Former Benue All Progressives Congress(APC) guber aspirant Dr. Roseline Ada Chenge has assured President Bola Tinubu will assemble competent hands to govern the country.
According to Chenge, an ambassador of Peace, UN-POLAC, Tinubu has the leadership qualities, acumen and the ability to turn challenges of the nation around into opportunities.
Chenge spoke during an interview on TVC morning breakfast show monitored by The Nation.
Discussing on the current cabinet formation and expectations of Nigerians, she specifically applauded President Tinubu for appointing George Akume as Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Chenge said: “Nigerians have a lot of hope for this current government. The hope is that Mr. President (Tinubu) is going to fish out very high professionals and qualified technocrats for various ministries.
“We have confidence in him because of his track-record of providing very good leadership in the past, and also assembling competent hands.
“This time around, it won’t be story as usual. The ministers make or mar any administration. If we must move forward, we must look at competence above any other thing.
“If things are not done the right way according to how it should be, a lot of things will go wrong. A government is judged by its performance and output after a period of time.”
Speaking on women inclusion in the Tinubu’s cabinet formation, Chenge said: “I’m not expecting anything less than 25%, I will be glad if Mr. President increases it to 40%. I believe Nigerian women will get something more because Mr. President loves inclusion.”
•Traditionalist, cleric, others bare minds on disturbing trend
If their quest to “blow”, as the popular argot goes, is alarming, their resort to diabolical means, including killing fellow human beings to make money, is most worrisome. In this report, GBENGA ADERANTI digs into the attraction to the condemnable practice by youths and ways to stem it.
SUNNY (surname withheld) is a successful electrical contractor, who is loved by all in his Ogun State community.
However, his sudden strange behaviour got people in his neighbourhood worried, recently.
It all began after he suffered loss of memory and could not recognise any of his friends anymore.
His condition worsened when his conversations became indistinct, a situation that drew the empathy of many around him.
On different occasions, he had been overheard saying things like, “I will give you your bag; I will give you your bag,” to nobody in particular.
Suspecting that it could be a spiritual attack, his family members took him to a white garment church, where he underwent spiritual cleansing.
About a week after his spiritual cleansing, Sunny, Sunny, regained his memory and returned to his normal self, to the pleasure of his family.
But they soon became more agitated and curious, after his sickness relapsed.
While they were juggling their brains about the fate that had befallen him, Sunny’s younger brother happened on a calabash filled with a black soap in his room.
It was later discovered that Sunny had embarked on “Bisa Bisa”, a street parlance for money making soap.
Speaking with The Nation, his friend, Tayo, said: “When we saw the soap and calabash in his room, we knew he was into bisa bisa.”
But what could have made a promising young man go into such? Tayo further revealed that Sunny’s problem started when one Akpan, whom he grew up with, visited the neighbourhood in a Camry car.
“Akpan did not accord Sunny any courtesy; in fact, he treated him curtly, to the astonishment of all who knew their antecedents. The reason was that Sunny was doing better than Akpan, who barely finished secondary school,” Tayo said.
According to him, Sunny later found out that Akpan was into internet-related fraud, otherwise known as Yahoo Yahoo. “This is what probably pushed him into “bisa, bisa,” Tayo further explained.
At the time of writing this report, Sunny was still at an undisclosed location in Oyo State, where he was undergoing spiritual treatment.
Like Sunny, Bayo Akande (not real name) cuts a pitiable sight. Those who know him claimed he brought the poor fate upon himself, after getting involved in a money ritual.
No doubt, it came with some dire consequences that have altered the cause of the life of his family members too. His beautiful sister, who lived in the neighbourhood, became a recluse of sorts, as the stigma occasioned by Bayo’s immoral deed became her shadow, following her everywhere.
It was so bad that his family members, including his step-dad who had to sell his house in the area, were forced to relocate to another part of the state.
If Sunny and Bayo are suffering today because of their inordinate ambition for wealth, others have gone to the extreme by killing fellow beings in their quest to make money.
On a daily basis, passersby around the Alagbole area of Ogun State behold in wonderment the spectacle of a young man who harasses women and motorists unprovoked.
The young man, who is probably in his 30s, was said to be doing well until he decided on an infamous journey of money-making ritual.
Desperate to ‘blow’
About a month ago, the video of an unidentified secondary school teenager, whose neck was dripping with blood, went viral online.
He was reported to have escaped death after a failed attempt by his friends to slaughter him for money rituals.
According to the reports, the teenager and his friends were planning to do a money ritual, but while they were on their way in the jungle to see the ritualist, they decided to kill him.
In the process, the teenager, whose neck was partially severed, pretended to be dead and managed to escape before he was eventually rescued.
While he is alive to tell the story, others have not been that lucky.
Sometime in April last year, one Ifeanyi Njoku was arrested in Lagos in connection with the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Precious Okeke.
Njoku’s quest to make money pushed him into the act.
According to reports, a local spiritual practitioner had instructed Njoku to engage in sexual intercourse with Okeke’s lifeless body; and Njoku, desperate, had carried out the directive to the letter for six unbroken days.
The putrefying odour from the decomposing body of the deceased was said to have caused the neighbours raise the alarm.
During interrogation, Njoku confessed to the murder and admitted that his motive was to employ Okeke in a money-making ritual.
In May, a 29-year-old internet fraudster, Amos Olaleye, was arrested by the Police in Lagos for killing his sister for a money ritual.
Shockingly, Olaleye, in his statement to the Police, said: “My mother was the one who took me to a native doctor. He said I would have to sacrifice one of my siblings if I wanted to be successful. He said the one to be sacrificed must be the one I loved most.
“I am into Yahoo business. After hearing from him, it took me months before I could make up my mind on whether to embark on the assignment.”
He further stated that while he was grappling with the thought, his mother kept encouraging him to go ahead and kill his sister, so that they could be rich and end the poverty in the family.
“My mother planned the entire incident by going out to buy poison, which she put in my sister’s food. The native doctor also instructed that I must sleep with my sister’s corpse and suck her vagina before throwing the corpse into a river for the ritual to be completed,” he added.
In a related development, The Nation gathered that a young man in Uromi, Esan North-East in Edo State allegedly used his mother for a money ritual.
His father was said to have warned his wife never to drive the expensive car bought for her by the young man because he was not comfortable with his sudden wealth.
Unfortunately, the woman did not heed the advice, as she died the very day she drove the car.
A close family member told The Nation that “The car the young man bought for his late mum is still parked somewhere; nobody is using it.
