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EndSARS: Blackface knocks Wizkid for tackling Buhari on Twitter

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 17:57:04 +0000

EndSARS: Blackface knocks Wizkid for tackling Buhari on Twitter admin Mon, 10/05/2020 - 17:57

Monday, October 5, 2020

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Arts & Entertainment – Premium Times Nigeria

Original Article

EndSARS: Blackface knocks Wizkid for tackling Buhari on Twitter

Nigerian singer, Blackface Naija, has taunted his colleague Wizkid for tackling President Muhammadu Buhari on Twitter.

Wizkid, on Sunday, urged Mr Buhari him to focus more on issues affecting the country and its youth, rather than matters that concern America.

Wizkid made the remarks in response to a tweet by Mr Buhari wherein he wished the American President, Donald Trump, fast recovery from coronavirus.

“Donald trump is not your business! Old man! Police/Sarz are still killing Nigerian youth on a daily basis! Do something! Nothing concerns you for America! Face your country,” the pop star wrote.

Responding to Wizkid’s remarks, Blackfaze said, “Why don’t you face your music small man? I understand why that is difficult because it doesn’t have any substance #ChildrenOfNowAdays

“No be every verified account the person name on top dey control So it is possible that that @wizkidayo account is being handled by an agent because I don’t believe Wizkid is that dumb to insult his father or his father’s mate (sic).”

Blackface also came for Super Falcons player, Asisat Oshoala, for supporting Wizkid’s remarks.

Blackfaze’s remarks have earned him several knocks and jabs on Twitter.

Person sey the label for this soap last pass any of Black face songs..
Oya like for Imperial
RT for blackface pic.twitter.com/0aj36YLytm

— Of lay lay Laycon #Iconic (@kidacuz) October 4, 2020

Black face trying to trend too?? pic.twitter.com/3y6SFRv4Yg

— Adecy Julio (@thatmoiguy) October 4, 2020

Retweet for Blackface Like for laycon#LayconMediaTourDay3 pic.twitter.com/krdNKwYBl8

— hannie (@1loveforhannie) October 4, 2020

Black Face @Blackfacenaija is a national fuxking disgrace. WTF!!!

I tag you make you see am.

— ?????????? ?????????Ⓜ ??‍? ✈ (@AimThaMachine_) October 4, 2020

like for smiggle RT for Blackface pic.twitter.com/K5s1n1yP1Y

— kvngsley Berywayne (@Be______ry) October 4, 2020

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African operations contribute 50% to UBA’s earnings – CEO

admin — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 12:00:01 +0000

African operations contribute 50% to UBA’s earnings – CEO

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admin Sun, 06/04/2023 - 12:00

Friday, May 26, 2023

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Business Archives | Premium Times Nigeria

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African operations contribute 50% to UBA’s earnings – CEO

The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc on Thursday announced that all its African subsidiaries are now on firm footing as they have been contributing maximally to the group’s profit margin.

The bank said its African operations, specifically, have contributed close to 50 per cent of the group’s earnings, leveraging on digital offerings and products across the board to gain large market shares across the different regions of operations in Africa.

The Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of UBA Africa, Abiola Bawuah, disclosed this while addressing journalists from across Africa during a hybrid media parley on Thursday.

She also highlighted the impact of devaluation and double digit inflation in Nigeria and a number of other African countries where the bank operates, adding that the subsidiaries have been performing well, contributing significantly to the growth and development of trade, infrastructure and finance on the continent.

“As of last month, none of our African subsidiaries is making a loss. They have all been turning in profits, this is a testament to the fact that they have navigated successfully and have all found their footing.

“And this extends to each and every one of them, even the ones in war-torn countries. Of course, we are aware that there is always room for improvement, but for now, we are glad that our 19 subsidiaries are out of the red zone,” Mrs Bawuah said.

Infrastructure Financing

In the area of infrastructure financing, she noted that the bank has been bullish in financing projects across Africa, which according to her is based on the conviction that the continent needs to bridge the infrastructural gap necessary for economic growth.

