Linda and Jayce

Two days before my 38th birthday on September 17th, I welcomed my first child, my son, Jayce. I look at him and I wonder why I waited so long to have a child. I’ve never known love like this. I literally have tears in my eyes every time I look at him. I can’t believe he came out of me. He is by far my greatest blessing and I’m looking forward to navigating him through life!

Now to the reason why you are reading this. I argued with myself for a long time whether to put this out or not…and finally decided it was a story I wanted to share. I’ve always been open about my life but I’m sharing details about my personal life mostly because of the girls who look up to me. The girls I have mentored, mentoring right now and plan to mentor in the future. I’m very particular about our young girls and I have personally tried over the years to be an example in some way; tried to teach these girls how to fight for their dreams, how to live right and do right and then I go and have a child out of wedlock and that must be a little confusing to some of them and especially with so many untruthful stuff out there about me.

The most hilarious is that I had a child for a married man. Lol. Here’s my answer to that! The married man that I will sleep with has not yet been born. If he’s been born, he will die, be buried, rise and die again before he will lay with me. I don’t do married men. The father of my child is a single man and his name is Sholaye Jeremi. To be honest, at some point I thought he was my final bus stop but you know how life happens…lol. Unfortunately he and I are a completely closed chapter. Sadly for our son Jayce, it’s the kind of chapter that can’t ever be opened again.
One of the things many people have asked me is how I met this man because we don’t run in the same circle. Well, I met him 3 years ago at Wheatbaker Restaurant in Ikoyi in December 2015 shortly after I moved to my home in Banana Island, Ikoyi. It was a day after Christmas and I was having dinner with friends when he walked in. He saw me and the rest is history. He claimed at the time that he had never heard of me which was seriously a turn-on for me because up until then I’d only been meeting men who behaved like fans. At the time we met, I was 35 and he was 37 and I’d been single for nearly 4 years. I was definitely searching and I fell in love almost immediately and so we became an item.

