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The Man Died, a feature film inspired by the ‘Prison Notes’ of Africa’s first Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, will have its ‘special premiere screening’ on Friday, July 12, in Lagos.
The screening, a strictly by invitation event, is designed as a flagship of the global celebration of the 90th birthday anniversary of Soyinka (who is 90 on July 13); and it is expected to be witnessed by a gathering of eminent dignitaries, members of the diplomatic corps, industry stakeholders, family, friends and associates of the Nobel laureate as well as key members of cast and crew of the film.
“This is not the premiere yet but a special screening to commemorate the 90th birthday of Prof Wole Soyinka,” stated the organisers, stressing that guests would only be admitted based on their invitation and RSVP. A later date will be set for the formal premiere of the film, assured the managers of the event.
Shot entirely in Nigeria – Lagos and Ibadan – late 2023, the 110-minute feature is directed by the cineaste and culture scholar and academic, Awam Amkpa and produced by the ace storyteller and media content producer, Femi Odugbemi for the renowned film company, Zuri 24 Media.
A fictionalised adaptation of the stories narrated in the prison memoirs, the screenplay written by young but tested writer, Bode Asiyanbi, is ‘not a bio-pic of the prison life of Soyinka, but an expanded narrative on his prison experiences, and includes stories that you would find in his subsequent memoirs on his life stories,’ stated Amkpa, the director in an earlier released The Making of The Man Died, produced by Odugbemi.
Amkpa, a former student and long-standing associate of Soyinka, said stories from Soyinka’s subsequent memoirs, Ibadan Penkelemes Years; and You Must Set Forth at Dawn, are also accommodated in the film. A trained theatre artist, filmmaker and culture scholar, Amkpa is currently Professor of Drama, Film and Social and Cultural Analysis, and Dean of Arts and Humanities and Vice Provost for the Arts at New York University Abu Dhabi.
Produced by ZuriMedia24, with generous financial support from the New York University, Abu Dhabi, the film is shot by an entire Nigeria crew with no input from any foreigner, except in the post-production. The director of photography is Agbo Kelly while the Production Designer is Theo Lawson, an architect who has, however, been involved in other film projects in recent years.
On reason for relying entirely on an local production resource to realise the film, unlike projects of its status, which usually bring certain crew members from outside, Amkpa said this was a deliberate and intentional choice. He said in making such a film based on the ‘colourful and fascinating life of enigma who is also an eminent global citizen, authenticity is very important. We need to stress on the input of people intimately familiar with the cultural and political environment that shaped the Nobel laureate and his narratives, irrespective of their skill sets.’
He continued, “I have an army of former students who are big-time filmmakers in Hollywood and elsewhere that I could just call on a whim to make the film and shoot it in Nigeria but that for me, there’s no learning curve. For me, every creative project is like going back to the basics and building back upwards. That was why for me it was very educational to come here.”
Odugbemi, a veteran of the Nigerian movie and television sets, stated in an interview, “As you probably know, it is a very intimate account of Soyinka’s 22 months in solitary confinement for his role in trying to bring a halt to the civil war. I hope this narrative of resistance and courage inspires this generation.
“It is also an ambitious adaptation that brings to life an iconic literary work offering a deep, personal perspective on Nigeria’s conflicted political history and the intense challenges of nation-building. By transforming Soyinka’s poignant narrative into a visual medium, I hope to reach a broader audience, particularly young people, who might be less inclined to engage with the written text but can be profoundly impacted by the film.”
Over 100 film workers of varying specialties and industry experiences featured in the project with notable performers including Wale Ojo in the lead protagonist role of Soyinka, and Sam Dede as the main antagonist, Yisa, Soyinka’s interrogator and torturer. Aside the Hollywood rising actor, Abraham Amkpa, who played Soyinka’s bosom friend, Femi Johnson, other lead actors are Nobert Young (Prison Superintendent), Francis Onwochei (Prison Controller), Edmund Enaibe (AIG), Christina Oshunniyi (Laide Soyinka), Similoluwa Hassan (Emeka Ojukwu), Segilola Ogidan (Morenike), Dili Ezugha (Agu Norris), Ropo Ewenla (Olusegun Obasanjo), Henry Diabuah (Yakubu Gowon), Temilolu Fosudo (Bola Ige), William Idakwo (Victor Banjo), among others.
