FEATURES
Ghanaian movie star, Oboy Siki, has publicly confessed to sleeping with over 3000 women.
During an interview with Rashad on GhPage’s Rash Hour Show, Oboy Siki disclosed that he’s a serial w0manizer and will never deny having such trait.
He disclosed that he has slept with more women than any male in the movie industry and the only person who comes close to his ‘record’ is media personality, Akrobeto.
Oboy Siki further revealed that Akrobeto has slept with almost all the women he has slept with.
Media
A man once voted the most handsome in Italy has quit his modelling job, and abandoned his dreams of becoming an actor, to join the priesthood.
Edoardo Santini, 21, was voted Italy's most beautiful man in 2019, when he was 17, in a pageant organised by ABE, a fashion group.
However, after years of studying drama and dance to achieve his dream of becoming a star, he took to social media on Saturday, Dec. 2, to disclose that he would renounce his career for his faith.
He wrote: "At 21 years of age I find myself on the path towards becoming a priest, God willing."
He added that he has joined a seminary near Florence.
"I've decided to give up modelling work, acting and dance, but I won't abandon all my passions, I'll just live them differently, offering them up to God," said the Castel Fiorentino native.
He added: "At 21 years old my father took the decision to marry my mother because she was pregnant and my mum, at 21, became a mother.
"Me, at 21-years-old, I find myself taking the path to become, God willing, a priest. In these past years I've been able to meet people who have shown me what it means to be 'church'.
"They have given me the strength to investigate this question that I've taken with me from childhood but various fears stopped me from studying it at a deeper level. Last year, I took the first step," he said.
Edoardo said he went to live with two priests and called it the "best experience of my life".
"At the end of the year it was natural for me to ask the bishop to enter the preparatory course, the year that precedes life in the seminary. And here I am, studying theology and serving two parishes in the Florentine diocese."
Now, he says, he has "put aside my job as a model and a dancer", in favour of a new "world" where he has "met marvellous people with pure hearts, to whom I owe a lot, who allowed me to grow".
"Of course I won't abandon everything," he added. "Because they make me who I am but I will live them in a different context."
Edoardo said he would continue to follow his new path in spite of backlash.
He said: "Of course I have people that speak behind my back. There are those who have no problem telling me that I'm a disappointment, even in my family. But there are also those who support me, believers and non-believers."
He said that although it "terrified him" to abandon his dream and become a priest, he was sure he will not regret the decision "because now I can shout: I am Edoardo, I am 21 years old and I am happy".
In a video shared on his Instagram page last week he shared a clip of him appearing to pray in a church, with the caption: "I got back on my path".
He also updated his profile bio to "I'm a Christian, priest wannabe".
Fun videos from the wedding of late gospel singer Sammie Okposo‘s daughter, Alulu Okposo, have emerged online.
The wedding, which took place on Saturday, December 2, at the Ibru Garden in Victoria Island, was attended by some popular faces in the entertainment industry like Jennifer Eliogu, Chidi Mokeme, and rapper Vector.
Alulu had announced her wedding some months back by sharing pre-wedding photos on her Instagram page.
A video from Alulu’s traditional wedding has gone viral online as she was seen dressed as an Edo bride and her husband matching it with a male outfit.
Watch Video:
Media
The Delta State Police Command has disclosed that following the recent trend of ritual killings, kidnapping, and internet fraud, it will arrest, investigate and charge to court citizens with suspicious sources of wealth, who cannot justify their means of earnings. The State Command Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, declared this on Sunday via his X handle. The police mouthpiece noted that the force men are empowered to arrest individuals who could not justify their sources of income and make them face the wrath of the law when found guilty.
Edafe mocked the trend that some Nigerians presumed it was wrong to question what he called their “suspicious wealth.” Edafe maintained that the police force had told its operatives to do the right thing and avoid seeing justifiable sources of income as a means to extort Nigerians.
