Teen sues parents for college money

A judge wonders whether Rachel Canning's case will "open the gates to a 12-year-old suing for an Xbox"

At age 41, I'm probably too young to ask what the deal is with kids today, but... What's the deal with kids today?

Last week we heard of the daughter whose Facebook bragging cost her father a hefty age-discrimination settlement. Now there's this:

According to New Jersey's Daily Record, a high school student who left home when she turned 18 is suing her parents to get them to fund her college education. Depending on whom you ask, she was either thrown out by her mum and dad or departed on her own accord because she didn't want to live by their rules anymore.

Peggy Wright reports that Rachel Canning is asking a court to order her parents to pay the balance of her private high school tuition, cover rent and living expenses and "commit an existing college fund to their daughter".

On Tuesday, a New Jersey superior court judge ruled that there was no "emergency basis" to award Rachel money immediately for her outstanding high school tuition and living expenses.
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Just because you can vote, work, enlist in the armed forced and get married doesn't mean your parents are no longer obliged to care for you”Mary Elizabeth WilliamsSalon

In announcing his decision, Judge Peter Bogaard wondered about the precedent the case may set.

"What will the next step be?" he asked "Are we going to open the gates to a 12-year-old suing for an Xbox?"

Another hearing is set for 22 April, when lawyers will bring in supporting witnesses. In the meantime Rachel is living with a friend, whose father is bankrolling the lawsuit (reimbursement for legal fees incurred is also part of the case).

"The father contended that Rachel moved out because she didn't want to abide by simple household rules - be respectful, keep a curfew, return 'borrowed' items to her two sisters, manage a few chores, and reconsider or end her relationship with a boyfriend the parents believe is a bad influence," reports Wright.

The issue, it seems, turns on whether Rachel is "emancipated" from her parents under state law. If a court finds she isn't, then the parents may have to foot the bill. If she is, then she's on her own.

"Contrary to a popular opinion - and that private countdown clock ticking away in many parents' minds - a child is not automatically legally let loose to fend for him- or herself upon reaching an 18th birthday," writesSalon's Mary Elizabeth Williams. "Just because you can vote, work, enlist in the armed forced and get married doesn't mean your parents are no longer obliged to care for you."

If that 18-year-old is still a student, for instance, the parent-child ties may still bind.
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Is this a case of a spoiled rich girl wanting something for nothing or do her parents owe her?”Erin EdgemonAL.com

Williams says that she can see both sides of the dispute:

It's hard for the many, many of us who cobbled together our educations while working thankless, crappy jobs to have a lot of sympathy for an able-bodied, intelligent girl who'd haul her parents into court to make them pay for college. But it's also got to be a humiliating and very scary blow for a high school student to have her folks stop supporting her and paying her current tuition.

The case has garnered widespread attention, as Rachel's Facebook (again - parents, take heed!) pictures, including bikini and cheerleading photos, have been spread far and wide across the Internet.

"Well, that's one way to get back at your parents," writes Matt Pearce of the Los Angeles Times.

"Is this a case of a spoiled rich girl wanting something for nothing or do her parents owe her?" asks Erin Edgemon on the Birmingham News website AL.com.

The Australia website News.com.au - yes, the story has gone global - seems to know the answer to that question, with its headline: "Spoiled teen Rachel Canning takes parents to court".

Lisa Needham of the blog Happy Nice Time People has a message for Rachel.

"Many a grown person is not allowed to live under Mommy and Daddy's roof because they are terrible adult layabouts who were overindulged as children and never grew out of it, which is pretty much how you sound,"she writes.

She continues:

New Jersey courts, we beg of you, do not reward this behavior or you will have parents who are now legally stuck with their horrible adult offspring standing outside your doors with pitchforks in no time.

There's more to this case than just name-calling and parents-said, daughter-said, however. In a society where a college education is usually an essential key to a successful future, do parents have an obligation to provide this for their children?

In this case in particular, if parents have already set aside money in acollege fund, does that child have a claim on it?

And finally, do we really live in the kind of society in which familial arguments can turn into acrimonious court disputes in which no one is likely to come out a winner?

In pictures: Uganda's 'Pimp My Ride' garage

FRESH CUT: PHYNO

“O Set” features P-Square!

Phyno has released a new single featuring award-winning duo P-Sqaure. The rapper’s song is titled “O Set” and was produced by WizzyPro.

