comes hard on Tboss , says Tiwa Savage
should watch the growing fat her waist and thigh ,
adding that Tboss ended with N 500k in the end , way
back behind Bisola with her ‘hard facial features ’ .
In the lengthy article , Reuben wrote ,
‘What a relief ! So, the Big Brother Naija reality television programme is finally over . It ended Sunday
evening with 23 - year old Efe Michael Ejemba,University of Jos graduate of Economics and singer
winning the N 25 million + SUV at stake,with 57. 6% of
the votes from over 24 million voters across Africa .
Warri , where Efe’ s family lives , erupted in excitement .
At the Multichoice viewing centre in Ikeja, Lagos, where Katung Aduwak took charge so brilliantly , there was a similar eruption of incandescent joy. I was
relieved because for about 70 days, the Big Brother Naija show was a big distraction , crass capitalism at its most cynical edge , a source of unmanageable madness in homes and on the streets . Now that it is
over, it is time for some honest frank talk for the attention of all stakeholders involved .
Let me start with the lessons , on a positive note ,before delivering the blows. Lesson one : In a very instructive manner , the Big Brother Naija reality television show promoted the ideas of choice and people power at the heart of democracy. Televised
across Africa, the viewers had the final say in determining who stayed in the house or left during eviction moments on Sundays . The votes were collated, audited and confirmed by Deloitte , a firm of auditors and thus , the viewer as the voter determined the outcomes . In that regard , a reality show of that sort promoted a consciousness of democracy , choice
and influence and it further explained why the people from Nigeria to Cape Agulhas all the way up to the Mediterranean sea took fierce ownership of the programme. In a continent where power is the ultimate aphrodisiac and every access to power , fame and influence is seen as an opportunity to oppress and demean , whatever is done to promote a
consciousness of choice and the civil society is laudable. Multichoice, thanks.
Lesson Two : in every business concept , perseverance pays. Multichoice has been running its Big Brother Naija and Big Brother Africa concepts for a number of
years . Apparently , this year’ s Big Brother Naija has been the most impactful, the most profitable and probably also , the most exciting . In one week , over 11 million persons voted to determine the eviction . In
the final week of the programme, over 24 million persons voted – that is more than the total number of persons who voted in the Nigerian Presidential election in 2015. This year, Multichoice has made more money from the Big Brother franchise than it has ever done . The programme was sponsored by
PayPorte, and with all the voting , and the money spent
on recharge cards , Big Brother and Multichoice are the
biggest winners . In the end , it is all about business
and profit . Everybody has been used . In business ,
once you have a good , attractive product and you can
capture the market, you can fool everybody and make
profit . Multichoice, weh done – in Falz , the bad guy’ s
voice .
Lesson three : humility pays. At the end of the day, in
the last week of the programme , the decision by the
viewing public was a moral , sentimental one . The
biggest star of the programme was , I don’ t know what
you think , TBOSS (real name : Tokunbo Idowu) , half
Nigerian , half - Romanian . She dominated the space
with her Jezebelic antics, even got some of the male
participants ousted by entrapping and outsmarting
them with her sexual wiles . She projected herself as a
sex object , the ultimate manipulator , the champion
Delilah of the Big Brother Africa series. She even
made a joke of the entire Big Brother concept by
saying she didn ’ t need the money and if she won, she
would spend it in two weeks to pay off debts, and in
any case, she had men hitting on her , offering to take
her on a ride in their private jets . She played the role
of a female barracuda .
Given her looks and talents , she would have been a
perfect winner . She would have looked good on the
billboards . But she lost because of her arrogance .
Attitude is everything: this is the lesson of TBOSS ’ s
disgrace and humiliation. When she was sent out of
the House as the second runner up , the viewing centre
in Ikeja, Lagos , including Kemen whose nemesis she
was , danced in joy. “ They are taunting me?” she
asked Ebuka , the anchor. No , sweetheart , they were
making a far more serious statement about you. The
melodramatic ending of Big Brother Naija 2017 is its
only redeeming outcome.
