Ahead of it’s the forthcoming New Year Party celebration in Manchester, United Kingdom, one of UK’s foremost association, G’Men of Manchester have concluded all arrangements aimed at hosting friends, families and other stakeholders at their forthcoming new year party celebration.

Billed for Sunday, January 28, 2024 at the prestigious Empire Hall, Cheethamill, Manchester, UK, the association has left no stone unturned at making the event not only a top notch but also ensuring that the day enjoys a successful and memorable achievement.

According to a statement made available and signed by the association’s Public Relations Officer, Otunba Eyitayo Mustapha, “G’Men is a foremost and leading association based in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is constituted by morally responsible and professionally motivated group of Gentlemen living in Manchester.

Continuing, Mustapha explained that G’Men is an evolution of individual and collective members personal and professional passion and commitment to support its stakeholders towards fostering unity amongst them. Besides this, the association is equally inspired to support its primary constituency of Nigerian residents.

Mustapha further disclosed that the unity in diversity theme uphold by the association has consistently played a pivotal role in the association’s day to day activations.

 Mustapha hinted that this proposed new year event will be the third edition in the history of the association.  It will also attract eminent personalities across Manchester and beyond.

 ‘’As an association, G’Men of Manchester has created a niche for itself as a charity

organisation, offering a platform of cultural projection, a window of social integration

and a channel of professional networking; regardless of members colour, race, religion

or ethnicity”, he said.

‘’ Of the various excitements already generated on the social media and

amongst the various Nigerian ethnic communities in Manchester, and given our level

of preparation, as well as the various support we are getting from all and major

stakeholders, I am confident that this year’s new year party celebration will be nothing

short of glitz, glamour and most especially, success” Mustapha also stated.

Steve Olufemi Sodiya is a seasoned filmmaker with over 30 years of experience. Undoubtedly, he has worked on so many projects over the years as a producer, director, editor, consultant, and post-production supervisor. Sodiya, who doubles as the CEO of Nukoncept Studio, takes pride in working with big legends of the industry over the years. A member of the Directors guild of Nigeria (DGN) also one of the board of trustee (BOT) Association of motion picture and entertainment editors of Nigeria (AMPEEN).

Till date, he has worked on several projects including Figurine, The Wedding Party, The King of Boys (part 1 and 2), Ayinla, Ijakumo, Kofa and his latest project  Malaika.

Practically, he has worked with the living legend, Tunde Kelani, fondly called TK closely over the years. TK opened his eyes to many concepts about filmmaking, and for that reason, he made a conscious decision to stay on gate-keeping of quality control (post-production) for the films in Nollywood for a while. This gave him the chance to study different approaches to telling stories and, at the same time, makes sure the final output was not devoid of excellent finishing.

Of course, there are no bad stories. It depends on who is telling the stories and how it is being presented. Nollywood is blessed with very interesting and exciting stories, for example, the Malaika story is a family story of someone seeking to have a child of her own. The story could have been approached linearly but he decided to give all the characters a chance for the whole world to see from their own point of view.

“Most times humans refuse to look inwardly when they have a challenge but rather blame external forces. Nollywood has come of age and it is time to bring a new game to the table” Steve explained.

Starting from the background of advertising agency back then, the advent of film-making in Nigeria was very interesting, the Alade Aromire, of blessed memory, attempted and became successful in home video movies, which caught the interest of a lot of us that are already into advertising and TV. That is how the quest of Sodiya into the film world started.

“Everything about film-making to me is always about the story. I remember when I took on the project Afonja in 2002, written by Adebayo Faleti, the same feeling I got before going into the project is the same feeling I had when I jumped on King of Boys by Kemi Adetiba.”

Adding that , “We had limited resources when we started Nollywood and that affected our creative process. And trying to tell our stories back then, we hardly think of going very wild with our imagination because we try to limit the stories to what we can achieve right here in Nigeria. These days, our creative process has changed drastically since the industry is now opened up to endless possibilities. “

“Netflix hand-picked some of us and gave us master classes on production and post-production, that alone says a lot about the potentials the outside world see in Nollywood”.