Linda and Sholaye Jeremi

At the time I met him he lived in a 3-bedroom flat at what used to be 5th roundabout in Lekki after Mobil. I used to drive for almost two hours in traffic from my house to go see him. Most of the time, I carried my laptop to his home to enable me to work and at the same time spend the whole day with him.
It was a whirlwind romance. He was the funniest and most romantic guy I’d met up until that point, so it was easy to fall in love and I truly believed the feeling was mutual. A few weeks after we met, it seemed like we were planning a future together. This man was already calling me Linda Ikeji Jeremi and making all these plans but then just like that, it was over between us. I went from waking up every morning to love text messages from him to no more calls. I was just thanking God for finally sending me my own man when all of a sudden we were no longer talking to each other. Later he would tell me what scared him off. My public life. He claims he’s a private business man and didn’t want the attention being with me would bring to him and I told him I understood and we went our separate ways. We tried to get back together in 2016 but it didn’t work out so much so we separated again but stayed in touch (mostly him to be honest), stayed friends and that was how our back and forth started.
By mid-2017, we were both still single and we started seeing each other again quietly. There were times it was very intense and we talked about a future together, and there were times that I couldn’t figure out what exactly I was doing with this guy. We were not suited for each other. Totally different lifestyles. And there was the problem of my fame. I walked away from this man a million times and he came after me a million and one times. No matter how much I pushed him away, he kept coming back and me, because I couldn’t find anyone else, I kept going back. Lol. So I was basically going back to my ex because I couldn’t find anyone else. *sigh*.
Then I fell pregnant. It wasn’t planned, it just happened; though we talked about having a child together just two months before I fell pregnant. He said something about putting a billionaire baby inside me and I remember jokingly telling him that I’m also a billionaire so our child was going to be a billionaire on both side…and we laughed. But after I fell pregnant, things became extremely weird between us. If I tried to explain what happened, I wouldn’t be able to because it was confusing to me. We went from talking about the pregnancy and being okay with it; he even suggested I go to Dubai for my pre-natals as he didn’t trust doctors in Nigeria, to literally not talking to each other anymore. Around when I was about three months pregnant, he did come to see my parents and actually became very cool with my dad. They were literally exchanging Whatsapp messages every day. He later agreed to a traditional wedding which he didn’t follow through and then he switched. He began to treat me with so much hate and aggression that I and my family had to cut him off completely.
To be honest if anybody had told me when we met three years ago, considering how deeply we cared for each other that I would fall pregnant two years later and he would completely turn his back on me for most part of my pregnancy, I never would have believed it but that’s what happened. I had to draw strength from myself, my family and close friends.
And Jayce…oh my son Jayce, he was my biggest strength. It was almost as if he knew his dad was acting up so he came through for his mum. He was gentle with me when I was carrying him. I had an extremely easy pregnancy. I pushed him out under 3 mins and was in the labour room for less than 30 minutes. And then my snapback was amazing. Three weeks later, it was almost as if I’d never been pregnant. Jayce was my soldier when his dad turned his back.
But still, I have absolutely no iota of regret meeting Sholaye. Gosh, have you seen Jayce? How can I regret that? God doesn’t make mistakes. If you believe that you’re always led by God like I believe then I have to believe that God led me to this man for whatever reasons best known to Him. I thought God sent him as my life partner but I guess He just used him as a vessel for my greatest blessing. Now his part in my story is over. I know when to put my hands up and surrender. That God brought someone significant into your life doesn’t mean they are supposed to follow you throughout your life’s journey. We should learn to know when people’s part in our story is over. Don’t fight for closure, don’t ask for explanations, don’t chase answers, just let them go and know that if God meant for you to have them in your life, He would have given them to you. Sometimes people just come to serve a purpose in your life and are not meant to stay and there’s no point holding on to them. This one is done and dusted. It’s just Jayce and I now moving forward and I know life will be beautiful for us.
Being a single mum wasn’t the dream I had for myself; I’d prayed for the kind of happy home my parents built for us (they’ve been together for 40 years). Nothing is more important to me than family. For years I’d hammered on how much I was looking forward to getting married, having children and building my own family and I believed God was going to come through for me on that one, but I have come to understand that we have no control over what life throws at us no matter how much we plan, pray, or work. And we also have no control over the actions of other people towards us. One of the things I have learnt in my life’s journey is that your idea of how life should go might be different from the way life actually goes. It’s called Life Happening. Sometimes it unfolds into something we never dreamed of but because we don’t recognize the route we find ourselves on our journey through life, doesn’t mean God won’t get us to our destination. Remember, an uncertain chapter doesn’t ruin the whole book. Life will happen whether we are ready or not. All we can do is keep our heads up and keep moving.