“He organised an elaborate burial for his mum, and it was the talk of the town for a very long time. He, thereafter, bought a property, demolished it, and re-built it.
Money Rituals: Myth, reality
While many see the phenomenon of money ritual as a ruse, a cleric, Yemi Olaojo, Pastor of Fellow Citizens Christian Centre, told The Nation that it is real.
He attributed youths’ involvement in money rituals to a major failure in the family.
Olaojo, who said the first contact of socialisation is through parents, made reference to the Biblical injunction, saying, “If the foundation is destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
Olaojo also decried the attitude of some parents who encourage their kids or wards to tread the despicable path in life, saying, “If you criticise the ‘Gen Z’, the question you should ask is: who raised them? They are a reflection of their upbringing, the families that raised them. I won’t blame the product, but I will blame the sower. The values have been eroded and it is traceable to bad parenting.”
When asked if he believed in the myth behind money ritual, he said: “It is not in the context many think. Many people think it is when you hide someone in a wardrobe, put a calabash on someone’s head, and drop money from somewhere. This is not true. The money that the supposed demon brought, who printed it? Every currency has a number, so where does the number of the currency that demon is bringing fit in? Who puts the number there? Who signs the currency?”
Explaining how it works, he said, “Money rituals open doors for the demon to help you by manipulating others.
“The person doing the money ritual will enjoy undue favours from people. The people will be hypnotised; they will give you offers you are not due for and this will be to the detriment of other people.
“Look at the Yahoo boys, for instance; the rituals they do help them to convince their victims in releasing their funds to them. These victims are hypnotised- that is demonic. Demons would help people who have done rituals by hypnotising another person to release his money. That is not normal because it is going to be a transaction at arm’s length.”
In what may be described as a veiled agreement with those who blame religious bodies for money-making rituals, Olaojo advised pastors to use their pulpits to preach hard work and patience. “Christianity has been made to be glamorous; people present the church like showbiz.
“Let people see that nothing comes freely. Even money rituals are not free because, at the end of the day, there is going to be repercussions.
“That somebody has money does not mean God has accepted him or her,” he said.
The law does not recognise superstitious belief
A Lagos-based lawyer, Tayo Douglas, said the Nigerian Law does not recognise superstitious beliefs, including “miracles being peddled by the so-called Pentecostal or the born-again churches in Nigeria.”
Douglas, who said money ritual might be explained away if it was done with parts of animals, said: “Where the problem lies is when human beings are now the victims of such evil practices. What is then expected of the prosecutor to prove to the court is just the offence of murder and nothing more. Whether the intention of the accused murderer is all about “money ritual” or anything of the like is of no importance to the law. What the fellow is being accused of is simply the murder of human being/s and nothing more.”
He also urged the government to warn religious leaders to desist from preaching overnight riches and prosperity.
“There is nothing like money rituals and overnight prosperity. It is the situation of the country’s economy that has provoked the madness in our society. How do you explain a situation where a pastor of one of these Pentecostal churches stood up before his congregants sometime ago to demand the sum of N1b from each of the members under the disguise of “partnership with God?”
“These are parts of the things that breed the problems we have today in society. Everybody wants to make money fast. It is quite unfortunate.”
He also advised the Police to be more committed to their responsibilities: “They should be more proactive by going after the herbalists and pastors goading these boys into evil practices.
“It is not today that we started witnessing the barbaric practices of human rituals. The Law has always been there to take care of the stupidity. As early as 1949, the 43rd Alaaye of Efon-Alaaye in the present Ekiti State was sentenced to death over the ritual killing of a toddler. We are only shouting today because of the alarming dimensions of evil practices. The earlier a fastidious approach is employed to curb the scourge, the better,” said Douglas.
In an interview with The Nation, the traditional ruler of Ode Ule Kingdom of Legusenland, Remo North LGA, Ogun State, Oba Adedayo Olusino Adekoya, Erinsiba 1, likened ritual killing to “killing a living thing in a manner in which it is not a sacrifice to bring a gift to the divinity, but to apply its blood or its whole for a practical purpose which may be religious or for the derivation of particular advantage to the killer or the group killing. It could be an animal or a human being.”
The royal father, who is also the President-General, Worldwide of Isese Agbaye, disclosed that contrary to the general belief, the Yoruba traditional religion frowns on money ritual, saying, “Orunmila had previously banned the use of humans as sacrifice for any deity or spirituality, after his son, through Poroye, was almost used for his annual festival in the mythology of the ancients.
“Therefore, any sacrifice that involves the loss of life or any part thereof of any human being neither belongs to the Yoruba spirituality or religion, Isese.”
Adekoya, who also agreed that money ritual exists, threw more light on the process involved, saying, “The way it is done is that all the wealth one is supposed to accumulate over a period of one’s lifespan is pushed into one within a very short period of two to five years and then one dies mysteriously. It is no myth. It is reality.”
He, however, advised that the best way to make money is to work very hard and save very hard too, either through investing proceeds of the hard work or in other legitimate ways.
He also described as “nonsensical” the tendency to associate ritual killing with the traditional religion. To him, it is a deliberate attempt to further colonise the minds of the people, particularly the youth, and mislead them into believing that their cultural heritage, including their faith, is wrong.
According to him, “It is the exposure of the youth to foreign values that has grossly detached them from their natural bases, their cultures, and traditions. Most do not even understand their indigenous language, not to talk of speaking in their mother’s tongue. They thus go for different values from strange places.”
“There is nothing wrong in a minister or a pastor engaging in a commercial activity alongside his calling. I know that in the indigenous Isese religion, the first principle you learn from the elders is that of the dignity of labour. It is common to hear people saying, “Babalawo to nda eesu, owo e a ro” (the Babalawo who participates in daily contributions would be very expensive to consult with.) Everyone should work and learn to work. The followers should be encouraged to work and the expectation of miracles for wealth should be de-emphasised.
“The best way to stem the scourge of money ritual is to go back to the basics; teach the child the right values; give psychological support to cure the adult and youths of greed, and imbibe contentment in children, adolescents, adults and the aged.”
Why Yahoo boys are now involved in ritual killings
Many youths, whose pastime is cybercrime, have been found to be involved also in ritual killings solely to gain some supernatural power to influence their unsuspecting victims.
Speaking on the development, Adekoya said: “Some also believe that they need such powers to enhance their own capacities for their aura or ‘Eleda. There is also the need to protect themselves from arrest by law enforcement agents or attack by their perceived enemies. They want the power of life and death over others and they wish for near immortality.
