number of casualties. We have our men in the hospitals and they said the ones they have taken to the hospitals are being attended to and they are responding to treatment. 
“If I tell you the number I have, I don’t know the number other sister agencies have. So, I am not in a position to give something that you will come to discover that it is not correct.” 
The Acting Sector Commandant, Federal Capital Territory , Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Ajayi Michael, said: “It’s unfortunate that it has happened but we are trying to see that people who are rescued are taken  to the hospital and those who have passed away taken to the morgue so that people do not further get into injury. 
“We are still working because we can not just give out a number now.” 
The Managing Director of Save Life Foundation, Dr. Adesola Fernadez, who spoke with reporters, said the casualty figure was higher than given. 
As at press time, FCT Police Commissioner, the FCT Director of SSS, Mr. Joseph Okojie, and top security officers were co-ordinating investigation into the incident. 
At about 1.15pm, one of the two foreign experts inspected the scene of the blast before going back to the SUV. 
The two experts later invited the FCT Police Commissioner into the SUV. 
Barely a few hours after the blast, many eminent Nigerians and media chiefs visited the scene. 
Early callers at THISDAY office were  former FCT  Minister Mallam Nasir el-Rufai;  ex-Ogun Governor Gbenga Daniel; Media Trust Limited, Managing Director Mr. Isiaq Ajibola; LEADERSHIP Newspaper Group Managing Director Azubuike Ishiekwene; Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) National President, Mohammed Garba and FCT Minister Bala Mohammed.
Garba said: “I think I am here basically to sympathise with my colleagues. It is really unfortunate that such incident is happening to the media. 
“This has further confirmed our fear that journalists are not safe; media houses are not safe. There is need for the security agencies to be more proactive. 
“The owners of the media must intensify security in their premises. Our members, as journalists, must also be security conscious. 
“The Nigeria Union of Journalists is assessing the situation and at the end of it all, we are going to address a press conference and then our position will be known. 
“It is the same incident in Kaduna, which affected about three media houses. I have asked the chairman of the Kaduna State council of the NUJ to write a formal report to the NUJ secretariat. With what happened today in THISDAY and what happened in Kaduna, the NUJ will analyse the situation and come out with our position very early tomorrow morning.” 
el- Rufai said: “It is quite unfortunate. May the souls of those affected rest in peace.”
Daniel said: “I have seen what happened. It is regrettable and the only thing we can do is to plead with the people behind this action, for the sake of our country. Now that a media house is being torched, it has even greater consequences.”

Suspect held as bomb kills three in Kaduna

By  
•The scene of the Kaduna explosions, with the bomber’s car still on fire...yesterday  
 •The scene of the Kaduna explosions, with the bomber’s car still on fire...yesterday

A twin bomb explosion rocked Kaduna yesterday. One was targeted at a plaza housing the offices of three media houses.
Three people were killed in the 11:30a.m. attack on the media offices, which are on Kontagora Road in the heart of the North’s political capital.
The suicide bomber drove a Honda Academy car with registration number Al 306 MKA into the SOJ Plaza housing ThisDay, The Sun and The Moment. When the car failed to explode, he reportedly jumped out, shouting “bomb, bomb, bomb”!
Other newspaper offices around the vicinity, located a few metres away from the scene of the explosion, include The Nation, Peoples Daily, Sunlight (owned by the Taraba State Government), Daily Independent and the circulation office of Leadership.
Business premises within the area were immediately closed down as police cordoned off the scene. But they could not move into the building as angry youths threatened to burn down the building, which was the prime target of the attacker.
The youths took over the roads. The army and the police had a hectic time controlling the crowd. They resorted to firing into the air and flogging the youths before they could make way for the fire fighting vehicles to move into the building to put out the fire on the car.
The youths, who were apparently angry with the security men for not allowing them to lynch the suspected bomber, set fire to the car. Some of them threw stones at the building, breaking glasses.
The police teargassed the surging crowd of youths, who started confronting the security agents on Ahmadu Bello Way, forcing reporters and security personnel to disperse. Security agents made efforts to remove the vehicle from the premises. 
It was learnt that 11 camp cylinders neatly wired together and connected to the steering of the Honda Academy car were found inside the vehicle when the police came to remove it from the premises.
It was gathered that when the vehicle rammed into the building and failed to explode, those who rushed in to help, thinking it was an accident, found three of the cylinders on the front seat of the car and promptly raised the alarm.
They forced the suspect out of the vehicle, ordering him to remove the bomb. He reportedly said in Hausa that if he removed it, it would explode.
He was forced to remove the bomb, which was apparently meant to ignite the cylinders and bring down the two storey building. He threw the bomb outside the building where it exploded, killing three people on the spot.
There were, however, two other minor explosions between 12.10 and 12.30 from the vehicle.
Ismail Omipidan, Head of Bureau of The Sun gave an account of the incident which also affected his office. He said: “I was driving to the office. Normally, I come through Katsina Road  and enter the office through the back. But today, I just decided that I should pack my car along Ahmadu Bello Way.
“I was actually travelling out of town. When I came to the office, I saw a young man being beaten, and I saw my circulation man calling me. I also saw my landlord.  
“ When I asked why they were beating him, I was told that the suspected bomber drove a Honda car into the premises, came out of the car and was shouting that a bomb would explode any moment, and the people held him and told him to go and remove the bomb. 
“It was at this point that I called the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Aminu Lawan. I took a motorcycle to Magaji Garin Police Station. I told the police that people were beating up a young man close to my office, who is suspected to be a bomb carrier, and that they should go there on time. 
“As I was coming with the police to the scene, the man was forced by the people to remove one of the bombs from the car, and as soon as he removed it, he threw it on the ground and it exploded immediately and three people died on the spot.
At that moment, the bomber disappeared. People started looking for him. 
“Some people went into the building through the back door and they were able to get him. The police came and took him away. When police took him away, some youths started stoning the office.  
“Out of anger, one of them decided to set the car ablaze. 
“While the car was burning, we saw two gas cylinders, and by the time we moved away from there, one of the cylinders exploded.”
A Circulation Clerk with ThisDay, Monday Emmanuel, who was in the office at the time of the incident, said that the bomber parked the car, ran out and started shouting that the car would explode.
“It was around 11:00am when Shehu ran up to tell us that we should run. He said there was bomb within the premises and we should run. We initially thought he was joking, but we noticed that he was dead serious.  We ran for dear lives. We left the premises before the bomb finally exploded.”
Commissioner of Police Mohammed Abubakar Jingiri, who visited the scene at about 12.35 pm, described the incident as “unfortunate”.
He praised the public for their vigilance and prompt response that helped the police arrest the prime suspect.
He said: “It is rather an unfortunate incident and we will want to first appreciate members of the public for their vigilance and for their prompt action. It was their vigilance and prompt action that really helped the situation and helped us get the principal suspect that is now with us, receiving treatment at the Police Clinic. 
“I want to appreciate the members of the public and I want to call on them to continue to be vigilant in order to help the situation. 
“We have commenced interrogation and from what we have got so far, he is a stranger from another state. I will not tell you the state. The situation is under control and you can see that we have pumped in a lot of security and the area has been cordoned off and you can see the Fire Service are busy working to put out the fire. 
“So, we thank God Almighty for His blessings and wisdom and, also, appreciate the prompt attention of members of the press. I cannot precisely confirm to you that media houses are the prime target. What I can tell you is that for these dangerous elements, everybody is a target. The devastation is moderate. It is not as high as that of the Easter Sunday blast.”
There was another explosion in Ungwan Muazu in the Kaduna metropolis. Two people injured, The Nation learnt.
Although details of the explosion were sketchy last night, but sources said it came few hours after the explosion at the SOJ Building.
Police spokesman Aminu Lawan confirmed the blast. He declined comments.

