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Tag: Ben Bruce

  • Senator Ben Bruce shares adorable photo of mum at 90

    Senator Ben Bruce shares adorable photo of mum at 90

    Senator Ben Murray Bruce yesterday was in a great mood as his mother clocked 90.

    Striking lovely poses with his mother in a picture he posted on his Twitter account, the ‘Commonsense’ Senator wrote, “Celebrating my mom as she turns 90. I love you mom. Forever yours.”

    Senator Bruce who recently celebrated his 60th birthday represents Bayelsa at the National Assembly is also the founder of Silverbird Group, owners of Silverbird Television, Rhythm FM and Silverbird Cinemas.

    Senator Bruce, a campaigner of Buy Naija to Grow the Naira recently had his Silverbird Company seized by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) for allegedly defaulting on loans.

  • N11b debt: AMCON takes over Ben Bruce’s firms

    N11b debt: AMCON takes over Ben Bruce’s firms

    The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) yesterday took over the assets of three firmss belonging Silberbird Group – the famiily firm of Senator Ben Murray-Bruce (Bayelsa East).

    Affected are Silverbird Galleria Limited, Silverbird Promotions Limited and Silverbird Showtime Limited. They are  located in Lagos, Abuja andPort Harcourt.

    The Lagos’ property is located at 133 Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island; Abuja’s property is at Plot No 1161 (Silverbird Galleria), Central Area Cadastral Zone Apo, while Rivers’ is on Abonnema Wharf Road and Abali Park in Port Harcourt.

    The takeover followed interim orders granted by Justice Cecilia Olatoregun-Ishola of the Lagos Federal High Court on June 17, which allowed the receiver and manager to take possession of the affected firms.

    Agents of AMCON’s Receiver/Manager arrived at the firms in the early hours of yesterday in company of security operatives to take over the properties. Workers were prevented from entering the affected firms’ premises before they were locked up.

    According to AMCON, Senator Bruce, using his firms in 2005 and 2007, borrowed various sums of money from the Union Bank of Nigeria Plc and defaulted in his obligations to pay back.

    AMCON bought over the loans from the bank and reached agreement with Senator Bruce on repayment. But the lawmaker could not make up the debt with AMCON, prompting the takeover.

    Counsel to the Receiver/Manager, Kunle Adegoke, said Senator Bruce’s loan was purchased by AMCON in 2011 after the capital base of Union Bank was “terribly shaky”. He said the lawmaker “persistently failed” to pay the loans.

    Adegoke denied that AMCON’s action had political undertone, saying the takeover of Silverbird properties was legal and in line with mortgage laws.

    He said: “Aside that the receivership was done pursuant to deeds of legal mortgages duly executed by the three companies and guaranteed by Mr. Ben Murray-Bruce and four of his brothers, there is a court order backing same up.

    “It must be borne in mind that innocent depositors’ money is what Mr. Murray-Bruce and his brothers have been living large and feeding fat upon without recourse to the interest of the real labourers who own the money.”

    Reacting to the development, Senator Bruce said he was on international transit when he got the news of the takeover. He expressed his resolve to remain composed, saying the development was not unusual for a business that has been in existence for over three decades.

    Reacting to the development on Twitter, he said: “In 36 years, Silverbird has grown and like anybody, it will face challenges; tough times don’t last. But we, as tough people, outlast them.

    “I have been on an international flight and have only just landed. The situation is being resolved and things will be back to normal.”

  • Ben Bruce: When commonsense should begin at home

    Apart from his occasional Ijaw outfit, most people are unaware that Ben Murray Bruce hails from Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. The senator has earned for himself some appellations. Some call him the Commonsense Senator and the Twitter Tiger. Others simply dismiss him as an attention-seeking Senator.

    In fact, besides bearing the nomenclature of a senator representing Bayelsa East and holding tenaciously to the constitutional ticket of the senatorial district, there is nothing connecting Bruce with the grassroots and his constituency. He has no native name. He speaks no Ijaw. His complexion and intonation are foreign.

    His emergence as a senator beat all imagination. Left for his constituency, they would have chosen someone that once shared their pains and understands their language. But the powers that were wanted him for reasons best known to them. Immediately he stepped into the Green Chambers, Bruce seemed to have returned to outsiders abandoning a mass of beleaguered and suffering people he claims to be representing.

    Bruce’s first attention-seeking Twitter outing was his sarcastic offer of his salary to the Osun State government. Osun, at the time, was hit by financial crisis and the workers were grumbling that their governor, Comrade Rauf Aregbesola, could not pay their salaries. As if he was elected from Osun State, Bruce jumped into the fray, making mockery of a difficult situation. Of course, his offer was roundly rejected, greeted with outrage and backlashes.

    Indeed, it is difficult to believe that the same senator who quickly offered his salary to pay Osun workers has done nothing and said nothing about a similar but more life-threatening scenario in his Bayelsa backyard. Is the senator unaware of the financial mess in his state? Or is his Twitter handle too busy with foreign and utopian matters to speak about his people’s condition?