Odugbemi, renowned for his indelible signature on many successful movies and TV series projects, including Maroko, Gidi Blues, Eve, Code Wilo (movies) and Tinsel, Battleground, Movement JAPA, The Covenant (TV), continues: “Of course, this is not just a memoir; it is a testament to the resilience and courage of the human spirit in the face of oppression. It vividly chronicles Soyinka’s experiences during the Nigerian Civil War, highlighting the brutal reality of political imprisonment and the relentless struggle for justice and freedom.”
Odugbemi, a voting member of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscar Awards) and the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Emmy Awards), among other film service roles, continued on the making of the film: “Through this film, we aim to inspire young people to embrace their role in demanding humanistic ideals from our nation’s political leadership. In a world where authoritarianism and corruption often threaten democratic values, we hope the film will resonate as a call to action for citizens to remain vigilant and proactive in pursuing justice and equity. We hope it sparks meaningful dialogue to inspire positive change in our country.”
The July 12 premiere in Lagos is supervised by the film’s Associate Producers Makin Soyinka and Jahman Anikulapo with the Production Manager, Adewale Emmanuel Orosun, and managed by ONE Management. Admission is strictly by Invitation. It is supported by Lagos State Government, Providus Bank, Dr. Kayode and Erelu Fayemi, among others. The partners are Arise and Afia Tvs.
After the Lagos premiere, the film will be screened next on July 25 at The Africa Centre (TAC), London, where it will feature as part of WS90 — a 9-day programme of events, jointly organised by the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange and the TAC, also to commemorate the 90th birthday anniversary of the poet, playwright, essayist, memoirist, human/civil rights activist and global cultural icon. It will thereafter go on a tour of select festivals around the world, before hitting the public cinema screens in Nigeria, the UK, the USA, Europe, UAE and other centres around the African continent.
The Organised Labour still insists that the N250,000 benchmark remains the ideal minimum wage for workers in Nigeria, the President, Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo, declared on Tuesday.
Osifo also stated that TUC and the Nigeria Labour Congress were meeting with officials of the Federal Government to reach an agreement on the minimum wage.
He disclosed this at the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Women Commission maiden Annual Convention in Abuja, with the theme, ‘The Dynamic Woman: Navigating Challenges in a Constantly Evolving World.’
Discussions on a new national minimum wage has paused following the decision of President Bola Tinubu to consult with stakeholders before sending the bill to the National Assembly.
The Federal Government and Organised Private Sector have agreed on N62,000 as the new minimum wage, but labour is insisting on N250, 000.
Speaking at the event, Osifo said negotiations on the new minimum wage has not been abandoned, rather labour and the government were fine-tuning the matter.
“The minimum wage negotiations cannot be dead. The 2019 minimum wage (that has expired) took about two years to see the light of day. We started the negotiations in 2017.
“We promised you when we started in January (this year) that we will ensure this one is fast – tracked for us not to be in the conundrum that we were in 2019 which took two years,” the TUC president stated.
He insisted that the minimum wage was receiving attention, adding that the President wanted further consultations before submitting it to the National Assembly.
“So where we are today, we submitted the divergent position in June, when we did that you know clearly that Mr President came out to say that he wanted to consult across board which is the governors, Local Government chairmen, organised private sector and labour, so we are doing some level of reach-out and conversations.
“So that what will be submitted to the National Assembly will actually be a minimum wage that will cater for the poorest of the poor, so for the fact that in the media we are not shouting, we are doing some level of internal work so that this bill will be submitted in earnest soon. We still insist on the N250,000 benchmark as ideal minimum wage,” Osifo stated.
[Punch]
With Nigeria’s oil production consistently failing to meet budget benchmarks and allotted OPEC quotas, the industry’s regulators and operators have come under severe pressure to fix the hostile operating environment that has seen both investors and international contractors move away from the country.
Against the backdrop of the OPEC oil production quota of 1.5 million barrels per day, the latest data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, shows that the country has recorded over 3.011 million barrels production shortfall in the first five months of the year, amounting to over $264.97 million (about N400 billion) revenue loss using an average Bonny Light price of $88 per barrel.
Vanguard’s finding also shows that the country’s oil output has dropped to around 1.2 million barrels per day, down from a peak of 2.5 million barrels per day in the early 2000s.
