Mr Macaroni, the Nigerian skit maker, has advised fellow celebrities to seek justice in court whenever they are defamed.

In a post via X, the content creator said it is wrong for notable Nigerians to ask the police to arrest their social media critics.

Macaroni, in the lengthy post, argued that he has been “insulted and defamed by APC supporters” on social media but “never resorted to involving the police”.

The movie star also called on his colleagues to stop using their friends in government to “illegally detain citizens”.

“If anyone insults you or defames your character, go to court and seek justice. APC trolls insult me and tell so many lies against my person,” he wrote.

“I have never for once used the police to illegally arrest or detain anyone and Never will I. There is serious danger in using the police to illegally detain citizens.

“I hope those of you supporting this abuse of power won’t cry foul when you or your loved ones are the victims.

“To be clear, this is not to support online bullying and harassment. I strongly condemn it and believe that those involved should be made to face the consequences of their actions.

“I am a victim myself and I know how mentally damaging it is. But go to Court and seek Justice like the rest of us do.

“Don’t use your friends in government to illegally detain citizens. It may favor you now, but think about tomorrow when you no longer have that power or the closeness to that power.

“It might not be you, it might be someone you care about. What will become of us if everyone takes law into their own hands?”

The post followed after Toyin Abraham, the actress, was accused of ensuring the arrest of an X influencer identified as Big Ayo and his mother over defamatory claims.

Big Ayo was said to have alleged that Abraham received money from President Bola Tinubu to address her husband Kolawole Ajeyemi’s baldness — a claim she vehemently denied.

The award-winning actress, however, clarified that she did not get Ayo’s mother arrested but merely reported a case to the cybercrime unit, not the police.

She added that she can tolerate name-callings, but will not condone lies and insults targeted at her children.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says it will penalise airlines engaged in deceitful departure schedules.

In a statement on July 9 by the NCAA, Chris Najomo, its acting director-general, warned the airlines to desist from the infraction or face dire regulatory actions.

According to the statement by Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s director, public affairs and consumer protection, the authority now runs a zero-tolerance approach to regulatory infractions.

“Ease of doing business is the crux of the D-G’s action plan for the NCAA. In line with that action plan, he has made processes for licensing easy for operators,” he said.

“The time to secure AOC is now shorter and less cumbersome than it used to be in the past. The NCAA therefore expects reciprocity from airlines. Chief of which is world-class services to passengers.”

Najomo said if the NCAA was facilitating a business-friendly environment for operators, then the operators must satisfy the passengers with superior services.

“It has come to our notice that some airlines are being reported for advertising deceitful departure times. The NCAA regulation says no airline shall display deceitful passenger departure time at its counter, advert material or on its website,” he said.

“We want to make it very clear that the D-GCA has directed monitoring and offenders will face serious regulatory actions.”

He said the authority believes in safety, discipline, and economic regulation which is evident in the recent suspension of 10 permits for non-commercial flights (PHCF) holders for failing to comply with the recertification advisory issued in April.

Speaking further, Najomo said the ease of business is an area NCAA would continue to improve.

“This is evident in our high score on the Presidential Enabling Business Council (PEBEC) ranking. Recently our sister agency scored 96 per cent but the NCAA scored 98.5 per cent which is an extremely high score,” he said.

“This is building from the commendable score of 71.04 per cent the NCAA scored during this year’s ICAO Security Audit.

“The numbers are improving and we will continue to do what we can to make the industry safer, and more secure for passengers and stakeholders.”

On the difficulty in refund processes by airlines, Najomo said all refunds must be handled without undue delay and completed within 14 working days, irrespective of the method of ticket purchase.

Regarding the suspension of PHCF licences of 10 operators, Najomo explained that they had been advised since April to commence the process for recertification but refused to comply — leaving the NCAA with no option but to penalise them.

Burna Boy, the award-winning Nigerian singer, will celebrate the fifth anniversary of ‘African Giant‘, his fourth studio album, next week.

On July 15, the ‘City Boys’ hitmaker will be hosting a concert in London, the United Kingdom, to commemorate the fifth anniversary of his album.

The show is sponsored by YouTube Music Nights.

Released in July 2019, ‘African Giant’ won ‘album of the year’ at the All Africa Music Awards and was nominated for ‘best world music album’ at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.

In December 2023, the body of work was listed on Rolling Stone’s ‎‘500 greatest albums of all time‘.

‘African Giant’ secured the number 330 spot, making it the best Nigerian album on Rolling Stone’s list.

It features hit tracks such as ‘On The Low’, ‘Gbona’, ‘Dangote’, ‘Killin Dem’, ‘Spiritual’, ‘Gum Body’, Anybody’, ‘Collateral Damage’ and ‘Wetin Man Go Do’.