Wednesday 25 April 2012

TAIWO 'sickened' by age-cheat rumours

By  
Taiwo  
Taiwo

NIGERIA international Taye Taiwo says he is sickened by rumours making the rounds about age-cheating involving him and his late twin.
Taiwo turned 27 on April 16, but a BlackBerry broadcast message with unknown origins claimed that while the QPR defender was celebrating his 27th in London, his 
supposed twin brother was marking his 39th.
The message quickly went viral, with some claiming the supposed twin turned 37, and others 33.
It is, however, common knowledge among close friends and relatives of the Taiwos, that Taye's twin, a girl, died barely two months after they were born.
Taiwo, who helped Rangers to a critical 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend, is understandably angry.
I don't know what kind of sick joke this is, or the kind of sick person who will come up with it," he tells KickOffNigeria.com. "I did not even know my twin. I was very young 
when my father told me that she died when we were young.
"Why is it that people are always looking for a way to bring others down? I don't understand 

N1.07t subsidy: Ahmadu Ali, others to face trial

By
Ahmadu Ali,  
 Ahmadu Ali,
-NNPC told to refund N310b -House clears Synopsis, Zenon -New chance for 17 firms

FORMER Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) chairman and executive secretaries (2009-2011) were told yesterday  to get set for trial over the N1.07 trillion subsidy scandal. 
They will be investigated/prosecuted by anti-corruption agencies, the House of Representatives said. 
Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Ahmadu Ali was the agency’s chairman during the period. The former PPPRA executive secretaries are: Mr. A Ibikunle (August 2009 to February 2011) and Mr. Goddy Egbuji (February 2011 to August 2011).
The House also said the Auditor-General of the Federation should audit the account of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to ascertain its solvency and report back to the House Committee on Public Accounts within three months. 
Also approved is the refund of the 2011 subsidy funds collected by the NNPC. This was in spite of a letter by the corporation to the House leadership, stating that the funds were meant to offset backlogs of 2010. 
In all, 35 of the 62 recommendations of the Farouk Lawan-headed House Committee on Fuel Subsidy regime were accepted. 
Recommendation (xiii) as adopted states: “That the Executive secretaries of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) who were the accounting officers, and under whose watch those abuses were perpetrated that led to the government losing billions of naira should be held liable. Therefore, we strongly recommend that those who served as Executive secretaries of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Authority (PPPRA) from January 2009 to October 2011 should be further investigated/prosecuted by relevant anti-corruption agencies. This should also include GM Field Services, ACDO/Supervisor-Ullage Team 1, and ACDO Supervisor-Ullage Team 2 within the same period, for their roles in the management of the Ullaging under the subsidy scheme. 
The amended recommendation (xvi) reads:  “That the chairman of the Board of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) from 2009-2011 and the entire members of the board during the period should be investigated and prosecuted and their decision which opened a floodgate for the bazaar is condemned in the strongest form.” 
Other recommendations adopted by the House are as follows: (xi); ”That the relevant anti-corruption agencies should carry out the due diligence investigation to determine the total demurrage payment and outstanding incurred by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for the period 2009-2011.
(xii) “That under the Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) scheme, importers, especially Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), should be mandated to patronise Nigerian flagged vessels, provided they produce the standard safety and sea-worthiness certificates in tune with international best practice. 
(xiii) that all payments which the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) made to itself from the Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) account in excess of the approved administrative charges which were due to it under the Template should be recovered and paid back into the fund. The officials involved in the infraction should be further investigated/prosecuted by the relevant anti-corruption agencies. These confirmed illegal payments were N156.455 billion in 2009 and N155.824 billion in 2010, a total sum of N312. 279 billion. 
Speaker Aminu Tambuwal warned that there are no sacred cows in the oil sector that is too big for the law to deal with. 
Tambuwal, who spoke just before the House went into the committee of the Whole to consider the report, hoped the executive would implement the report as adopted by the House. 
But, 17 oil marketers got a reprieve.
They were given two weeks to appear before the panel to state their positions on various allegations levelled against them. 
The companies are: Mut-Has Petroleum Ltd, Nepal Oil and Gas Service, Oilbath Nigeria, Techno Oil Ltd, Somerset Energy Services, Stonebridge Oil Ltd, Mobil Oil Nigeria, AX Energy Limited, CAH Resources Association Limited, Crust Energy Limited, Fresh Synergy Limited and Ibafon Oil Limited. 
Others are: Lottoj Oil and Gas Limited, Oakfield Synergy Network Limited, Petro Trade Energy Limited, Prudent Energy & Service Limited and Rocky Energy Limited. 
Before the new lease of life granted the oil companies, they were asked to refund N41.9 billion to government coffers. 
Two firms – Zenon Petroleum & Gas Limited and Synopsis Enterprises Limited were exonerated by Lawan, who told the House the companies were listed in error.
According to him, both firms should not have been on the list of those who partook in forex.
They did not participate in the PSF, Farouk told the House.