MTV NEWS | METRO FM AWARDS

Check out the Nominations!
South Africa’s award’s season is about to kick off with the Metro FM Awards taking place on 1 March at the Durban ICC. Here’s the list of musicians that you’re likely to see gracing out MTV Base screens. Any thoughts on who’s missing from this list?

Best Collaboration
Revolution feat Black Motion &Yasira – Noqatiko
Mafikizolo feat May D – Happiness
Uhuru feat Oskido, Professor & DJ Bucks – Y-Tjukuja
Lulo Cafe feat Black Motion & Nape Leon – Whistling To Bed
DJ Ganyani feat FB – Xigubu

Best Compilation Album
Euphonik – For The Love Of House Vol 5
Soul Candi Sessions 2014
The Fresh Drive – Ultimix at 6 Vol 4
DJ T-Deep – Fundamentals of House
DJ Fresh – Fresh House Flava Vol 7

Best Dance Album
Uhuru – Our Father
Mi Casa – Su Casa
Lulo Cafe – Soul Africa
Heavy K – Respect The DrumBoss 2013
Zakes Bantwini – My Music Bible

Best Female Artist
Zamajobe – Thula Mntwana
Zahara – Phendula
DJ Cndo – Finest Lady of House Vol 5
Indwe – Indwe
Naima Kay – Umsebenzi

Best Hip Hop Album
Ifani – I Believes In Me
Kwesta – Dakar
L-Tido – All of Me
Best Urban Jazz Album
Julius Schultz – Colour Blind
Zamajobe – Mntwana
Indwe – Indwe
Swazi Dlamini – Soul of Me
Nomfundo – Kusile

Best Kwaito Album
Character – Self Control
Big Nuz – Made In Africa
Alaska – Revival
Mandoza – Sgantsontso

Best Male Artist
Zakes Bantwini – My Music Bible
Vusi Nova – Walk Into Light
Ifani – I Believes In Me
Lulo Cafe – Soul Africa
Culoe De Song – Exodus

Best African Pop Album
Mafikizolo – Reunited
Zahara – Phendula
Naima Kay – Umsebenzi
Danny K – Good Look
Nthando – Monday to Sunday

Best R&B Album
GB Collective – Collective Conscience
Presss – Black
Vusi Nova – Walk Into Light
Danny K – Good Look
Lungi Naidoo – I Am

Best Hit Single
DJ Ganyani – Xigubu
Khuli Chana – Mnatebowen
Black Coffee – Buya
AKA – Kontrol
Gino Brown – Body Language

Best Music Video
DA L.E.S – Heaven
Khuli Chana – Mnatebowen
Veezo – Money, Sex, Clothes, Grls
Ifani – Milli
Donald – Your Joy

Song of the Year
Mi Casa – Jika
Mafikizolo – Happiness
Heavy K – Wena
Uhuru – Y-Tjukuja
Big Nuz – Inazo
Big Nuz – Hawaii
Zahara – Phendula
Lulo Cafe – Whistling to Bed
Mafikizolo – Khona
Naima Kay – Lelilanga remix

'12 Years a Slave' named best picture

Best picture: "12 Years a Slave"

2014 Oscars: Winners

The searing drama "12 Years a Slave" was named best picture at the 86th Academy Awards on Sunday night.

The story of Solomon Northup, a free African-American man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery, won just three awards, but they were all major: best picture, best supporting actress (Lupita Nyong'o) and best adapted screenplay (John Ridley).

Brad Pitt, one of the film's producers, accepted on behalf of the film before deferring to its director, a noticeably excited -- and tongue-tied -- Steve McQueen.

"Everyone deserves not just to survive, but to live. This is the most important legacy of Solomon Northup," McQueen said.

He added, "This is for all the people who have endured slavery, and the 21 million people who still endure slavery today." ... CNN

Govs Raji Fashola And Peter Obi Dancing Galala With Daddy Showkey

2014 Silverbird Man of the Year, Lagos Governor Raji Fashola and Anambra Governor Peter Obi enjoyed dancing galala with the galala king Daddy Showkey on stage during the Silverbird Man of the Year Award held on Sunday night at Muson Centre.

I ‘ve two kids, If killed, life isn’t worth living for me – First Lady

The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, on Wednesday appealed to Nigerian youths to always put the nation first and embrace peace to foster development in the country.

Jonathan said this while receiving various youth leaders who visited the State House in Abuja as part of activities ahead of the National Youth Peace Concert.