“To influence a victim, the power of “Awimayehun” in one form or the other is used to convince the victim, such that whatever he or she is told is what he or she does. The person virtually becomes a zombie. It may be something beyond hypnotism.”
He also stated that man by his nature always makes efforts to thrive in all he does, but that internet fraudsters seem to have a jaundiced view of this noble pursuit.
According to him, “We believe that whatever one does, the Eleda, the personal creative phenomenon of each person, should stand by him or her. This is normally used for positive ends. But the cybercriminals see it differently.”
Also, a sociology lecturer at Ambrose Alli University, Edo State, Dr. Andrew Eromensele, confirmed that there is empirical evidence to show that money rituals do exist, going by the stories of contemporary youths using their relatives, mothers, girlfriends, and others to make money.
He blamed the incidents on the religious institutions that celebrate the rich in society, without necessarily profiling the sources of their wealth.
“There are instances where individuals are invited by religious bodies to assist their projects. The consequence is that society now believes that when you get money at all costs and help the church, you will go to heaven.”
Society enslaved by beliefs
Unfortunately, a section of society is wired in such a way that every successful businessman is a ritualist.
There had been several instances in the past when some people had been accused of being involved in money rituals, yet nobody was able to prove such allegations.
The most unfortunate thing is that oftentimes those accused would have been labelled as ritualists.
Even after it would have been proven that those so labelled were wrongly labelled, the damage would have been done, and they never get to recover from the stigma.
A case in point would be the travail of the late owner of popular ST Soap, Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu in Ijebu-Mushin, Ogun State.
Until he was accused of being involved in money rituals, he had a thriving soap business and was so successful that his soap became a household name across Southwest Nigeria.
He reportedly had a disagreement with some of his workers. And in order to nail him, he was implicated in a kidnapping and ritual case.
One Baba Oníkèké, a leper, claimed Tiamiyu routinely purchased human parts from him.
Baba Oníkèké insisted that he sold two human eyes to Tiamiyu for N2, 000 (Two Thousand Naira).
But when Baba Oníkèké was told to identify Tiamiyu in the midst of his managers, he couldn’t.
Unfortunately, the ritualist allegation stuck with the industrialist like a leech, even though it was never proven.
He never survived it! He subsequently retired into a more private and secluded life for years, with nothing virtually heard about him or his whereabouts.
The case of Tiamiyu is akin to that of Dr. Raheem Adedoyin whose Hilton Hotel is located in Ile-Ife, Osun State an Obafemi Awolowo University post-graduate student, Timothy Adegoke, had reportedly died.
Many, especially bloggers, went to town with the story that some parts of the deceased’s body had been removed for money-making rituals purposes.
Even explanations by the Police that no part of the deceased was tampered with could not assuage their anger.
The reports of the pathologists also confirmed that the body was never tampered with.
The owner of the hotel also made several attempts to disabuse the minds of many that he made his money through hard via his Facebook page managed by one of his aides, he got more condemnations.
On his Facebook page, he wrote “God of gods sees everybody.
“All curses in the Holy Bible and Quran shall be on me if I kill Timothy Adegoke.
“If not, all curses in the Holy Bible and Holy Quran shall be on my enemies that said I killed Timothy Adegoke.
“I swear with all that God gave to me that I have never killed anybody in my life. If I did, let all that I have perished.
“I started school business in 1983. Ogun owo (money ritual) is a ruse. (Complete lie).”
As of now, his story is that of engaging literary work with a sad ending, having been tried and convicted by an Osun State High Court.
Finidi George, Head Coach of 2023 NPFL champions Enyimba, went down memory lane to share inspiring insight into his footballing past, the great moments as a star player for his country and clubs, and winning his first trophy as a coach. He spoke with Taiwo Alimi.
GENTLEMAN FINITO
Ex-Super Eagles star Finidi George is well known for his calm and calculated style of play as a right winger. He is considered to be one of the finest wing players that has come out of Nigeria as he could effectively switch from midfield to attack within a blink of an eye.
‘Finito’, as he is fondly called has a strong physical presence and is known for his deceptively rapid pace, accurate crosses, and efficient dribbles. He was also known for his accurate free kicks. Finidi was not only known for his technical abilities, but he also possessed a unique footballing brain and solid dribbling skills.
On and off the pitch, Finidi is famous for maintaining a cool mien that could not ruffle feathers.
Not much has changed about Finidi till now as he marshaled from the coaching bench. He is still calm radiating exuberant confidence even under pressure.
His tone is measured as he speaks on leading Enyimba of Aba to the 2023 Premier League trophy after the playoffs in Lagos.
FIRST TROPHY AS A COACH
Finidi, who recently took over the club and led them to winning his very first trophy as a coach said: “I want to say that winning my first major trophy for Enyimba has been spectacular. I feel very happy that having worked so hard, at the end of the day we accomplished, so it’s a good feeling as a coach to win the very first trophy with a club. I also want to say a big thank you to my players that responded well and for their commitment to want to win. I commend them and myself as well.”
Asked how the team celebrated the victory worth N100 million, he smiled simply and replied: “When you talk about the celebration. We did not have much celebration. After the game, we went back to the hotel and had a good dinner with all the coaching staff and players. We were all happy.”
He however said it was a tough call for the players and coaching crew considering all the teams had to play in the shorter Abridge League and Super 6 Playoff.
ABRIDGE LEAGUE
“My take on the Abridge League is that it is very very intense. You have to win every game and it is dangerous. If you don’t win your games, you might find yourself in a relegation position. So, it is interesting but at the same time dangerous. You can see some teams went on relegation like El Kanemi and others. It is good; it is short, intense, and at the same time dangerous. I have a mixed feelings towards it.”
FOOTBALLER BY ACCIDENT
Going into memory lane, Finidi said he did not set out to be a footballer. “I don’t know if football found me or I found football. But, all I can recall is that I went with my siblings for training, because they were already footballers playing for a football club in Port Harcourt. It was on a Saturday and I just went with them to have a look, at how they train. On getting there, one of the players was not feeling fine and the coach asked my siblings if I could play football. And they said fine he can try. That was how I was given the opportunity to replace that player. That was how everything started. I trained that day and the coach liked me and asked me to come back. Though I was in school, I will go there on weekends and any other day I was free and that was where my football career kicked off. After that I was given a contract and the rest as they say is history.
“My dad did not approve of my playing football back then. He tried to discourage me because back in school my results were good enough, yet he did not approve of it. But, at some point, he had to give in because I was keen on playing football. It wasn’t easy going to school and playing football. Sometimes I get so tired after training or a match that I just couldn’t read that, you just want to sleep as a young lad because your body is weak and couldn’t take the training. Sometimes I get so weak that I come back and sleep and it affected my school results. They were not getting better and my dad tried to stop me for me to concentrate on academics. But, I pushed through.”