“It is a very sad trend that people feel it’s wrong to question the suspicious wealth of persons who cannot lay claim to any justifiable means of income. We have cases of ritual killings, Kidnapping, and even internet fraud. We tell our men to do the right thing and not take it as an avenue to extort. “However, any person arrested and can’t justify his source of income should be properly investigated and charged to court when the cockroach in his cupboard has been unveiled. Like me, hate me, I don’t mind, it’s the simple truth,” Edafe wrote on the microblogging platform
The authorities of the University of Ilorin have announced the promotion of 48 of its academic staff to the rank of Professor, while 59 others were elevated to the status of Associate Professor in the latest promotion exercise carried out at the university.
This announcement was made by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole (SAN), at a meeting held with the new Professors at the university’s main auditorium.
The Vice-Chancellor, who is also the Secretary-General of the Association of West African Universities (AWAU), explained that the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, SAN, had, in the exercise of his powers, approved the request of the University’s Appointments & Promotion Committee. This culminated in the promotion of the new Professors from their previous Reader/Associate Professor positions.
Twins who graduated First Class in UNILORIN say school separated them during exams
According to the Vice Chancellor, the Minister’s approval was necessitated by the absence of a properly constituted Governing Council for the University, which should have discharged this responsibility.
The new Professors, whose promotions were also backdated to October 2022, include Prof. F. D. Babalola of the Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. O. O. K. Ibrahim of the Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, and Prof. O. M. Ameen of the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences.
Others include Prof. K. A. Abdullahi, Prof. L. E. Odeh, Prof. J. O. Friday-Otun, Prof. K. A. Rafiu, and Prof. R. O. Ogunade, who are all from various Departments of the Faculty of Arts.
The new Professors also include Prof. Z. A. Suleiman, Prof. I. K. Kolawole, Prof. L. O. Omokanye, Prof. A. S. Adeniran, Prof. M. B. Abdulkadir, and Prof. A. A. Nasir, all from the Faculty of Clinical Sciences.
Six new Professors also emerged from the Faculty of Education, namely Prof. Patricia Agnes O. Etejere, Prof. Nafisat A. Adedokun-Shittu, Prof. O. O. Obielodan, Prof. C. O. Olumorin, Prof. Mulkah A. Ahmed, and Prof. Hamdallat T. Yusuf.
Those elevated from the Faculty of Engineering are Prof. Temitope E. Odetoye, Prof. J. F. Opadiji, Prof. Nazmat T. Surajudeen-Bakinde, Prof. I. I. Ahmed, Prof. Y. L. Shuaib-Babaita, and Prof. S. O. Bilewu. Prof. Abdulateef Iyanda Bako and Prof. Ganiyu Amuda-Yusuf were elevated from the Faculty of Environmental Sciences.
Those promoted from the Faculty of Law are Prof. B. A. Abdulkadir, Prof. Mariam A. AbdulRaheem-Mustapha, and Prof. A. O. Sambo. From the Faculty of Management Sciences, Prof. Khadijat Adenola Yahaya and Prof. Y. I. Mustapha, while Prof. O. D. Owolabi of the Faculty of Life Sciences was also elevated to the prestigious rank.
Two lecturers from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences also benefited from the promotion exercise: Prof. A. Giwa and Prof. Rashidat O. Ayanniyi. From the Faculty of Physical Sciences are Prof. O. M. Ameen, Prof. S. O. Owalude, Prof. O. O. Ige, Prof. S. Olatunji, Prof. Marili F. Zubair, Prof. E. O. Titiloye, Prof. Yidiat O. Aderinto, Prof. A. O. Olawepo, and Prof. A. A. Abiodun. The Faculty of Social Sciences also produced two new Professors through Prof. K. A. Iroye and Prof. L. Saka, while Prof. J. O. Aiyedun was promoted from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
During the meeting held with them, the Vice Chancellor congratulated the new Professors for attaining the peak of their careers and expressed confidence in their dignity and competence. Prof. Egbewole noted that their promotions were meritorious and well-deserved, commending their dedication to achieving the University’s corporate objectives through quality teaching, meaningful research, and impactful community services.