Family and close friends told me I owed no one any explanation about the circumstances that led to the birth of my son, but I knew without writing this, I could never stand in front of the young girls who look up to me and talk to them again. I could never go on my secondary school tour and speak with these girls again about living right and doing right. I would always feel like I have no moral right to do so. I went to 15 secondary schools in 2017 and talking to those young impressionable girls has been one of the highlights of my life. I cancelled this year’s tour because I was pregnant and I haven’t made any preparations for next year’s tour because I wanted to set things right first.
I have so many plans for young girls next year and in the coming years with the Selfmade finance and mentorship projects with international collaborations, so this was important for me to do, to explain myself to the young girls who look up to me and feel disappointed that I got pregnant and had a baby out of wedlock. For years, I have preached decency, morality and uprightness and despite what happened to me, I mean it from the bottom of my heart. That should be the only way to live. That’s the only way I live. Don’t ever compromise your values. With this, I was led by my heart and my clock ticking and even though I have no regrets, I’m sorry if I let any of you ladies down by the decision I made, and I hope you learn from my experience. I hope you do better than I did. The ideal thing would be to find a man you love, who loves you back and gives you stability, get married, have kids and raise a family, not being a single mum or a baby mama. I was 37 years old at the time I conceived and if I want to be honest, my age played a role in me allowing myself to be pregnant out of wedlock. I don’t want to be having kids in my 40s or struggling with fertility later in life. This wasn’t the plan but like I said before, life happens. You just have to find a way to make the best of what life throws at you. And so for any young girl this means anything to, I am truly sorry. I am not sorry I had Jayce, I’m just sorry I didn’t go about it the right way.
But you know, despite this crazy love experience, I still believe in love and I believe in happy endings and I can’t wait to one day, God willing, have my fairy tale ending. The father of my child is the only man I’ve given a chance to in 6 years. Lol. I swear. I’m not really a relationship kind of girl. I’m more a career girl. I can go for years without a man. I’m one of those women who don’t need a man to validate their existence but biko, I’ve done the single life enough in the past…lol… going forward I’m looking forward to giving someone else a chance and try this love thing again. I was raised in a happy 2-parents’ home and that’s what I want for Jayce. So I hope I meet a great guy soon until then I’m enjoying motherhood. It rocks! Life has never been more beautiful!
I’d also like to address a few other issues. Number one is this celibacy issue. So many people have trolled me over it and I’d like to correct the misunderstanding. I have never ever in my life said people shouldn’t have sex before marriage. NEVER EVER have I said that. I have even argued with quite a few people that it is not feasible in this day and age. What I have always said and I maintain till today is; Do not ever sleep with men for money because any woman with a brain and determination can get her own money herself.
And there’s nothing sweeter than your own money. I am 38 years old and I recently bought a N100million+ car; what the heck do you need to be sleeping with a man for? For designer bags, first class tickets and luxury holidays? GTFOH with sleeping with a man for rent money! You can give yourself all that and more if you apply yourself, fight for your dream and work your butt off. Men don’t have the exclusive right to create wealth; women can also create wealth. Money is not male. Wealth is not male. Success is not male. We women just need to believe in ourselves more and get off our butts and stop relying on our looks and charm instead of our brain, mind, will, and our God given talent/gift. We can be rich, we can be successful, we can break barriers, do what was formerly termed impossible, do what men can do, be CEOs of conglomerates and billionaires without ever having to lie on our backs. Please ladies, we are powerful beyond measure and can do anything and be anything we want to be.
The other thing I’ve always said is; do not sleep around with multiple men who just use your body for their pleasure; that is; too many one night stands, casual sex, many sex partners in a short period of time all in the name of relationships. Your body deserves better. I feel sex should only happen when you’re in a loving, committed relationship with someone you love. I was celibate for many years until I met my son’s father and fell in love. And instead of increasing my body count, I just went back to the same eggplant…lol. My mistake was I should have walked away when the relationship became a waste…lol… but then again, Jayce wouldn’t be here today if I had. So really, there’s nothing that I have preached that I didn’t practice. So you guys stop trolling me over this abeg! Lol.

