Author: Olamide Obayemi

All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu spoke with Kaduna-based Freedom Radio while in Saudi Arabia for Lesser Hajj. Q: Your Excellency, I understand you are in Saudi Arabia? A: Yes, I am here in Saudi Arabia. It is a personal trip. It is a trip for spiritual rebirth. I like coming to perform the Umrah every now and then. It is an opportunity to connect with almighty Allah, Lam ya lid wa lam yulad. We need His guidance. Nigeria is in need of prayers and that is why we are here praying for our country, self and…

All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured Muslim leaders in the country that he will offer fair and just leadership to all Nigerians if elected president. Tinubu gave the assurance in a town hall meeting with Muslim leaders from the North West geopolitical zone in Kano on Tuesday, 3 January, 2023. The APC candidate urged the religious leaders to ensure that they preach unity and harmony among their followers rather than division and disunity, saying that is the only way the nation could experience development. He said: “Religious leaders like you are agents of harmony and…

Monday, 2 January, 2023 really rocked at the Amore Gardens, Lekki Phase I, Lekki, Lagos. The occasion was the New Year Festival organised by Fuji music lord, K1 The Ultimate aptly tagged All White Party. The Fuji King himself was on bandstand. One woman stole the show and was the cynosure of all eyes. Erelu of Otta Kingdom, Princess Adenike Segilola Akindele Eleku brought her campaign for the election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the venue of the musical show. The New Year festivities did not stop the woman of substance from…

It was a nostalgic homecoming for Bayero University Kano (BUK) graduating class of 1992 when they converged from various walks of life to mark the 30th graduation anniversary of their exit from the “great citadel of learning.” Inspired by the creation of a WhatsApp group in April 2016, the BUK 92 forum has expended over N20 million on indigent students, sick persons, the less privileged and prison inmates, among others, between 2016 and 2022. Speaking at the 30th Anniversary Gala Dinner, the chairman of the forum, Mr. Muhammad Dahiru Sa’ad, disclosed that their group, since its inception, has consistently been donating…

Nollywood actor, Yomi Alore, popularly known as Yomi Gold, has announced his second marriage split. The 42-year-old announced the end of his second marriage to his wife, Meenah on his Instagram page on Tuesday, 3 January, 2022. He said, ”Me and Meenah decided to go our separate ways.. “I want all our families and friends, fans to understand. This is no time to judge anyone. When love dies in relationship. No one should force it. I want to use this time to thank everyone who has been very concerned and supportive. “Meenah is a good person.. she doesn’t deserve…

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has urged religious leaders, particularly the Prelate and clergymen of the Methodist Church Nigeria to continuously pray for Nigeria and Lagos State as the country prepares for the forthcoming general elections. He said the prayers and counsel of the religious leaders are most needed at this crucial time especially as the country prepares for the general elections slated for February 25 and March 11. Governor Sanwo-Olu made the appeal on Tuesday during a courtesy visit by the Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence Oliver Aba, at Lagos House Marina. He also implored Nigerians to…

The contention over the role of All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the wave of infrastructural transformation being witnessed in Lagos State in the last two decades may now be put to rest. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday, set the record straight, saying Tinubu was the brain behind the development master plan being implemented by successive administrations in Lagos, which has elevated governance in the State. This, Sanwo-Olu said, is a fact that could not be denied by anyone who worked closely with the former Lagos Governor from 1999 to 2007. Sanwo-Olu was the special…

By Rafiu Ajakaye Soft-spoken, easy-to-admit his human frailties, and not given to noisemaking, Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq speaks only to give a message or deliver a blow of maximum impacts to the target. That’s what he recently did when he flagged-off the campaign for Turaki Ngeri and APC Senatorial Candidate for Kwara Central Mallam Saliu Mustapha (MSM) in Ilorin. Remnants of the arrogant dynasty are still reeling from the blows, many of them wishing they had not put their hands in his mouth. The Governor speaks with facts, verifiable and relatable facts. He garnishes same with interesting political anecdotes for…

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, in a bid to strengthen the criminal justice system and standardize investigation processes in the Nigeria Police Force, has ordered a streamlining of all police investigative processes to prevent duplication of investigation via indiscriminate petitions and transfer of cases initiated by individuals and groups who have been indicted in initial investigations as a way to frustrate diligent investigation process and truncate criminal justice delivery. The IGP gave the directives while reviewing and dealing with files/cases in response to complaints on indiscriminate transfers of cases from Zonal/State Commands and other investigative units of the…

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law the Appropriation Bill, 2023 totalling N21.83 trillion. Buhari signed the bill at the Council Chambers of the State House in Abuja. This development comes six days after the National Assembly passed the bill, which represents an increase of N1.32 trillion from the N20.51 trillion budget proposal of Buhari. A breakdown of the budget indicated an allocation of N967.5 billion for statutory transfers, N6.6 trillion for debt servicing, N8.3 trillion for recurrent expenditure, and N5.9 trillion for capital expenditure. The 2023 Appropriation Bill was deferred two weeks ago over what the Senate President described…