House spokesman Zakari Mohammed while speaking with reporters yesterday on the issue said: 
“The truth of the matter is that we want to give them a fair hearing. We don’t want a situation where they‘ll take us to court. People shouldn’t take us to court for this kind of row; we should avoid it. 
“If 17 companies say they were not invited or they did not get invited, or that we did not exhaust our legislative processes, the onus lies on us to give them fair hearing so that nobody rubbishes this report in the court of law. 
“But in the court of people’s opinion, people know that these 17 companies are being economical with the truth. At the same time, we are giving them two weeks to come up and defend themselves. 
“As far as we’re concerned, it does not change the decimal. It is still as constant as ever. The only thing is that we just want to avoid any avoidable pitfall. In two weeks, those two companies will be invited, and whatever the findings are like, it will come out as a supplementary report.” 
The road to a new lease of life for the oil company began when half way into the deliberations, a member, Osai Osai,  noted that it was imperative to give them an opportunity to present their cases to the House. 
Tobi Ukechukwu (PDP Enugu) moved a motion that the 17 companies be allowed to present their case. 
The House told the Executive that there should be no sacred cows that cannot be touched by the long arms of the law and that the Executive should fish out all those indicted by the committee. 
It, however, added another resolution - that NNPC should refund the subsidy deduction made for fuel subsidy in 2011. The members based their decision on the fact that the committee had said in its report that the 445, 000 bpd that the NNPC receives is more than sufficient for the country and that there is no need for subsidy. 
In insisting that the NNPC should refund the deductions, the House pointed out that the report shows that the NNPC has been deducting far beyond what the PPPRA recommended and thus should refund the deductions. 
The House was filled to capacity yesterday as it deliberated on the report and adopted most of the recommendations , The Deputy Speaker said that the NNPC sent a letter to the House, stating its position, Farouk was asked to comment 
According to Farouk, the letter states that the deductions made in 2011 for subsidy payments were for subsidy payments meant for 2010. 
Tambuwal, in a speech which won him a standing ovation, praised the committee’s members “for their courage, dedication and professionalism. They were given a crucial assignment and they handled it with the integrity and patriotism it deserved.” 
He declared that the oil sector as not “a secret society” nor “a sacred cow”.
The Speaker said the probe raised so much dust from certain segments of the polity “such that it became clear that the intention was to frustrate it”. 
His words: “For those who regard the oil sector as a secret society or sacred cow, I wish to state without equivocation that it is not. All public agencies in the oil sector are the creation of Acts of the National Assembly and this Honourable House has no powers to legislate for the creation of secret societies. 
“Similarly, all private sector corporate bodies operating in the sector are the creation of the Corporate Affairs Commission and that Commission also is not vested with any powers to incorporate secret societies. Let it, therefore, be known that in our drive to sanitise the polity, there are no sacred cows and we do not intend to discover any.” 
The Speaker urged members to “to look at the report dispassionately”. He went on: “Nigerians are watching us very closely and history will judge what we do here today. 
“Be fair in your comments and let aside all primordial sentiments so that we can do justice to this important document. 
“Let me also remind you that we are fighting against entrenched interests whose infectious greed has decimated our people. Therefore, be mindful that they will fight back, and they do fight dirty. 
“I have heard all kinds of insinuations, including the one about anti-graft agencies waiting for a ‘harmonised version’ of this report before taking any action. Let me quickly say here that this is at best an excuse that can not stand. After all, the same agencies accept and investigate petitions from individuals; how much more resolutions of this House, 
“There will be no such document. So, they should just go ahead and do their job and where they find any person or body culpable, they should proceed in accordance with the law. 
“Our only interest here is to mitigate the suffering of Nigerians by showing how the subsidy regime has been hijacked for the benefit of a few. 
“At the end of our deliberations we hope that the executive arm will act upon the resolutions of this House and bring more transparency to bear on the system.” 
Of the 62 recommendations in the report, members considered 35 yesterday. The consideration of the report continues today. 

Gunmen kill three in Plateau

By Gunmen struck yesterday in Barkin Ladi Local Government of Plateau State, killing three people and setting them ablaze. 
An eyewitness said: “The gunmen laid an ambush and about 8:30 pm at Gashish in Barakin-Ladi Local Government, they stopped a car with three occupants, including the Director of Finance and Supply, Jos East Local Government. The victims were heading for Gashishi.
The source further said: “The occupants  were accosted by the assailants who were armed with guns and other dangerous weapons  and they riddled the vehicle with bullets.”
It was learnt that after killing the victims, the gunmen drove to a nearby bush and set the car ablaze.
It was the thick smoke, which enveloped the air that attracted passers-by to the scene. 
Spokesman for the Special Task Force Captain Markus Mdahyelya who confirmed the incident, said three unidentified people were killed in the border between Brakin-Ladi and Bokkos local governments.
He urged residents to take security seriously and avoid going out at night. 