Thank you for reading and thank you for your understanding.

Love and kisses to you and yours

Hugs

Linda

Courtesy : Peace Nwadire

THE NOVIA LIST:
Now in its sixth annual edition and using my usual templates of Characterisation, Internalization, Visualization and Role Interpretation, here are my picks for the Top 5 Actresses in 2018. —

NUMBER 5: JEMIMA OSUNDE

I took notice of Jemima’s acting just this year and I found her interesting and one to watch out for in future. Her role in ‘New Money’ caught my attention and while I believe she could have given more in that role, she was good enough to show us the promise she possesses.

NUMBER 4: TINA MBA

It’s an understatement to say Tina Mba is a very good actress. Her body of work justifies her past and present accolades but in 2018, she was smoking hot as the deadly matriarch of the Daregos family in the Africa Magic telenovela ‘Forbidden’. In every episode, Tina switches from the unassuming and pleasant to the cunning and insidious. She is also noteworthy in the movie ‘Nigerian Prince’. Take a bow, Tina.

NUMBER 3: TONI TONES

Toni gave an unforgettable performance in ‘King of Boys’. I was struck by her raw energy and her intense acting qualities, some of which we saw in ‘Forbidden’. Thumbs up, Toni.

NUMBER 2: SOLA SOBOWALE

With a great performance in ‘King of Boys’, Sola Sobowale would easily be many people’s pick for the top spot. In KOB, she redefines her stereotypical acting nous and shows us a different layer of her talent and ability to internalize her role. She understood the emotional points of the character she played and did justice to her role. She’s good, this ma’am. The frontiers are hers to break.

NUMBER 1: ZAINAB BALOGUN

This young lady is talented. She’s damn too good and in three movies in 2018, she was quite exceptional. She comes across as one who puts in a lot of work and thought into her roles, with the appropriate expressions and reactions where it matters most. From her mellow melancholy in Royal Hibiscus Hotel to her schizophrenic sizzle in ‘Sylvia’ and her powerful portrayal of a soul in search of redemption in ‘God Calling’, Zainab left no one in doubt about her stamp of authority in a field where she aspires to be respected. Congratulations!

CHARLES NOVIA (Nollywood Writer,Director & Producer)

SNEPCo/NNPC Partners with Extended Hands Foundation to Bring Free Medical Surgery to 25 Women Suffering from Obstetric Fistula In Sokoto
A total of 25 women formerly living with Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) have received free repair surgeries, giving them a chance to live normal lives again. This life-changing event was carried out courtesy of a recent Extended Hands Foundation’s pool effort in Sokoto state sponsored by SNEPCo/NNPC.

Since its inception, the goal of the Extended Hands Foundation founded by star actress and producer Stephanie Linus, has been to restore hope and put smiles on the faces of women. For some years now, the foundation has been focused on helping women with Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) – a serious disability that can be experienced by women after childbirth – and giving them a chance at living normal lives through free repair surgeries.

With a generous sponsorship from SNEPCo/NNPC, the foundation completed the successful repair of 25 Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) patients at the Maryam Abacha Woman and Children (VVF Hospital) Sultan Bello Rd, Sokoto. All the repairs have been completed successfully and the women are recovering well.
The team of medical staff was led by Dr Sa’ad Idris, a seasoned VVF Surgeon and former Commissioner for Health in Zamfara State with over 20 years experience in the field. He was assisted by Dr Halima Bello a VVF surgeon, Chief Medical Director Dr Lawal Bello, Chief Matron Hamsai Abdullahi Wisso, and other doctors and nurses at the VVF Center.As noted by the medical team, most of the women who were repaired had very complex cases of fistula resulting from botched surgeries carried out on them by inexperienced doctors. Some of the women had damaged wombs and tubes which caused a continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the vaginal vault. These women had been living with this condition for a varying number of years and finally got dry after the surgeries.
Nollywood Star:STEPHANIE LINUS Founder  Extended Hands Foundation

Against the backdrop of her Child Bride and Fistula advocacy movie, DRY, StephanieLinus has been taking the message of restoration and hope to real women suffering from VVF. This pool effort goes a long way to show that DRY is more than just a movie, but a tool for touching the lives of women actually living with this condition.

Stephanie Linus Becomes The Ambassador For Nollycasting – The Number 1 Casting Site In Africa For Film/TV, Music Video, Commercials, Comedy & More!

Star actress, producer and director Stephanie Linus has been named the ambassador for Nollycasting – the number 1 casting site in Africa for Film/TV, Music Videos, Commercials, Comedy and more! This much needed online platform was created to connect both new and seasoned talents with the right people seeking to hire them. According to an official statement from the creators of Nollycasting, the website is currently accepting registrations from individuals with interest in acting, music videos, commercials, voice overs, modeling, comedy and much more. This is a sure way to put your skills and profile in front of several casting directors and producers who may be interested in hiring you.

The website is very simple to use. Simply visit www.nollycasting.com and sign up. Within a few minutes, users can create a profile, upload their headshots, reels, resume and put their name in front of thousands of casting directors. Profiles can be created for aspiring and seasoned actors, actresses, movie set extras, music video vixens, back-up singers, models, voice-over artists and much more.

With a pool of thousands of jobs available in the movie and music industry, content creators often have the problem of finding the right people to hire for certain jobs. This challenge also applies to talented people who find it difficult in finding the kind of jobs that helps them utilize and develop their creative talents. Nollycasting is here to make that process easier.

