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Nigeria Lady Lament As Lagos Landlord Increase One-bedroom Apartment To N1.4 million per annum
AFOLABI
A Nigerian lady has taken to social media to lament after her landlord increased her house rent from N750k to N1.4m.
She shared a screenshot of the letter her landlord wrote to his tenants on the increment of rent.
According to the lady with the handle, 'BigAra', the letter was sent to the tenants including her by the lawyer of the landlord announcing the new rent.
The lady revealed that the apartment in question is a one-bedroom apartment located in Ajah, Lagos.
Part of the letter reads: “Please note that the rent of the apartment you occupy has been increased to the sum of N1,200.000.00 and service charge N200,000.00 per annum from your next rent renewal on December 2025. “
“Inability to renew the tenancy at the current rate/rent, please vacate the property.”
Nigerians visiting Thailand can now apply for visas electronically.
The Royal Thai embassy in Abuja set the applications’ start date at January 1 after announcing they were no longer accepting physical applications.
The policy also applies to citizens of Ghana, Cameroon, Benin Republic, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Chad.
In a statement, the embassy said all applicants must be residing within the aforementioned countries when applying for the visa.
The embassy said it has the right to cancel the visa applications should the applicants fail to provide evidence of their presence within the aforementioned countries.
“Travel booking confirmation must be provided upon submission of your visa application. This includes return flight details showing applicant’s name, departure and return date, all flights en route from the aforementioned countries to Thailand,” the embassy said.
“Upon receiving your application, it takes within 5 working days to get your visa.”
The embassy said the processing time can take longer in certain cases.
Intending travellers were advised to apply for a visa at least 4-6 weeks before the departure date but not more than three months before.
All applications must be completed online via www.thaievisa.go.th
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed his successor, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, rejected a $750 million offer from Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Group, to manage the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries in 2007.
Obasanjo spoke in an interview with Channels Television, on Thursday, where he highlighted the challenges faced with Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries during his presidency.
The former president said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited was aware of its limitations in managing the nation’s refineries but still informed Yar’Adua that the oil company can operate the refineries — leading to his successor rejecting Dangote’s offer.
Obasanjo also said he sought external help to rehabilitate and manage the facilities but faced resistance.
“When I was president, I wanted to do something about the three refineries we have: Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna. Aliko got a team together after I asked Shell to come and run it for us. And Shell said they wouldn’t,” Obasanjo said.
“Later on, I called them. I called the boss of Shell to come and tell me what the problem was and he gave me four or five reasons.
“He (Shell boss) said, first of all, they make a major profit from upstream, not from downstream. He said they run downstream just to keep their head above water.
“Two, our refineries were too small: 60,000 barrels, 100,000 barrels and I think 120,000 barrels. He said that at that time, the average refinery was going for 250,000 barrels.
“Three, he said our refineries were not well maintained. Four, he said that there was too much corruption around the activities of our refinery and they would not want to get involved in that.
“After that, Aliko got a team together and they paid $750m to take part in PPP (Public–Private Partnership) in running the refineries.
“My successor refunded their money and I went to my successor and told him what transpired.
“He said NNPC said they wanted the refineries and they could run it. I now said but you know they cannot run it.”
‘$2BN SPENT ON REFINERIES BUT NO RESULT’
The former president also said he is confident in Dangote’s ability to manage his privately owned refinery effectively, contrasting it with the government’s inefficiency.
Obasanjo also expressed frustration over the mismanagement of the refineries, adding that despite the amount spent on them since 2007 no results have been made.
“I was told not too long ago that since that time, more than $2 billion have been squandered on the refinery and they still will not work,” he said.
“If a company like Shell tells me what they told me, I will believe them. But here we are, over $2 billion squandered, and the refineries still won’t work.”
On December 31, 2024, Mele Kyari, the group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the NNPC, said the Warri Refining & Petrochemicals Company (WRPC) in Delta state was now operational.
On November 26, the NNPC said the Port Harcourt refinery had officially commenced crude oil processing.
[TheCable]
Fuji music icon, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM 1, left guests in awe as he surprised his longest-serving band member, Fatai Oluperi Ayinla, with a N20 million gift during his New Year concert on January 1, 2025.
The heartwarming moment unfolded at the ‘New Year Dance’ event held at the Balmoral Convention Center, Sheraton Ikeja, Lagos.
KWAM 1 took the stage to express his profound gratitude to Ayinla for his years of dedication and exceptional contribution to the band’s success.
As the crowd erupted into cheers, KWAM 1 presented the substantial amount to Ayinla, acknowledging his loyalty and significant role in the band’s journey.