The Vice-Chancellor encouraged the new Professors not to rest on their laurels but to work harder on their responsibilities to justify the confidence reposed in them by the authorities of the University and society at large.
Speaking on the expectations and challenges ahead of the new Professors, Prof. Egbewole charged them to ensure they deliver their inaugural lectures within the next twelve months. The Registrar, Mr Mansur Adeleke Alfanla, congratulated the new Professors on their promotion to the pinnacle of their teaching career, informing them that their promotions would have a retrospective effect from October 1, 2022.
Responding on behalf of the newly promoted Professors, Prof. Jaiye Opadiji of the Department of Computer Engineering expressed profound gratitude to the Vice Chancellor and the university management for their consistent support, culminating in accomplishing their dreams of attaining the peak.
Prof. Opadiji, acknowledging the expectations placed on them, assured the university’s authorities of their continued dedication to the institution’s services and humanity. He also pledged their determination to intensify efforts towards advancing academic excellence and the overall success of the University of Ilorin.
The BBC Sound of 2024 longlist has been published, with names including The Last Dinner Party, Tyla and Peggy Gou being tipped for success next year.
The other acts rounding out this year’s list are Aya Starr, Caity Baser, CMAT, Elmeine, Kenya Grace, Olivia Dean and Sekou.
This year’s longlist is largely dominated by female solo acts, with strong showings for British soul and R&B and artists from Africa.
This year’s longlist has been chosen by a panel of over 140 industry experts and artists, including Olivia Rodrigo, Declan McKenna, Chase & Status, Mahalia and more music industry experts, including representatives from Spotify, Apple Music, Glastonbury Festival, the BBC and former nominees including Jorja Smith, PinkPantheress and Tom Grennan.
The winner will be revealed in the new year on BBC Radio 1, with the top five revealed in reverse order between January 1-5. The longlisted artists will all be performing in a gig organised by Radio 1 at London’s Maida Vale Studios on January 8.
BBC’s Sound Of… list is now in its 22nd year and has been a predictor of success for a wealth of big-name artists, including Adele, Stormzy and Wet Leg.
Last year’s list was won by FLO, with Fred Again.. and Nia Archives finishing second and third respectively.
Gunmen abducted two landlords in the Asokoro extension area of the Federal Capital Territory on Sunday.
They are demanding a ransom of N20 million for the victims’ release.
According to reports, the armed men used one of the landlords to gain entry to the other victim’s home.
One landlord, due to the heat, slept outside, where the gunmen discovered him and forced him to lead them to his residence at gunpoint.
Unsatisfied with what they saw in his home, they forced him to take them to a neighbor’s larger house.
The second landlord, arriving home on a motorcycle due to car issues, was attacked as he attempted to enter his house.
The kidnappers have contacted the families, demanding N20 million for the landlords’ release.
Initially demanding N10 million from each family, one offered N2 million, but the kidnappers rejected the partial payment and threatened harm if the full amount wasn’t paid.
Efforts are underway by both the police and the Asokoro Commander of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria to rescue the victims, with searches ongoing in nearby areas.
A tanker explosion rocked the Ojota area of Lagos State on Monday, causing panic among commuters as captured in online videos.
The explosion, which happened along the Ketu route, has yet to have its cause determined.
Confirmation of the incident came from a brief statement by the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA).
Tragically, one fatality has been reported due to an early morning fire in a residential building at Adealu, Lagos State. Margaret Adeseye, Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, confirmed the incident.
The fire, contained to the upper floor of a four-flat storey building, was swiftly controlled by emergency responders, but one adult male, yet to be identified, was found at the scene and suspected to have perished.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, as stated by Adeseye.
Firefighters from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, along with the Ambulance Service, promptly responded to the distress call at the scene.
Additionally, a diesel-laden truck caught fire in Ojota, swiftly addressed by the fire service team, with no reported casualties.
As Adeseye concluded, the situation in Ojota has been brought under control, ensuring the safety of the area following the incident involving the diesel truck.
Media
The popular Nigerian media personality, Toke Makinwa, has revealed how her parents died in a house fire when she was a young girl.