Finidi was so good at the game that taking up football as a career was natural. He said: “The decision to go professional and afterward play abroad was not my making. Everything just happened naturally. I was just doing my best here in Nigeria and I had the opportunity to come to the Super Eagles having played some good football as a young lad. The rest is history. Definitely, along the way, few people helped. Clemens Westerhof was a key factor because there were many things that I learned from him. It is not just about playing football but also having a great character. He told me that I must be calm and that helped me fit into the dressing room of Ajax, back then. I was a very disciplined player, calm and not a trouble maker and those were the things that made Westerhof recommend me for Ajax and why they came for me. So, that was what really happened and those characters boosted my career and the trophies that I won.”
AJAX
In Ajax, Finidi flourished right from the onset, and by the time he was leaving, he had multiple laurels under his belt.
His impact with the Amsterdam side was immediate as he scored four goals in 27 games to help them win the Eredivisie title, which was also achieved in the following two seasons; additionally, as a starter, he appeared in consecutive UEFA Champions League finals, winning the 1994–95 edition against A.C. Milan and became a leading figure in a team which won eight major titles.
Finidi was also an important member of the Nigeria team during the 1990s, appearing in two World Cups. He played throughout his footballing career for Nigeria with his iconic number 7 jersey.
WESTERHOF
He said former Dutch manager of Nigeria Clemens Westerhof played a key role in shooting his career to the top.
“My first call up to the national team was 1989 while I was playing for Sharks of Port Harcourt. I got into camp as a young lad but couldn’t play because we have so many top players in the midfield. Most people don’t know that I started as a midfielder; it was Westerhof that converted me to the right side. My second call-up was under Westerhof while I was in Calabar Rovers and it looked like that was my first call up but I had been invited to the Super Eagles while in Sharks. Westerhof looked at the previous list and invited some of us. On getting to the national team I was given the opportunity to and that was how my career changed for the better.
“I will give it to Westerhof for helping me reach my peak but there are other coaches that mentored me. There is Bob Manuel, and Monday Sinclair who really influenced and shaped my career while coming up. These are the coaches that really impacted me.”
Russia’s fate under President Vladimir Putin was bound to come to this miserable pass. For a once mighty empire and glorious Soviet Republics, the world was stunned on June 23 watching eerily as the mercenary Wagner private military company led by Yevgeny Prigozhin marched on Moscow to prevent the dismantlement of the group and to demand the resignation of the Russian Defence minister, Sergey Shoigu. Unseating Mr Putin was probably too ambitious, especially when Mr Prigozhin himself had no coherent political motives, and no manifesto as to what to do with power if snatched. So it makes more sense that it was probably to force the Russian military to perish their plan to absorb the more than 30,000-strong mercenary group operating under the name Wagner Group, and under the company name Concord.
The march ended a fiasco, halted some 200km from Moscow, after initially showing much promise and tantalising the world, especially Ukraine, with the prospect of overthrowing the dictatorship of Mr Putin and putting an end to the unpopular and costly Russo-Ukrainian war. Western countries were wary of Wagner’s chances, and kept their fingers crossed. Russians themselves were skeptical, but probably more amused and comically relieved. But for Mr Prigozhin, his statements, dilatoriness and complicated relationship with the Putin presidency in Moscow all appeared to indicate that he did not nurse the ambition to overthrow the government. The Wagner group has helped Mr Putin and Russia fight many proxy wars and retain influence in some parts of the world. They are in Sudan helping the anti-government Rapid Support Forces of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, alias Hemedti; they are in Ukraine doing the dirty job to sate Mr Putin’s empire thirst; they are in Mali propping up the government against jihadi insurgency; they are also in Syria, have a toehold in Libya, once operated in Mozambique, could soon move to Burkina Faso, and are at the moment the backbone of the Central African Republic (CAR) government in curtailing the overreach of militants.
But on June 23, Mr Prigozhin put his hands to the plough and looked back. Many analysts fear that the embarrassed Mr Putin might go all out to destroy the charismatic but intemperate Wagner boss who is now in exile in neighbouring pro-Russia Belarus. In fact, already, Mr Putin is attempting to take over the global operations of the mercenary group by sending emissaries and reassurances to countries where Wagner is fighting wars for a fee and on behalf of Russia. But as head of Wagner, Mr Prigozhin lends Mr Putin the alibi to distance himself from the allegations of officially sponsoring mercenaries or becoming vicariously liable for the atrocities committed by Wagner. The question no one can confidently answer is how Russia hopes to run Wagner as flamboyantly and efficiently as Mr Prigozhin. In addition, who will now be held liable for the laundered money trail, the atrocities committed by the mercenaries; and given the tardiness in the Russian military, could Mr Putin hope to replicate the style of the disgraced Wagner boss?
There are too many unknowns. Undoubtedly, Mr Putin himself will be in a quandary what to do with the Wagner boss, for clearly there is no replacement. Absorbing the mercenaries into the Russian military is for now difficult, if not impracticable, and was in fact one of the reasons for the short-lived rebellion. Mr Putin funds and profits from Wagner’s foreign wars, and uses the mercenaries to retain influence in Africa and the Middle East. Fighting these wars openly, instead of through proxies like Wagner, will open Mr Putin to embarrassing scrutiny.
Mr Putin is clearly playing Russian roulette. No possible outcome is pleasant. Whether Mr Prigozhin is disposed off or not, or whether Wagner mercenaries are successfully absorbed or not, the Russian leader could lose his hold on power, if not lose his life to the bargain. Yet, there was nothing inevitable about the whole affair, for the problem of Russia, not to talk of its long-standing internal contradictions, predates Mr Putin’s ascendancy. Tsarist Russia, despite intervening triumphs and rapid economic development, was inept at defining and executing great imperial policies. They encountered great difficulties during World War I, and were on the verge of losing World War II after greedy annexations of weak neighbours, if Josef Stalin had not recovered from his disastrous domestic policies to lead the war against Germany. But despite lofty imperial ambitions, Russian leaders have not always understood or had the capacity to implement commensurate policies to undergird their ambitions. It is as if there is a permanent chink in their armour.