Salami: MTN disagrees with PDP, Oyinlola on call logs

By
Salami  
Salami
Telecommunication giant, MTN Nigeria has disagreed with former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on their requests for call logs.
The duo accused MTN of not releasing the full Call Data Records (CDRs) of the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami to the National Judicial Council (NJC).
The suit before a Federal High Court, Abuja, was filed to frustrate plans by the NJC to reinstate Justice Salami , who presided over the two different panels that sacked both Oyinlola and former Ekiti State Governor Segun Oni.
A few weeks ago, Justice Peter Affen of the FCT High Court dismissed a suit filed by Oni against Justice Salami for not disclosing reasonable cause of action.
In its  statement of defence filed to the present suit, MTN claimed it does not have the storage capacity to store and release CDRs beyond three months.
In a witness statement on oath filed in court by MTN’s Senior Manager, Commercial Legal, Mr. Rotimi Odusola, he averred that, “I know as a fact due to capacity and storage constraint, the first defendant (MTN) can only release CDRs for periods not exceeding three  months from the date of receipt of a legitimate  request for the release for the CDRs.
“I know as a fact that the first defendant’s standard requirement with respect to its post-paid subscription are consequent on its policy upon which it has absolute prerogative.
“I know that the first defendant released Adeolu Oyinlola’s CDR to him in compliance with its obligations to its subscribers.”
Responding to paragraphs 22 to 23 of the statement of claims, the MTN states that it always cooperates with security agencies and accedes to their legitimate requests while adhering to its rigid procedures to ensure its customers confidentiality regime is not compromised or prejudiced and also within the confines of its capacity and storage constraints. It was consequent to this that the first defendant upon request for call data records from the Police Force Area G command Headquarters Ogba, forwarded the CDRs to the command.” 
Reacting to MTN’s statement of defence, the former governor and his prime witness, Adeolu Oyinlola exhibited several call logs released by telecommunication outfit which spanned over six months.                                           
The plaintiffs claimed that they have three incontrovertible documentary evidence showing that MTN was dishonest and mischievous with intent of misleading the court.                                                   
They stated that the said documentary evidence were call logs from MTN which spanned beyond three months to six months.                                    They claimed that while the call data released to the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) by MTN covered only three months, the data released to the Area G Command covered the required five months.
In the suit,the plaintiffs are contending that the call data of those months which were deliberately left out in what was given to the NSA would have made all the difference in reaching a different conclusion by the NJC’s panel.
According to the plaintiffs, “The first defendant’s storage capacity is not limited to three months.  The call data records the 1st defendant released to Area G Command, Ogba, covered the period between September 1, 2010 and January 31, 2011 five calendar months). We shall also be calling the Area Commander, Area F Command, Ikeja, Lagos to tender the call data records of a certain Sunday Awobiye which spanned a period of six calendar months.  The said call logs were released also by the first Defendant.
“These buttress the plaintiffs’ assertion of the first Defendant’s inconsistent, fraudulent and manipulative tendencies:  The first call data record released to Adeolu Oyinlola by the first Defendant on the August 4, 2011 (already pleaded) covered only a period of one month, while the second call data record released by the same first Defendant to the self-same Adeolu Oyinlola on March 21, 2012 covered three months.  Very significantly, unlike the call data records the first Defendant released to the security agencies at the (behest of the National Judicial Council, both of the call data records released to Adeolu Oyinlola, as well as the call data records released to Areas F and G Commands had originating and terminating components.  The second call data record aforementioned is hereby pleaded”.   
Justice Bilikisu Aliyu has adjourned the matter till May 10.

Sunday 22 April 2012

Bob Marley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bob Marley
Black and white picture of a man with long dreadlocks playing the guitar on stage.
Bob Marley performing in concert, circa 1980.
Background information
Birth name Robert Nesta Marley
Also known as Tuff Gong
Born 6 February 1945
Nine Mile, Saint Ann, Jamaica
Died 11 May 1981 (aged 36)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Genres Reggae, ska, rocksteady
Occupations Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments Vocals, guitar, piano, saxophone, harmonica, percussion
Years active 1962–1981
Labels Studio One, Upsetter, Tuff Gong
Associated acts Bob Marley & The Wailers, Wailers Band, The Upsetters, I Threes
Website bobmarley.com
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 ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers (1963–1981). Marley remains the most widely known and revered performer of reggae music, and is credited with helping spread both Jamaican music and the Rastafari movement to a worldwide audience.[1]
Marley's music was heavily influenced by the social issues of his homeland, and he is considered to have given voice to the specific political and cultural nexus of Jamaica.[2] His best-known hits include "I Shot the Sheriff", "No Woman, No Cry", "Could You Be Loved", "Stir It Up", "Jamming", "Redemption Song", "One Love" and, together with The Wailers, "Three Little Birds",[3] as well as the posthumous releases "Buffalo Soldier" and "Iron Lion Zion". The compilation album Legend (1984), released three years after his death, is reggae's best-selling album, going ten times Platinum (Diamond) in the U.S.,[4] and selling 25 million copies worldwide.[5][6]

Contents

 [hide

Early life and career

Bob Marley was born in the village of Nine Mile in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica as Nesta Robert Marley.[7] A Jamaican passport official would later swap his first and middle names.[8] His father, Norval Sinclair Marley, was a white Jamaican of mixed and English descent whose family came from Essex, England. Norval was a captain in the Royal Marines, as well as a plantation overseer, when he married Cedella Booker, an Afro-Jamaican then 18 years old.[9] Norval provided financial support for his wife and child, but seldom saw them, as he was often away on trips. In 1955, when Marley was 10 years old, his father died of a heart attack at age 70.[10] Marley faced questions about his own racial identity throughout his life. He once reflected:
I don't have prejudice against meself. My father was a white and my mother was black. Them call me half-caste or whatever. Me don't dip on nobody's side. Me don't dip on the black man's side nor the white man's side. Me dip on God's side, the one who create me and cause me to come from black and white.[11]

The Bob Marley House in Nine Mile is a home that he shared with his mother during his youth
Although Marley recognised his mixed ancestry, throughout his life and because of his beliefs, he self-identified as a black African, following the ideas of Pan-African leaders. Marley stated that his two biggest influences were the African-centered Marcus Garvey and Haile Selassie. A central theme in Bob Marley's message was the repatriation of black people to Zion, which in his view was Ethiopia, or more generally, Africa.[12] In songs such as "Black Survivor", "Babylon System", and "Blackman Redemption", Marley sings about the struggles of blacks and Africans against oppression from the West or "Babylon".[13]
Marley became friends with Neville "Bunny" Livingston (later known as Bunny Wailer), with whom he started to play music. He left school at the age of 14 to make music with Joe Higgs, a local singer and devout Rastafari. At a jam session with Higgs and Livingston, Marley met Peter McIntosh (later known as Peter Tosh), who had similar musical ambitions.[14] In 1962, Marley recorded his first two singles, "Judge Not" and "One Cup of Coffee", with local music producer Leslie Kong. These songs, released on the Beverley's label under the pseudonym of Bobby Martell,[15] attracted little attention. The songs were later re-released on the box set Songs of Freedom, a posthumous collection of Marley's work.