The concert is scheduled for Saturday, March 8 in Abuja.

The youth leaders, who were led by three personalities, said they were at the Villa to chart a course for the concert.

The three personalities included Mike Omeri, Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), and Onyeka Onwenu, Director-General, National Women Development Centre (NWDC).

The other one is Jude Imagwe, the Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Youth and Student Affairs.

“I invited you here today for two reasons. One of them is to work with you to make Nigeria a better place for us to live in, and the other one is to ensure our states, local government areas, regions and zones are peaceful.

“No one can do it all, we need collective efforts to make Nigeria a better place to live in. Please, put the nation first, because no other country is better than ours,’’ the First Lady said.

She said the concert would be a turnaround for youths as it would enlighten them on peaceful ways to co-habit with their neighbours and thereby shun violence.

Dame Patience Jonathan decried the ongoing killings in Borno, saying the killing of students and other Nigerians was a dastard act as the youths are the nation’s future hope.

“Today, I have two children. If they get killed, life is not worth living for me. Why will anyone therefore want to kill people’s children? No mother will like to suffer in vain.

“Our joy is in the youths. You are the hope of Nigeria, the hope of tomorrow. I don’t want to lose any of you.

“Please, be co-ordinated, and also be good ambassadors at the concert so that the foreigners can take good news back home about us,’’ she said.

While responding individually, Yinka Gbadebo, Usman Ibrahim, Amina Abdulone and Dauda Abduljelil who were among speakers, spoke for the youths and also proffered solutions to the country’s insecurity problems.

“I appeal that your peace initiative should extend to the campuses which are the intellectual community of the nation.

“Also, our campuses in the North should be more secured so that our brothers and sisters can be safe.

“I also appeal that as you have successfully advocated for 35 per cent for women, advocate for 20 per cent for the youths so that we can be involved in governance and drastically reduce unemployment among us,’’ Gbadebo said.

Ibrahim, on his part, said: “I lost a namesake the oldest son of my sister and a friend in the Buni Yadi killings.

“The situation is pathetic. Satanic people are killing our brothers and sisters every day, and we need solutions fast.’’

Also, Abdulone said: “This concert is coming at a very crucial time for the nation. I grew up and schooled in Yobe, but when I went back there two weeks ago, I wept. We need to help the women who bear the brunt of any conflict’’.

On his part, Abduljelil said: “Our lives are at stake. No one understands what’s happening. It’s not about theNorth East but about Nigeria. The elite have created this monster eating deep into us.

“These were youths who were dedicated to working for this country but someone has polluted their minds and turned them against the system.

“We need to reach out to our brothers and bring them back to the path of peace. I’ll also laud the activities of the civilian JTF who are unarmed and unpaid, and yet risk their lives daily in the quest for peace.’’

Patience Jonathan’s Influential Pastor Goes To Jail

In October 2011, First Lady Patience Jonathan, was in South Korea as a participant in an international summit on church growth organised by Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest Pentecostal church in the world. The photo-op that accompanied the report captured Dame Jonathan kneeling before the founder of the church, Pastor David Yonggi Cho; her bejewelled hands in his hands.

The First Lady was enacting what has come to be recognised as what she and her husband do best since they got to office – a public display of godliness that turns every church pulpit into a soap box. In the photo with Cho, she cut the perfect image of piety and religious devotion, but only if you didn’t know better.

Fast forward to two years later...

She returned to South Korea to collect an honorary doctorate from Hansei University. The university said it honoured her for her “many good causes” and that she was a “defender of the poor” in Nigeria.

In her citation, they see her as “a humanitarian who has dedicated her life to working for the less privileged in Nigeria and Africa especially for women and children.” The irony of celebrating her philanthropic activities does not factor into account that as First Lady she had no business doing what the state is mandated to do for its citizens, let alone being honoured for the same. The entire affair would have been just laughable if it were not curious that her other side, the political part of hers, which has earned her opprobrium, is not available on the Internet for any and everyone to read.

Dame Jonathan, on her part, received the “award” with “surprise.” She said she was just “doing her own thing” in Nigeria not knowing someone faraway in Asia noticed. She promised to do more good works with God’s help.

The interesting part of Dame Jonathan’s honorary doctorate was that the awarding institution is co-founded by Pastor Cho, the same man of God she visited two years earlier. Cho is even the Chancellor of Hansei. He described her as “selfless” in order to justify the honorary doctorate.