Nollycasting brand ambassador, Stephanie Linus, noted that it was a timely initiative which would eliminate the huge costs and difficulties associated with finding the right people to fill certain roles. “People often ask me questions about how to get roles in acting and other jobs in the entertainment industry,” she said. “I’m glad I can now tell them about Nollycasting where they can connect with the right people who need their skills. It also saves time and money for producers and casting directors as they can now get all the talents they need in one place.”

This platform has been endorsed by several veterans in the film and music industry who are eagerly looking for the best talent to cast in their next projects. Find endless opportunities for roles in: Acting, Commercials, Music videos, Modelling, Voice-overs, Reality TV and more! Make that move towards achieving your dreams now by signing up today!

Nollycasting is now live on www.nollycasting.com You can also connect with us on our social media platforms:

www.facebook.com/nollycasting

www.twitter.com/nollycasting

www.instagram.com/nollycasting

ABIA State boasts of a large numbers of players in Nigeria’s entertainment industry.

It is against this backdrop that a group of notable personalities has come up with idea to hold the first edition of “Abia Creative Economy and Tourism Development Summit”, an event that was hatched as part of activities marking the state’s 27^th Anniversary.

Scheduled to hold on Friday, August 31, 2018 at the Banquet Hall of Four Point Hotel, Plot 9/10, Block 2, Oniru Chieftaincy Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos, at 11am, Chairman, Project Team; veteran Nollywood star Mr. Ejike Asiegbu said the Abia Creative Economy and Tourism Development Summit” “was created for the unity and partnership of all creative industry personalities of Abia State towards creating a forum for the development of Abia Creative Economy and Tourism promotion. The vision is to lay a solid foundation for the support and welfare of all Abia Creative/Entertainment Personalities across the world.”

Chairman of the event is no other person than Dr. Chima D. Anyaso, MD/CEO,Ceeson Energy Oil & Gas Limited and Chairman Le Paris Continental Hotel, Lagos. The Governor of Abia State, Dr. Victor Ikpeazu is Special Guest of Honour while the commissioners for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Ogbonna Obioma as well as Information, according to Asiegbu are being expected at the Summit.

The theme of this year’s event Asiegbu revealed is; ‘Strengthening the Global Partnership for Abia Creative Industry and Tourism Development’. “Like I said earlier on, the summit is designed to create a platform for creative and intellectual interaction amongst Abia intellectuals, Captains of Industries, Creative Industry Personalities, the International Community and Representatives of Multinational Companies in Nigeria on the “The Role of the Creative Industry and Tourism Promotion Towards Abia Development’. The event focuses on discovering a narrative that all constituencies can share, as we embark on the Abia creative industry business and tourism developmental objectives of taking Abia to the world stage,” the Nollywood star said.

Asiegbu listed some of the corporate objectives of the summit as Connecting with Target Partners for Global Acceptance for the Abia creative industry, Investment opportunities and Tourism Potentials; Communicating Key Messages to potential local and foreign investors using the faces of Abia Creative Industry personalities even as he gave an insight on what the day will look like: “The event will also feature topics by reputable Keynote Speakers, the unveiling of  “Ada Abia Universe Beauty Pageant” and a mini documentary of the works of Abia creative industry personalities, investment opportunities and untapped tourism potentials in Abia State.

“The Project Team is committed with the responsibility to producing an action plan of recommendations and synergy for partnership with major stakeholders, brands, groups and well-meaning personalities for the establishment of modern day structures for Abia Creative Industry and Tourism Development. The music and comedy concert will take place after the summit (on the same day) at the O’jez Entertainment Arena, National Stadium, Surulere Lagos at 7pm till dawn. I must add here that Barrister Mrs Ngozi Nwangwa Head of Abia Tourism Board has

given some assurance that she and officials of the board would be present at the two events that day.”