At great cost, Russia won World War II on the eastern front, established Warsaw Pact, exported their brand of Marxism, trumped China, and became the countervailing force in a bipolar world to the United States and Nato. Less than 50 years later, however, the whole house of cards came down, unraveling in a humiliating way that uncannily imitated both Germany’s defeat at the end of World War I and the ascendancy of Adolf Hitler as a result of the humiliation of Germany at Versailles. In short, it took less than 50 years to discard Stalinism. Unlike China which produced brilliant leaders who expertly managed the post-Mao era, Russia was incapable of producing statesmen and profound leaders capable of managing the post-Gorbachev era. First came the considerably distracted and enervated Boris Yeltsin, and then came the shallow, pedantic and megalomaniacal Mr Putin. Unable to read correctly the contradictions that weakened the Russian empire, and incapable of summoning the depth and virtuoso needed to offer a powerful and sensible challenge to the troubled West, Mr Putin unwisely embraced nostalgia and a strict and unadulterated return to its Warsaw Pact past. With China as the third leg of what seemed like a tripod a few years back, it was startling that Mr Putin could not summon the needed imaginativeness.
Yes, Russia might have failed to modernise its conventional capability, as the Ukrainian war is showing; but what Russia really needs to challenge the West is not proof of its invincibility from clash of arms or acquisition of territories in a replica of Hitler’s lebensraum, but a sensible analysis of the continuing and ongoing unraveling of the West as exemplified by their social and economic contradictions. In the next decade or so, the West could not be defeated in a clash of arms; they will be undone partly by internal contradictions, and partly by other powers like Russia offering the world better social and political templates through the introduction of stable and visionary governing paradigms. Had Russia respected its neighbours, produced and enthroned a stable democratic culture, no matter how ingeniously homegrown like China’s, and matched these with inclusive culture of race and religion, all the while cleverly shining the torch on the West’s Achilles heel, Russia would have made a huge impression on Finland, the Baltic states, Ukraine, Russia Republics, and Georgia, particularly the disputed Abkhazia and South Ossetia. There would have been less inclination for these neighbours to think or look West, and there would probably have been no annexation of Crimea, no war with Ukraine or Georgia, or the manipulation of Belarus.
It is a peculiarly Russian tragedy that at this critical juncture, the country has the shallow Mr Putin at its head. There are indications he might not last in power, having been demystified by Mr Prigozhin and the Wagner group. But it is useless putting a timeline on issues like regime survivability. How many people correctly predicted the collapse of the USSR and the Warsaw Pact anyway? China may be taking notes already and having a second look at its conventional warfare capability. But as world history shows through the lens of the European wars, global power dynamics are so fluid and uncertain that no nation can afford to rely only on hard or even soft power to project its dominance. Mr Putin may be learning that lesson the hard way.
Aregbesola fights back in Osun
After his rhetorical misadventure in Osun State before the July 2022 governorship election, former Internal Affairs minister and ex-governor of the state, Rauf Aregbesola, has found his voice and begun to fight back to regain the dominance he enjoyed in the state in his years as governor. He wishes to rule the roost in Osun, secure the state as his political base, especially having been displaced from his perch in Alimosho local government of Lagos State. The fight takes on added significance since he is now no longer a minister of the Federal Republic, nor does he have any other position or significant status and qualification to keep him in the limelight. He enjoys some renown in the estimation of the state’s governor, Ademola Adeleke, whom he covertly aided to win the governorship poll, probably on account of the war of attrition he conducted against the immediate past governor of the state, Gboyega Oyetola. But there is little else left of his former prominence.
Mr Aregbesola deploys two or three strategies to recover lost ground. The first measure was his inexpiable tactic of dining with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) enemy to hurt his friends in the All Progressives Congress (APC) before last year’s governorship poll. His efforts were subterranean and he made it seem that his contribution to Mr Adeleke’s victory was nothing more egregious than his indifference to the APC effort to re-elect Mr Oyetola. His argument was that since he and his men had been given the cold shoulder in the APC, it was self-punishment helping the party to win. He complained that the APC in the state had spent nearly all of Mr Oyetola’s first term fighting and isolating him. Helping them to a second term would be counterproductive. What he was unprepared to answer at the time was whether he had done his calculations well in terms of whether his tactic satisfied his long-term or short-term interest.
Secondly, and this may be more philosophical than real, the former minister appears to believe that should Mr Adeleke win the governorship, his lack of depth and the manner he trifles with the grave issues of governance would make him easily beatable in four years time when Osun heads for the poll in 2026. It is incontestable that Mr Adeleke is incapable of soaring in style and governance, let alone in leadership gravitas, and would be unable to provide the kind of leadership the state desperately needs to forge ahead. But to assume that he, Mr Aregbesola, would still be relevant in four years, especially out of office, and with nothing substantial to do or hang on to, may be pushing his luck too far. Osun State has a reputation for biting its nose to spite its face; they are, therefore, unpredictable, obdurate
and resistant to the kind of logic that corroborates electoral punditry. They humiliated the genial and frugal ex-governor Bisi Akande, and have replicated the same appalling measure against the equally frugal and parsimonious Mr Oyetola. At any election, Osun will unfrock anyone that catches their otherworldly whims.
But a third facility recommends itself to the feisty Mr Aregbesola. He and his men wish to fight their way back into the APC, yes the same APC they pilloried, subverted and denounced in terms that are unexampled even in the accommodative Southwest. The former minister is incredibly flush with optimism. How he hopes to engineer that return without supplanting those embittered by his betrayal is impossible to guess. To return to the APC after first factionalising it would mean that his faction, in due time, would overwhelm the party and take its reins. No matter how temperately he postures, and regardless of whatever promises and undertakings he gives, the disaffected APC members and leaders will not trust him. It is true that reconciliation is profitable; but so too is wisdom. The current Oyetola-led APC, as naïve and awkward as its leaders appeared and acted during the last governorship poll, is not capable of committing class and group suicide. They believe Mr Aregbesola betrayed them. The former minister’s jousting with the APC may not fully explain the July 2022 APC loss, for there is much to be condemned about the state’s electoral behavior and Mr Oyetola’s finicky accounting and lack of generosity, but the Osun APC would be loth to reward betrayal.
In a bid to reignite his waning effort to regain fame, the former minister has spoken out about some of his achievements as governor; particularly regarding his education policy which he insisted was poised to produce world-class scholars. “By the time we left in 2018, 11 state-of-the-art, 3,000-capacity model secondary schools were fully operational,” he boasted in Akure where he had gone to receive an award. “With each school graduating 1,000 students every year, and a combined output of 11,000, we should have not less than 44,000 world beaters now, if the programme had been sustained. These schools were designed to produce world beaters and the fruits were already coming out. A student from our school topped the Senior Secondary School Examination while another topped JAMB examination shortly after we left. But our successor regrettably couldn’t continue with the tempo.” One of Mr Oyetola’s advisers, Jamiu Olawumi, promptly replied that the schools had already become dilapidated, and the project itself a terrible financial blunder. Only one of the 11 schools is fit for purpose, the adviser sneered.