“UBA has proven expertise and capacity in key sectors of economies across Africa, especially in oil and gas, infrastructure finance, agriculture and commodity/export, and these have positioned it as a preferred partner for structured solutions to key governments and corporates operating in/into Africa,” she said.

She noted that in the last few years, the bank has invested heavily and supported key governments of various African countries with over $1 billion in infrastructural development, especially in roads, hospitals, health, power and other critical sectors.

READ ALSO: Reps summon NNPC subsidiaries over auditor general report

According to her, the bank has contributed massively in promoting trade in Africa and has partnered with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

“At UBA, we believe that our customers should be able to trade conveniently among themselves, and so we have been partnering with them in this area.

“We have made it easy for our customers across countries to trade easily within themselves, without having to bother about all the hassles that have to do with forex,” she said.

Earlier in the year, Mrs Bawuah, a Ghanaian national, was appointed as the first female CEO of UBA Africa.

Her appointment, according to the bank, further demonstrates UBA’s commitment to diversity. The UBA Group Board now includes eight female Directors.

Before her appointment, Mrs Bawuah was Regional CEO, West Africa, supervising the Group’s operations in nine subsidiaries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.

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Owo Attack: Declare state of emergency on forest reserves — Reps urge FG

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 16:50:01 +0000

Owo Attack: Declare state of emergency on forest reserves — Reps urge FG

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 16:50

Thursday, June 16, 2022

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The Motion

Mr Adelegbe said armed groups have been attacking Owo and Ose Local Government Areas of the state in the past few years.

He said a similar attack was carried out against Molege Community within Ose Local Government Area of the State, leading to the death of many and destruction of properties.

The lawmaker cited the killing of Olufon of Ifon in Ose council, Israel Adewusi. He added that kidnappers have been on a rampage in the constituency.

The motion was adopted by the House without debate.

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Why UNICEF launched N300 million cash transfer programme in Katsina

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 16:10:01 +0000

Why UNICEF launched N300 million cash transfer programme in Katsina

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 16:10

Friday, June 17, 2022

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Nigerian exchange to adopt blockchain for settling transactions

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 04:10:01 +0000

Nigerian exchange to adopt blockchain for settling transactions

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 04:10

Saturday, June 11, 2022

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Business - Premium Times Nigeria

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Nigerian exchange to adopt blockchain for settling transactions

The Nigerian bourse, Nigeria Exchange Limited, will in 2023 begin the use of blockchain technology for settling trade across its platform in a bid draw young investors, CEO Temi Popoola said, according to a Bloomberg report Friday.

“For a lot of young and upcoming Nigerians, that is the kind of technology they adopt and we want to see how we can deploy it to grow our market,” said the NGX head.

Blockchain is the technology behind cryptocurrency. The innovation will be coming at a time of increasing effort by policymakers and businesses in Africa to leverage the technology to facilitate trade. Capital market watchdog the Securities and Exchange Commission has also unveiled a regulatory framework for digital asset transactions.

Cryptocurrency markets are seeing a plummet after Terra blockchain crashed last month, with Bitcoin shrinking by more than a half since touching an all-time peak about eight months ago.

Nigerian youths account for the biggest cryptocurrency transaction volumes in the world after the US, says Paxful, which offers a platform for trading in Bitcoin but are not inclined to equity trading.

The new decision is likely to be well received by young investors who have lately explored investing in cryptocurrency and foreign markets to side-step Nigeria’s inflationary pressures. Nigeria’s inflation accelerated from 12.3 per cent to 16.8 per cent between the April of 2019 and April 2022.

Mr Popoola said “Blockchain technology can facilitate different parts of the capital market, whether around creation of products or facilitation of the Exchange to trade financial assets.”
His organisation hopes to forge synergy with a technology company and get a go-ahead from regulators ahead of next year’s launch.

The Central Bank of Nigeria placed a bar on facilitating cryptocurrency deals by commercial banks saying it could put the financial system in danger.