Fleeing gunmen on Monday, 2 January, 2023 attacked a convoy of a former Governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, and killed four of his police orderlies in the process. According to a report by The PUNCH, Ohakim’s convoy was attacked at Oriagu in the Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of the state on Monday evening, 2 January, 2023. Ohakim who escaped by the whiskers had his backup vehicle bombed, leading to the death of the four policemen in his convoy. Our correspondent gathered that Ohakim was with two of his children and was returning from a visit when the gunmen…

For 19 years, Senator Iyiola Omisore, National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been consistent in the New Year visit to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile-Ife where he pays unsettled bills of patients and also provided foodstuffs and toiletries for their upkeeps. This year alone, the kind hearted politician whose slender arms is full of kindness paid a whopping N13,565,890 through his organisations: Senator Iyiola Omisore Foundation (SIOF) and Iyiola Omisore Organization (IOO). The All Progressives Congress National Secretary also interacted with the patients and moved round the wards to personally distribute the gifts items…

Pele will be buried at the Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica, the world tallest cemetery, on Tuesday, 3 January, 2023. Back in 2003, Pele expressed his desire for his remains to rest at the Memorial Necropole Ecumenica cemetery, one which is located less than a kilometer away from Santos’ Vila Belmiro stadium. The private ceremony will be attended by just Pele’s family and his remains will occupy the ninth floor of a vertical cemetery as a tribute to his father, who wore no.9 during his professional career as a footballer. The Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica is the world’s tallest cemetery. It is 32…

(Published in The PUNCH, on Monday, January 2, 2023) With a halo round his head, Pelé packed lightning in his right foot, thunder in his left; the reason his footsteps sparkled, the reason he shone like a million stars, the reason he was named Edson after the inventor of the light bulb, Thomas Edison: the reason he turned football to ‘jogo bonito’ – the beautiful game. Pelé was born in the morning of October 23, 1940 when electric light arrived in his hometown of Três Corações, a city in Minas Gerais, light and sunlight heralded the son of light to…

By Qasim Akinreti, Ph.D January 1st, 2023, Ben Shemang marks his 60th birthday. That signifies a glorious exit from Voice of Nigeria as an International State Broadcaster. Medium height, black, handsome, soft-spoken, and always full of jokes. That was my boss, Ben Shemang. A multi-lingual international broadcast journalist, trainer, and news administrator, Ben as popularly called by his peers, will be remembered for making significant contributions to Voice of Nigeria. Immense Contributions To VON He took over from John Elaigwu, as the Bureau Chief of VON in Abuja in the early years of the movement to Abuja. Yemi Fakayejo, ‘FAKAS”,…

Dear Compatriots and Friends, Happy New Year! May all our national calamities disappear this year. I am constrained to write this letter to all Nigerians, especially young Nigerians, friends of Nigeria globally as well as our development partners because of the gravity, responsibility and implications of the collective decision Nigerians, both young and old will be making within the next two months. The last seven and a half years have no doubt been eventful and stressful years for many Nigerians. *We have moved from frying pan to fire and from mountain top to the valley.* Our leaders have done their…

Former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi has slammed former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, for endorsing the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi for the 2023 General Elections reported thegazellenees.com Speaking in an interview with Channels Television, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, a former External Affairs Minister, slammed former President Obasanjo for releasing a statement about the upcoming general election and hinting at his preferred presidential candidate. According to Professor Akinyemi, Obasanjo has had his tenure hence he should go home and just be quiet. The former Foreign Affairs Minister described Obasanjo as part of the country’s problems, therefore should…

The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos State Area Unit has urged all stakeholders to tackle prevalent challenges in Nigeria so that equal rights and peaceful coexistence prevail in the Society. The Amir (President) of MSSN Lagos, Miftahudeen Thanni, made the appeal during the formal closing ceremony of the society’s 113th Islamic Vacation Course ( IVC) in the Epe area of Lagos State. The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, lawmakers in the state, prominent clerics and other notable personalities. The students’ leader said Nigerians’ patriotism has been weakened by the challenges…

A wanted terrorist kingpin, Gwoska Dankarami, on New Year eve, escaped death by the whiskers when air strikes of the Nigerian military targeted his hideout, along Kaura Namoda Road in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State. PRNigeria however gathered that several of his foot soldiers were not so lucky, as they were eliminated by the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, jets’ rockets. The well-planned and coordinated air operations carried out in the early hours of Saturday, 31 December, 2022, targeted Dankarami’s hideout with the intent of eliminating the terrorist, but he escaped with serious injuries, a military intelligence operative told…

Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has congratulated all Nigerians at home and those in the diaspora at the beginning of year 2023 while praying that the new year will be a positive turning point for the country. Saraki in a statement from his Media Office in Abuja signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu noted that many events, both sad and good, happened in the year 2022 that just ended but that there were many reasons for both the entire country as a collective and individual citizens to appreciate God for sustaining us all. “Our country continues to confront security, economic,…