Mr Aregbesola’s attempt to burnish his image is unlikely to succeed. Administration is not his forte, and he is also fond of hyperbole. His leadership style is largely instinctive, regimented and meddlesome. As governor, he did not endear himself to Osun, despite imagining himself a leader after the order of Cuba’s Fidel Castro. His ideological persuasion is only skin deep, and it is common knowledge among the Osun intelligentsia that he brought the standard of administration in the state abysmally low with his unguarded experimentations. His attempt to reintegrate himself is almost certain to come to grief due to his inability to subordinate himself to party discipline, even if it would cost the APC another election. He has fashioned himself an iconoclast, as his outburst against party leaders at the national level showed before the Osun poll. It is hard for someone unamenable to discipline and order to elicit cooperation and respect. He is undoubtedly a boisterous party organiser and enforcer, but such qualities have bred in him arrogance and cocksureness that make it difficult for him to receive and respect opposing perspectives. Returning to the party, let alone leading it, especially when the same APC is the national ruling party, is unfathomable.
I just read your article about an 18 year old who’s bothered about not having a boyfriend and I must say your words and advice on the article are deep and amazing. I’m turning 23 next month and while my friends and loved ones are bothered about the fact that I’ve never been in a relationship and don’t have intentions to be in one until it is time, I’m only bothered about getting admission and focusing on building a better relationship with God. I’m not against people going into relationships if they feel they are ready but as long as I’m concerned, it’s not one of my goals or values and so no matter the pressures I get, I won’t fall for it. I remember one saying that I might end up chasing all the men away until no one will be left for me not knowing all the men who takes interest in me just want to have s3x and I don’t want it. Moreover songs of Solomon spoke about “women not stiring love until the time is right” and I can say with all conviction that the time for me to love isn’t ripe, I have plans for myself, I know how much the Lord wants to use me, I know how much my generation and the next to come is depending on me to make right choices and I know how much investment my mentors and spiritual parents are pumping me with and just one small mistake could spoil it all so it’s better I don’t stir it at all.
Thanks to your awesome posts ma’am, it helps me know I’m on the right track whenever I read them and it also makes me know that there are amazing mentors out there clapping and cheering us on not to drop the baton of purity and right living irrespective of how we may be tagged or dragged. God bless you for all you do ma.
Ndifreke
My precious Ndifreke,
While congratulating you for your resolution, I must say you have missed absolutely nothing not engaging in s3x all the while! I can say that at least half of the world have been damaged and derailed by ungodly s3x such that even their sense of reasoning and mindset is warped! A lot of girls are unfortunately finished even before they’re 21, having the devil take over the reins of their life and drive them to trouble, confusion and slavery! I thank God for your stand and pray for you with all my heart that God’ll give you speed to catch up with and even overtake those who have long gone ahead of you in Jesus mighty name! I love you my sweet!
My darling, precious, glorious, dignified, world-famous and heavenly celebrated Nigerian sisters,
I’d like to ask – if a good number of men took a piece of you, what would be left of you to shine in life? Believe it or not, there’s always an addition and subtraction during every intercourse! Let the truth be told, you may also take it or leave it, the more you engage in s3x outside marriage, the more you disintegrate your “original” and fragment yourself! Yes! You can’t imagine what goes into your life from multiple s3xual partners your present partner has slept with and in particular WHAT GOES OUT OF YOUR LIFE during and after every intercourse! The transaction during s3xual intercourse could be life-altering and life-transforming! It could break you into pieces and destroy your entire existence. Of course, it could also add to you positively! S3xual Intercourse is spiritual exchange, spiritual union – (1 Cor.6: 16) THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER!
Hmm….may you not wake up completely emptied of what should make you shine in life by the time you are 21! Please be patient! Wait, wait, wait till your wedding night! You don’t want to know, least of all experience the horror some of your mother’s mates are going through as a result of ungodly s3x with multiple partners! It’s crazy- just like setting your destiny ablaze!!! May God empower you to wait till your wedding night and give you a GREATER VERSION OF YOUR DREAM MAN IN JESUS NAME! PLEASE COOPERATE!!!
•I invite you to follow me on Facebook –TEMILOLU OKEOWO Instagram @ Okeowotemilolu
Sunkanmi Ojulari known as Sunky O is founder and CEO of a premium entertainment and lifestyle brand aimed at creating, developing, and improving brands. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, the graduate of Accounting talks about his passion, his turning point as a brand ambassador on campus, working with celebrities, his new documentary about Nightlife, and the different opportunities discovered over the years.
Tell us about your experience working with celebrities.
Working with Celebrities has always been fun, it is still fun and it is more of a business relationship because, at most Clients’ events or club openings, we will likely want to book them for guest appearance performances. So it is a very seamless relationship and experience.
What inspired you to go into entertainment and lifestyle?
I won’t necessarily say that anything inspired me. But I would just say that it came from my love for just putting things together and planning. I really loved to just see me think of an idea and execute it. It always just gives me joy.
What are some of the lessons learned?
I learned some of life’s lessons very late. I should be ready for laws; the laws should not weigh me down. I just recently concluded my documentary. I had lows and I just kept going because I knew what I wanted. I knew that this journey without God is nothing. You need to uphold God as a boat, as the pilot, and as the actual foundation of your movement.
Tell us about some of the memorable moments working for brands as a student.
One of the most memorable moments in school for me would have to be my Etisalat Ambassador moment, whereby we had to legit compete for the role. It was the first of its kind, where we had to write letters on why they had to compete at the University of Lagos. I took my letters for the first reading. It was a very hard criterion to become this. There were three of us and it was a very beautiful era. Let’s talk about your experience as Executive Producer of Nightlife with the Lasgidi series.
To God be the glory. This came from the fact that we come from a country where Nightlife is perceived in a negative light. This is outside the people that want to go clubbing or going to have fun. For the average Nigerian, if you ask them about nightlife, they say it’s about drugs, about prostitution. That is the narrative out there. So, the essence of the documentary is to capture the whole essence of Nightlife, the business angle of it that people don’t get to see. Things that people that put all these readymade clubs that people have come to the party. There is a kitchen that is working as well as different departments. This is what the Nightlife of Lasgidi pretty much expatriates and makes it easier for things to happen. It’s an educative piece, for you to go deep, and have more depth about the understanding of nightlife.