Industry experts say the circumstances leading to output decline are still much within the system, adding that it might even worsen in the months ahead if nothing drastic is done to arrest the slide.
They are projecting that the production shortfall might push the attendant oil revenue shortfall to N1.0 trillion by the end of the year, a situation which would have significantly reduced the government’s budgeted N15.7 trillion revenue for the 2024 fiscal year.
Already, the Federal Government has hinted that it may not achieve its proposed revenue estimate for the fiscal year due to factors, including under-performance of the oil sector.
In its report, titled ‘’Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan (ASAP)’’, the Finance Ministry stated: “Our ability to achieve the 2024 budgeted revenue step-up of 77.4 per cent from 2023 actual is at risk should oil production remain 27.0 per cent below budget.
“50 per cent of the annualised YTD (year-to-date) variance suggests a lower-than-budgeted revenue of N15.7 trillion at the current run rate.”
Output constraints
Despite being Africa’s largest oil producer, Nigeria’s oil industry is grappling with output constraints arising from infrastructure decay and a lack of investment in exploration and production.
A breakdown of the data showed that average oil production in January was 1.43mbpd, February 1.32mbpd, March 1.43mbpd, April 1.28mbpd and May 1.25mbpd.
Speaking of the sustained slide in oil production, industry operators and regulators have said the challenges facing the sector needed to be urgently addressed.
According to the Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Producers Group, IPPG, Mr Abdulrazaq Isa, the country is producing at a level significantly below its capacity.
He pointed out that despite Nigeria’s world-class hydrocarbon resource base, with over 37 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves and 207 tcf and 600 tcf of proven and contingent gas reserves respectively, it had found itself “in a situation where our daily production has significantly dropped and lies at about 1.3 million barrels of oil and 8.5 bcf of gas today.
Isa said: “This is way below our capacity as a nation and by all globally acceptable standards, this reserves-to-production ratio is extremely low and a clear indicator that the industry is in a dire situation.
“In addition, we now run the risk of partial implementation of our national budget considering an estimated deficit of 400,000 bpd from the forecasted 1.78 million bpd.
“This trend in production portends another frightening dimension when we consider that in the not-too-distant future our overall installed domestic refining capacity, currently closing in on about 1.2million barrels per day, may soon outstrip our current crude oil production level with the risk of Nigeria finding itself in a position where it is unable to meet its domestic refinery crude demand or even become a net importer of crude oil.”
4 priority areas to improve oil production
He listed four priority areas that must be fixed for oil production to improve and meet the government’s target.
The areas include the conclusion of all pending IOC divestment transactions including those involving its member companies – Seplat, the Renaissance Consortium and Oando; untangling of issues around deepwater development, particularly in terms of the competitive fiscal regime being negotiated with Shell, Total Energies, ExxonMobil and Chevron; adoption of a national value-retention strategy; and the development of Nigeria’s gas resources to catalyse economic growth and complement decarbonisation drive.
The challenges, according to the Group CEO, NNPC Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari, have pushed not just investors away but also international contractors, disclosing that there was only an international contractor now playing in the deep water space.
Kyari also disclosed that lack of activities and new projects had also led to a low number of active rigs in the Nigerian environment.
While listing lack of investment and oil theft as some of the limiting factors, he noted that the obsolete pipeline network was also a major challenge.
He said NNPC led the push for the complete replacement of the two export pipelines to Excravos and Bonny.
He said: “We are talking about increasing production but rigs come here, stack up in deep water and they drill one well and leave. This is why there are no guarantees around rigs in this country.
Nobody will come here, mobilize for one week and leave. That’s why you are seeing the scarcity of the right rigs coming into the country.
“We have also taken another step, we will set up a rig share club with our partners. So that everyone can put on the table drilling programme so that we can all align and when rigs come here they can stay three to five years. Then we can be sure that the trend in production can increase.”
He explained that the practice was what was obtainable in many jurisdictions, lamenting that it was not happening in Nigeria because many people had turned the procurement process into a business.
‘Attract more projects in Nigeria’s deep waters’
On his part, the Chairman and Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria, Mr Jim Swartz, who called on the government to do more to attract projects into Nigeria’s deepwater, pointed out that operating in the deepwater is very expensive with a high level of uncertainty.
He said the issues of cost and long-drawn-out project procurement circle have to be addressed urgently, noting investment would only go to jurisdictions where cost is low and contracts are adhered to.