Ojez Entertainment, Culture TV Concept and Forever Communications Limited are driving the idea with team members comprising Admin/Event Director; Mr. Peterson Agu

National Coordinator General Frank Dallas, Director Media Alozie Alonzo Uzoukwu, Director Presentation; Emeka Enyiocha, Director Protocol Mathew Nwankwo, Liaison Gloria Mba and Lisa Onu will be in charge of Welfare. Others include Kendra Okwara, Mercy Ndukwe, Saint Maradona among others.

For the benefit of the doubt, some Entertainment/Creative Industry personalities from Abia include; Legendry highlife musician Bright Chimezie, Kanu Nwankwo, Ogbonna Kanu, Ikechi Uko (Tourism Scion and Ambassador)

Bright Okpocha (Basket Mouth) Stephen Okechukwu (Rugged Man)

Daddy Fresh, Gloria Anozie Young, Bond Emereuwa, Madu Chikwendu, Diewaite Ikpechukwu, Ngozi Nwosu, Nkiru Silvanus, Buchi the Gospel Singer,  Chinedu Ikedieze (MFR) Emeka Enyiocha, Mike Ezuruonye, Uche Jombo, Frank Dallas, Gloria Mba, Mathew Nwankwo( NTA)

Alozie Uzoukwu (Silverbird TV), Enyinnaya Nwachukwu (GLOBACOM) Wisdom Nwankwo, Hope Obioma Opara (President/Founder) Eko International Film Festival ,Temple Ugochukwu Ikeji, Thelma Nwosu, Ugo Ugboh, Reginald Ebere, Uche Anyamele, Uche Elendu, Kalu Ikeagwu, Lisa Onu, Vera Kanu, Blessing Asibe, Ijeoma Imoh, Nigga Raw, Emeka Okoro , Ekubo Mike, Ukeje Iyke, Uche Nnanna, Mary Uche, Kalu Anya (Movie Director), Ajebo the Comedian, Niga Raw, and Nnenna Nwabueze ‘MERIT’ of Living in Bondage fame now Mrs Okonta , Alex Ekubo,  Iyke Ogbonna, O. C. Ukeje, among many others.

“We are expecting a lot of corporate bodies such as Nigerian Breweries, British American Tobacco Company, Viju Milk, Seven Up, banks, members of the National Assembly and State Assembly from Abia, Abia Tourism Board, all eminent Abia sons and daughters such as Alex Oti, Uche Ogah among many others. I want to state clearly here that this event is non-political. We are not associated with any political body,” Asiegbu submitted.

Copied. http://onnlive.com/

Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin Has Died of Pancreatic Cancer at Age 76

“Being a singer is a natural gift. It means I’m using to the highest degree possible the gift that God gave me to use. I’m happy with that.

I sing to the realists; people who accept it like it is.

I always felt rock and roll was very, very wholesome music.”

By Aretha Franklin

 Dr. Rita Orji Receiving the Award

DR. Rita Orji has won the prestigious 2018 Canadian Digital Diversity Award for Women Leader in the Digital Economy. The Nigerian is a Computer Science professor at the Dalhousie University in Canada and the award was given by Digital Nova Scotia. Three women in Nova Scotia’s ICT sector walked home with some hardware on Tuesday during Digital Nova Scotia’s third Digital Diversity Awards. The three category winners represented women in senior level executive positions who, according to Digital Nova Scotia, “have made a significant contribution to Nova Scotia’s ICT sector and are active champions of diversity in their communities or organizations.

Orji’s research focuses on investigating how interactive systems can be designed to help people move towards improved health and wellness. In 2017, she was named one of the top 150 Canadian Women in STEM by the VOLUTION, and was among the top 50 Young Most Influential Best Brains in Enugu State. She was also invited to speak to the Canadian Parliament and at a United Nations Commission on the State of Women’s Panel.

“Since 1843, women have led major advances in programming and software development, yet today women still represent less than 25 per cent of the industry. Our awards were established to address the gender gap, and actively promote role models and champions of diversity in our ICT sector,” said Ulrike Bahr-gedalia, president and CEO of Digital Nova Scotia, in a statement.

courtesy: www.pressreader.com