How would you assess the work done on your Back to School Initiative?
I always love to give; I learned that from my parents. Where I served in a government school in Ibadan, I saw why and how things needed to be done. Then I was just a youth Corper and I could not do anything. But right now, I have taken it upon myself to reach out to several schools as much as possible. So, it is a very huge project that I hold dear to my heart.
Would you say Mentoring helped to move things forward in your career?
Yes, everybody needs to have a mentor.
You need to see somebody you look up to doing what you are doing. Someone that inspires you, someone that you can run to for ideas because we don’t know it all. So, mentorship is a huge thing when it comes to career paths.
How can young people upscale their businesses?
It depends on the business that we are thinking about here. But, I would say that it is important to start small. Start with family, start with friends, and ensure that you are ready with your product or service. Don’t just jump into it, you can overly get the first impression or the first set of customers to come. What will keep them coming back is your service or how detailed your product is. If that is unchecked, you will find out that your family and friends will be your voice out there. They will become part of the promotion, he makes nice food or nice clothes.
What are some of the challenges encountered?
Challenges will always be there from the societal angle, to not getting help. But with God, the sky is just your limit.
What are the other things that occupy your time now?
Right now, I started this project, trying to work on my beach line. I like to go to the beach a lot. I am a beach worm, so I am trying to go into that market. The market is open and I am trying to introduce beach wear, and ready-to-wear outfits for guys. You just walk into the store or just call us and have it delivered to your doorsteps. As well as the other things that are in the pipeline for now.
What are some of the changes you would like to see in Nigeria today?
To be very honest, it has to be in the nightlife and hospitality business. I want the government to see it as that avenue that is a lucrative industry that is turning figures for the country. I want them to be able to say okay and see how they dropped funds for Nollywood and other forms of occupation. We need to set aside funds for the nightlife sector and pay attention to it.
Tell us about the people you admire in the sector.
In no particular order, I would say, Bobby Taylor, Bukky George Taylor, Dapo Aderele, they call him the Ghost and Keji of WBar.
Who or what do you consider as the greatest influence in your life?
I would have to say God because it’s a thing to have it in your head and it’s a thing to stick to someone that is helping you navigate it. HE is a very Great influence and He is making my work seamless.
As a fashion enthusiast, how would you assess the performance in the sector?
Nightlife and fashion are five and six. Your most expensive brands, your most luxury designers, I would tell you that most of the clientele are in nightlife. Nightlife is where the boys and girls are dripping hard. So, it’s eleven over-ten sectors when it comes to fashion.
What message do you have for Nigerians?
I would say Nightlife is now an industry. It has always been an industry.
Charming, smart, and intelligent. That is your first impression when you come in contact with Wofai Samuel, Director of Communications, Nigerian -American Chamber of Commerce. She’s got this and more. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she explains her interest in international communications, bilateral dialogues, AFCFTA, and love for nature.
OU have shown interest in International communications and bilateral dialogues; what are some of your professional experiences?
This includes being profiled on Forbes Africa as ”Shaping the Future of the Continent”, having visited the United States, and by extension, the White House and U.S. Capitol to strengthen U.S. – Nigeria bilateral economic relations, in addition to working with multinational public and private sector organizations in Europe, Asia, Africa and the United States of America. I am pleased to affirm that I am an Internationally diversified Communications professional with demonstrated; people and project skills gained in multiple senior positions in Private Sector and International Relations Services.
I am the Director of Communications, Government Relations/Advocacy, and Programs at the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, the oldest bilateral Chamber of Commerce in West Africa, established in 1960 to advance U.S. – Nigeria’s economic relationship.
Previously I served as the Director of Communications & External Affairs to the UK-Liberia Chamber of Commerce – a British Chamber of Commerce affiliate headquartered in the United Kingdom. I also served as the Editor of Africa Energy & Infrastructure Magazine – a subsidiary of African Leadership Magazine in the United Kingdom, and Head of Oil & Gas to Foreign Investment Network, a consulting firm headquartered in the U.K. I have also moderated dialogues for multinational Organizations and public sector institutions, which have provided policy directions for some decisions in Africa.
What are some of the changes you would like to see in the sector?
More funding should be allocated to projects around the sector, whether in Organizational, Interpersonal, Mass Communication, or other tiers of communication; understanding the sector and principles of operation is imperative for success.
I want Organizations’ to invest in training for persons in the sector because human capital development is important.
You are currently the Director of Communications, Government Relations/Advocacy, and Programs for the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce; tell us about this role.
I joined the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce as Director of Communications, Government Relations/Advocacy, and Programs on August 1st, 2022.
My experience with this Organization is one for the future books. Professionally and personally, this role has been an enabler for success. Quite challenging, my duties entail:
Coordinating media coverage for NACC’s engagement (PR campaigns, press events, publications, news articles, media interviews, and public engagements), Facilitating and preparing internal/external communications pieces (key messages, speeches, talking points, articles, announcements, and minutes).
This includes using knowledge of the market and competitors to identify/develop NACC’s unique selling propositions and differentiators.
They interact with local, state, and federal executive/legislative bodies, private organizations, and government agencies in the United States and Nigeria to represent and protect NACC’s business plans and interests.
Monitoring legislation and policy activities, updating and advising leadership, staff, and members about relevant policy proposals and actions, and working on analyzing the potential impacts on NACC’s members.
Organizing and coordinating all NACC forums, conferences, and events.
Advance ideas and work in partnership with Banks, SMEs, MSMEs, and related networks in U.S. and Nigeria for overall participation in NACC’s Events.
Pitching NACC’s services to new clients, acquiring new business opportunities, identifying new sales leads, and maintaining relationships with existing clients. Ensuring the overall financial growth/surplus for NACC with each program.
So far, I have enhanced existing programs for the Chamber and coordinated the implementation of new programs for our members to drive value.
We have embarked on two outbound Trade missions to the U.S. since I assumed office, one to Miami, Florida, in 2022 and the second to Washington DC, in 2023.
I have strengthened the Chamber’s relationship with leading organizations like the U.S. Exim Bank, Nigerian Export-Import Bank, African Export-Import Bank, ECO Bank, Nigerian-Investment Promotions Commission, Nigerian Export Promotions Council, Center for Economic Enterprise, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Fidelity Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Chevron, Prosper Africa USA, Small Business Administration USA, U.S. Consulate General, American Business Council, Chambers of Commerce in the United States, Exporters across Nigeria and the United States to name a few.
