Culture

Nigerian actor, Mr Ibu cries out for help

Published

2 months ago

October 18, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Nigerian actor, John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu, has cried out for help from kindhearted fans.

He is seeking financial help to enable him settle his medical bills or he could lose his leg to amputation.

Mr Ibu, who has been hospitalised for a while now, says he is requesting financial aid from Nigerians to settle his medical bills which have gone beyond his means.

In a video he posted on his Instagram page on Wednesday, October 18, the ailing comic actor is seen on the hospital bed explaining that he had been ill for weeks and not responding to treatment.

“While I am hoping for prayers and assistance, as I speak to you I am still lying down in the hospital. The medical director of this hospital said that in case his new idea does not work, the next idea is to cut off my leg. Just see me, if they cut off my leg where would I go? Pray for me, I don’t want my leg to be cut off, thank you so much, God, bless you,” the actor cried out.

His wife and daughter were also seen in the video calling on Nigerians to put them in their prayers and lend financial assistance where necessary.

His daughter noted that she had been shouldering the bills for as long as the actor had been ill, stressing that the family would prefer to fly him out of the country for more treatment if they had the financial means.

“I’ve been the one handling the bills and I am financially drained, we can’t do it alone. He’s not getting better, some days it looks like he is and other days it looks like he is getting worse”, she says.

“We are still at the hospital and they want to transfer him to another hospital because he is not getting better. We want to appeal to Nigerian individuals or organisations to please fly daddy abroad for better treatment. This is not the first time daddy is down like this.”

The actor celebrated his 62nd birthday in his hospital room surrounded by family on October 17, and in another video posted to his social media pages, Okafor displayed signs of pain while struggling to sit up and cut his cake, with the affected leg seriously swollen.

Related Topics:Actor Featured John Okafor Mr Ibu Nollywood

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Culture

Switzerland returns stolen 2,000-year-old marble head to Libya

Published

1 day ago

December 7, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

In what has been described as a significant move, Switzerland federal authorities have returned the marble head of a young woman from the Hellenistic period believed to be around 2,000 years old to Libya, 10 years after it was discovered in a warehouse in Geneva.

The Swiss Federal Office of Culture said in a statement on Wednesday that it had handed over the marble sculpture to the Libyan Embassy in Bern as part of restitutional framework of the law on the international transfer of cultural property.

The sculpture, which is 19 centimetres high, according to the North African Federal Office of Culture, dates from between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD.

Historians say the object probably came from the archaeological site of the ancient city of Cyrene in present day Libya.

“It is an archaeological vestige of great value and an exceptional testimony to Hellenistic expansion in North Africa,” the office of culture said in a statement.

Local media reports that the cultural artefact was found during a customs inspection in a customs warehouse in Geneva in 2013, and was confiscated during criminal proceedings in 2016 on suspicion that it had come from a looted excavation.

“The marble head is entirely covered with a reddish patina which provides information on its origin, according to which the Cyrenaica region is one of the rare regions in the Mediterranean basin where we find terra rossa and marble of such quality,” a media report said.

Culture

Veteran Caribbean musician Wyclef Jean partners with Nigerian state to create entertainment hub

Published

2 days ago

December 6, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Veteran Caribbean musician and philanthropist, Wyclef Jean, has partnered Plateau State in North Central Nigerian to create a first ever entertainment and commerce hub meant to harness the creative potentials in the state.

The deal, which was sealed in the United States during a visit by the State Governor, will see Jean and the Caribbean International Commerce (CICH) acquiring more than 4,000 hectares of land for the audacious project.

Confirming the development in a statement on Wednesday, the Director of Press to the Governor, Gyang Bere, said bold engagements by Caleb Mutfwang in the US had started yielding results with the groundbreaking partnership announced with Wyclef.

“The venture is expected to revolutionize both the local and global landscapes, featuring state-of-the-art music and movie studios, a tokenized platform for equitable wealth distribution, and a commitment to eco-friendly practices,” Bere said.

“Cutting-edge energy glass solar technology and sustainable building practices underline the project’s dedication to environmental stewardship are all part of the planned hub.

“A significant aspect of the project is the establishment of state-of-the-art music and movie studios, which will serve as a creative incubator for emerging talents.

“The project also embraces green technology, energy glass solar, cutting-edge manufacturing facilities, and sustainable housing developments in its comprehensive approach,” he added.

Also, a joint statement issued by Jean and CICH described the collaboration as a “major shift in commerce and entertainment, marking the initiation of an extraordinary project that blends innovation, sustainability, and star power.”