Popular Nollywood actor, Saheed Balogun, is mourning the tragic loss of his daughter, Zeenat Balogun.

The actor announced her passing on Saturday through his verified Instagram account, sharing a poignant image of a candlelight surrounded by flowers, accompanied by heartbroken emojis.

The news of Zeenat’s death has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry, prompting an outpouring of condolences and tributes from fans and colleagues alike.

Fellow actress Ronke Oshodi Oke later confirmed the heartbreaking news on her own Instagram account, expressing her sorrow over the loss.

Posting an image of a candle, she wrote, “No words can ease the pain of losing someone so precious. My heart goes out to you @saidibalogun during this incredibly difficult time. May you find strength in the love and support surrounding you.”

Also mourning the death, popular actress, Fathia Balogun, who is a stepmother to the late Zeenat, posted on Instagram, “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.”

Other actors and well-wishers, including Kunle Afod and Adeniyi Johnson, have also expressed their condolences over the death.

As of the time of this report, the cause of Zeenat Balogun’s death remains unknown.

Media personality, Daddy Freeze launches heavy criticism against the practice of paying tithes in church.

In a video making rounds online, Daddy Freeze reasoned how a church would demand 10% of a person’s income. Providing examples, he averred that if a person earns N100K monthly, he is expected to return N10K and so is someone who earns N40K, expected to return N4K.

According to Daddy Freeze, tithing is a fraud (Yahoo). He asked why people would give money to pastors cruising in private jets.

He further urged people to use their money to feed the poor and needy rather than paying tithes.

Watch the video below:

Nigerian activist, Verydarkman has taken to social media to vent after a lady informed him that she was pregnant a few months after they engaged in coitus.

In a video on Instagram, the controversial media personality revealed that he had intercourse with the lady, gave her money and went on to remind her to take contraceptives to prevent pregnancy. However, it appears his warning fell on deaf ears as the lady recently called him to tell him that she is pregnant.

Verydarkman who claimed that he and his family stand against abortion noted that he has no other option than to become a father unexpectedly. 

Venting, VDM further argued that a lady’s deliberate attempt to have a child for a man who’s not ready should be considered a criminal offence.

He further outlined some problems that could be associated with this; which may include the man dodging responsibilities because he’s not ready.

Sharing the video, VDM wrote:

“Got a girl pregnant which is not our agreement, now one has to be an unprepared father which is not fair at all, forced responsibility.”

See the post below:

Strong indications have emerged that President Bola Tinubu has finalized the list of names and designations for his reshuffled cabinet.

Multiple sources within the Presidency disclosed to Saturday Punch that the president has completed the selection process, identifying which ministers will be retained and which will be dropped.

The much-anticipated announcement is expected to be made on Thursday night, shortly after Tinubu arrived in the United Kingdom for his two-week annual leave.

The looming reshuffle comes in the wake of significant economic hardship and nationwide protests experienced last August.

President Tinubu has faced mounting pressure from both within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the broader public to remove underperforming ministers.

Despite periodic warnings from the president regarding performance standards, his cabinet had largely remained intact, with the only notable change being the suspension of Dr. Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, in January 2024.

During a three-day retreat for cabinet members and presidential aides last November, Tinubu established a Central Delivery Coordination Unit, led by his Special Adviser on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman.

This unit is tasked with evaluating the performance of ministers and other senior government officials, using periodic reports to inform decisions about cabinet membership.

“If you are performing, there’s nothing to fear. If you miss the objective, we’ll review it. If no performance, you leave us. No one is an island, and the buck stops on my desk,” the president emphasized during the retreat.

Following a year since his cabinet’s inauguration in August, the anticipated reshuffle promises to bring about more than just portfolio changes.

Sources indicate that some ministries, such as the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, may be abolished, while others could be split or merged to enhance efficiency.

Although officials who spoke to our correspondent remained cautious and requested anonymity due to a lack of authorization to discuss the matter, they confirmed that the president initially planned to release the new cabinet list on Thursday but opted to take more time to finalize his decisions.

“We are just waiting for the go ahead. All I know is that we are waiting for him to send the new names of those he wants to drop and those he wants to appoint.

“We have been expecting them since yesterday (Thursday). I am not sure of any specifics regarding names for now.

“The last I know, he (the President) said he wants to sleep over the list again before he releases it. Maybe he still wants to change his mind about some names,” a source said.

Another source, who asked not to be named, said, “I’m surprised the list did not come out yesterday (Thursday). That thing is almost finalised already.”

Similarly, another official debunked reports that lobbyists crowded the President’s residence in the UK.

“That’s not true. You know there would be speculations all over the place. Do they know where he is? Even if they know where he is, can they access him?

“Some say lobbyists are just visiting him from left, right and centre. But on this trip, he will likely undergo medicals, too. The way he is resting now, no one can see him just like that. They won’t allow people to access him like that. I can guarantee that,” said the source.

Renowned Nigerian singer and presenter, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has called out the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, following his recent apology on tithing.