She described the incident as one of her “biggest fears” that plunged her into a profound state of unease and uncertainty.
She recently recounted the horrific incident with comedian and filmmaker Ayo Makun, also known as AY, during an interview on her show.
After asking her guest about a recent fire incident at his Lagos property, Makinwa began sharing a similar story about her family.
Recall that AY’s Lagos home was destroyed by fire in August.
“I was a child victim of a house fire, and sadly, both of my parents died as a result of that, that’s one of my biggest fears,” she remarked.
AY said, “I apologize for that. I’m just hearing for the first time.”
AY then claimed that his house caught fire while he was on tour in Canada and that he woke up to discover numerous missed calls.
“Knowing that my family was on vacation was my thanksgiving point. I woke up to about 78 missed calls that day. Any time I see something like that, I just know something has happened. I opened my phone and saw my house on Instablog,” he said.
Darosha Losobeh, a cousin and personal assistant to the late singer, Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has refuted accusations of breaking the deceased’s neck.
A circulating video suggested that Losobeh broke Mohbad’s neck to fit him into the casket used for his burial.
Mohbad allegedly died of ear infection on September 12, 2023, at 27, and his death has since sparked controversy, with many Nigerians calling for justice for his sudden demise, leading to the arrest of his former boss, Azeez Fashola, aka Naira Marley and Samson Balogun aka Sam Larry.
The duo who were allegedly arrested for bullying the late singer had been released.
Subsequently, a nurse who attended to him and his childhood friend, Primeboy, were identified as primary suspects in his demise.
Responding to the allegations regarding the neck, Darosha denied the claims.
In a post via his Instagram story, he expressed distress over the impact of these accusations on his mental well-being.
He wrote: “I’m so down to the extent that I had to write this to clear this whole story about me going online that I bent my love’s neck; this is the craziest and saddest thing that ever happened to me in my whole life. That I broke my brother’s neck, seriously, this hurt me so much.
“What happened about the neck was that when we got to Ikorodu, we were told there was no space to keep his body at the mortuary and we didn’t want him buried that night. So, a worker there advised the family to pay for an ambulance and a coffin where we can keep him until morning, and the same ambulance would drive him down to the place of burial.
“The whole family agreed to the idea because the ambulance that took us to Ikorodu was complaining that they had to leave the same night back to the island. It was only his mum that was not present there that midnight.
“The N1million I sent to his dad is not for him to spend because it was instructed that we should use the money in doing the burial arrangement, but unfortunately, the place we buried him is not nice to me and not secure, so I told his father to use the money to erect a fence for his safety. The whole team and family can testify to this because I have every proof, and I sent his brother the rest of the money when we arrived home.
“I was the first person that went to Panti to write a statement and called for questioning. You can go to Panti station to ask more about me, not coming online to say what you don’t know; well, I know it’s all for content, but God in heaven will judge you, tarnishing my image even with all that I am going through.
“About the salt, when my father died, a salt was placed on his chest till we arrived and I was told it was local embalming to keep him fresh till the whole family arrived, and I did the same thing because a lot of people were still coming to see him before leaving to Ikorodu that night.
“Lastly, about his properties and music catalogs, Mohbad has a lawyer that controls all of these things, and he has a contract with ONErpm, so all of these things are controlled by them, and his car is parked in front of his house at Orchid.
“I can’t drive his car because I have mine. If we really want justice, let the government work, and let’s wait for an autopsy. Stop bashing his loved ones. Abi una wants us to go depressed too #justiceformohbad.”
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The management of the University of Calabar (UniCal) has announced increase in the university’s tuition fees for undergraduates by over 100 per cent.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the announcement was made in a statement made available to newsmen in Calabar on Monday.
In the statement by the institution’s spokesman, Mr Effiong Eyo, it said the upward review of the fees was taken at an emergency meeting of the university’s Senate on Friday.
The release disclosed that the implementation of the upward review takes effect from the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions.
NAN reports that with the increment, new students, returning students and the final year students for the non science courses are expected to pay N111,000, N91,500 and N114,000 respectively.