Bisola , the first runner up does not even have a
degree but she showed talent and resolve , even if her
whorish flirtation with Thin Tall Tony is so cheap and
self - denigrating . Her One - Nigeria consolation prize is
something big she should take seriously . Efe won
because of his humility. He is considered the poorest
and the most needy of the contestants. Patrons of the
programme chose to vote for the contestant who
looked and sounded like he would need the money
and the opportunity. They gave him a chance in life ,
although the organizers must ensure that going
forward, the show does not become a poverty
alleviation scheme .
Bisola came second because she too looked like she
needed help . Debbie Rise and Marvis also made the
finals, but that was meant to be a great compliment
to their good conduct, but they didn ’ t have enough
support to make it to the top . TBOSS is the main star
who lost. I hope she was taken out of South Africa
with a private jet or maybe a submarine ! Beauty is not
everything, baby .
Lesson four : Marketing helps. Branding is everything.
Propaganda is profitable. Packaging is nice. Big
Brother Naija is nothing but marketing , branding ,
propaganda , and packaging. A reality show is
supposed to be nothing but reality, virtual reality as it
happens, but let no one deceive you , everything that
happened in the 70 days of BBNaija was packaged,
marketed, carefully branded and manipulated . Ebuka ,
the Big Brother , thumbs up , the scenic designers,
kudos, the content developers , three hearty cheers,
Multichoice, you guys are the smartest capitalists
around , well done ! The finale was a bit overdone
though , dragged out, over - delayed . Tiwa Savage (hey
baby, watch that growing fat around your waist and
thigh ) , Tuface (thanks TuBaba but next time tell Annie
to twerk for us - what was that!) . In all , the power of
television was well advertised.
Now the hard knocks : I rate the theatre high but I
consider the whole show a sham , a 419 manipulative
effort by a corporate agency , long overdue for an
ethical review and scrutiny , a bad influence on
corporate ethics. The owners of the programme are
just a bunch of insultive , manipulative and exploitative
capitalists, feeding on public need for distraction and
the negligence of the authorities . Big Brother Naija
2017 is something that should never happen again in
the shape we have seen. If Multichoice as a corporate
investor wants to make a contribution to Nigeria , it
must find ways of doing so in more meaningful forms .
Reality shows have become an established form on
television, but whereas there are reality shows that
promote talent , music , human capability and genius,
enhanced relationships , and intellect, Multichoice,
through its Big Brother Naija and Big Brother Africa
franchises seems committed to the promotion of base
values, chiefly adultery, prostitution , love of money ,
nudity and sex . What just ended as Big Brother Naija
2017 was nothing other than the corralling of some
human beings into a zoo , pressured to behave like
nothing but animals. The organizers made money
devaluing other human beings . Multichoice and
Payporte, the sponsors , turned alcohol and
pornography into legitimate sport .
TBOSS and the other girls kissed and got groped by
the boys on live television putting their upbringing to
shame. TBOSS , who claimed she didn ’ t need the
money even exposed her breasts on live television
more than once . I have seen better breasts TBOSS . I
am not too sure those private jet owners will be
excited by your fluffy , South- looking , slightly bigger
than mangoes breasts . If the same men see bigger
assets, I mean , those interesting Ojiakor - like ones that
look like papayas , pineapples and watermelons , they
will not send private jets , they will deploy submarines
and fighter jets !
And that ‘ s why you got N 500k in the end , way back
behind Bisola with her hard facial features , and Efe
whose victory is based on poverty logistics and
appeal. But I have no doubt that TBOSS will end up
doing better in the larger, outside market than the
other finalists, because even those who did not vote
for her , know in their hearts that she represents the
message of the programme.