    Maybe the senator needs to be reminded that civil servants in his state have not been paid for about six months. Local government workers, including those of Ogbia, Nembe and Brass, comprising the senatorial district of Bruce, are owed salaries for about 13 months.

    The senator needs to be reminded that pensioners, elderly men and women, who retired after meritoriously serving his state, have not received their allowances for about eight months. Could it be that the senator did not read reports that some of the frail hungry pensioners collapsed, others died recently during a harsh verification exercise?

    The senator needs to be told that his people in Bayelsa are going through the worst economic hardship of their life time. Most of them are begging for survival. Business concerns have been shut down by owners who could no longer break even. People are relocating to other cities to eke out a living. Is he not aware that some parents now obtain food from vendors by tricks?

    Maybe the senator needs to be told that the youths have resorted to armed robbery, dispossessing people of anything that could fetch them food. The robbers go from house to house. No protective devices stop them from gaining entry into a house.

    Recently, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from Benue State and only son of his parents, James Onuh, was shot dead in Yenagoa by armed youths who wanted his mobile handset. In fact, people now sleep in Yenagoa with only one eye closed.

    In this trying time, Bruce has said nothing and twitted nothing. People are waiting to hear the senator’s twit offering his salaries to his suffering constituents in Bayelsa.

    The hungry people of Bruce constituency are waiting on the senator to send at least bags of rice to them to alleviate their suffering. They are expecting Ben Bruce to come and identify with them in their moment of hardship. Bruce should just make real commonsense by showing love to his people.

  • High society honours Ben Bruce at 60

    High society honours Ben Bruce at 60

    On Friday, February 19, 2016, something extraordinary happened at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. It was something that would be remembered for years to come. It was a rare merge of logic and fun. You can count on no one else to achieve this oddity than the Nigerian common sense senator, Ben Murray-Bruce.  Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, the Chairman of Sliverbird Groups, clocked 60 recently. He celebrated this special day with a lavish birthday party, laced with the presentation of his book, entitled, ‘A Common Sense Revolution’. The crème de la crème of Nigeria’s high society were in attendance to celebrate one of their own.

    In attendance were Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Obafoluke Otudeko, Bimbo Ashiru, Timi Alaibe, Yeni Kuti, Sam Egwu, Terry Waya and many leading lights in the entertainment industry and political scene. The common sense senator, as he is popularly called, is a strong advocate of sagacity and he sees this as the best solution to Nigeria’s economic and political problems. He doesn’t hesitate to share his views using every platform he gets. His book is no doubt a compilation of intellectual solutions to Nigeria’s problems.

  • Anyaoku, Sani, Bruce call for confab report implementation

    Anyaoku, Sani, Bruce call for confab report implementation

    Prominent Nigerians on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to implement the report of the 2014 National Conference, saying that is only way to curb the forces threatening Nigeria’s existence as a nation.

    Those that made the call included a former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Senators, Shehu Sani and Ben Murray-Bruce, former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, former National Chairman of Labour Party, Dan Nwanyanwu, The Publicity Secretary of the pan Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Yinka Odunmakin and a public policy analyst, Yadoma Bukak Mandara.

    They spoke at the 40th anniversary of Ondo State and seven- year anniversary symposium of Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s administration held at International Cultural and Event Centre (DOME) in Akure, the state capital.

    The theme of the event was: “Curtailing Nigeria’s Centrifugal forces.”

    Anyaoku, who chaired the event, said, “my view which I articulated mostly is that restructuring the present government’s architecture by adopting a true federalism will go a long way in enabling us to achieve a speedy development and the political stability which would reduce the enablement of centrifugal forces in Nigeria.”

    The former Commonwealth scribe asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately convene emergency meeting with experts in order to get solutions to the current economic crisis.

    He, however, backed the President on his position on the naira devaluation by saying, those calling for official devaluation of naira need to come up with a good answer to Nigeria present situation.

    Sani said the government must learn to do things in different ways, noting that if previous governments had been working on an agenda by now the country’s problems should have been solved.

    Bruce said, “We are talking about state police and we have forgotten that before 1960, we have state police. And during the regional system, the west, east and north were doing fine.

    “Now, we come together, 55 percent of the budget is spent by the federal government and we are starving the states to death.

    “We must change the whole federal system to reflect what really make sense. And people must learn to impeach governors who will not judiciously spend the fund.”

     

  • Ben Bruce intervenes in Don Jazzy/Dbanj beef

    Ben Bruce intervenes in Don Jazzy/Dbanj beef

    As Kokomaster, Dapo Oyebanjo, popularly referred to as Dbanj gave the last performance at Senator Ben Murray Bruce’s 60th birthday celebration last Friday at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, joining him on the stage of the Expo Hall was the celebrator who declared that one present would be dear to his heart.

    “I will like you and Don Jazzy to do a song together,” the showbiz impresario and founder of Silverbird Group said to Dbanj, asking for Don Jazzy to come up the stage. His calls for Don Jazzy, however, met shouts of ‘he’s gone.’

    But with his song Igwe playing in the background, Dbanj countered, “he’s not gone. I know his table”

    However, it turned out that the Supreme Mavin Dynasty boss had left the venue.