Speaking on what President Bola Tinubu’s administration had done to improve the operating environment, the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs Olu Verheijen, said the three Executive Orders issued in February 2024 were a major boost for the industry.
The three Executive Orders, which became effective from February 28, 2024, are: Oil and Gas Companies (Tax Incentives, Exemption, Remission, etc.) Order, 2024; Presidential Directive on Local Content Compliance Requirements, 2024; and the Presidential Directive on Reduction of Petroleum Sector Contracting Costs and Timelines.
Verheijen noted that the directives will instil confidence and stimulate the economy by making the Nigerian environment more appealing for energy projects.
According to her, the first order “was establishing a clear and transparent regulatory framework. A stable regulatory environment and clearly defined agency roles are crucial to unlocking our untapped potential as an industry and making it more transparent, efficient and competitive now and in the future.
“The second directive is focused on providing fiscal incentives for oil and gas projects and making us more competitive for investments. Directives 40 and 41 offer incentives for midstream gas utilisation, projects and non-associated gas projects.”
She said the government has also completed a comprehensive assessment of Nigeria’s deepwater competitiveness compared to 13 peer countries to attract investments, adding the government is “working on new fiscal incentives that will facilitate deepwater projects will be critical to Nigeria’s four million barrels per day target”.
NUPRC adds 17 new blocks to the 2024 oil bid round
As part of efforts to boost activities in the sector and improve production, NUPRC has added 17 new deep offshore oil blocks to the 2024 oil bid round, bringing the total blocks on offer to 36.
The blocks which are located across the onshore Niger Delta, Continental shelf, and deep offshore are expected to increase the country’s reserves and boost its oil production.
NUPRC had in April unveiled 12 new acreages for the 2024 bid round with another seven deep offshore blocks from last year’s bid round.
The commission in a document released recently signed by its Chief Executive, Engr Gbenga Komolafe, titled: Nigeria oil block licencing round- Updates on 2022/2023 and 2024 licencing rounds, also reopened the commercial bid for the 2022/2023 licencing round.
Engr. Komolafe explained that the reopening was to allow investors to take advantage of improved fiscal incentives approved by President Bola Tinubu who doubles as the country’s minister of petroleum resources.
Speaking on the issue, oil and gas governance expert, Henry Adigun, said there were a lot of issues in the Nigerian environment which have led to investors abandoning the country.
He harped on the need for the country to tackle oil theft and pipeline vandalism to bring confidence back to the sector.
“The government has a lot to do to improve incentives and get the majors investing again. We need a lot of production to meet domestic demands and also for export,” he added.
Global Affairs Canada, ActionAid laud Gov Mbah on empowerment programmes
Global Affairs Canada, GAC, and ActionAid Nigeria have commended Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State for the series of empowerment programmes initiated by his government to improve the standard of living of women, promote gender equality and protect both women and children from gender-based violence and other forms of abuse.
They gave the commendation when a delegation, led by the GAC Head of Development Cooperation, Djifa Ahado, and the Country Director of ActionAid in Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, paid a visit to the governor at Government House, Enugu, yesterday.
Expressing the desire of GAC to continue its partnership with the state government, Ahado said the organization had 15 implementing partners who were engaged to address gender-based violence, women’s peer education programmes to eliminate gender mutilation, women’s political participation and leadership, and women’s economic empowerment, among other programmes. She added that GAC, through ActionAid Nigeria, had invested ¦ 261,382,261.29 as grants to its partners, which had impacted over a million beneficiaries.
Calling for more collaboration between the body and the state government, Ahado lamented that among the challenges faced by GAC included rising violence against women, limited support for gender equality initiatives and insufficient funding and resources to support the women’s rights movement.
On his part, Mamedu of ActionAid lauded the effective and strong collaboration between the state government and ActionAid in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, saying that deliberate investment in women’s rights had a profound impact on sustainable development.
The Country Director, who was represented by the ActionAid Head of Programmes, Celestine Odo, further underscored that one of the laudable projects of the two bodies that had achieved significant results in the empowerment of women and girls was the Women’s Voice and Leadership Nigeria (WVL-N) made possible by the cooperation of all the organs involved.
According to him, the achievements made so far by the organisations in the state were a result of the resilience and collective effort of all their partners and the communities that benefitted from the projects.