He said bringing digitization to trade will pave the way for bringing young investors interested in diversified products into the fold while helping them gain seamless access to the market.

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Nigerian stocks halt advance amid bank shares sell-off

admin — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 23:10:01 +0000

Nigerian stocks halt advance amid bank shares sell-off

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admin Mon, 02/21/2022 - 23:10

Friday, February 11, 2022

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Business – Premium Times Nigeria

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Nigerian stocks halt advance amid bank shares sell-off

Nigerian stocks dipped 0.18 per cent on Friday, capping a week with a mixed bag of performances with a 57 per cent improvement in trade volume, compared with that of the previous session.

Traders dumped hefty volumes of shares in Zenith, GTCO, UBA and Seplat for sale, which outweighed the quantity that investors were willing to buy, triggering the slide.

However, market breadth was positive, with 19 gainers recorded compared to against 16 losers. The rest 74 stocks participating in Monday trading session reported no movement.

The all-share index eased by 84.04 points to 47,202.30 points, while market capitalisation dropped to N25.4 trillion.

Year to date, the index is up 10.5 per cent.

TOP FIVE GAINERS

Guinness led gainers, appreciating by 10 per cent to close at N60.50. NCR added 10 per cent to end trade at N3.30. SCOA advanced 9.88 per cent to N1.78. RT Briscoe rose to N0.39, notching up 8.33 per cent in the process. Lasaco completed the top 5, climbing up by 5.66 per cent to N1.12.

TOP FIVE LOSERS

Pharma Deko topped losers, depreciating by 8.84 per cent to close at N1.65. NEM shed 6.48 per cent to end trade at N3.32. Champion fell to N2.11, losing 5.80 per cent. Cutix slumped to N2.31, recording 4.94 per cent depreciation. International Breweries closed at N5.20, going down by 4.59 per cent.

TOP FIVE TRADES

A total of 311.5 million shares valued at N4.4 billion were traded in 4,916 deals.

Access Bank was the most active stock, trading 30.8 million shares worth N322.4 million traded in 258 deals. Sovereign Trust’s 30.8 million shares priced at N7.1 million exchanged hands in 34 transactions. NGX Group had 28.7 million shares valued at N773.2 million traded in 290 deals. Fidelity traded 23.8 million shares estimated at N69.8 million in 157 transactions. Chams traded 22.2 million shares valued at N4.9 million in 58 deals.

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INTERVIEW: Music not enough to sustain the luxury lifestyle that Nigerian musicians love- D’banj

admin — Sun, 20 Feb 2022 22:10:01 +0000

INTERVIEW: Music not enough to sustain the luxury lifestyle that Nigerian musicians love- D’banj

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admin Sun, 02/20/2022 - 22:10

Sunday, February 6, 2022

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INTERVIEW: Music not enough to sustain the luxury lifestyle that Nigerian music…

In January, the multiple award-winning entertainer Oladapo Oyebanjo, aka D’banj, was unveiled as one of the judges for the seventh season of the Nigerian Idol reality show. As a countdown to the show’s premiere on Sunday, the singer opened up to PREMIUM TIMES about his new career direction, his highly private life, and his new role as a Nigerian Idol judge.

Excepts:

PT: This is your first time judging a popular music reality show. How does this make you feel?

D’banj: As an artiste on the move, I’ve had different offers through the years, but it’s the first time I’m on a reality show as a judge, so that’s interesting.

PT: If you’ve had different offers, why Nigerian Idol? Why did you decide to choose this?

D’banj: It’s Nigerian Idol for me because first I’m Nigerian, and secondly, I think there’s no better time than now because of the industry’s growth. The industry’s growth is such that we have to embrace what God has given us. This is a journey that some of us have been on for over a decade and have produced the kind of accolades the world recognises today. It’s so important to grow the younger ones, to let them know that they are a part, and that’s why there’s no perfect platform other than the Nigerian Idol.