Naija News reports that Pastor Adeboye’s name has been trending on social media after the revered clergyman tendered a public apology over his sermon of many years ago, in which he declared that people who do not pay tithe would not make it to heave.

Pastor Adeboye tendered this apology during his church’s Internation Youth Convention (IYC) at the Redemption City of God, Mowe, Ogun State.

“I’m apologizing for saying,’If you don’t pay tithe, you won’t make it to heaven.’ I’m sorry, that’s wrong, and it’s not in the Bible. What the Bible says is, ‘Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God,” Adeboye had said.

The apology has elicited mixed reactions on and off social media.

Reacting, in a post via his social media account, Charly Boy said Adeboye’s apology does not mean anything until he returns the tithes he collected from his congregation.

The entertainer said: “I truly believe that a lot of the fakest people are found in churches, my opinion not yours. Your apology doesn’t mean shit unless you promise to return the tithe money they give you for mumu people wey wan bribe dia way to heaven.

“Stop giving ur CONGREGATION ridiculous Lamba’s Sometimes the nicest people you meet may have bodies covered with Tattoos, the most bitter, judgemental, envious and wicked people all go to church on Sundays. Since your announcement decades ago, that people should trow away their TVs, I had always known that your way no pure as person wey dey “drink tea with God”

“There is nothing worse than a fault finding finger pointing Pastor who is as fake as the blings of a wanna be artist. Apology? when you know exactly what you’re doing. Nonsense Dia Father’s.”

Former media aide to ex-President Muhammad Buhari, Bashir Ahmed, has asserted that Peter Obi is politically bigger than Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Recall that both Peter Obi and Kwankwaso were presidential candidates in the 2023 general election on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) and the
New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), respectively.

However, in a post via his X handle on Saturday, Ahmad, an indigene of Kano, asserted that Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, is politically bigger than Kwankwaso, a former governor from his home state.

Ahmad backed his claims making reference to the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, where Obi garnered more votes than Kwankwaso.

He wrote: “Even though I have never been a Kwankwasiyya loyalist, but I have always admired and respected Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and see him as one of the progressive political figures we have in this country. However, I do not agree with his recent statement during his interview in Kano, where he claimed to be politically bigger than Peter Obi.

“Looking at the results from the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi garnered 6,101,533 votes and led in 11 states, demonstrating significant national support. In contrast, Senator Kwankwaso secured 1,496,687 votes and led in just one state, Kano.

“These numbers clearly suggest that, at least in the context of the 2023 election, Peter Obi has significantly more political influence across the country.

“So, Peter Obi is bigger than Rabiu Kwankwaso, politically.”

Oby Ezekwesili, founder, School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG), says there is a strategic need to raise leaders that will turn around the fortunes of Africa through good governance.

Ms Ezekwesili, a  former vice president, World Bank’s Africa Region, and ex-Nigerian minister of education, said this at a briefing to close the second edition of the African conference of SPPG in Abuja on Saturday.

The conference was themed “Good Governance in Africa: Leaders and Citizens Driving Systemic Change.”

She explained the need for substantial systemic changes in governance to facilitate meaningful development across Africa.

“Our continent is failing the majority of our people. Not the continent actually, but there is a leadership-failing majority of our people.

“We want to change that story and reality so that factually we begin to populate the public space with minds that have character, that have competence and capacity.

“Minds that will govern for the public good, and the African citizen will be at par if not ahead of the most advanced societies in our world, ” she said.

Mrs Ezekwesili expressed concern about the present cost of living crisis, poverty, and poor democratic governance in Africa.

She said that the conference, which attracted representatives from 12 African countries, recommended systemic change in governance to meet the developmental needs of the continent.

“Every country that is represented here, we see them as the voice of the citizens of this continent asking for systemic change.

“This is because if the system of governance does not change, we will only be making progress on the margin or, in fact, going backward,” she said.

The SPPG founder called for robust collaboration to achieve the desired systemic change.

She described the Africa conference as an initiative aimed at fostering effective leadership in Africa.

“The SSPG, which we have in Nigeria, in Senegal and we will soon have in Ghana, in Kenya and in Zimbabwe, trains people who will form a new generation of African politicians.

“It will also train public servants who serve the people as custodians of the African public space.

“This will ensure that the wellbeing of African citizens will be at the centre of the rule of government on our continent,” she said.

The conference brought together participants from countries including Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

(NAN)

Ireti Kingibe, senator representing the federal capital territory (FCT), says being a woman in the national assembly is pretty difficult.

Kingibe spoke on Thursday, when an anonymous person at the 2024 edition of Voice of Women (VOW) conference and awards, accused her of abandonment and ingratitude after women cast their votes for her.

The event had the theme: ‘Achieving Women Inclusion for a Sustainable Nigeria’.

The anonymous speaker said FCT women voted for the senator due to a trust in the capabilities of women, but that since last year, there has been no avenue or town hall organised by the senator to show her gratitude.

“Now, those women we mobilised are now looking at us and saying that they have given us money, they have given us salt, rice, when there is nothing as such. They didn’t even call us to their inauguration, they didn’t come back to say thank you,” she said.