But recently, Cho was, wait for it, sentenced to jail for corruption. And that was when some things about the award and the way they showered her with empty praises began to make sense.

To say every man has a price is jaded philosophising. What is news here is that for 14 years, an elder in Yoido Church said he beseeched Cho to end his unethical practices. Despite praying for many nations and individuals, Cho could not do the needful for his own salvation.

Cho, 78, has been a pastor far longer than Nigeria has been an independent country. He started his church in 1958 in the midst of an economic crisis. Both the country and the church rose to prosperity together. His church boasts some one million members/attendees. Cho is a prosperity preacher who took his own message too seriously.

Now, he has been convicted of financial misappropriation to the tune of $12m and directed to pay back $4.6m. He was also stamped with racketeering and tax evasion, and subsequently sentenced to three years imprisonment. He should be going to jail with his first son, Cho Hee-Jun, a mini-Cho whose list of sexual scandals and financial impropriety is longer than a leg but his sentence is suspended.

Three losers here: Nigeria for wasted resources devoted to the “prayer” photo-op; Dame Jonathan for being a dupe and, Cho for his crimes.

South Korea, in this story, is clearly a winner.
It takes moral courage to “touch the Lord’s Anointed”, especially one that has become a cultural icon like Cho. Who would have dared that in Nigeria? Cho says he has learnt that the pursuit of materialism is useless. Quite a humbling experience for a man who has spent decades preaching about God but the takeaway is that he was taught this lesson. He will hopefully spend the rest of his life learning that being called by God does not immune one from responsibility.

If he were a Nigerian, this might be a needless lesson because here, pastors get away with non-accountability and even boast about it. Last year, Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of COZA church, Abuja, was accused of marital infidelity. This alone should be enough for the church to investigate him to demonstrate moral standards existed in their church.

What did Fatoyinbo do when the story broke? He trivialised the allegation and fibbed during a church service. In one breath, he said God told him not to respond. Moments later, he said he was packaging a “robust reply”. Since then, he has not deemed it fit to tell us whether he had séx with his church member or not. He continues to pastor his church to the background song of devoted worshippers who throw around Bible verses about not judging another man’s servant.


The point, however, lingers: If we fail to question our pastors’ excesses, we will carry over the same attitude to our political leaders.

People try to draw a line between the two vocations saying pastors are called by God, not elected by people.What they forget is that we carry over attitudes from spiritual spaces to the secular. By the way, since pastors/churches have become a huge part of Nigeria’s political culture, they are no longer sacrosanct. Who holds them to account on issues of corruption?

It is bad enough that Nigerian churches and mosques do not pay taxes, they still get import waivers thereby denying the country revenue. Who says because they preach against sin they cannot be corrupt? Cho has pastored for longer than half of the world’s population has existed, yet he still used the devil (or the devil used him, whatever!). Who still thinks that “anointed-ness” immunes you against your own human failings?

The family that established global televangelism through satellite station, Trinity Broadcasting Network, racked up a massive corruption record that would make even the devil quake with envy. We know these things because they live in relatively accountable societies. In Nigeria where pastors are never pressured for their “robust reply,” how do you keep them in line?

And which agency can develop the balls to start scrutinising the activities of these “men of God” when the Oga at the top, President Jonathan and his wife openly fraternise with them?

Obasanjo Claims - I Was Born On Market Day, I Don't Know The Date

Those who are very close to him say he knows his real birth day but just like cracking people up...

Anyway, President Olusegun Obasanjo told his well wishers who turned up for his "77th" birthday that he is not sure of the day or date he was born. Baba said all he knew was what his mum told him, that she gave birth to him on Ifo market day:

"She said, by the time the people that went to the market returned, she had given birth to me, that was what she told me," Obasanjo explained.

So what date of birth did he use to enter the Nigerian Army? This man is really funny. Happy birthday, OBJ!

Update On Musician Obesere's Rapé Saga

While popular Fuji musician, Alhaji Abass Akande Obesere is looking for out-of-court settlement in the saga that has brought so much trouble to him, OluFamous.Com gathered that there are some persons who are bent on seeing that Obesere goes to prison or at least he appears in court for the messy case.

But what did he do? The woman, who he said set him up to extort money from him, is making new claims:

In the words of Ms Olanike: “I bled for more than two weeks after Alhaji Obesere raped me and inserted his ring into my private part. The incident occurred on February 12, 2013 and I have spent a lot of money treating myself.

