RIDICULOUS: The Top Ten Most Overrated Nigerians....By Uche Da Penspinner

This is what a blogger that goes by the name Uche Da Penspinner is saying about some of Nigeria's celebrities.

He came up with this ridiculous compilation of Nigeria's Top Ten Most Overrated. 

Read what he said below:

 

Before you read, being overrated does not mean being terrible.

It simply means what the Oxford Dictionary says; It means you are being talked about FAR MORE than your WORTH. My blog is also not aimed at comparing the "best" or "worst" people in an industry but at the most talked about (popular) people who are recognised yet not measuring up to the price tag on them. And this is in no particular order. But No.1 goes to the President of the Association, the President himself.

Nollywood Actress and Singer, Tonto Dikeh

This 2005 ‘Next Movie Star’ Nollywood actress seems to be good at what she knows how to do best; but definitely not movies. Gorgeous smile, eccentric body, fabulous show off of public ego, public captions & attention-seeking stunts; name it.

From producers accusing her of negligence of professional duties on set to causing troubles and stirring controversy with fellow acts and celebrities, one trouble to the other with social network fans on Twitter and a show of intolerance, ethics and moral obligation to youths on public courtesy towards criticism directed at her puts her on this list.

I ran a thorough check on reviews of her filmography and with utmost surprise cannot help but wonder if that’s the least movie producers and directors can offer Nigerians and their self-acclaimed global fans.

All I could attach to her is someone who is a product of the Westernized thinking of ‘If you’ve got it then flaunt it’ rather than letting her brains do the talking. I stand to be corrected that talent plays any part in today’s world of entertainment and if her role in ‘Dirty Secret’ is what industry critics call professional, then we all should brace up to welcome porn stars in Nigeria as “acting professional” too.

Also, nothing against adventures, but why she continues in her bid to become a Singing superstar  after signing a recording deal with producer Kas, she should also take tutorials from much more talented but bandwagon industry seniors like Ramsey Nouah, Omotola Jolade-Ekehinde, Genève Nnaji, Jim Iyke and Desmond Elliot on what the Nigerian music industry really tastes like. I honestly don’t think quacks can survive that industry for too long unlike our dear Nollywood.

Nothing against you Tonto, we the ‘fans’ love you but please show us more talent, creativity than body exposures and stay off cheap& unwarranted controversy and utmost disrespect for tweeting fans.

Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan

He’s unarguably Public Enemy No.1 in Nigeria as of today. Barely less than a year ago, Nigeria elected a ‘fresh breath of air’ into its political arena and for the first time, a man who had no shoes. For the sake of readers not getting carried away by the minor aspect of the debate on who they should have voted for in the 2011 Presidential Polls, this is NOT a blame game on who Nigerians should have voted for or not but when we go out to vote based on cheap superstitious beliefs surrounding a man’s name and theatrical continuous ascent to power rather than genuine instincts and commonsensical opinions on who to vote for; the result is what we have today.

Nigeria has had dictators and authoritarian leaders but I stand my ground to say never has the country has a clueless leader as that of President Goodluck Jonathan. From worsening financial crisis to dwindling job rates, the much alarming rate of insecurity in the country, high rates in kidnapping, insecurity, and unending sight of corruption all coupled with him taking highly unpopular actions tantamount to causing uproars among his citizenry. No apology reserved and none owed but we’ve got a clueless leader as Commander-in-Chief who even with although rare laudable steps and actions, have ways of ill-timing or wrapping it up with negative effects attached; the Fuel Subsidy Removal, the UNILAG Renaming and the Al-Majiri school creations are such examples. 

Typically, he is not an overrated person as of today he is downrightly detested by all n sundry. But the fact that President Jonathan is a product of an overrated & highly misinformed electoral campaign process and tactics, aided by celebrities, business moguls, eminent personalities, overwhelming misinformed youths and an amazing 78% of the voters elected him despite presenting no articulate and clear-cut manifesto as to how he aimed to carry out Presidential tasks; he makes the list as my Number 1 most overrated person in Nigeria.

Blogger, Linda Ikeji

Made-up stories, self-appreciation-storyline concepts, grammatical blunders, ludicrous blogging and intentional soliciting for public attention via scrupulous attacks on Nigerian celebrities and personalities, many who are in no way a match for her in talent and creativity puts her on this list.

Why Nigerian youths decide to honour a particularly misinformed person as their source of information is only known to them, but that isn’t a surprise. Didn’t examination body, NECO report a handful 3% of its candidates made the required credits with only 31% making the required credits by WAEC in 2011?

Well we can sit down here and blame government and the dwindling educational sector all we want for such alarming rates, but with an “Icon and Role model” whose writings and spellings are typical of that of a high school dropout being massively followed by a bunch of misinformed and ‘gossip’ seeking youths rather than more professional, educative, creative and talented bloggers. Maybe Pastor Tunde Bakare’s got an added reason to call us a Nation of Fools ruled by Idiots, so it seems.