In addition, they are also to pay N36,500, N21,500 and N21,500 respectively as third party dues.
Similarly, fees for science courses were increased to N155,000, N125,000 and N148,000 respectively for new, returning students and final year students.
In a likewise manner, they are also to pay N38,500, N21,500 and N21,500 respectively as third party dues.
NAN reports that before the increment, tuition fees for an average student, depending on the department, was N64, 050 for new students, N52,050 for final year and N49,500 for the returning students.
The management noted that the increment was necessitated by the current economic realities and the need to maintain the academic standard which the university was known for. (NAN)
Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Ibadan, Most Rev. Joseph Akinfenwa, has urged Federal Government to declare a three-day prayer and fasting period for God to intervene in the country’s affairs.
Akinfenwa made the call during the Advent Carol of Nine Lessons and Songs held in Ibadan.
The Anglican Bishop said the situation of things in the country, especially the high cost of food items, transportation and accommodation, called for urgent God's intervention.
He stated, however, that the situation was not only common in the country but the world at large.
“But that of our country calls for worry and all of us, not only the government, need to join hands and tackle it.
"This is because we are blessed with enough natural resources and therefore shouldn’t suffer as such.
“Everybody should be involved but the government should do more.
“Those in government can cut their salaries and allowances and use the money to cater for the poor, to show a good example,” the Bishop said.
Akinfenwa also advised all Christian faithful to be focused on the second coming of Christ as all things happening in the world lately showed that the end will come one day.
“To prepare for Christ’s coming, the faithful has to pursue a deeper relationship with God and always put God’s word into practice.”
He urged them to shun the love of money and imbibe the culture of forgiving one another in spite of all odds.
“We shouldn’t love our traditions more than God. Let’s allow the Holy Bible to deal with the problem called the love of money.
“Let’s not be distracted with the happenings of these days and forget that Christ is coming again.
”We should all be on the alert because His second coming is the most significant event this era is waiting for.
“No matter the situation we may find ourselves, let us always find succour in God’s word,” Akinfenwa said.
He added that this season of Advent is that of joy and carols were all about celebrating the works of Christ’s salvation to mankind.
Nasir El-Rufai may no longer be the Kaduna State governor and has missed a controversial ministerial appointment, but he certainly has not lost his zest for taking on big projects. The former governor is going into the private sector with a loud statement.
El-Rufa plans to launch a $100 million venture capital fund for startups in Nigeria, particularly those in the Kaduna tech ecosystem. He plans to match his ambitions with actions. He is willing to stake $2 million of his money for the offtake of the fund. He plans to convince investors to provide the remaining funding. The investors will mostly be those “who believe in us but don’t have the capacity or the time to do the analysis and evaluation. But they trust our judgment and they will come with us.”
He was in Marrakech in November for the Africa Investment Forum where he spoke to BusinessDay.
The former governor who played a significant role in the emergence of the current Nigerian president as the party’s candidate, seems to have put his disappointments behind him.
In Marrakech, there was no trace of the man who became the target of much social media trolling. The El-Rufai that showed up in Marrakech was looking spritely and took part in all the sessions of the Africa Investment Forum, a multi-stakeholder, multi-disciplinary platform with the vision to channel capital towards critical sectors to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the African Development Bank’s High 5s, and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
According to him, he wants to set up a venture capital fund or private equity that will invest in young Nigerians with innovative ideas. It doesn’t matter what segment of the economy the ideas are. It could be in agriculture. ICT or the creative industry, so long as it has the potential to add value to the world, these are the ideas that El-Rufai and his fund will target.
During his tenure as governor of Kaduna, El-Rufai said he met many students in Kaduna who had great ideas and were creating innovations. However, many of them did not have someone to mentor them and help those ideas grow.
“What young people need is essentially mentoring and financing to get things going. They develop the idea and see whether it is viable. And we will open doors for them because they don’t have contact. They don’t know or have access to ministers, presidents, or regulatory agencies. We do. We know the minefields that they have to navigate. We know that they need to give them appointments and we can provide them with the startup funding and in return we take an equity position.