“The DPO, Isolo Police division, took pity on me and refused to give in to Obesere’s pressure to strike out the case and God will bless him for that. 

“But last week I was informed that the case had been transferred to the SCID and my Investigating Police Office, IPO, at Isolo asked me to come to the station on Tuesday for the transfer. 

“But when I got to the SCID, I discovered the IPO, who took over the case, one Mr. Jacob, I don’t know his rank, became hostile to me...“You need to see how this man treated me. He started by asking me to write a new statement and when I tried to explain that I had written a statement at Isolo division, he rebuffed my explanation and insisted I wrote a new one."

Anyway, Obesere is still maintaining his innocence, saying there is no way a matured lady who is not having an affair with him would have spent the night with him in his house. He said it's just a set up all for money.

Meanwhile, the lady told Vanguard that she had relocated to her home town in Sagamu, Ogun State, where she is currently receiving treatment for the alleged rapé incident.

“As I speak with you, I am in Sagamu, my home town, where I have been receiving traditional treatment since the incident occurred," she claimed.

The embattled musician, Obesere, has been released on bail pending a thorough investigation by the SCID.

Actor Chidi Mokeme Talks About Why He And His Wife Live Apart

In an interview with Yes! magazine this week, actor Chidi Mokeme explained why his wife, Jean Chinwe Olumba, who he married in 2012, lives in the US while he lives in Nigeria….

Well, when I met my wife, this was our default setting. Let me put it like that. Our default setting was that I live in Nigeria and my wife lives in America and then we started a relationship and decided to take the relationship further and decided we were going to be man and wife. So, having taken that decision and having crossed that level, the next thing is to find a way to ease into a location. Everybody knows that you don’t just pack your bag and move in one day. There are things that need to be sorted, relocation needs to be sorted. So, we are taking our time with it. But then again, by virtue of my job, I have a pretty much very flexible timing. I own my time, I decide when to work, when not to work. So, really, I can be with my wife anytime, every time I so desire and it makes it easy. If I work 9-5, then we will always have to wait for when someone was on leave the whole year round, if I want, just to be with my wife.

Good News! Lagos High Court Lifts Ban Against Brymo

The ongoing legal tussle between singer, Brymo and his estranged label, Chocolate City took a different turn today as the court through the presiding judge, Justice Buba I.N lifted the injunction against the artiste, setting him free to continue the release of materials as a full-fledged artiste.

Sitting at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, the presiding judge, Justice Buba I.N in his declaration lifted the court injunction against Brymo stressing that he needs to continue his musical career while the case continues hearing in court. Also, the judge disclosed that both the plaintiff (Chocolate City) and defendant (Brymo) should provide their witnesses in court for the 2-day hearing slated for 19th and 20th of March, 2014 respectively.

According to Justice Buba, Brymo is free to continue doing music as an artiste while Chocolate City can be compensated at a later period. ‘Since the plaintiff (Chocolate City) can be compensated at a later date, the defendant (Brymo) is free to carry out his duties as a singer so that non of the parties will be at advantage’.

While the court lifted the injunction against the music star, sights of relief was conspicuously noticed amidst Brymo and his team sitted at one section of the court chambers.

Prior to the commencement of the court session, Brymo’s legal counsel, Ms. Nike Olagbede apologized for her conducts displayed in court during the last hearing of the case.

During the court session that lasted for around 30 minutes, Chocolate City’s counsel, Mr. T.O Lawal flanked by Ms. C.O Maduboko stated that the bone of contention in court is the breach of contract filed against Brymo for walking out of his contract that runs till April 2016. He stressed that much emphasis should be laid on the court injunction against the singer since money can’t compensate the record label due to the peculiarity of music business.

In her response, Ms. Nike Olagbede stated that her client (Brymo) was right to quit Chocolate City since the label failed to fulfill their part of the contractual agreement. According to Ms. Nike, ‘Brymo signed a 5 year, 3 albums deal with Chocolate City and was right to walk out of the label when all he was promised wasn’t met. He wants to be released because artistes in the music industry have a short life span’.

Nevertheless, the court session that began at 10:20 am lasted only 30 minutes as the presiding judge brought the case to a halt when he adjourned the case for both parties to present evidences and witness at the court hearing on Wednesday 19 and Thursday, 20, 2014 respectively.