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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

The Debut..

Hello everyone! Not quite sure how to handle my debut writing, so I’ll first of all ask you to bear with me as I try to express my thoughts, feelings and experiences with you as best as I can. Please don’t be too critical of me as I am still an infant in the worldwide web of writing.
First things first, welcome to my blog! On this journey, I’d like to take you through the patchwork of my weekly life in colours of highs, lows, the drab, the zany, joy and pain… pump it up, pump it up! lol Ok, maybe only the old skool connoisseurs would get this joke. Feedback from you my lovely people would be very much welcomed. I de beg una O! Hm.


This week started on a not so palatable note, actually it was quite disturbing… Got an email message from a friend that showed graphic details (the pictures were to graphic to post on this site) of a young girl named Stacy, who was decapitated in South Africa. Stacy was murdered by Shorn in broad daylight and in full view of people going about their business. Her crime? Apparently, she turned down Shorn’s love advances for about a year and he, on that day, decided to remove the object of his “affection” from this world through the most violent means possible.
Armed with a sword and length of rope, he dragged her from the minivan she’d just embarked, cut her hand off from the wrist before proceeding to chop her head off….and this was done in full view of passers by!
This incident, while occurring in far away South Africa, touches us all. This event should touch every parent to the soul, The thought of burying one’s child is heartbreaking, not to talk of the knowledge that one’s child perished in such a gruesome manner. How does one start to comprehend such a loss? What did she do to warrant such treatment? Saying no??!
If he was so sure that she was his for life then he should have, after hacking her to death, dispatched himself as well by diving into a ready vat of hot oil or worn a lit rubber (tyre) necklace! There’s absolutely no excuse for this sort of behaviour especially as it adversely affects the lives of many. The only excuse would be mental instability and if so why wasn’t it detected immediately?
I’d like to know if the young man is aware of what he has done? Does he know he cut down a young woman’s dreams and shattered the peace of her family? If not, then for the duration of his incarceration the four walls of his permanent cell should be pasted with blown up pictures of the gruesome images that our senses are being assaulted with. He should have bright lights all year round so he doesn’t have any reprieve in darkness and should be cut off from all human contact until he fully understands how horrendous his crime was. He does not belong in our society!


I know I should have begun on a lighter note but this one’s hard to ignore as it could easily happen to any one of us. How many times does a woman have to say no to a love advance before she’s taken seriously? Is it right to stand by (this happened in front of a crowd in broad daylight) and watch while a fellow human is hacked to death just because you don’t know him or her? Why don’t we let our minds drift to the possibility that it could well have been our mother, sister, wife, girlfriend or even daughter that was subjected to such a gruesome ordeal? How would we be able to pick our lives up after that? If we don’t want to have to go through that experience then let’s come together and make our society a real society by being our brother’s and sister’s keeper. I’d like to know your thoughts on this.


Yes, I know this is a bit heavy for my first blog but I promise to make it much lighter next week by talking about the summary of my life last year. It’s like putting the cart before the horse but then again, you did ask to take a peek into the goings on in my life! I know I sound a bit cryptic so I’ll explain…. My original plan was to start by charting what direction I’ll be going this year, taking you through the lessons I learned last year, the things I’ve experienced so far this year, and discuss the last movie sets I worked on but impulse drove me ( to my manager Nkem’s surprise) to write on this piece. Sorry Nkem!
Sooooo, next week is your chance to laugh at me, or with me, as I cut out a slice of last year. In the meantime, have a wonderful week!

21 comments:

  1. first and said nothing...lol..classic

    so I am first!

    the story is really sad and pathetic... why would any human being do that...then again this kind of stuff happens everywhere, my best friend is still being stalked by her ex that she broke up with 2 years ago and he has threatened to kill her twice..

    at the end of the day, we pray to God and stay away from psychos ...or hope the person next to us is not one..

    keep posting...fun gist please o...
    :D

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  2. Hi Kalu...ur blog is not bad at all.
    The mentioned crime above a long while ago, my bro called me and told ,me abt it and sent me the same email and more picturs. i almost passed out whn i saw them ppicturs, it made sick to my stomic. The bastard is now claming mental problem..... can you imagin dat shit? he face a severe punishment for dat. like you said lets be each others keeper, not enemies.
    Nice blog man, keep it coming.
    NanaAisha

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  3. Welcome to the world of Blogging sir. I must say that you are doing a great job already and this is just your first go at it.

    I wouldn't say that this is what I expected to read in your first post, but then again, what better way to start than to inform us of this pervasive, unwarranted killing and to raise awareness about gender violence.

    This is truly a sad story and it was very disturbing to read, more so because of the circumstances surrounding Stacy's death.

    I'm not sure what's being done about it or how the South African rule of law would apply in such a case, but like you said, his defense is probably going to be insanity, which I'm hoping would be unsuccessful.

    Regardless of what happens, I think that the community as a whole needs to take a more active role to ensure that such heinous crimes don't take place on its streets. If not for anything, but for the fact that she was a human being and anybody could have found themselves in such an unfortunate situation.

    Not sure how it works in South Africa, but I think that if a group of people confronted him, the outcome would have been different. On the other hand, I do understand the implications of bystander intervention, especially when they are not well-equipped to assist. However, I believe, like you said that more could have been done in this situation, especially to help out this defenseless young woman who met her untimely death in such a gruesome manner.