Bob Marley & the Wailers

1963–1974


Marley in concert in 1980, Zurich Switzerland
In 1963, Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, and Cherry Smith formed a ska and rocksteady group, calling themselves "The Teenagers". They later changed their name to "The Wailing Rudeboys", then to "The Wailing Wailers", at which point they were discovered by record producer Coxsone Dodd, and finally to "The Wailers". By 1966, Braithwaite, Kelso, and Smith had left The Wailers, leaving the core trio of Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, and Peter Tosh.[16]
In 1966, Marley married Rita Anderson, and moved near his mother's residence in Wilmington, Delaware in the United States for a short time, during which he worked as a DuPont lab assistant and on the assembly line at a Chrysler plant, under the alias Donald Marley.[17]
Though raised in the Catholic tradition, Marley became captivated by Rastafarian beliefs in the 1960s, when away from his mother's influence.[18] Formally converted to Rastafari after returning to Jamaica, Marley began to wear his trademark dreadlocks (see the religion section for more on Marley's religious views). After a conflict with Dodd, Marley and his band teamed up with Lee "Scratch" Perry and his studio band, The Upsetters. Although the alliance lasted less than a year, they recorded what many consider The Wailers' finest work. Marley and Perry split after a dispute regarding the assignment of recording rights, but they would remain friends and work together again.

Bob Marley's flat in 1972 at 34 Ridgmount Gardens, Camden Town, London, his first UK address.[19][20]
Between 1968 and 1972, Bob and Rita Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer re-cut some old tracks with JAD Records in Kingston and London in an attempt to commercialise The Wailers' sound. Bunny later asserted that these songs "should never be released on an album ... they were just demos for record companies to listen to". Also in 1968, Bob and Rita visited the Bronx to see Johnny Nash's songwriter Jimmy Norman.[21] A three-day jam session with Norman and others, including Norman's co-writer Al Pyfrom, resulted in a 24-minute tape of Marley performing several of his own and Norman-Pyfrom's compositions. This tape is, according to Reggae archivist Roger Steffens, rare in that it was influenced by pop rather than reggae, as part of an effort to break Marley into the American charts.[21] According to an article in The New York Times, Marley experimented on the tape with different sounds, adopting a doo-wop style on "Stay With Me" and "the slow love song style of 1960's artists" on "Splish for My Splash".[21] An artist yet to establish himself outside his native Jamaica, Marley lived in Ridgmount Gardens, Camden, London during 1972.[20][19]
In 1972, the Wailers entered into an ill-fated deal with CBS Records and embarked on a tour with American soul singer Johnny Nash. Broke, the Wailers became stranded in London. Marley turned up at Island Records founder and producer Chris Blackwell's London office, and asked him to advance the cost of a new single. Since Jimmy Cliff, Island's top reggae star, had recently left the label, Blackwell was primed for a replacement. In Marley, Blackwell recognized the elements needed to snare the rock audience: "I was dealing with rock music, which was really rebel music. I felt that would really be the way to break Jamaican music. But you needed someone who could be that image. When Bob walked in he really was that image."[22] Blackwell told Marley he wanted The Wailers to record a complete album (essentially unheard of at the time). When Marley told him it would take between £3,000 and £4,000, Blackwell trusted him with the greater sum. Despite their "rude boy" reputation, the Wailers returned to Kingston and honored the deal, delivering the album Catch A Fire.
Primarily recorded on eight-track at Harry J's in Kingston, Catch A Fire marked the first time a reggae band had access to a state-of-the-art studio and were accorded the same care as their rock'n'roll peers.[22] Blackwell desired to create "more of a drifting, hypnotic-type feel than a reggae rhythm",[23] and restructured Marley's mixes and arrangements. Marley travelled to London to supervise Blackwell's overdubbing of the album, which included tempering the mix from the bass-heavy sound of Jamaican music, and omitting two tracks.[22]
The Wailers' first major label album, Catch a Fire was released worldwide in April 1973, packaged like a rock record with a unique Zippo lighter lift-top. Initially selling 14,000 units, it didn't make Marley a star, but received a positive critical reception.[22] It was followed later that year by Burnin', which included the standout songs "Get Up, Stand Up", and "I Shot the Sheriff", which appealed to the ear of Eric Clapton. He recorded a cover of the track in 1974 which became a huge American hit, raising Marley's international profile.[24] Many Jamaicans were not keen on the new "improved" reggae sound on Catch A Fire, but the Trenchtown style of Burnin' found fans across both reggae and rock audiences.[22]
During this period, Blackwell gifted his Kingston residence and company headquarters at 56 Hope Road (then known as Island House) to Marley. Housing Tuff Gong Studios, the property became not only Marley's office, but also his home.[22]
The Wailers were scheduled to open 17 shows for the number one black act in the States, Sly and the Family Stone. After 4 shows, the band was fired because they were more popular than the acts they were opening for.[25] The Wailers broke up in 1974 with each of the three main members pursuing solo careers. The reason for the breakup is shrouded in conjecture; some believe that there were disagreements amongst Bunny, Peter, and Bob concerning performances, while others claim that Bunny and Peter simply preferred solo work.