PT: Earlier, you said it’s so hard for you to say ‘no’ when people come to you with a request, now you would have a lot of people who would be physically begging you to pick them as a contestant during the audition, how do you intend to wiggle through that?

D’banj: I know I said it’s hard sometimes to say no, that’s why if you know yourself, you will adapt to it. The reason is this, I believe that everyone has a chance in life, and if you don’t encourage people, they will not get to the next phase. So even though we know we are looking for only one winner, at least there are creative ways you can turn people down that even while they are going home, they are happy, they are looking out to say ‘okay I no win oh, but I do better next time, and that’s what I want to bring to the table. The truth is that I can’t pass everybody but those that have to go through my vote. So I think there are crazy ways to pass your message that still leaves that visible hope, which I stand for.

PT: Do You see yourself taking any contestants under your wings since a fellow judge, Obi Asika, would be working with the eventual winner?

D’banj: I’ve already, actually in this season that’s not sure for Obi Asika. We’ve already had those conversations, and we said that the best would be for us to have a joint venture, and I say this without any sugarcoating it. The current crop of contestants is one of the best talents I’ve seen, from not even Nigerian alone, globally. I’ve been listening to their voices, the way they swag, and most of them just come like, ‘I’ve been waiting for this, and I will be waiting for you, even him, he knows he can’t do it alone.

PT: What, in your opinion, is an essential quality a star must have to emerge tops at the Nigerian Idol?

D’banj: I would like to say two things because, when you said what’s the essential thing, firstly, people are coming to listen to you sing. It is essential to know how to sing to the best of your ability, but for the show, and you will know that when the judges are giving them advice, they would say, ‘I don’t think this song you chose works well with your voice.’ So, I think it’s essential for you to have a voice, but it’s beyond the voice for you to be an idol. We are talking about your confidence, you have to believe in yourself, and that’s what you will be selling to us because you cannot give what you don’t have, and that’s what I will be looking out for.

I stand to correct those who say,’ I’m looking for how great your voice is.’ I’m looking for the next entertainer, and I’m looking for the next everything.

PT: Away from Nigerian Idol, let’s talk about your music career. What’s new?

D’banj: Well, let’s say business, I love that. I tell people this, music brings you into the room but what you do in that room is entirely up to you. So if you’ve read, which I know you have, you see that I’ve been more focused, especially when I became a family man. It’s my sixth year in marriage, and ever since then, I’ve looked for different platforms that would keep my fame and family intact. So if you were to Google Jay Z or the wealthiest musicians in the world, you would see that only 10 per cent of their wealth is probably from music.

PT: Does this mean the music will be secondary for you now?

D’banj: No. I’m just trying to say that if you look at Kanye as a billionaire, Jay Z is a billionaire, and maybe he got like 100 million from music. The rest are from business and that is what Nigeria needs.

I was telling someone we need such a structure and the right merchandise. And then, of course, you can always make music. Music will forever be in me; I’m always going to release music.

Sometimes my people say you don’t release music, but I attend shows, and when I do, they give me one hour to perform. I can’t even perform all my songs in one hour. I cannot, even for three hours myself, but what can you do to give people to look up to.

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DNA: Actress Ronke Odusanya’s estranged baby daddy makes surprise U-turn

admin — Sun, 20 Feb 2022 22:10:01 +0000

DNA: Actress Ronke Odusanya’s estranged baby daddy makes surprise U-turn

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admin Sun, 02/20/2022 - 22:10

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

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Arts & Entertainment – Premium Times Nigeria

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DNA: Actress Ronke Odusanya’s estranged baby daddy makes surprise U-turn

Ahead of a court hearing on Wednesday, Olanrewanju Saheed, the estranged lover of famous Yoruba actress, Ronke Odunsanya, has apologised to her for questioning their daughter’s paternity in a Magistrate court in Lagos in February 2021.

The actress and her estranged lover had been enmeshed in a messy separation scandal since December 2020.