Responding, Kingibe said there is a misconception on what governance entails.

She said instead of going to meet people individually, she believes in bringing governance to the people through her initiatives.

“I have been a senator for a year and half, I am primarily a legislator. I have bills waiting to be passed, creating the nursing and midwifery school In Gwagwalada, I have a maternal free healthcare for women. I have a few of such bills still pending,” she said.

“But notwithstanding, since I have been a senator, I have empowered and I have everything on record. I have empowered 10,000 people. Now, it is not possible… FCT has 4 to 5 million people and for me to personally see everybody that voted for me.

“I am also building a 50-bed hospital, I am putting up an ICT centre in Gwagwalada and Nyanya. I paid with my personal money 2,000 JAMB forms for free.

“So, at the end of the day, governance means to me… bringing things for the general good and not for the individual.

“The truth is that being a woman in the national assembly is very, very, very hard. So, I have to lobby for everything. When I leave here, I will go to the national assembly, sign in and then go from ministry to ministry so that all those things that doesn’t get attention by the executive, I can slip them into the budget from lobbying different ministers to put it in their budget.

“I have also renovated with my personal money and made allowance for the ante-natal centre in Gwagwalada teaching hospital. Any of you can go and verify all these things.

“So, I’m sorry. Yes, women complain, I haven’t come to them one by one; it is not possible. It is either I do that and then you don’t get anything else.

“So that is my frustration and I want women to understand that you are voting for other women so that our general lives will improve not because she is going to come and meet you personally.”

Also speaking during the event, Toun Okewale Sonaiya, chief executive officer of Women Radio, urged President Bola Tinubu to lend his voice and political will to the inclusion of women in Nigerian politics and socio-economic spaces.

“I call on President Bola Tinubu to lend his voice to securing the 74 seats allocated to women. Use your voice and political will to elevate women inclusion in Nigerian politics and society to global standards,” she said.

Sonaiya also called on female participants at the event to put aside their emotions, societal limitations and support women in the election of women to leadership positions.

“I don’t believe the saying that women forget other women when they get into positions of power. I say, let’s get them into government first,” she said.

“That way, we can have more people representing our needs. If you have money, no matter how little, support the campaign of a woman seeking elective positions.”

Gilead Sciences has announced that cheaper versions of its “gamechanger” HIV prevention drug, lenacapavir, will be made available in 120 low and middle income countries.

Lenacapavir is an approved HIV treatment given as a twice-yearly injection.

It stopped infection in a trial involving girls and women in South Africa and Uganda, and offered almost complete protection in a second trial that mainly involved men across Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Thailand and the US.

In a statement, the company said it had signed non-exclusive, royalty-free voluntary licensing agreements with six pharmaceutical manufacturers, to make and sell generic lenacapavir to these countries.

The manufacturers are Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited, Emcure, Eva Pharma, Ferozsons Laboratories Limited, Hetero and Mylan, a subsidiary of Viatris.

Gilead Sciences said the agreements were signed in advance of any global regulatory submissions, to enable these countries to quickly introduce generic versions of lenacapavir for HIV prevention.

The company said it would also bridge the gap until those manufacturers were up and running, by providing Gilead-supplied product, prioritising registration in 18 countries with high HIV rates.

These countries are Botswana, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

“The agreements advance Gilead’s strategy to enable broad, sustainable access to lenacapavir for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) globally if approved, and align with Gilead’s vision of ending the HIV epidemic for everyone, everywhere,” the company said.

“Gilead will support low-cost access to the drug in high-incidence, resource-limited countries through a two-part strategy: establishing a robust voluntary licensing program, and planning to provide Gilead-supplied product at no profit to Gilead until generic manufacturers are able to fully support demand.

“Additionally, the agreements cover not only lenacapavir for HIV prevention (pending approval), but also lenacapavir for HIV treatment in heavily treatment-experienced (HTE) adults with multi-drug resistant HIV.”

A cross-section of Nigerian workers on Friday in Abuja expressed growing frustration over the increasing cost of transportation, attributing it to the persistent rise in fuel prices.

In separate interviews, the workers decried the impact of high transportation costs on their finances and overall well-being.

Godson Anosike, a dentist, noted that his regular route to work now costs N500, up from N200 a year ago.

“The difference is staggering, and it has drastically affected my daily expenses,” said Mr Anosike.

Mr Anosike decried that salaries have remained stagnant despite the steep increase in transportation costs, adding, “And it’s tough.”

Ubokabasi Ekam, an engineer, called for fuel price control to reduce transportation fares.

“Transportation prices have tripled, making it unmanageable,” said Mr Ekam.

Ubong Udoekpo, a lawyer, said transportation now consumes more than half his salary. “Most workers consider resigning due to unsustainable salaries.”

Joy Light, a civil servant, stated that transportation expenses equal her salary.

“I’ve had to reduce my workdays. How can one survive if all the money earned goes to transport?”

The workers emphasised that the fuel hike has triggered a ripple effect across the economy, driving up prices of essential goods and services.

(NAN)