    To re-iterate, the community needs to wake up and realize that it is never okay to stand by and do nothing. A lot can be done to put a stop to such barbaric acts, but it can not be accomplished by just one person and it cannot be accomplished in just a day.
    But shedding light on it, is the first step to ending such violence which has for so long left women oppressed, hopeless and stigmatized.


    On a more lighter note, looking forward to future posts from you...

    God's Blessings!

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  4. hmm, i must admit its rather heavy for ur first post.
    i guess i'll just chill and wait for the lighter posts

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  5. I disagree that your first blog is heavy handed, I think starting with the unexpected was a good way to start carving your mark in the blogging world...why? Because you are an actor. People would probably have expected you to blog your opinions about Nollywood, fashion, music and about your daily activities in or sans the company of other fellow Nollywood acts but it is nice to read your opinion on world issue, world plight and as a woman I am particularly glad to see you write about women's issue albeit a very horrendous one.

    This act of violence and other acts of violence towards women will continue as long as women are treated as second class citizens across the world. I concur with the individual who has stated that the community needs to rise up and say NO to our daughters being left uneducated, married off to old men at prepubescent ages, mutilated, enslaved, beaten, oppressed on a mental, emotional, physical and spiritual level. Women need to empower their daughter, father's need to protect their daughters. It can not be OK for a man to do this to a woman in broad day light! And where were the authorities? It is a shame, a grand shame!

    May God be with us all!

    I look forward to more discussions that will lead to intellectually stimulating conversations BUT at the same time, you are an entertainer, Mr. Ikeagwu and having said that I do expect some lighter fare...a little inside track into what makes the little boy in your come out to play.

    Peacefully
    Ebbe

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  6. Nice writing but sad story. May her soul rest in peace.

    You are such a wonderful actor. I love your movies.

    Cheers
    Chinyere

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  7. Not trying to blow your trumpet here but a g8 piece of work, you don't earn any smite especially from me.

    Well people have really said it,nice comments they have put up, it's indeed a gory one to have fed my eyes with this morning. How can someone be this curel and calous? this leave me wondering if men where God... The story of Stacy cuts deep into the heart, then imagine the pain the imbecile must have inflicted to the family

    It could happen to anyone's sister, daughter, lets begin to echo in one voice, United we stand,may be its high time we the citizenry start taking laws into our own hand rather than waiting for a judgment that may not come instantly.... hell no. he doesn't deserve a day grace, for me,it's an eye for an eye.

    Well,lets hope nad pray that the Govt of S/A prevail fast and the soul of the innocent girl gets a fair trial soon.

    For the pyscho guy, he will rot in hell for the rest of his live..
    E..mmm, kalu onye nkem, dalu o. May ur pen never fail u, as we wait to read more stuffs from you.

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  8. hi kalu,
    heavy for a first but nice all the same.
    i look forward to subsequent posts.
    welcome to the world of blogging,i hope you can meet up with its challenges!


    stella dimoko-korkus

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  9. Interesting start Kalu, i will be most eager to read your next post.

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  10. Hi kalu, am not really goin to say ur post is heavy. its really a beautiful start and a unique piece of work youv got here. Your post has actually revealed a beautiful part of you that interest a lot us. And if i may add you are really a talented man and am glad that people like you exist. Your post was really a touchy one. I pray her soul rest in peace. I'll be lookin forward to your next post. Tumbs up....
    Amaka Nancy....

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  11. Welcome to cyber world Mr Ikeagwu1 And no need to apologize for starting put with a 'heavy' story...u actually raised my respect for u as a fine and intelligent (dare I add, sensitive) brother.
    Looking fwd to future posts. Keep up the good work!

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  12. Ok, now I've read your first and have added you to my blogroll, meaning you now have to write regularly...or else! Just kidding. It's nice to see a Nigerian actor who is not so self-involved...or will that happen with time? Looking forward to reading more from you though. Good on you.
    Ijeoma

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  13. It's really sad about this type of cases. It just goes to show that a lot of men don't know how to handle rejection and move on.

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  14. first, you are welcome to the world of blogging Kalu...I thought you were just a fine actor, now I see you're also a fine writer...u managed to weave a bit of comedy into an otherwise gruesome story...

    now, for Shorn, or woteva his name is...I quite agree with your prescribed treatment 4him...especially the bit about blowing up images of his wickedness and pasting on the 4walls of his permanent cell...it's people like him who give Africa the very bad image that she has in the international community...may God heal our land and deliver us from people of his ilk...

    Looking forward to reading more from u...you are the first naija artise blogger that I'm aware of...keep it up bro...

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  15. i cld not help but laugh hard at ur recent post!!!
    Nana Aisha!

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  16. I COULD NOT HELP BUT LAUGH HARD AT RECENT POST!!!! HEHEHEH MOM WATCHING YOU KISS....

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  17. hey kalu....the write ups are really cool and interesting..talking about kissing girls and ur Ma'watching..lol
    atleast ure grown now....wink!!

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  18. hey u...nice blog. i think it was a good start...heavy but touching...not just the sad story but the fact that we need to look out for each other cos she could have been me or anyone i know. i pray she rest in peace. will try and keep up with this blog if promises to be ineresting.

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  19. So... imagine my excitement when I discovered you have a blog! You're my fave Nigerian actor, I'll be stalking this blog gleefully.

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  20. Finally down to d first and my last to be read. I think I enjoyed myself and laughed a lot throughout my reading. Thank God am not feeling too well so my mum didn't shout on me for not doing anything but using my phone. Pls, do keep it coming.... U r d best!

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