Born Damini Ogulu, Burna Boy started to gain fame after releasing ‘Like to Party’, the lead single from his debut album ‘L.I.F.E’ (2013).

In 2021, the Afrofusion singer set a record in Nigeria after his fifth album ‘Twice As Tall (2020)’ won the ‘best world music album’ category at the Grammys.

Burna Boy claimed he brought the Afrobeats genre to the mainstream in 2020.

He also mentioned 2Baba, Timaya, D’banj, Larry Gaaga, and Wande Coal as the artistes who impacted his career.

Serie A club, AS Roma are targeting a move for OGC Nice forward,Terem Moffi, DAILY POST reports.

Roma are looking for a new striker to replace Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgium international has returned to Chelsea following the conclusion of his loan.

According to LaRoma24.it, the Giallorossi have lined up Moffi as a potential replacement.

The Nigeria international was signed by Roma director Florent Ghisolfi from Lorient during his time as Nice sporting director.

Moffi registered 11 goals and two assists in 32 appearances for Nice last season.

Ahmad Lawan, a former president of the senate, says there will be mass protest if the three arms of government do not work together to reduce food prices and high electricity tariffs.

Lawan was contributing to a debate on a motion sponsored by Sunday Karimi, senator representing Kogi west.

Karimi’s motion was on the need to tackle “food insecurity”.

The former senate president said Nigerians must not be taken for granted in the face of worsening economic hardship.

“If we don’t take urgent actions on increased food prices and electricity tariffs, we will not like the actions we will see on the streets,” Lawan said.

“We cannot take the people for granted for too long.”

Earlier, the Kogi west senator said price of food staples have risen by over 300 percent, following the removal of subsidy on petrol.

“Insecurity in food-producing regions, bad roads, increase in the cost of transportation attributable to the removal of fuel subsidy and depreciation of the value of the naira, are possible factors that have contributed to the increase in prices of food items, household commodities,” he said.

“The greater percentage of the increase in prices of food items and consumables is not only due to these factors but to the zest of the merchants, traders, and retailers to make supernormal profits.”

The senate asked the relevant government ministries and agencies to tackle the problem.

The motion was adopted after it was put to a voice vote by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The Supreme Court will tomorrow, deliver judgment in the suit filed by the Federal Government against the 36 Governors seeking full autonomy for the 774 local governments in the country.

A document sighted on Wednesday at the apex court indicated that parties in the suit have been notified through their respective lawyers.

It was observed the notice for the judgment delivery was served on the Federal Government through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja.

Details shortly…

The House of Representatives has queried the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, for spending unrelated expenditures, including N45 million for a new year party, N20 million for sanitary pads.

Others include N1.5 million for vehicle fuel.

Rep Kafilat Ogbara, Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, led the interrogation of the Minister, over the non-payment of N1.5 billion to contractors in spite of the fund release in Abuja.

She said that the investigative hearing was aimed at uncovering the truth and not witch-hunting the Minister and the officials of the ministry.

The committee also investigated alleged diversion of funds meant for contractor’s payments, following a petition from contractors.

The committee also sought clarification on funds appropriated for the African First Lady’s mission and the whereabouts of the N1.5 billion meant for contractor payments.

The minister however denied the allegations of misappropriation, overspending, and non-payment to contractors.

The procurement officer confirmed contractors’ claims, and the Director of Finance and Administration acknowledged only paying approved contracts.

It would be recalled that the committee had at its last sitting summoned the minister to appear before it to explain the rationale behind the non-payment.

The committee also ordered the stoppage of all 2024 contract processes by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs until the whereabouts of the money for the said contracts are determined. (NAN)

Reality TV star Nina Ivy has announced she is undergoing breast reduction surgery. 

In a post on Instagram, she shared excitement and relief, stating that she has been waiting for this moment her entire life. 

After having two children, Nina Ivy said she has struggled with feelings of insecurity and discomfort related to her breast size. 

She said she was looking forward to regaining her confidence and feeling more at ease in her own body. 

“I’ve been waiting for this day my entire life, and finally, the time is here. After 2 kids, I’ve never really felt comfortable and confident about my breasts, and I am super excited to make a change. Finally, a new life,” she wrote..

It is a tale of woes as an acute scarcity of one of Nigerians’ most popular staple foods, bread, has hit Kaduna, Katsina and Kano States.

Checks by the Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) revealed that the most-favoured staple was now as scarce as petrol or the highly-prized precious metal, Gold.

It was observed that whereas the commodity was very hard to come by, its prices have hit the roof.

Many of the residents could no longer afford their darling food, as such had turned to other not-too-cheap alternatives like noodles, millet porridge and bean cake, as well as bread and beans, among others.

The prices of the commodity have also been increased by between 20 to 40 per cent.