More multinational organizations are interested in becoming part of the Organization in Nigeria and the United States.
How can the Government assist businesses in Nigeria?
The government should encourage Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) through financial incentives, well-established infrastructure, desirable administrative processes, a regulatory environment, educational investment, and economic stability. Positive outcomes of investment are not automatic for countries, and they depend on policies in place and other factors. Specific industrial and macroeconomic policies must be used to attract and upgrade FDI and enhance linkages and spill-overs to domestic firms.
The nation’s industrial policy should offer permanent or temporary tax concessions to multinational companies, impose performance requirements, and encourage interaction between multinationals, domestic firms, and research institutions. The government should also encourage the interaction between multinationals, research institutes, and domestic firms through linkage programmes, among others. As a trade policy instrument, the establishment of free-trade zones or export processing zones in countries with a stable economic environment and commitment to trade liberalisation will also attract export-intensive.
You studied Zoology and Environmental Biology; what inspired this choice?
In addition to my BSC in Zoology and Environmental Biology from the University of Calabar, I also like to state that I hold an Advanced Diploma in Human Resource Management and Organizational Development from the University of Lagos.
I have always loved nature, animals, trees, geography, and topography of any location, water, wind, the clouds, to name a few.
Growing up as a child, I was curious about the Environment, and Zoology/Environmental Biology was my closest pathway to nature.
I was the only student admitted through direct entry as my first choice to study Zoology and Environmental Biology at the University of Calabar in 2006. We had other students who enrolled for the course but were admitted based on the option of second choice or through remedial studies.
Through the study of Zoology, we gain an understanding of the natural world and how we can help with conservation which is a huge part of our daily lives.
My subject of study for BSC has offered me the opportunity to consider ways to face global challenges such as climate change and food security, trying to find solutions to help animals and humans.
What would you describe as the turning point in your career?
My social-cultural affiliation with the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos, Nigeria, and my current job with the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce has been turning points in my professional life.
These platforms have exposed me to a world of limitless possibilities and opportunities in Nigeria, Africa, and, most importantly, the United States of America.
Let’s talk about your concerns with the inflation rate in the country.
Nigeria’s inflation rate rose to 22.04% in March 2023, the highest since 2009, according to a recent Consumer Price Index report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The continuous rise in the inflation rate poses challenges for the central bank’s monetary policy strategy. It indicates key structural challenges in the Nigerian economy, particularly in food, housing, and petrol areas.
We keep purchasing fewer goods with the same amount of money as we previously did, which implies that fixed-income earner suffers during this period, not allowing for savings. Money lenders cannot get the actual value of money since the value of money falls during inflation.
What are some of the changes that you would like to see in the next few years?
Diversification of the economy from Oil. More focus on Commercial Agriculture and manufacturing, improved power supply.
What is the position of the Chamber on AfCFTA?
The Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce was excited about AfCFTA when it was founded in 2018, and we have worked closely with institutions aligned with AfCFTA, including the African-Export Import Bank.
By this, I am referring to one of the many moves we initiated with AFREXIM, like the collaborative Breakfast meeting we held, charging Trade experts and the Nigerian government to deploy mechanisms aimed at maximizing the opportunities of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), one-year post-implementation. The meeting had the theme: “One Year of AfCFTA: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Nigerian-American Partnership”.
Our call became pertinent following observations that the country was not harnessing the benefits of the AfCFTA due to structural and trade-related issues such as inadequate payment system integration, logistics, and trust.
Nigeria and Nigerians alike need to utilize the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, a product of AFREXIM BANK (PAPSS), which is an efficient payment system to facilitate Intra-African trade.
This is a key supporting pillar of AfCFTA, a platform that facilitates instant cross-border payments in local African currencies. We highlighted that the platform would save African traders about 5 billion dollars annually in currency convertibility if utilized.
Therefore, we will continue to broker healthy interactive discussions with relevant facilitative government and private agencies that can provide useful information that may help our members who are already into exports to maximize the opportunities inherent in AfCFTA.
Under AfCFTA, West Africa would see the biggest decline in the number of people living in extreme poverty—a decline of 12 million, more than a third of Africa’s total.
She noted that she misses him greatly and described him as her king.
Ozioma wrote: “Happy anniversary, my King. I will always love you Dim Oma Dim Oma @sammieokposo “This day brings back memories of the times we spent together. “If only you were here today… Happy anniversary, my king Happy anniversary to us”.
Big Brother Titans Season 1 reality show winner, Makhosazane Twala, aka Khosi, has said abortion isn’t murder even though it involves the termination of life. According to her, she is “pro-life” but respects people’s decisions.
She said she is never the one to judge anyone.
The 25-year-old South African journalist stated this while featuring as a guest on the latest episode of Doyin’s Corner audiovisual podcast hosted by ex-Big Brother Naija reality star, Doyinsola David.
Doyin the host asked: “Do you think abortion is a murder? because there are people that said it’s killing of a child; that’s a life. There are also people that argued, it’s not a life yet. So, do you think it’s murder?”
After much thoughts, Khosi replied: “Honestly, I don’t want to be technical. But I wouldn’t say murder but it is definitely killing a life.”
The reality star added that she wouldn’t call an abortionist a murderer.
Veteran actress, Joke Silva, has opened up about marital struggle with her husband- cum-colleague, Olu Jacobs, following his battle with dementia.
The Nation recalls in 2021, the thespian spoke about her husband suffering from Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), which has been happening for a couple of years.
Speaking in a recent interview with media personality and actress, Nancy Isime, Joke Silva said the illness has affected their marriage.
The movie star described her husband as an incredible father and an amazing husband, who didn’t fail in his responsibility.
According to her, Olu Jacobs was practically her best friend and everything to her in their marriage so in the journey of the current ailment, she sees it as taking care of her father.
Joke Silva added that the love and affection she had received from her husband during their early years are no longer there, nevertheless, she still loves him.
She said: “We have been married for 37 years but we have known each other for 42 years, we were dating for 5 years before we got married.
“It has not been easy, in the early years of our marriage, we didn’t even realise the marriage has started, it took a lot of acceptance because I was like why are you behaving like this?
“There was a point of acceptance for me that everything happening is reality and it is like the person I married, 80 percent of the time is no longer there.
“But the thing is this when he was there, he was an incredible father to his children and an amazing husband, he was practically my best friend.
“So in this journey of dementia now, is like I am looking after my father. The husband I knew is no more and there for me but this man that is here is someone I still love”.