It is a wrong message and that is why Big Brother
Naija drew more audience in Southern Nigeria than in
the North . In the last week of the programme, , every
town in Southern Nigeria was seized by the #BBNaija
fever. Prayers were offered in churches for Efe. One
lady threatened to commit suicide if Efe did not win .
Another one said she would not stop crying until Efe
won. Nollywood stars declared support for
housemates. There was Team Bisola , Team Efe,
EfeNation, TBOSSNation , TeamDebbieRise (small ) ,
TeamMarvis (even smaller ) . There were public
processions even in universities. We were told how to
vote. Twitter was on fire. What I saw was nothing but
sheer madness .
T- shirts were printed. One musician turned his
personal car into a billboard. Nigeria became a mad
house because of one reality television show . It
looked like mass hypnotism at work.
But it should not be allowed to happen again . BBNaija
should not be hosted and staged in South Africa as
has been the case. Multichoice, Payporte and their
partners made crazy money and got brand promotion
off the back and sweat of Nigerians. Do the maths ;
we got peanuts in return. We were told BBNaija could
not be staged in Nigeria due to electricity problems
so the studio had to be in South Africa. And the
Nigerian government looked the other way . Wawu ! All
the billions that the South Africans are running away
with, after giving our boy a Kia SUV and some N25 m,
who is going to collect the Value Added Tax on that?
Nigeria or South Africa? See the real Gobbe! All the
staff who worked on the programme with extremely
marginal exception were South Africans . Where were
the Nigerians ? Abi , Lobatan oh .
The Nigerian government must assert itself . Nobody
henceforth must brand anything involving primary
production, Nigerian off Nigerian soil . We can’ t get far
by wearing made- in - Nigerian clothes on Mondays and
Wednesdays, turning the country into an extension of
Nollywood, but we can gain a lot by insisting that
economic production and profit based on Nigerian
talent and resource must have significant Nigerian
content .
Congratulations Efe ; the grace of God is forever
sufficient, but sorry Nigeria .
Aliko Dangote at 60
Alhaji Aliko Dangote is 60 and understandably the
entire country is busy paying tributes. He is the richest
man in Africa, but more than that he is one of the
most successful, forward- looking and resourceful
entrepreneurs in the entire continent. He has
investments and connections virtually everywhere.
I think a special remark should be made about his
less known attribute – his humility and humanity .
Aliko Dangote, for all those who have related with him
closely, is a very humble man . His life is not driven
by money, but belief in hardwork and the impact that
he is able to make . He is helpful , supportive and kind ,
always believing he can make a difference . I offer a
special testimony .
Many years ago, before the Abuja job, I used to visit
Aliko at home, sometimes on my own and sometimes
with my family . On one occasion , he gave my first
son money as he saw us off to the door . It was that
kind of money that caused a fight between father and
son . My son wanted to hold on to it, and there I was
insisting the boy must hand over the money because
it was enough to pay his and his sibling’ s school
fees. The innocent boy said the money was for him.
How could it have been for him? We resolved the
fight, big fight, right there , with Aliko pretending not to
notice.
On another occasion , Aliko asked if I had built a
house and I told him I was building a house
somewhere in Ajah . This was in 2006 . He said we
should go there . He jumped into my miserable
Tokunbo car and followed me to the uncompleted
building. He walked round the building and asked me
what I wanted . He ended up giving me enough cement
to complete the house and the money to paint it. He
told me I should contact him if I wanted to build any
other house, but after that other house, I stopped
bothering him, because it was obvious the bricklayers
knew cement was free, and they were busy taking
advantage .
I went to Abuja to work . The true story of that job is
best told by Aliko Dangote , Mr Alex Ibru, Rotimi
Amaechi , Femi Otedola and Ojogbane Adegbe. They
supported me as best as they could without
interference. It was Oronto Douglas who made the
phone call. One day, every story will be told . Thank
you Alhaji , for being a friend and a brother . Thank you.
May you see many more seasons .
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