Award-winning
singer D’banj, in a partnership with Robert John and First Bank,
officially unveiled the Kokomobile D’banj series phones last week.
Speaking at a press conference held at SQ restaurant on Thursday, April
7, 2011, D’Banj revealed that the project had been in the making since
2007 and expressed his excitement about the product launch.
“It’s a dream come
true for me, especially looking at my role models who are into other
things aside [from] music,” he said. “It’s a dream come true.
Kokomobile is a strictly Nigerian phone and a privilege because the
project has gone through a lot.”
Also speaking about the Kokomobile, chief executive officer of Robert John, Femi Awosika, said the idea came in May 2007.
“We needed a great
company that shares the same dream that we do and to get a proper
representation,” he said. “Mo’Hits [Records] has to come in, as we all
know D’banj is a very big act in the industry. Then we decided to go to
First Bank, with over 100 years of experience, to finance the product.
So we built a relationship that [First Bank] loved and the idea came
alive.”
Speaking about the
first model from the series, Mr. Awosika revealed that the Kokomobile
is a “unique communication and entertainment device” with features
including easy access to the Internet, a charity portal, God Bless
Nigeria — which allows users to make donations to the Freedom
Foundation, access to various social networking portals as well as a
First Bank application that gives users access to financial services
called First Mobile. Other features include the Kokodownload which
allows users to download all the latest music and music videos from
D’Banj and the Mo’Hits crew including exclusive beats from the Mo’Hit’s
boss, Don Jazzy.
D’Banj further
revealed that the Kokomobile was the reason that he ended his
ambassadorial contract with telecom giant, Globacom.
“I didn’t want the phone users restricted to only one network,” the singer said.
Robert John
is a mobile device manufacturing company based in Nigeria. The company
had already produced the mobile series rj100 and rj200 before the
D’Banj series.
Aberdeen court clears Sammie Okposo
On April 8, 2011,
Nigerian gospel singer, Sammie Okposo, was cleared of making racial
comments in a restaurant in Aberdeen, Scotland. According to a release
from his publicist Seun Apara, Okposo who was alleged to have caused
distress to Ronny Shui Hung Yung, a restaurateur, by shouting, swearing
and uttering racial remarks while at a restaurant during his honeymoon
trip last year, was discharged and acquitted of all charges after the
presiding judge in an Aberdeen court discovered that “all evidence
brought against him are insufficient, incoherent and baseless”.
“The judge
pronounced his judgment after Okposo’s lawyer, Val Bremmer from Mackie
and Dewar Solicitors, crossexamined the manager and the assistant
manager of Jimmy Chung Restaurant and discovered that their testimonies
were incoherent,” the release read. Speaking on his victory over the
court case, Okposo said, “God has vindicated me. The Bible says no
weapon formed against me shall prosper and every tongue that rises up
against me in judgment, he shall condemn.”
Okposo’s Nigeria
lawyer, Valentine Emeka Utulu, has immediately filed a case of personal
harassment and aggravation against the restaurant management and the
violation of his human rights by the Aberdeen police.
Red Bull Music Academy extends application deadline
Organizers of the
Red Bull Music Academy have extended the deadline for submission of
applications to Tuesday, April 26, 2011. According to a release from
the organizers, the deadline was extended to give “artistes willing to
participate in this year’s Red Bull Music Academy an opportunity to
apply”.
The release also
revealed that the event initially billed to hold in Tokyo will be
relocated to another region because of the disaster in Japan.
“After a thorough
evaluation and close consultation with the Japanese team, we have
decided that the Red Bull Music Academy 2011 will not be held in Tokyo.
Hence, the application phase will be extended to 26th April”, the
release read.
Taofik Okoya debuts ‘Children’s Fiesta, 2011’
Chief executive
officer of Fico Solutions Limited, Taofik Okoya, has unveiled plans to
organize a fiesta for children on Saturday May 28, 2011. The event,
which will be the inaugural episode under the ‘Queens of Africa
Project’, is tagged ‘Children’s Fiesta 2011’ and themed “Taking
Tomorrow Today”.
Speaking through
his PR consultant, Bee Azubike, Mr. Okoya revealed that the event is
“specifically designed to inspire kids as well as enhance their career
development skills for the future”.
Okoya also added
that the fiesta which will hold in Lagos will feature “performances by
renowned Artistes as well as other side attractions to keep the
children entertained while they learn”.
Attendees will be selected via SMS and internet competitions. Fico
Solutions Ltd. publishes edutainment books and comics and are makers of
Nigeria’s first fashion dolls, ‘Queens of Africa’.