Many shop owners and consumers have vehemently lamented the obnoxious development, appealing for an urgent action to redress the ugly trend.

One of the bakers told NAN in Kaduna, “”It is not that we are on strike, but we have had to stop production since 1st July, 2024.

“This unfortunate development was necessitated by the scarcity of wheat flour and its high cost, as well as sugar, oil and other additives.

“For instance, in June, we were buying a 50kg bag of flour for between N53,000 to N55,000, but it has now regrettably skyrocketed to between N67,000 to N70,000.

“How can we produce bread and also break even under this precarious situation?, “he told NAN anonymously.

Some bread sellers and consumers in Kaduna State decried the scarcity of bread around the state metropolis, saying that it had affected their businesses and daily lives.

Haidar Basiru , a tea and bread seller, said he usually buys 100 loaves of bread but due to the ongoing paucity, he was able to get only 30 loaves, which had finished already.

” The bakeries are saying they are on strike due to a hike in flour and sugar.
“This development has seriously affected our businesses as we usually operate in the mornings and evenings.

” But, from the look of things, we may not come out in the evening due to bread shortage.

“In fact, most of my colleagues operating around this axis in Kasuwan barci have not opened today, “he said.

Similarly , Mrs Kafayat Sadiq, a provisions seller, stated that she couldn’t get bread to stock in her shop since Tuesday, saying that her supplier had complained of the high cost of flour.

Abdullahi Muhammad, a bread consumer said, “I went to the shop in the morning to buy bread, which would be eaten as breakfast in my house but unfortunately, I couldn’t get it.”

” I had to buy spaghetti for the children to eat and go to school since there is no bread;

”I hope the issue would be alleviated soon.”

A resident of Funtua, Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State, Aliyu Idris, told NAN that the prices of bread have also gone up in the state.

He said, ”For instance, a loaf of bread that was selling for between N 200 before now goes for N 400. This has affected all the sizes of the bread.”

Idris also stated that tea sellers and shop owners were now finding it very hard to get the commodity for sale to their customers.

In Kano State, a resident of Kano also corroborated the unfortunate scenarios in Kaduna and Katsina States, saying,’ a loaf of bread formerly selling for N600 before now goes for N 800.”

”Also, a loaf of sliced bread that was selling for n 1200 before is now selling for N 1600,” Haruna Salisu told NAN.

(NAN)

The House of of Representatives was on Wednesday thrown into a mourning mood following the death of a member, Hon. Akinremi Olaide popularly known among members and his supporters as Jagaban.

Akinremi was said to have died in the early hours of Wednesday at 51 after complaining of a slight ailment.

He is the third member of the House to have died since the inauguration of the House on June 13, 2024.

Spokesman of the House, Hon. Akintubde Rotimi, confirmed the death of Hon. Olaide who represented Ibadan North Federal constituency of Oyo State.

A statement in Abuja, Rotimi said the APC lawmaker who served as Chairman of the House Committee on Science Research Institutions, passed away on Wednesday.morning after a brief illness.

According to him: “Until his demise, the Oyo legislator was a dedicated public servant known for his unwavering commitment to the development of his constituency and the country at large. His passion for service, coupled with his deep understanding of the needs and aspirations of his people, earned him the endearing title of ‘Jagaban.’

“Throughout his tenure, he was a staunch advocate for policies and initiatives that promoted social welfare, economic growth, and scientific research. His contributions to legislative debates and his active participation in committee activities were a testament to his dedication and hard work.

“Rep. Akinremi was as much a grassroots politician as he was an astute statesman who leveraged his goodwill and network of relationships to attract positive impact to the people of his constituency.

“He built friendships by being intentional about reaching out and sending goodwill messages to all colleagues at special occasions, fostering camaraderie and unity within the House.

“As a ranking member, Rep. Akinremi had keen institutional memory and was a mentor to many first-time parliamentarians, guiding them with wisdom gained from his extensive experience in legislative affairs.”

He said Speaker Abbas Tajudeen expressed his profound sadness over the loss.

He quoted the Speaker as saying that “Rep. Akinremi Olaide Adewale was a beacon of dedication and service. His contributions to our legislative work, especially in the area of science and research, were invaluable. His passing is a great loss to the House, his constituency, and the nation. We will miss his leadership, wisdom, and the unique passion he brought to his work.

“The entire House of Representatives mourns this significant loss and extends its heartfelt condolences to the Akinremi family, the Ibadan North Federal Constituency, the Government and People of Oyo State, and the entire APC family. Rep. Akinremi’s legacy will undoubtedly continue to inspire those who had the privilege of working with him and benefiting from his leadership.

“We pray that the Almighty grants his family and loved ones the strength to bear this irreparable loss. May his soul rest in perfect peace”.