The emotional tribute was met with loud applause from the audience.
In addition to the N20 million, Nollywood actor, Femi Adebayo, the producer of ‘Seven Doors’, also showed his support by donating N500,000 to Ayinla as a token of appreciation for his years of service.
Toyosi Etim-Effiong, wife of Nollywood actor, Daniel Etim-Effiong, has disclosed how she and her husband later ended up as a couple.
The duo who have been married for seven years were on the Off Air podcast with media personality, Gbemi Olateru aka Gbemi O.
Responding to a previous question, Toyosi revealed that Daniel settled down with her because the lady he was in a relationship with as at the time, wasn’t ready to tie the knot.
A clip from the show which surfaced online saw her say:
“The reason why he left the person he was with was because she said she wasn’t ready to settle down, but me, I was very ready.”
Recall that the couple have been in the news recently as a result of the perculair dynamics of their relationship.
The actor had recently stated that he has a problem with setting boundaries and his marriage was chaotic for him at the beginning.
His wife also revealed that she does not trust her husband one hundred percent.
This revelation has sparked quite a number of reactions from Nigerians.
Omololad stated, “So he didn’t marry you for love, you were the fallback plan, no wonder!!
Theella_space stated, “This woman and her trophy husband again.”
Another netizen, dekinggideon wrote, “When the desirable is not available, then the available becomes the desirable.”
Portharcourtmarket wrote, “Which means he married you for marriage sake, not cause you’re the one he truly loves? Okay we hear you!!!
Nigerian singer, Ayodeji ‘Wizkid’ Balogun has hit another milestone as the first African artiste to surpass 8 billion streams on Spotify.
The 8 billion streams include both leads and features.
His collaborative hit with Canadian superstar, Drake, ‘One Dance,’ is his most streamed song on the platform with over 2 billion streams.
‘One Dance’ holds the Guinness World Record for the first single to hit 1 billion streams on Spotify.
Wizkid’s most streamed album on the platform is the deluxe edition of his fourth studio album, ‘Made In Lagos’ with about a billion streams.
Meanwhile, Burna Boy has hit 7.2 billion streams on Spotify, making him the second most streamed African artiste on the platform.
He is the most followed Afrobeats artiste on the platform.
"It’s heartbreaking, many people are struggling with hunger, poverty" — American Content Creator Reflects on Her Experience in Nigeria
AFOLABI
American content creator Vicky, has shared her observations about her visit to Lagos, Nigeria.
While acknowledging the city’s vibrant social scene, Vicky highlighted the more pressing issues of hunger and poverty that affect many of its residents.
Vicky stated that during her visit, she was struck by the contrast between the city’s lively nightlife and the struggles faced by many of its people.
She expressed concern that some visitors may overlook these issues, focusing instead on the entertainment part of it.
Vicky emphasized the need for support and prayers for Nigeria, suggesting that tangible assistance and missions could help bring about positive change.
Vicky wrote …
“I recently visited Lagos, Nigeria, and while it’s known for its nightlife and clubs, I couldn’t help but notice the bigger picture. So many people there are struggling with hunger and poverty—it’s heartbreaking. It’s sad to see visitors focusing only on the parties when there’s such a clear need for help. Nigeria needs prayer, missions, and tangible support, not just tourism for entertainment. Let’s pray for this country and find ways to contribute to real change..”
Pastor Abel Damina, founder of Abel Damina Ministries and Power City International, has sparked debate by declaring that smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol are not sins.
Speaking during his New Year’s Eve sermon on Tuesday, Damina argued that these acts are often misrepresented as sinful when they are not inherently so.
“I’ve told you alcohol is not a sin. I’ve told you cigar is not a sin. If you like, put it on newspaper headline, I said it,” Damina stated.
However, he made it clear that he was not encouraging such behaviors, cautioning his audience to exercise wisdom.
“Am I saying you should smoke? You should have sense from your father’s house to know that cigar will cut short your life. Am I saying you should drink alcohol? You should know that if you drink alcohol, you will lie down inside a gutter. Your shirt and trousers will disappear. You should have the sense to know that.”
Damina’s sermon also addressed the theological basis for his views, challenging traditional interpretations of sin and morality.
Referencing the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he questioned the belief that their sin resulted from eating fruit from the forbidden tree.
“Adam and Eve ate nothing,” he said. “Adam and Eve didn’t eat anything. Were you there? You were not there. So how do we know whether they ate something or not? Jesus was there. Was Jesus there in the Garden of Eden? Yes. Can Jesus explain to us what happened? Yes.”