Former Nigerian Footballer, Austin Jay Jay Okocha

I know I may get shot for this but I’ll take a pass. Austin Jay Jay Okocha was no doubt Nigeria’s most overrated football player throughout his playing career thanks to a misinforming media at that time. Before the advent of the internet and digital cable networks, Nigerians were made to believe that Jay Jay was a better player than Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo combined together with some even claiming racial discrimination, often pointing out he’d have won the World Footballer of the Year if he had been white; well epic failure.

I wish not to be caught in the web of misunderstanding; Jay Jay Okocha was a fantastic player and a skilful one at that, but not just at the figure at which we weighed him. A 1994 African Nations Cup winner and an Olympic Gold medallist say it all that he deserves some respect. That we hold a player like Austin Jay Jay Okocha in high esteem and yet could not win for himself a major league trophy despite a 20-year-old playing career sting in Europe is hard to swallow.

Many Nigerian players before, during and after Okocha specifically those who dare not breathe where he does could easily dismiss him by the counts of their achievements during their playing career for top European sides. Besides Manchester United and arguably Arsenal, teams like Chelsea, Madrid, Milan, Inter, Barcelona, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and the SS Lazio, Valencia, Dortmund of those days have seen various top football coaches, managers and football scouts come and gone.

But could all these coaches be wrong for TWENTY YEARS of his Euro playing career not to have signed him on unto a top winning team? And I’m sure you wouldn’t want to know where the likes of PSG, Frankfurt or Bolton all rank in football at that time or now.

For whatever reasons his inability to play for a top flight European team over a 20-year period was and his inability to lead (as Captain) the Super Eagles team to the 2006 Germany World Cup with Angola leading the group, I’m sorry people, he made my list.

Musical Artiste, Kelly Hansome

Now this is one dude I bother why I’m writing about. Our music industry is without doubt filled with talents, creative geniuses and artistic bast***; maximum respect to them. But how this boy found himself in the league of men erodes me. From a highly contentious ‘Maga Don Pay’ hit single to helping Newspapers & electronic media sell traffic than he’ll sell his own albums; it’s a must he’s filed on this list.

His recent Twitter rant against, Kennis Music CEO, Kenny Ogungbe was one of the dumbest and audacious outbursts any professional artist can ever get in. There are professional ways to handle embittered business relationships but tweeting someone and accusing them over a failed contract or business relationship is like walking up to someone in Market and saying “Hello everyone, he stole my money and God will judge him for doing that”.

Not even the much trumpeted Don Jazzy vs Dbanj feud had both artists engaged themselves in Twitter handle castigations. Nature could be so unfair. How highly educated, talented, creative and hardworking Nigerians are bypassed by f these non-thinkers to fame-land amazes me.

Clergyman, Reverend Chris Okotie

This is one man that will make me contradict my religious faith as I’m a firm believer in the bible’s “Touch not my anointed”. I remembered vividly well shortly after the 2003 Presidential Elections which re-elected in President, Olusegun Obasanjo, and Rev. Chris Okotie famously “prophesied” on a Nigerian TV about a vision guaranteeing that the elected president would not finish his electoral mandate. It’s almost a decade and the Egba General not only finished his term in office, he dribbling demanded a third term and is still kicking and commanding things from his Abeokuta farm. Whatever happened to that “prophesy” and “vision”.

But what I don’t understand about Rev. Chris Okotie is simple, how come the only time Nigerians hear about his loud ambitions and so-called political activism is when electoral years draw near? I also think his attempts at proving how educated and perfected is English could be is nothing but fallacious hilarity, an attempt to prove an unwarranted superiority over whoever cares.

While we all understand Hon. Pat Obiahagbon’s ‘grammars’ as highly sarcastic and comic, we just don’t understand why Chris Okotie would choose highly ludicrious words as your word usages and everything they represent shows no sign or attempt at humour; Epic fail I must confess. It would also do him a lot good if we see enormous investments from his religious outfit being polished into education, health or other investments in the country, a feat which will earn him more respect and accolades than the eternally optimistic plans of Presidential aspirations.

Ex-England and Wimbledon Footballer, John Fashanu

The public display and arrant show of disrespect for Nigerians by Corporate firms in Nigeria often coils together with the same display of disregard for Nigerians by those in government and public office holders; the case of John Fashanu is a typical example.