Reacting to the visit, Governor Mbah appreciated the development organisations for selecting Enugu as one of their project states, a decision he believed must have been informed by his administration’s policies of transparency, accountability and integrity.
He said the state recently passed the ranching law to end open grazing, introduce a modern method of grazing and ensure the safety of farmers across the 17 LGAs of the state.
While reassuring that the administration had zero tolerance for gender-based violence, the governor cited several occasions where the government had arrested culprits of gender-based assault and promised that justice would continue to be served as they were already facing prosecution.
Governor Mbah also disclosed some of the critical steps being taken by the government to eliminate maternal and child mortality through the strengthening of the primary healthcare system, the construction of 260 type-2 primary healthcare hospitals with modern facilities, and the recruitment of thousands of healthcare workers that would be deployed across all the health centres in the state.
He also stressed that the administration, right from the inception of office, had a principle that supports Affirmative Action with women constituting more than 28 per cent of his appointees.
[Vanguard]
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says only three of the 22 airports in Nigeria are profitable.
Speaking on Channels television on Tuesday, Olubunmi Kuku, FAAN’s managing director, said several states in the north and south-west are developing new airports.
She said the authority is cross-subsidising the other 19 airports and will continue to do so for some of the new airports being developed.
“I started off by saying that we have 22 airports which we own and manage,” Kuku said.
“We also have about six or seven airports that are either owned by state governments or private individuals or entity which we also support with either aviation security or fire and rescue services.
“We have a number of states in the north as well as in the south-west that are coming up with new airports.
“I would say that based on the stats today, only three of the 22 airports are actually profitable and contribute largely to the sustenance of the airport companies that we run.
“I would also say that we are actually cross-subsidising the other 19 airports today and in most instances, we will substitute or cross-subsidise for some of the airports that are coming on board as well.”
Kuku said the FAAN contributes 50 percent of its revenue to the federal coffers which is a major challenge, adding that the authority is in discussions with the various arms of government to seek some relief.
‘ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES DRIVE PASSENGER TRAFFIC, NOT NEW AIRPORTS’
The FAAN boss said passenger traffic is driven by gross domestic product (GDP) growth and economic activities rather than the construction of new airports.
Kuku said it is important to focus on key activities such as trade, manufacturing, and tourism to increase airport traffic.
“Rather than building new airports, we need to look at the bottom of the value chain to determine what activities can drive traffic into these airports,” Kuku said.
She said FAAN is collaborating closely with international organisations, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the federal ministry of aviation, to expand both domestic and international routes.
Kuku said there are initiatives in place to transform Nigeria and specific airports within the country into transit hubs.
“What that means is that we start to build a network of airports where we can push our feeders to some of the other states or to some of the other locations and start to utilise our airports,” she said.
The FAAN boss said nearly 4 million passengers currently travel internationally from Nigeria, stressing that the efficient use of infrastructure is essential for sustaining and maintaining the facilities.
The federal capital territory (FCT) police command says it has arrested a man identified as Shaibu Yusuf.
On Monday, Yusuf caused a stir when he climbed a broadcast mast belonging to the Aso Radio and Television, to protest the prevailing economic hardship in the country.
In a note left on the floor, Yusuf said he would only descend from the mast if economic hardship, insecurity, and the out-of-school children crisis are addressed.
He later alighted after several minutes of persuasion by Florence Wenegieme, acting general manager of the FCT emergency management department, who assured him that his message would be delivered to the FCTA, the president and the federal government.
In a statement on Monday, Josephine Adeh, spokesperson of the police command, said Yusuf was in police custody and in a “stable condition”.
According to Section 327 of the Criminal Code, anyone who attempts suicide in Nigeria is guilty of a misdemeanour and can be imprisoned for one year.
“Following a distress call from concerned citizens about a young man who climbed a very high mast with a placard at Aso Radio in Katampe at about 09:10 a.m, the operatives of the FCT Police Command swiftly mobilized to the location,” the statement reads.
“With much professional persuasions from the police operatives, the man later identified as Shuaibu Alhaji Yushau was prevented from taking his own life.
“He claimed to have been observing the mast for about a week before deciding to climb it. Suspect is presently in police custody and in a stable condition.”
Big Brother Naija reality show star, Doyin David, has stated that she goes into a relationship for companionship and not for marriage.
Doyin made the disclosure during her latest interview with media personality, Olufemi Daniel.