It led to a series of court cases as Mr Saheed, popular as Jago, said he doubted he was the father of the child they had welcomed in 2019 during their relationship.

Mr Saheed, in a surprise video posted on his Instagram account on Monday evening, said, “I’m using this video to clear the air concerning the DNA request I made at the court.

“I’m sorry about that. I want you guys to know that Oluwafifehunmi Aranmolate is my daughter, and I love her so much with all my heart.”

He captioned the video, “Oluwafifehunmi is my daughter. I love her so much. @ronkeodusanya.”

Background

In December 2020, both parties were enmeshed in a messy separation scandal broken by a popular Instagram gossip blog.

Among other things, the blog alleged that the famous actress “ruined the father of her child, financially by making him sell off his assets to fulfill her luxurious desires.”

Responding to the allegations, the actress said the rumours were untrue, but she had chosen to remain calm as the truth would eventually reveal itself.

She said: “While my silence will be taken for cowardice, I will be calm because the truth always reveals itself. Of course, I can defend myself, but I won’t want my daughter to read such irritating and fact-less information. The court of social media has always been myopic and manipulative.

“You cannot break me. Bank statements can reveal who has received money from whom and for what. Investigate before publishing. Seeds sown will indeed germinate for the platform used for peddling such absurdity. Seeds sown will indeed germinate.”

Ms Odusanya, 47, made her acting debut in the 2001 Yoruba film, “Baba Ologba.”

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Production of first-ever Nollywood movie shot on moving train under way in Lagos

admin — Sun, 20 Feb 2022 22:10:01 +0000

Production of first-ever Nollywood movie shot on moving train under way in Lagos

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admin Sun, 02/20/2022 - 22:10

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

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Arts & Entertainment – Premium Times Nigeria

Original Article

Production of first-ever Nollywood movie shot on moving train under way in Lagos

The production of ‘Conversation in Transit,’ the first-ever Nollywood movie to be shot on a train in transit, commenced on Saturday at the Mobolaji Johnson Rail Station, Yaba, Lagos State.

The movie is being produced by Rogers Ofime and directed by Robert Peters.

In October 2021, Mr Ofime told PREMIUM TIMES that the project would be the first of its kind in Africa as the entire movie would be shot on a moving train, from its arrival, transit, and departure.

The movie set is situated at the departure axis of the Mobolaji Johnson’s rail station, where the train used to shoot the movie is stationed.

Set

When this newspaper visited the movie set on Saturday, Mr Ofime reiterated that they would shoot over 95- percent of the movie’s scene on a train route from Lagos-Ibadan.

The producers, Native media, said the film would explore the infrastructural development in the Nigerian railway corporation and also narrate a love story between three couples.

Hajara, an event planner; Ini, a career woman; and Adeola embark on a train ride with an abusive fiance, a cheating and an alcoholic repentant husband.

Native Media Ltd is a multi-award-winning television production company; they are the producers of ‘Oloibiri,’ ‘Voiceless,’ ‘Hush,’ ‘Zamani,’ ‘Hotel Majestic,’ amongst other blockbuster movies.

The movie cast is star-studded as Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD), Rahama Sadau, Uzee Usman, will play the lead roles.

The producers told our correspondent that the movie would also premiere on a train in transit.

Challenges

Indeed, shooting almost an entire movie on a train in Nigeria for the first time is undoubtedly an uphill task.

However, Mr Peters, the movie director, who spoke with our correspondent, recounted some of the challenges with shooting and directing a movie on a train in transit.

He said: “After I received the script from the producer, I felt like it was a crazy idea, but it was also beautiful, and I loved it.”

“Although one of the biggest problems we have in this part of the world is that we don’t plan, and I wanted us to plan, and that is why we are paying attention to details.”

Mr Peter is famous for directing Christmas in Miami (2021), Voiceless (2020), and ‘A trip to Jamaica’ (2019). He said the film is quite demanding.

“This film has peculiar constraints as the post-production process of the movie has spanned over six months,” he revealed.