Speaking about the challenges, Shodiya narrated what it has been like functioning in the industry; “In recent times, the most challenging film I directed was Ijakumo. We had to merge the past and the present, cultural depth and modern-day lifestyle needed together. We did a serious balance while I worked alongside a beautiful mind and experienced Movie Director, Adebayo Tijani, to make sure we could deliver that masterpiece.”
“The fight sequence, which we shot for 3 days, was the most challenging one. It was jointly done with the awesome effort of an amazing stunt coordinator, Mr Nollywood David Ugeonyemechi, as well as Hakeem Effects on special effects. The Art Director, Tunji Afolayan, made life easy for us also, and, at the end of the day, we brought the scene to life”.

“Most of the productions I delved into either breaks the box office or brings tons of awards back home. Last year, 2023, one of the projects I co-produced (Kofa) won best film awards at Amaa awards and Afriff as well”

“I have always belonged to a school of thought that believes in reproducing oneself through training and impacting people as one moves up the ladder. Handling multiple projects is very easy when you already have trustworthy and competent hands to work with you with little or no supervision”.

“Malaika is my latest film, the most challenging part of directing this film is handling well over a hundred children in the ‘Ewe orun’ scene of the film. It has never been easy managing children on any film set. Meanwhile, it is even a vfx scene, which requires paying a lot of attention to details”, he concluded.

In a shocking turn of events, Ope Banwo, the once-respected producer behind Ghetto Dreams and the founder of Stingomania Records, finds himself entangled in a web of controversies that threatens to tarnish his reputation within the Nigerian entertainment industry.
The first blow comes from a bitter dispute with two of his signed artists, Baba Nee and Trybson Dudukoko, which has erupted into a public spectacle on social media. The artists accuse Banwo of exploitation, mismanagement, and questionable business practices, while Banwo claims they breached their contracts after benefiting from over N12 million in investments from Stingomania. The online drama paints Banwo as a victim of an industry-wide issue, but critics argue that it may be a diversion from deeper problems within Stingomania Records.
Adding to the turmoil is Banwo’s withdrawal of consents for the use of the artists’ works and his threat to challenge entities engaging with Baba Nee and Trybson without Stingomania’s consent. Some view this as a desperate attempt to salvage his reputation, though others question the ethics of such a public airing of disputes, hinting at potential legal ramifications.
The controversy takes a darker turn with Banwo’s claim of receiving death threats from Baba Nee’s fans. Critics argue that this revelation might be an effort to garner sympathy and shift attention away from the allegations against him.
The drama intensifies as Trybson Dudukoko accuses Banwo of exploiting female artists and engaging in inappropriate relationships with them. Dudukoko’s allegations imply a culture within Stingomania Records that prioritizes personal connections over professional growth. Frank Nero, a friend of Baba Nee, enters the fray, criticizing Banwo for allegedly not compensating Trybson Dudukoko for his role in the movie “Ghetto Dreams” and suggesting that Banwo’s business practices may drive artists to seek alternative means of income.
As if this weren’t enough, a second wave of controversy hits as revelations about Banwo’s shadowy past resurface. Legal battles with the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) from 2017 rear their head, with accusations of false, baseless, and malicious statements made by Banwo regarding the management of N300,000,000 in copyright royalties. Demands for a public retraction, an apology, and damages open a chapter of legal woes that adds to Banwo’s already precarious situation.
These dual controversies paint a grim picture of Ope Banwo’s business practices and management style. The resurfacing legal battles and ongoing artist disputes not only expose a willingness to air grievances on social media but also hint at a darker side of the industry figure, casting a long shadow over his once-celebrated career in the Nigerian entertainment scene. As Banwo faces serious accusations of exploitation, contractual malpractice, and a tumultuous legal history, the unfolding drama suggests that his integrity as a label head and businessperson may be irreparably damaged