Citing Mark 7:18-21, he argued that sin is not caused by what one consumes but by the condition of the heart. “If they (Adam and Eve) ate, it’ll go to their stomach. It’ll digest and go to toilet. They’ll be free,”
Damina said. “There’s nothing a man eats that enters his heart. It’ll go to the digestive system, and it’ll go out somehow. It is what comes out of a man that defiles a man, not what goes in. What makes you a sinner is what you’re thinking, not what you’re eating.”
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi has said there was currently no merger agreement between the party and any other opposition party for a merger.
The former Amambra State Governor spoke against the backdrop of speculations that the LP had entered into a merger deal with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Although he didn’t admit or deny the existence of merger talks, he was emphatic that there was “no agreement yet.”
He appealed to all lovers of Nigeria irrespective of political affiliation to unite because it was only in unity that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) whom he said has “mismanaged” the nation’s resources can be defeated.
Obi described Nigeria’s security situation as unfortunate. He expressed sadness that Nigerians were needlessly being sent to their early graves on account of banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping-for-ransom.
He also faulted the current administration’s claims of fighting corruption.
Obi argued that the level of corruption in Nigeria remained high just as the cost of governance which has said has led to an astronomical increase in public debt.
Obi stressed that the situation was worsened by the fact that government officials willfully mismanaged public funds in 2024 through incessant foreign travels.
Recall that the LP candidate and his PDP counterpart, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar lost the 2023 presidential election to APC’s Tinubu.
Tinubu won in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states, and also secured the enough votes in several other states to claim the highest number of votes — 8,794,726, almost two million votes more than his closest rival — Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.
Atiku, who has ran for the presidential seat a record six times, got 6,984,520 votes, while Obi, a first-time contestant, secured an unprecedented 6,101,533. NNPP’s Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Kano State governor, finished fourth, claiming victory in his state — Kano. He secured 1,496,687 votes.
The Kaduna State Police Command has arrested Mohammed Bashir Saidu, a former commissioner under the administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, on allegations of financial misconduct involving billions of naira.
Sa’idu, who served as the Commissioner of Local Government Affairs, Chief of Staff, and Commissioner of Finance during el-Rufai’s tenure, is accused of money laundering to the tune of ₦3.9 billion and misappropriation of ₦244 million.
The allegations stem from a petition accusing Sa’idu of selling $45 million belonging to the state government at an exchange rate of ₦410 per dollar in 2021, instead of the prevailing market rate of ₦498 per dollar, resulting in a ₦3.9 billion shortfall.
Additionally, Sa’idu is alleged to have failed to account for the proceeds from the sale of Kaduna State government properties located in Marafa Estate. As chairman of the committee overseeing the sale of government assets, he is said to have violated financial protocols.
Saidu is currently in police custody while the allegations are being investigated.
Sources quoted by Vanguard confirmed that his passport has been confiscated, and he is also under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
In June 2024, the Kaduna State House of Assembly set up an ad hoc committee that recommended investigations into alleged financial irregularities during el-Rufai’s administration.
The committee alleged that public funds amounting to ₦423 billion were diverted, and loans obtained during the administration were misused for purposes other than their original intent.
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The Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr. Paul Enenche, has revealed prophetic insights into the year 2025, declaring it a year of divine judgement and new beginnings.
Speaking during the church’s crossover service at its headquarters in Abuja, Pastor Enenche told congregants that God had shown him visions of lifting spells and breaking embargoes, signaling a significant shift for believers.
According to the clergyman, 2025 will mark a season of new opportunities for God’s people.
He emphasized that the year would not only be one of blessings but also of divine intervention against forces of ooppression.
Pastor Enenche urged believers to remain steadfast and embrace the opportunities that the new year presents.
He said, “While praying and preparing for the year 2025, the first thing I saw was the lifting of spells, embargos.
“Embargos that have limited people’s lives, embargos of singleness, joblessness, fruitlessness, and idleness; I stand here tonight with the prophetic mantle on my life to declare that the spell is broken.
“He said as the last year just gave way for a new year and night gives way for the day, the past gives way for the future, in the same way; your season of emptiness is giving way for your season of fullness.
“He said it’s a new season that has come with new changes, new openings, new opportunities, a new song, and a new dance, so get ready.
“I’m arising in anger, it is said time for Jehovah to rise in judgment, in battle, it is said time for Jehovah to uncover the mystery and make the things in darkness come up to light.”
The founder of Abel Damina Ministries and Power City International, Pastor Abel Damina, has questioned the belief that Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden was caused by eating fruit from the forbidden tree.
Damina stated this during his New Year’s Eve sermon on Tuesday.