Mr Peters also said he is focused on ”tantalising the audience’s visuals”.

Although he is skeptical about reviews and setting the pace in Nollywood, Mr Peter said he was optimistic about the project. “At the end of the day, people are going to watch and judge us by every frame, not just every scene,” he said.

While this isn’t the first film, he would shoot on a train in transit, the actor-turned-director noted that ‘Conversation in Transit’ is unique.

He said: “Although I have shot short scenes on a train but not an entire movie. So it becomes a task to do almost an entire movie on a train. So we went into research to know what we would need to shoot a movie on the train. We reviewed the script and the actors, but the most difficult part is logistics.”

“Normally, when I work, I do with ideas in my head, but this one comes different because we are doing a shot-list. The shot-list is a map of everything we will follow, not just the script. The shot-list is the movie on paper, and it took us about two months to prepare.”

Expressing how he felt to be at the location of the movie, Mr Peter said: “this is a new process for me. I am excited, I am happy, and I can’t wait to share it with you guys out there.”

The movie was scripted by Tope Bolade- Akinbode and Dichie Enunwa. For a first-hand perspective, they traveled by train from Lagos to Ibadan to experience traveling via train.

Patience Ozokwo is ‘Mummy G.O.’ in new Nollywood film

admin — Sun, 20 Feb 2022 21:50:01 +0000

Patience Ozokwo is ‘Mummy G.O.’ in new Nollywood film

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admin Sun, 02/20/2022 - 21:50

Thursday, February 10, 2022

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Arts & Entertainment – Premium Times Nigeria

Original Article

Patience Ozokwo is ‘Mummy G.O.’ in new Nollywood film

These days when you hear Mummy G.O, the only person who readily comes to mind is Funmilayo Adebayo, the lead pastor of Rapture Proclaimer Evangelical Church of God.

The eccentric and controversial preacher was thrust into the spotlight after clips of her outrageous sermons went viral in November 2021.

Her most recent sermon wherein she described Valentine’s Day celebration as a day the kingdom of darkness has dedicated to convincing people to celebrate immorality has once again ensured that she remains in the news.

The controversial pastor, a pivotal figure in the Nigerian pop culture, is the inspiration behind a yet-to-be-released movie titled ‘Clash of Mummy G.O.s.’

Produced by Ikechukwu Nweke under his Divine Global Movies imprints, the movie parades an impressive cast like Patience Ozokwo, Ebele Okaro, Junior Pope, Phil Daniels-Aniedo, Mercy Kenneth, among others.

Ms Ozokwo and Ms Okaro are the lead actors in the movie, currently being shot in Asaba, Delta State.

Ms Ozokwor made this revelation in a post on her Instagram page, which has attracted much attention and comment.

The producer has also revealed that the film will be exclusive to his YouTube channel, where fans of the actors can watch it upon release.

The legendary actress noted the movie: “Clash of Mummy G.O.s,” is being set up for all the lovers of the famous, controversial evangelist while promising to deliver premium content in her role.

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A post shared by Ikechukwu Nweke (@ikechukwunweke1)

Mama G as Mummy G.O.

Mrs Ozokwo, who, through her acting prowess over the years, has earned the name ‘Mama G,’ would be playing the lead role of one of the ‘Mummy G.O.’ in the new movie.

The veteran dropped a snippet of the forthcoming film on her verified Instagram handle on Tuesday.

The video captures the actress who plays the role of Mummy G.O. arguing with a church worker, Brother Light of God, over church offerings.

“Brother Light of God doesn’t understand what Mummy G O sees in the Spirit. So my people help me judge this matter,” she captioned the video.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Official Patience Ozokwo. MFR (@patienceozokwo)

She also shared a photo that displayed her clad in a pink skirt and blouse with a gold fascinator and a pair of glasses just like Mummy G.O.’s.

Also, Mrs Okaro, who also featured in the movie, played the role of a strong ally of Mummy G.O. She went around telling people about hell as Mummy G.O. preached it in the movie.

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