Speaking about her relationship and perception, she explained that marriage is not important to her.
“I never really date to get married but to have a good time and I date for companionship, whether it leads to marriage or not.
“I mean sex is part of companionship, but it is not the major reason I’m dating. I date for companionship and not for marriage, so I’m fine if it doesn’t lead to marriage, we had a good time. I’m fine with life partnership if a marriage does not come.
“At the end of the day, what is marriage? Is it about signing papers? It is not important, and I am not trying to talk down on the marriage constitution.
“Companionship is important to me. So I just want to have someone who is my person for the rest of my life, so it’s not important to be legally married,” she said.
Music executive Ubi Franklin has revealed that he’s still in love with his estranged wife, actress Lilian Esoro.
The former artiste manager disclosed this during a recent interactive session with fans on Instagram.
A curious fan asked, “Are you still in love with ur son[‘s] mom, the most beautiful Lilian?”
Franklin replied, “Oh yes! We have a son together and love will always live there.”
He also revealed that he has plans of remarrying while responding to another curious fan.
The fan asked, “Do you have plans of remarrying?” to which Franklin replied, “100 per cent.”
Franklin and Esoro got married in 2015 and separated a year after welcoming their son.
Esoro first filed for divorce in a Lagos High Court, and it was denied. Franklin then filed in Abuja, and after years of back and forth in court, their marriage was officially dissolved on 28 January, 2021.
Don’t pay for transformers, cables, other electricity distribution infrastructures - NERC tells Nigerians
AFOLABI
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has warned Nigerians against paying for electricity distribution infrastructures such as transformers, cables or poles.
In a statement shared alongside a video on X on Tuesday, NERC emphasised that consumers should not be coerced into purchasing transformers, cables, or poles, as this responsibility lies squarely with the distribution companies.
The statement reads, “Is your distribution company expecting you to buy transformers, cables, or poles? Don’t! It is the DisCo’s obligation, not yours!” NERC stated emphatically.
The regulatory body urged consumers to report any coercion or delays in providing necessary materials by the distribution companies.
The statement added, “Report any coercion to purchase, or delays in providing these materials to NERC for prompt action.”
NERC assured the public of prompt action upon receiving such complaints.
To facilitate this, NERC said it has established a dedicated email and phone number for reporting issues related to network investments.
“A dedicated email and phone number have been set up to address issues relating to investments in the network as follows: idn@nerc.gov.ng 07074865354.”
Super Eagles player, Olanrewaju Kayode has dragged his wife, Ezinne Dora before an Abuja High Court to seek dissolution of their union, citing irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.
Additionally, Kayode is demanding N1 billion in damages from the founder of Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church (SPAC Nation), Tobi Adegboyega, for emotional trauma, financial loss, and loss of goodwill due to an alleged adulterous affair with Ezinne.
The plea, detailed in a cross-petition dated July 1, follows months of public accusations between Kayode and Ezinne who got married since 2013 but have accused each other of infidelity, fraud, and domestic violence.
Ezinne initially filed a petition on March 20, alleging that Kayode had made baseless accusations of infidelity and witchcraft against her and her mother, and attempted to evict her from their matrimonial home.
She sought the dissolution of their marriage and custody of their three children.
In his cross-petition, Kayode asserted that Ezinne had multiple affairs throughout their marriage, naming her and Adegboyega as respondent and co-respondent, respectively.
He alleged that Ezinne conspired with an ex-lover, Ugochukwu Igboanugo of Zloc Constructions Limited, to seize control of property documents from his business ventures.
“The Cross Petitioner personally paid for several choice properties and instructed the realtor to prepare the transfer documents in the name of the Company DE-J-S Concept Limited,” the court document states.
“Unknown to the Cross Petitioner, the Respondent has connived with the said Ugochukwu Igboanugo and collected all the property documents and has been solely and personally collecting rent proceeds from the properties, expending same on her amorous relationship with the Co-Respondent to the Cross Petition.”
Kayode further claimed that Ezinne spent the rental income from these properties on her relationship with Adegboyega and has neglected the educational and mental well-being of their children, engaging in romantic and sexual discussions in their presence.
The Super Eagles player has also requested the custody of their children, asserting that Ezinne is unfit due to her alleged actions.
The court has adjourned the case to September 24, 2024, for further hearing.
The Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, has warned tertiary institutions in the country, particularly universities, against giving admission to underage students.
Speaking on Tuesday in Lagos at the opening of the seventh biennial conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria, Oloyede warned that such an act is illegal.
He also cautioned that apart from underage admission, all other forms of illegal admission must also be stopped.
Speaking on the theme of the conference, “Effective University Governance: Role of Stakeholders,” the JAMB Registrar said that for the sake of accountability, data protection and integrity of the nation, this act needed to stop because anything that was irregular was illegal.
He also recounted an experience involving a 15-year-old pupil who applied for a postgraduate course outside the country.
“About two months ago, I received a letter from an European country to confirm if a student actually graduated from a particular university because she is 15 years old and applied for postgraduate course.
“They question they asked me is “Is this possible in Nigeria.
“I had to call the Vice Chancellor of the institution and he confirmed the student graduated from the university but was not admitted by JAMB.
“He had to include that he was not the VC at the time the student was admitted,” Oloyede said.
Oloyede also warned against the illegal admission of diploma students.
“Also illegal admission of diploma students needs to stop because last year, we admitted 9,000 diploma students; I was alarmed that about 3,000 students came from a particular university.
“Everyone of us should be accountable because all these acts can damage our education system,” Oloyede said.
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The Ministry of National Defense of Niger and the U.S. Department of Defense announced on Monday the end of the first phase of the withdrawal of U.S. forces and equipment from Nigerien territory.
The announcement was made at the signing ceremony of documents transferring American rights to the Nigerien army at Air Base 101 in Niger’s capital of Niamey.
Transferring American rights to the Nigerien army at Air Base 101 in Niger’s capital of Niamey was in the presence of American ambassador Kathleen FitzGibbon and other civil and military personalities of the two countries.
According to Colonel Mamane Sani Kiaou, the chief of staff of the Niger Army, the agreement calls for the removal of all American military assets in Niger.
The agreement calls for the removal of all American military assets in Niger “including those in Niamey, Agadez, Ouallam and Diffa by Sept. 15.”
After removing forces and equipment from Air Base 101, the United States will focus on withdrawing from Air Base 201 in Agadez City.
“Nigerien and U.S. officials will work to ensure a safe, orderly and responsible withdrawal,” he added.
American troops had announced their official departure from the African nation by Sept. 15.
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, has said that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has done well in Nigeria, and that the current economic challenges in the country is what is being experienced globally.
Naija News reports that the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) stated this when he led governors elected on the platform of the APC on a visit to the Abdullahi Ganduje’s led National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling party in Abuja.
“The truth of the matter is that the APC has done very well in Nigeria. What is happening currently, is a global economic problem. We in Nigeria, under our own leadership, President Bola Tinubu is also bringing out policies to ensure, given the kind of economy he met, given the kind of situation he saw when he came, he has started the treatment and by the grace of God, I am very confident that very soon Nigerians will be jubilant about how he has managed to navigate the waters”, said Uzodinma in Abuja.
Speaking on other matters, Uzodinma, who said he has at the party’s National Secretariat to touch base with its leadership, boasted that APC will win the forthcoming Governorship election in Edo state as well as retain Ondo state.
Addressing the Ganduje-led NWC, he said: “We are here, you know, of course, we are governors of APC. APC produced us, and we are in Abuja for a meeting; of course, in obedience to the concept of party loyalty, we have to visit the Secretariat to touch with the leadership of the party, chairman and members of the National Working Committee and above all, commiserate with the chairman who also lost his mother-in-law; and also show solidarity with the chairman and managers of our party.
“Those who are serving us, the national leadership of our party, providing service, they are managing our party day to day, they are looking after the policies of the party, they are in charge of the administration of the party, and of course, we members of the party and also critical stakeholders are committed to following and encouraging them as a way of showing support, and that is solidarity.
“Of course you know, I am the chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum PGF and when I speak, I speak on behalf of my colleagues, 20 governors. A party like APC, which is in control of 20 states out of 36 and also has produced a President and members of the Federal Executive Council, is the majority party, and if an election is a game of numbers, it means the majority will win.
“On the 20th of this month, the National Campaign Council will be inaugurated in Edo State, and it is expected that most of us, members of the Progressives Governors Forum, will be in attendance. Which other party can provide or boast of such an asset, politically speaking? So, we don’t need to overflog the horse.”