We don’t want to take your business; we want to develop it. But if we take the risk on you, we will take a percentage of the business,” El-Rufai said.
He is working with select private sector partners, including Eyo Ekpo, co-founder of Excredite Consulting Limited, and their primary focus is on Nigeria but the ambition is Africa because he projects from a report that Africa will be supplying the world with a significant portion of the workforce it needs by 2050.
According to a report by the Guardian, by 2050, Africa’s population is expected to reach 2.5 billion, which is about 25 percent of the world’s population.
El-Rufai says such projections call for more investments in the younger demographic. However, his fund will not just be focusing on new startups, there is also a plan to engage established companies with management problems that are still viable. The VC fund will invest in such companies, get them sorted out and take them to exit.
“We don’t intend to remain in any business. We want to catalyse growth in these startups,” he said.
One of the goals of being at the African Investment Conference was to seek continental partnerships, and investors and to explore opportunities with climate-focused investors.
“Nigeria has a lot to offer Africa and the world. Our population, entrepreneurial capability, the innovation of our young people and their boldness and courage to find success. We just felt that we have a duty to encourage,” he said.
The first fund will be investing for three to four years. The fund is expected to launch early next year and the company will be headquartered in Abuja. This is to diversify the funding beyond Lagos because there is already a lot of interest in funding innovation in Lagos. El-Rufai and his partners want to spur startup funding interest in ecosystems in Kaduna, Abuja and other parts of the country.
[Businessday]
Gold hits record highs, bitcoin at 41k as market bulls came in prepared for the last month of the year.
The flagship crypto asset topped $41,500 in the early hours of Monday for the first time since early May 2022, while Ethereum rose above $2,200 amid a broad but modest rally in the crypto market.
Gold hit a record high, market analysts anticipate that the global bullion rush is expected to continue, with spot prices reaching $2,100 in the first trading session of the week
Prices for the yellow metal rose for the second consecutive month as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict increased demand for safe havens and expectations for interest rate cuts provided further support. The precious metal tends to perform well during times of economic and geopolitical uncertainty due to its status as a reliable store of value.
A recent survey by the World Gold Council showed growing pessimism about the US dollar as a reserve currency, with 24% of central banks intending to increase their gold reserves over the next 12 months.
Consequently, Bitcoin has been toying with the $40,000 mark for the past few days, but it finally broke above $40K early Monday morning, marking a day rise of 4% at the time of writing, according to Binance data. Ethereum is trading at $2,205 and has risen by a similar percentage over the past 24 hours.
Bitcoin’s value has more than doubled this year, with most of the gains occurring in recent weeks as investors speculate about the possible approval of a U.S. ETF that directly tracks the price of the crypto asset.
Although Grayscale prevailed in a significant legal struggle against the regulator to have its application for a spot ETF approved, the Securities and Exchange Commission has not indicated that it plans to approve a spot ETF soon.
Recent remarks from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who noted a greater need for balance between maintaining tight monetary conditions and still encouraging a gentle landing for the US economy, were perceived by markets as being noticeably less hawkish.
Due to this, traders started pricing in a 90%+ possibility that the Fed will hold rates until December and a 60%+ chance that rates will be lowered by March 2024. The Fed will convene on December 12 and 13.
Increased interest rates reduce demand for the yellow metal, which bears no interest, while bonds and other assets with greater yields become more profitable.
However, the job market seems to be in good shape and U.S. inflation is still far higher than the Fed’s 2% annual target. More hints on the latter are anticipated in the non-farm payrolls report, which is coming this Friday.
Despite giving up much of its intraday gains, the precious metal is currently trading below $2,100, up about 0.70% on the day. In an environment where the daily chart is overbought, a slight increase in US Treasury bond rates helps the US Dollar (USD) draw in some buyers and compels bulls to take some profits off the table.
Nevertheless, the non-yielding yellow metal may continue to benefit from growing predictions that the Federal Reserve (Fed) is finished raising interest rates and may start to loosen its monetary policy by the first half of 2024.
[Nairametrics]