How the former England and Wimbledon FC player carries himself as the face of Nigerian corporate companies and brands never cease to amaze me despite never kicking a single ball for the country while some Nigerian football, sporting and other industry legends languish in abject poverty. How corporate firms slap the hell out of the faces of Nigerians by robbing Peter to pay Paul could only be explained by their textbook, men-in-suits and paper analysts. Definitely, we cannot lay all the blame on the ex- football star but the shambolic selections and processes of those who smiles at our kids on TV screens have its own implications.

A typical example is the UNILAG Renaming, while I do not support the UNILAG renaming, I’ve seen and read Muppets who were not taught properly on Nigerian history argue against the personality of Chief MKO Abiola; well they will and that’s because our TV screens celebrates rogues, criminals, thieves, fraudsters and those who preach how much money they got to spend in clubs rather than how much they impact it on people’s lives. I really don’t want this degenerating into something else but those who know MKO Abiola’s worth can scream and shout about it all they like, but that is not just enough. If Franz Fanon’s words “Every generation must out of its relative obscurity discover its missions” anything to go by, then Nigerians have a lot more to worry about in the future than the UNILAG renaming.

The humble truth is we are not doing enough to teach our children the moral values of life and the Nigerian history. Many teenagers don’t even know who the Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi  (SAN) or Chief Bola Ige (SAN) were but will adore money-spraying dudes  who pop champagnes and live large in hip-hop videos on their TV screens. Who then do we blame when society appreciates rogues and crooks ignore the voices of those who fight for them? Once again, society and generation determines collectively.

Back from my almost off-topic assignment, it’s easier for a Nigerian kid of today to adapt with those they see on TV screens such as John Fashanu and adore them with utmost respect than the great and legendary Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amunike, Segun Odegbami, Ben Iroha to name a few. How on earth this man gets into media spotlight is still unknown to me; and what more?

John Fashanu was also a friend and character witness to convicted former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori in London who he infamously called a good and very kind man. Needless to say, I hope the defunct Oceanic Bank can learn how the word P.O.S.T.E.R.I.T.Y plays itself in the theatrics and drama of life.

Entrepreneur and Silverbird Group Chairman, Ben Murray Bruce

Ben Murray-Bruce is Chairman of the Silver bird Group. Credits must be given to this business entrepreneur, a fantastic leader and visionary in Nigerian entertainment and media industry. Although same cannot be said of his involvements and contributions to other aspects of Nigeria and its citizens. In all honesty, the happenings in Nigeria’s public enterprises and corporations are often vague and unclear.

That not being the case, it is worth questioning how a man who headed a government well funded organisation like NTA left it to its shallow state of today and yet was able to establish, manager and spread a private media enterprise of his own. One cannot help but mention that Ben Bruce played a vital and key role in the establishment of President Goodluck Jonathan as Nigerian President with maximum airtime replays of campaign adverts, Nollywood gathering, appearances in public speeches for Jonathan’s campaigns.

Let’s be real and let’s get serious. Imagine the plight of everyday Nigerians being paid attention to just like the maximum campaigns Silverbird media networks runs for its annual MBGNs; Imagine a maximum coverage on the Boko Haram sect or  the Niger Deltan crisis being featured on the Silverbird media networks just as much as its annual “Silverbird Man of the Year” awards. And let’s imagine more political, societal, orientation or informative programmes as well as peace-initiative programmes are rolled out just like FlyTime (Its Sister Partner) occasional entertainment programmes viz. Rythm Unplugged, Basket Mouth Uncensored etc.

However, let's take it easy on Ben Murray-Bruce. He's a private entrepreneur and no one is in any position to dictate to him how his private businesses be run but his attempt at the Bayelsa Governorship Polls which was held earlier this year has thrown him into public highlight and scrutiny and a challenge the media-mogul will have to accept his simple; His name is far more mentioned than the work of his hands.

Lagos Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN)

I cannot recollect any decent society in the world where someone gets accolade for works they are CHARGED & under COMPULSION to carry out. I once told a colleague that if we are to achieve a true democracy in Nigeria, then everything that characterises Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola as a fantastic governor should actually be the characteristics of the worst governor in Nigeria.

My points are simple! Yes he's without doubt the best governor in Nigeria. But do you praise a courier for handing over money sent to you for delivery? Much more when he decides to dictate to you how such money should be spent? For us to achieve a real democracy in Nigeria, we do not want a governor who increased State tuition for tertiary education by 300% or impose toll-gates on motorists despite public outcry against such plans being labelled the 'BEST' governor in the country.

Yes, Babatunde Raji Fashola is Nigeria's best Governor as of today, but in true democracies around the world? Can we adjudge him by such standards?

All right, I think I'm done. However I have decided to leave the 10th spot for the most nominated person on the comment forum below and on Twitter, Facebook. Join the communication by simply tweeting Most Overrated Nigerians (without hash tag #). Don't worry about agreeing with me in all of it, 100% agreement wouldn't help us much.

Uche Da Penspinner