1974–1981

A crowd of people standing in water and listening to a band perform on stage.
Bob Marley & The Wailers live at Crystal Palace Park during the Uprising Tour
Despite the break-up, Marley continued recording as "Bob Marley & The Wailers". His new backing band included brothers Carlton and Aston "Family Man" Barrett on drums and bass respectively, Junior Marvin and Al Anderson on lead guitar, Tyrone Downie and Earl "Wya" Lindo on keyboards, and Alvin "Seeco" Patterson on percussion. The "I Threes", consisting of Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths, and Marley's wife, Rita, provided backing vocals. In 1975, Marley had his international breakthrough with his first hit outside Jamaica, "No Woman, No Cry", from the Natty Dread album. This was followed by his breakthrough album in the United States, Rastaman Vibration (1976), which spent four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.[26] In December 1976, two days before "Smile Jamaica", a free concert organised by the Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley in an attempt to ease tension between two warring political groups, Marley, his wife, and manager Don Taylor were wounded in an assault by unknown gunmen inside Marley's home. Taylor and Marley's wife sustained serious injuries, but later made full recoveries. Bob Marley received minor wounds in the chest and arm. The shooting was thought to have been politically motivated, as many felt the concert was really a support rally for Manley. Nonetheless, the concert proceeded, and an injured Marley performed as scheduled, two days after the attempt. When asked why, Marley responded, "The people who are trying to make this world worse aren’t taking a day off. How can I?" The members of the group Zap Pow, which had no radical religious or political beliefs, played as Bob Marley's backup band before a festival crowd of 80,000 while members of The Wailers were still missing or in hiding.[27][28]
Marley left Jamaica at the end of 1976, and after a month-long "recovery and writing" sojourn at the site of Chris Blackwell's Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, arrived in England, where he spent two years in self-imposed exile. Whilst there he recorded the albums Exodus and Kaya. Exodus stayed on the British album charts for 56 consecutive weeks. It included four UK hit singles: "Exodus", "Waiting in Vain", "Jamming", and "One Love" (a rendition of Curtis Mayfield's hit, "People Get Ready"). During his time in London, he was arrested and received a conviction for possession of a small quantity of cannabis.[29] In 1978, Marley returned to Jamaica and performed at another political concert, the One Love Peace Concert, again in an effort to calm warring parties. Near the end of the performance, by Marley's request, Michael Manley (leader of then-ruling People's National Party) and his political rival Edward Seaga (leader of the opposing Jamaica Labour Party), joined each other on stage and shook hands.[30]
Under the name Bob Marley and the Wailers eleven albums were released, four live albums and seven studio albums. The releases included Babylon by Bus, a double live album with thirteen tracks, were released in 1978 and received critical acclaim. This album, and specifically the final track "Jamming" with the audience in a frenzy, captured the intensity of Marley's live performances.[31]
"Marley wasn’t singing about how peace could come easily to the World but rather how hell on Earth comes too easily to too many. His songs were his memories; he had lived with the wretched, he had seen the downpressers and those whom they pressed down."
Survival, a defiant and politically charged album, was released in 1979. Tracks such as "Zimbabwe", "Africa Unite", "Wake Up and Live", and "Survival" reflected Marley's support for the struggles of Africans. His appearance at the Amandla Festival in Boston in July 1979 showed his strong opposition to South African apartheid, which he already had shown in his song "War" in 1976. In early 1980, he was invited to perform at the 17 April celebration of Zimbabwe's Independence Day. Uprising (1980) was Bob Marley's final studio album, and is one of his most religious productions; it includes "Redemption Song" and "Forever Loving Jah".[33] Confrontation, released posthumously in 1983, contained unreleased material recorded during Marley's lifetime, including the hit "Buffalo Soldier" and new mixes of singles previously only available in Jamaica.[34]

Personal life

Religion

Rastafari movement
Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1936; 1941-1974).svg
Main doctrines
Jah · Afrocentrism · Ital · Zion · Cannabis use
Central figures
Haile Selassie I · Jesus · Menen Asfaw · Marcus Garvey
Key scriptures
Bible · Kebra Nagast · The Promise Key · Holy Piby · My Life and Ethiopia's Progress · Royal Parchment Scroll of Black Supremacy
Branches and festivals
Mansions · in United States · Shashamane · Grounation Day · Reasoning
Notable individuals
Leonard Howell · Joseph Hibbert · Mortimer Planno · Vernon Carrington · Charles Edwards · Bob Marley · Peter Tosh
See also:
Vocabulary · Persecution · Dreadlocks · Reggae · Ethiopian Christianity · Index of Rastafari articles
This box: view · talk · edit
Bob Marley was a member of the Rastafari movement, whose culture was a key element in the development of reggae. Bob Marley became an ardent proponent of Rastafari, taking their music out of the socially deprived areas of Jamaica and onto the international music scene. He once gave the following response, which was typical, to a question put to him during a recorded interview:
  • Interviewer: "Can you tell the people what it means being a Rastafarian?"
  • Bob: "I would say to the people, Be still, and know that His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia is the Almighty. Now, the Bible seh so, Babylon newspaper seh so, and I and I the children seh so. Yunno? So I don't see how much more reveal our people want. Wha' dem want? a white God, well God come black. True true."[35]
Observant of the Rastafari practice Ital, a diet that shuns meat, Marley was a vegetarian.[36] According to his biographers, he affiliated with the Twelve Tribes Mansion. He was in the denomination known as "Tribe of Joseph", because he was born in February (each of the twelve sects being composed of members born in a different month). He signified this in his album liner notes, quoting the portion from Genesis that includes Jacob's blessing to his son Joseph. Marley was baptised by the Archbishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Kingston, Jamaica, on 4 November 1980.[37][38]

Family

Bob Marley had a number of children: three with his wife Rita, two adopted from Rita's previous relationships, and several others with different women. The Bob Marley official website acknowledges eleven children.
Those listed on the official site are:
  1. Sharon, born 23 November 1964, to Rita in previous relationship
  2. Cedella born 23 August 1967, to Rita
  3. David "Ziggy", born 17 October 1968, to Rita
  4. Stephen, born 20 April 1972, to Rita
  5. Robert "Robbie", born 16 May 1972, to Pat Williams
  6. Rohan, born 19 May 1972, to Janet Hunt
  7. Karen, born 1973 to Janet Bowen
  8. Stephanie, born 17 August 1974; according to Cedella Booker she was the daughter of Rita and a man called Ital with whom Rita had an affair; nonetheless she was acknowledged as Bob's daughter
  9. Julian, born 4 June 1975, to Lucy Pounder
  10. Ky-Mani, born 26 February 1976, to Anita Belnavis
  11. Damian, born 21 July 1978, to Cindy Breakspeare
Makeda was born on 30 May 1981, to Yvette Crichton, after Marley's death.[39] Meredith Dixon's book lists her as Marley's child, but she is not listed as such on the Bob Marley official website.
Various websites, for example,[40] also list Imani Carole, born 22 May 1963 to Cheryl Murray; but she does not appear on the official Bob Marley website.[39]

Football

Bob Marley, as with many Jamaicans, was an avid football fan. There are reports that say Marley could have gone professional. In particular he stated in a chance meeting in Australia with former Celtic F.C. striker Dixie Deans that he was a huge Celtic fan. According to Deans he could recite the entire 1966–67 European Cup winning team and had longing to grace the turf of Celtic Park one day.