Naija News reports that Uzodinma was in company of the Cross River Governor, Bassey Otu; Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and their Ekiti State counterpart, Abiodun Oyebanji.
On his part, Ganduje, on behalf of the NWC, passed a vote of confidence on the APC governors, assuring that their interests are well protected by the national leadership.
The former Governor of Kano State urged the party chieftains to continue to make APC proud.
Ganduje stressed that the party leadership will continue to maintain a cordial relationship with the governors.
He said: “There is no doubt, we were highly when I got the information that they were coming. So, I think it is a blessing, a big blessing to us. We are so happy about it and we have confidence in them.
“We will do all it takes to ensure that we maintain good relationship with our governors all over the country and we will help to protect their interests and there is no doubt that they are also assisting the party, they are making the party to be proud as an institution.”
‘Your Economic Policies Look Like They Will Take A Hundred Years To Bear Fruit’ – Bode George Blasts Tinubu
AFOLABI
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has called out President Bola Tinubu over the worsening economic conditions in Nigeria.
According to George, despite all the promises and theoretical declarations from the government about cushioning the effect of the harsh economic conditions on Nigerians, the people are not feeling any respite.
He added that from the richest to the poorest, no one is left out in the challenges being encountered as a result of the policies of the Tinubu government, which include fuel subsidy removal and floating of the naira.
The PDP chieftain, who spoke on Monday about the economy during an appearance on Channels Television, submitted that the people need to see results and not just talks and promises, but the economic policies of the Tinubu government look like they will take centuries to bear fruit.
The former military Governor of Ondo State charged President Tinubu to invite the leaders of the top banks in Nigeria, whom he accused of mismanaging the economy, to account for their actions instead of appointing them to manage the same economy or give advice on the same economy they destroyed.
George emphasized that the one-year grace given to President Tinubu to understudy the situation of things in the country is over, and what is expected from him going forward is only results.
See the video.
Media
BudgIT said its open-source service delivery monitoring platform, Tracka, has discovered an allocation of N732.5 billion for empowerment projects in the 2024 budget by the federal government.
According to a statement released by the organization on Monday, the amount allocated for the empowerment projects, which it described as vague, is higher than the N646.5 billion allocated to health projects.
It added that despite the 2023 record of Nigeria having the second-highest child mortality rate in the world, the government has shown no signs of tackling these critical emergencies head-on, as the allocations in the 2024 budget do not reflect priority in the health sector.
“Tracka maintains that empowerment projects are vague and challenging to track due to their nature. They are also used as a funnel to transfer public resources to party loyalists, resulting in the misuse of public funds,” the organization stated.
4,440 empowerment projects
BudgIT said its Tracka discovered a total of 4,440 empowerment projects in the 2024 budget. While noting that empowerment projects were previously limited to constituency projects, it said over the years, they have gradually seeped into capital projects through insertions by the National Assembly.
“For instance, the National Assembly inserted 7,447 projects valued at N2.24 trillion in the 2024 budget. Tracka identifies this as a problematic trend, considering the nation’s huge infrastructure gap and budget deficits,” it said.
Wrong allocations
The organization said further analysis of the budget also showed that over 2,558 projects worth N624 billion were allocated to agencies outside their mandate.
“An example is the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN)-ERGP20241489-allocated N5 billion for the Procurement and Distribution of Official Vehicles to Selected Traditional Rulers in the Six Geopolitical Zones in Nigeria (Multiple Lots).
“Another is the Nigeria Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NiOMR)-ERGP20245718–allocated N2.32 billion to construct a 3.5km Road from Methodist Church lbu to the Eri River,” it added.
Commenting on the findings, BudglT’s Country Director, Gabriel Okeowo, expressed concern over this development. According to him, the implications of assigning projects to agencies outside of their mandate are that it undermines the monitoring, evaluation, and sustainability of these projects.
“These agencies lack the expertise and personnel to ensure quality service delivery for these projects, leading to under-delivery another colossal waste of taxpayers’ money and Scarce resources,” he added.
BudgIT called on anti-graft agencies to probe the anomalies in the 2024 budget to forestall diversion, misappropriation, and embezzlement. It also called on elected representatives and Ministries, Department and Agencies to provide timely updates to the public and ensure the quality implementation of these projects to ensure Nigerians derive maximum benefit from public funds.
[Nairametrics]