The Labour Party in Lagos State on Wednesday said that Nigerians wake up daily to alleged theft of the country’s resources by President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government.

According to the party, the Emilokan (It is my turn) catch phrase of Tinubu during the presidential campaign has now become Awalokan (it is our turn) to “steal the resources of the country.”

The state’s party publicity secretary, Olubunmi Odesanya, stated this in a statement.

Odesanya averred that while many Nigerians can no longer afford the basic necessities of life, those at the helm of affairs are living large.

The LP state publicity secretary said that Tinubu is on a jamboree with his mantra of ‘Renewed Hope’, adding that Nigerians are in for a rough ride.

“Nigerians now wake up daily to the pilferage of the country’s resources by the present APC government. It has become obvious that the Emilokan (It is my turn) has now become Awalokan (It is our turn) not only to rule but to steal,” she said.

Odesanya lamented that while the government is spending huge resources of the country sponsoring delegates to COP28, Nigerians are being terrorized by insecurity and a bad economy.

“Nigerians watch helplessly how basic things have become out of the reach of the common man while the men at the helm of affairs live in affluence. Houses of the Politicians are being renovated with humongous sums of money, offices of the first lady (unconstitutional office) get billions for cars, government officials go abroad to, lavishly, spend huge resources of the country at events they ought not even attend while the common men are being bombed by the Nigerian authority, hunted by hunger, killed by terrorists, kidnapped by bandits and demobilised by lack of purchasing power.

“The All Progressives Congress (APC) Party has decided to punish Nigerians knowing fully well that majority of the electorates did not vote for them.

“We all recall that this same Party came with the change mantra and changed everything positive in the country to negative. Their most touted anti-corruption Czar became corruption personified and Never knew anything that took place under his nose (regime). The new Czar is now on a jamboree with his ‘Renewed Hopelessness’

“Someone should, please, point out any promise made and kept by these monsters in power. We are in for a rough ride,” she added.

Nigerian singer, Teniola Apata, popularly known as Teni, has spoken about her childhood in a polygamous family.

She expressed gratitude for the safety, care, and love she experienced despite her father having three wives and ten children.

In an interview on the ‘Zero Conditions’ podcast, Teni made emphasis on the harmonious relationship among her ten siblings.

She lauded her late father’s wisdom for the peaceful coexistence of the family.

“I grew up in a polygamous family with many people, so you can’t come and do rubbish. I received excellent care, a lot of love and protection. Three wives, ten children. Huge respect for my bloodline. All of my siblings and I get along well, though there are levels of closeness.

“I don’t know any other way, it is boring. If I come back to this life again, I want to come back to the same family. How can I be in a house with one mother, and one father? Ah ah, then all of us will now be sitting down there. Ah ah. There’s no chaos.

“There is love in my home, but we change it oh! Cuz ah, the person wey born us dey craze sha. Do you know what it is to hear gunshots and go to where the gunshots are? That’s not normal,” Teni said.

She added, “It was like he planned his future, and then he planned his death. So before he died, his wives knew about everything. He taught them everything one of my mothers knows how to shoot.

“He taught them how to be and when he passed, they used the skill. That’s how our family was still able to be intact even after my dad passed.”

Says Bini Kingdom Didn’t Conquer Lagos Like Colonial Masters

Former Deputy National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has said that disheartening, disgraceful and unpatriotic that at a time like this when Lagosians and Nigerians are going through economic hardship, some elders are infatuated with ownership of Lagos.

Bode George in a statement said all the combatants and gladiators should know that all efforts, at this trying time, should be geared at ensuring good governance, how to tackle economic issues and take people out of poverty.

He said it is shameful that at a time when millions of Nigerians are going through anguish and extreme pain, some elders are flexing their muscles on proprietorship of the Centre of Excellence.

Bode George said: “As a bonafide Lagosian, I say without any sense of equivocation that Lagos has been, and would remain, a centre of commerce, which has allowed everybody to settle down here.

“It is not in our tradition to discriminate. People have settled down from all over Nigeria and the entire West African coast from time immemorial – a culture which has remained with Lagos and the city of Kano, the only two cities known for commerce in Nigeria.

“People are presently angered, thus the rhetoric about who truly owns Lagos has gained momentum but we know ourselves. No matter how twisted the narrative Nigerians know the truth.

“Indeed, the Bini were here at the earliest time, but it was temporary. It was not that they conquered Lagos like the colonial imperialists, as it is being bandied about.

“Inter-marriage had also overshadowed a lot of things. For instance, the only sister of my paternal father married a Benin man and gave birth to all my cousins, who are all in their 70s and 60s. They have spent the greater part of their lives in Lagos.

“We should stop dissipating energies on a frivolous issue like the original owners of Lagos rather governance should take centre stage, how to improve the lives of the ordinary Nigerian without making the Centre of Excellence lose its candour of a commercial Nerve Centre of the West African sub-region.

“It is rather most disheartening for the government to encourage the people to engage in a frivolous narrative about founders of Lagos, a debate triggered by the comments freely expressed by a traditional ruler, who himself did not choose the tribe he originated from.

“I say, enough of engaging in such a diversionary issue as nobody created him or herself to be a Bini, Hausa, Igbo, Itsekiri, Kanuri, Fulani, Ijaw or Yoruba. We are all humans. What should be of utmost concern at this critical period of despondency is how to make life meaningful to all and sundry.

“Nigerians should refuse to be divided by diversionary issues which add no value to their lives, and make government accountable to them through good governance. We should stop wasting time or dissipating energies on non-issues as nobody chose to be a member of the tribe he or she hails from in the country from birth.”

According to Bode George, it is laughable to hear Ohanaeze Ndigbo chipping tribal sentiment of contributing to the development of Lagos. “If people don’t have anything to say, they should just keep their peace. We have serious numerous problems begging for attention. We have a near-disaster challenge in our economy which needs urgent government solutions, towards transforming the lives of the people.

“When we were growing up, we had classmates of Igbo, Hausa descent, who spoke fluent Yoruba language. We did everything together, education and sports. There are better ways to co-habit, not through frivolous issues like who is the true owner of Lagos.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes, EFCC, have rebuffed reports claiming that its chairman Mr. Ola Olukoyede labelled 70 per cent of Nigerian university students as internet fraudsters.

Olukoyede was quoted to have said “it is worrisome that seven out of 10 students today are involved in cyber crimes.”

However, the spokesman of the anti-graft agency, Dele Oyewale, in a statement on Thursday, insisted that the statements of Olukoyede was misinterpreted.

According to the spokesman, the EFCC boss never “seven out of 10″ Nigerian students are criminals.”

Below is the statement.

The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes, EFCC, has been drawn to some needless misrepresentation of the concerns of the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede to the rising incidences of internet- related crimes involving youths across the country.

At a recent meeting with some representatives of Civil Society Organisations, Csos that paid him a courtesy visit, he called for wider media enlightenment of youths as a counter- measure against the menace of internet fraud. He did say that reports and intelligence available to him indicated that, unless this trajectory of youth involvement in internet fraud is addressed and reversed, the future of their leadership of our great nation may be threatened and if it continues in the next 10 years, 7 out 10 of our youths may be getting involved in cybercrimes. At no time did he say that “seven out of 10″ Nigerian students are criminals”. His concerns still bother on breaking the jinx of mass indulgence of youths in cybercrimes.

The EFCC wishes to assure the public that Olukoyede is doubly committed to the progress of Nigerian youths and this underscores his calls for collaborative interventions in offering them more productive and sustainable alternatives.