Final years and death


Marley performing in at Dalymount Park in the late 1970s
In July 1977, Marley was found to have a type of malignant melanoma under the nail of one of his toes. Contrary to urban legend, this lesion was not primarily caused by an injury during a football match in that year, but was instead a symptom of the already existing cancer. Marley turned down doctors' advice to have his toe amputated, citing his religious beliefs.[41] Despite his illness, he continued touring and was in the process of scheduling a world tour in 1980. The intention was for Inner Circle to be his opening act on the tour but after their lead singer Jacob Miller died in Jamaica in March 1980 after returning from a scouting mission in Brazil this was no longer mentioned.[42]
The album Uprising was released in May 1980 (produced by Chris Blackwell), on which "Redemption Song" is particularly considered to be about Marley coming to terms with his mortality.[43] The band completed a major tour of Europe, where they played their biggest concert, to a hundred thousand people in Milan. After the tour Marley went to America, where he performed two shows at Madison Square Garden as part of the Uprising Tour.
The final concert of Bob Marley's career was held September 23, 1980 at the Stanley Theater (now called The Benedum Center For The Performing Arts) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The audio recording of that concert is now available on CD, vinyl, and digital music services.
Shortly after, Marley's health deteriorated and he became very ill; the cancer had spread throughout his body. The rest of the tour was cancelled and Marley sought treatment at the Bavarian clinic of Josef Issels, where he received a controversial type of cancer therapy partly based on avoidance of certain foods, drinks, and other substances. After fighting the cancer without success for eight months, Marley boarded a plane for his home in Jamaica.[44]
While flying home from Germany to Jamaica, Marley's vital functions worsened. After landing in Miami, Florida, he was taken to the hospital for immediate medical attention. He died at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Miami (now University of Miami Hospital) on the morning of May 11, 1981, at the age of 36. The spread of melanoma to his lungs and brain caused his death. His final words to his son Ziggy were "Money can't buy life".[45] Marley received a state funeral in Jamaica on 21 May 1981, which combined elements of Ethiopian Orthodoxy and Rastafari tradition.[46] He was buried in a chapel near his birthplace with his red Gibson Les Paul (some accounts say it was a Fender Stratocaster).[47]
On 21 May 1981, Jamaican Prime Minister Edward Seaga delivered the final funeral eulogy to Marley, declaring:
His voice was an omnipresent cry in our electronic world. His sharp features, majestic looks, and prancing style a vivid etching on the landscape of our minds. Bob Marley was never seen. He was an experience which left an indelible imprint with each encounter. Such a man cannot be erased from the mind. He is part of the collective consciousness of the nation.[48]

Legacy


Marley has remained popular for decades after his death—one of many memorials to him is this representation at Madame Tussaud Wax Museum in Amsterdam
Bob Marley was the Third World's first pop superstar. He was the man who introduced the world to the mystic power of reggae. He was a true rocker at heart, and as a songwriter, he brought the lyrical force of Bob Dylan, the personal charisma of John Lennon, and the essential vocal stylings of Smokey Robinson into one voice.
Jann Wenner, at Marley’s 1994 posthumous introduction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame[49]
In 1999 Time magazine chose Bob Marley & The Wailers' Exodus as the greatest album of the 20th century.[50] In 2001, he was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a feature-length documentary about his life, Rebel Music, won various awards at the Grammys. With contributions from Rita, The Wailers, and Marley's lovers and children, it also tells much of the story in his own words.[51] A statue was inaugurated, next to the national stadium on Arthur Wint Drive in Kingston to commemorate him. In 2006, the State of New York renamed a portion of Church Avenue from Remsen Avenue to East 98th Street in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn "Bob Marley Boulevard".[52] In 2008, a statue of Marley was inaugurated in Banatski Sokolac, Serbia.[53]
Internationally, Marley’s message also continues to reverberate amongst various indigenous communities. For instance, the Aboriginal people of Australia continue to burn a sacred flame to honor his memory in Sydney’s Victoria Park, while members of the Native American Hopi and Havasupai tribe revere his work.[54] There are also many tributes to Bob Marley throughout India, including restaurants, hotels, and cultural festivals.[55][56]
Marley has also evolved into a global symbol, which has been endlessly merchandised through a variety of mediums. In light of this, author Dave Thompson in his book Reggae and Caribbean Music, laments what he perceives to be the commercialized pacification of Marley's more militant edge, stating:
Bob Marley ranks among both the most popular and the most misunderstood figures in modern culture ... That the machine has utterly emasculated Marley is beyond doubt. Gone from the public record is the ghetto kid who dreamed of Che Guevara and the Black Panthers, and pinned their posters up in the Wailers Soul Shack record store; who believed in freedom; and the fighting which it necessitated, and dressed the part on an early album sleeve; whose heroes were James Brown and Muhammad Ali; whose God was Ras Tafari and whose sacrament was marijuana. Instead, the Bob Marley who surveys his kingdom today is smiling benevolence, a shining sun, a waving palm tree, and a string of hits which tumble out of polite radio like candy from a gumball machine. Of course it has assured his immortality. But it has also demeaned him beyond recognition. Bob Marley was worth far more.[57]

Film adaptation(s)

In February 2008, director Martin Scorsese announced his intention to produce a documentary movie on Marley. The film was set to be released on 6 February 2010, on what would have been Marley's 65th birthday.[58] Recently, however, Scorsese dropped out due to scheduling problems. He is being replaced by Jonathan Demme.[59]
In March 2008, The Weinstein Company announced its plans to produce a biopic of Bob Marley, based on the book No Woman No Cry: My Life With Bob Marley by Rita Marley. Rudy Langlais will produce the script by Lizzie Borden and Rita Marley will be executive producer.[60]