He said, “Adam and Eve ate nothing. Adam and Eve didn’t eat anything. Were you there? You were not there. So how do we know whether they ate something or not? Jesus was there. Was Jesus there in the Garden of Eden? Yes. Can Jesus explain to us what happened? Yes.”
Referencing Mark 7:18-21 in the Bible, Damina went on to argue that it is not what a person eats or drinks that makes them a sinner.
He added, “Do you not know that if Adam and Eve ate something, they would not be sinners? It is not what people eat that makes them sinners. It is not what you eat. You cannot be a sinner by eating or drinking something.”
Damina also stated that smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol are not sins, saying, “I’ve told you alcohol is not a sin. I’ve told you cigar is not a sin. If you like put it on newspaper headline, I said it.”
He, however, made it clear that he wasn’t encouraging such behaviours.
“Am I saying you should smoke? You should have sense from your father’s house to know that cigar will cut short your life,” he said.
“Am I saying you should drink alcohol? You should know that if you drink alcohol, you will lie down inside a gutter. Your shirt and trousers will disappear. You should have the sense to know that.”
According to Pastor Damina, it is not the act of eating or drinking that corrupts a person, but rather what resides within their heart.
“If they (Adam and Eve) ate, it’ll go to their stomach. It’ll digest and go to toilet. They’ll be free,” Damina said.
He added, “There’s nothing a man eats that enters his heart. It’ll go to the digestive system and it’ll go out somehow.
“It is what comes out of a man that defiles a man not what goes in. What makes you a sinner is what you’re thinking not what you’re eating.”
Media
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— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) January 2, 2025
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A former National Vice Chairman, North West, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has pleaded with Nigerians to vote out President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
He, however, stated that this can only be carried out if Nigerians focus on producing a functional political party that respects its own rules.
Speaking via a statement on Tuesday, Lukman noted that such a functional political party must be distinctively different from the APC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and all existing registered political parties in the country.
He said: “The expectations for free, fair, and credible elections in Nigeria may elude Nigerians once more. Or, as was the case in 2015, we could have relatively free, fair, and credible elections in 2027, which may only result in the defeat of APC and President Bola Tinubu, with the attendant danger of retaining the status quo of producing leaders who are emperors, who would only pretentiously commit to resolving Nigeria’s challenges.
“As Nigerians, we must rise to this challenge and make the defeat of APC and President Asiwaju not only possible in 2027 but, most importantly, guarantee the election of truly democratic leaders and not emperors.
“This should be about properly organising a political party that could allow for the emergence of party leaders at all levels through internal competition.”
Babafemi Ojudu, former Special Adviser on Political Matters to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed how he and other allies convinced President Bola Tinubu to reject an offer to serve as Minister of Finance under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua.
Ojudu disclosed this during an appearance on State Affairs, a podcast hosted by Edmund Obilo, on Monday.
He noted that accepting the role would have posed significant political risks for Tinubu, who was then the leader of the Action Congress.
“Tinubu called me one day and said, ‘Congratulations to me.’ I asked, ‘Congratulations for what?’ He then told me that former President Yar’Adua had called him to join his government of unity as Minister of Finance,” Ojudu recounted.
According to the journalist, he immediately warned Tinubu about the potential fallout of the decision, citing the fate of Bola Ige, a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, who was assassinated under controversial circumstances.
“I said, ‘You are in Action Congress. Are you not a student of history? Do you not see what happened to Bola Ige? You are digging your political grave if you accept that type of job,’” he stated.
Rauf Aregbesola, a close ally of Tinubu and former Governor of Osun State, reportedly joined the discussion and supported Ojudu’s stance.
He added, “Rauf walked in and said, ‘Femi is right; that is not a job to take.
“One businessman walked in and said, ‘You guys are too radical. This thing will benefit everyone.’ But I insisted, ‘No, we are not looking for this type of benefit. We are looking for his political survival.
“He is our leader. Our dream for him is bigger than him becoming a minister in Yar’Adua’s government. Nine months down the line, they would arrest him, try him, and finish him off — the way they did to Bola Ige.”
Ojudu also addressed allegations of betrayal during the 2023 presidential election, where he backed former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo instead of Tinubu for the All Progressives Congress ticket.
He dismissed the claims, emphasising that their differing visions at the time were not personal.
He said, “We cannot quarrel. It is about our vision taking different routes. I just came from Bayo Onanuga’s daughter’s wedding. People saw me and said, We never knew you would come around.
“I told them, Do you think we are boxing each other? It is not personal. For me, loyalty to friendship is on a lesser scale than sacrifice for the country.”