Discography

Awards and honors

A five pointed pink star inlaid in the sidewalk with Bob Marley written on it.
Marley's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

See also

References

  1. ^ "2007 Pop Conference Bios/Abstracts". Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame. 2007.
  2. ^ "Bob Marley". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  3. ^ "Bob Marley". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006.
  4. ^ Miller, Doug (26 February 2007). "Concert Series: 'No Woman, No Cry'". web.BobMarley.com. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  5. ^ Newcomb, Peter (25 October 2004). "Top Earners for 2004". Forbes: p. 9. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  6. ^ "Rolling in the money". iAfrica. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  7. ^ Moskowitz 2007, p. 1
  8. ^ Moskowitz 2007, p. 9
  9. ^ Moskowitz 2007, p. 2
  10. ^ Moskowitz 2007, p. 4
  11. ^ Webley, Bishop Derek (10 May 2008). "One world, one love, one Bob Marley". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  12. ^ "Religion and Ethics: Rastafari – Bob Marley". BBC.
  13. ^ Middleton 2000, pp. 181–198
  14. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Bob Marley – Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  15. ^ "The Beverley Label and Leslie Kong: Music Business". bobmarley.com. Archived from the original on 21 June 2006.
  16. ^ "The Wailers'Biography". Vital Spot. Retrieved 1 October 2009.[dead link]
  17. ^ White, Timothy (25 June 1981). "Bob Marley: 1945–1981". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner.
  18. ^ Moskowtz, David Vlado (2007). The Words and Music of Bob Marley. Westport, Connecticut. p. 16. ISBN 0275989356, ISBN 9780275989354.
  19. ^ a b Bob Marley’s London home on the Music Pilgrimages website.
  20. ^ a b Muir, Hugh (27 October 2006). "Blue plaque marks flats that put Marley on road to fame". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  21. ^ a b c McKinley, Jesse (19 December 2002). "Pre-reggae tape of Bob Marley is found and put on auction". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
  22. ^ a b c d e f Hagerman, Brent (February 2005). "Chris Blackwell: Savvy Svengali". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  23. ^ [Quoted in the liner notes to 2001 reissue of Catch a Fire, written by Richard Williams]
  24. ^ "I Shot the Sheriff". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. 9 December 2004. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  25. ^ "Bob Marley Biography". admin. 9 August 2010. Retrieved November 2010.
  26. ^ "Bob Marley Bio". niceup.com. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  27. ^ "The shooting of a Wailer". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. 13 January 1997. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
  28. ^ Walker, Jeff (1980) on the cover of Zap Pow's LP Reggae Rules. Los Angeles: Rhino Records.
  29. ^ "A Timeline of Bob Marley's Career". Thirdfield.com. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  30. ^ "One Love Peace Concert". Everything2.com. 24 May 2002. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  31. ^ White, Timothy (28 December 1978). "Babylon by Bus review". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  32. ^ Henke 2006, p. 61
  33. ^ Morris, Chris (16 October 1980). "Uprising review". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  34. ^ Schruers, Fred (1 September 1983). "Confrontation review". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  35. ^ Davis, Steven, Bob Marley: the biography (1983) p. 115
  36. ^ "Bob Marley". The International Vegetarian Union. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
  37. ^ "The Ethiopian Orthodox Church & Bob Marley's Baptism And The Church". Jamaicans.com.
  38. ^ "Bob Marley's Baptism in Ethiopian Orthodox Church". Rastafarispeaks.com.
  39. ^ a b Dixon, Meredith. "Lovers and Children of the Natural Mystic: The Story of Bob Marley, Women and their Children". The Dread Library. Retrieved 21 June 2007.
  40. ^ "Bob Marley's Children". Chelsea's Entertainment Reviews. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  41. ^ "A Death by Skin Cancer? The Bob Marley Story". The Tribune. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2011]].
  42. ^ Slater, Russ (6 August 2010). "The Day Bob Marley Played Football in Brazil". Sounds and Colours. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
  43. ^ "tune4now.com". tune4now.com. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  44. ^ "His story: The life and legacy of Bob Marley". web.bobmarley.com. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
  45. ^ "Why Did Bob Marley Die - What Did Bob Marley Die From". Worldmusic.about.com. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  46. ^ Moskowitz 2007, p. 116
  47. ^ "Bob Marley". Find a Grave. 1 January 2001. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
  48. ^ Henke 2006, p. 58
  49. ^ Henke 2006, p. 4
  50. ^ "The Best Of The Century". Time (Time Inc.). 31 December 1999. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
  51. ^ "Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for Bob Marley". Caribbian Today. 31 January 2001. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
  52. ^ "Brooklyn Street Renamed Bob Marley Boulevard". NY1. 2 July 2006. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
  53. ^ "n. Marinković, "Marli u Sokolcu"". Politika.rs. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  54. ^ a b Henke 2006, p. 5
  55. ^ Singh, Sarina; Brown, Lindsay; Elliot, Mark; Harding, Paul; Hole, Abigail; Horton, Patrick (2009). Lonely Planet India. Oakland, CA: Lonely Planet. p. 1061. ISBN 978-1741791518. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  56. ^ "Bob Marley Cultural Fest 2010". Cochin Square. May 4, 2010. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  57. ^ Reggae and Caribbean Music, by Dave Thompson, Hal Leonard Corporation, 2002, ISBN 0879306556, pp. 159
  58. ^ Winter Miller (17 February 2008). "Scorsese to make Marley documentary". Ireland On-Line. Retrieved 6 March 2008.
  59. ^ "Martin Scorsese Drops Out of Bob Marley Documentary". WorstPreviews.com. 22 May 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2008.
  60. ^ Miller, Winter (3 March 2008). "Weinstein Co. options Marley". Variety (Reed Business Information). Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  61. ^ "The Immortals: The First Fifty". Rolling Stone Issue 946. Jann Wenner.
  62. ^ "Who is the greatest lyricist of all time". BBC. 23 May 2001.
  63. ^ "London honours legendary reggae artist Bob Marley with heritage plaque". AfricaUnite.org.
  64. ^ "Grammy Hall of Fame Awards Complete Listing". Grammy.com.