    Within minutes, the social media was agog and Don Jazzy tweeted, saying that his team performed that night and “Moreover, I had left the venue way before Dbanj’s performance tho.”

    However, Ben Bruce told Dbanj to promise he and Don Jazzy would do a song together.

    “That is the only present I want,” said Ben Bruce.

    Responding, Dbanj described Ben Bruce as Nigeria’s equivalent of Quincy Jones and Steven Spielberg. He then went on exonerate himself saying he even extended a hand of fellowship to Don Jazzy while he was backstage.

    “As I was coming to perform on stage, I told Don ‘I will call you on stage,’” Dbanj said.

    “And when I got on stage, I didn’t tell Uncle Ben anything. And Uncle Ben called him out. But he don run.”

    Dbanj also said he ready to do a song with Don Jazzy once the Mavin boss is ready.

    “If you want a song from D’banj and Don Jazzy, that request is no longer with me. That lies in his hands. If he sends me the beat tomorrow, we will make the song next tomorrow.”

    Before Bruce’s latest intervention, 2Baba had also requested that Dbanj and Don Jazzy should also do a song together when celebrated his 40th birthday last year.

    But with this latest development, it seems all is not yet settled between the duo who until 2012 were partners in Mo Hits Records.

    The 60th birthday party of Senator Bruce which also featured the presentation of his book, A CommonSense Revolution, was well-attended by politicians as well entertainers including musicians and actors, both locally and internationally.

    For Bruce who since 1980 has changed Nigeria’s face of entertainment, it was not surprising that Nigerian artistes, both young and old, turned out to celebrate him. Opening the floor was Bonsue Fuji king Adewale Ayuba. Other artistes that graced the stage were Ras Kimono, YCEE, 2Baba, Vector, Timaya, Olu Maintain, Ruby, Dr Sid, Sound Sultan, WizKid, Alariwo of Africa, MI, Jesse Jagz, Reekado Banks, Timi Dakolo and Dbanj. Others that turned up but didn’t perform include Teemac and Darey Art Alade and a lot of Nollywood big wigs.

    His friend of 35 years, Jeffrey Daniels of the Shalamar fame told of how Bruce was insistent on bringing top notch entertainment to Nigeria when he could have easily done his ‘thing’ in the US. He later took to the stage to give an electrifying performance of songs of the group with singer Yinka Davies.

    At a point during the ceremony, an excited Bruce joined Adekunle Gold to dance on stage as he performed God Win which compere IK Osaduwa revealed was specially requested by the celebrator.

    Former president Olusegun Obasanjo who was supposed to chair the event was represented by former governor of Cross River State.

    “What makes Ben Bruce special is his patriotic zeal,” Duke said.

    “As exposed as Ben Bruce is, his heart is always for Nigeria. Ben said to me that the book will be distributed free and so he has done today.”

    Other politicians in attendance include Deputy Senate president Ike Ekweremadu, former Ogun State governor Gbenga Daniel, former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, Senator Sam Egwu, Senator Dino Melaye, Adamawa governorship aspirant Nuhu Ribadu. Also in the audience was Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, founder of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia, Pat Utomi and former Lagos State governorship candidate Jimi Agbaje.

    Ovia described the celebrator thus: “Ben Bruce is one of the most patriotic Nigerian I’ve ever known.”

  • Ben Bruce harps on patriotism, celebrates 60

    In an event that had all the trappings of an A-list concert and top political meet, Senator Ben Murray Bruce celebrated his 60thbirthday with pomp and pageantry on Friday at the Expo Hall of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.
    However, the event which also featured the presentation of ‘A Commonsense Revolution’ written by Bruce, who is globally regarded as an entertainment guru, provided an opportunity for the Senator to push his strong views about his ideal society.
    “All my life, I always wanted to be a politician,” the Bayelsa East Senator who is also Chairman, Senate Committee on Privatization said to the audience that turned up to celebrate him.
    “And when I saw the chance, I grabbed it. I love every minute.”
    The Senator who was with his family, including his wife and four children, in his fiery speech, also advocated for ‘Buy Nigeria’, a subject which he has re-introduced into the consciousness of Nigeria and which has recently been trending on social media.
    Bruce who looked dapper in his black suit, white shirt and bow-tie revealed said that his tie was made in Nigeria by David Lawal.
    But to him, Nigeria also has a lot of potentials to be tapped in virtually all spheres. Briefly he highlighted on the tourism potentials of Nigeria and the need to build more zoos in the country.
    “There are many Nigerian adults who have not seen lions and giraffes, except on television,” he said. Bruce also commended the introduction of the ‘Made in Nigeria’ Innoson cars said he has already bought three of them which cost N3.6m each and urged people to patronise it, saying it was cheaper compared to foreign made cars. According to him, 50 senators have already ordered the cars.

  • Court decides Ben Bruce’s dual citizenship case Dec 17

    Court decides Ben Bruce’s dual citizenship case Dec 17

    A Federal High Court in Abuja will on December 17 deliver judgment in a suit on whether Senator Ben Murray Bruce, having sworn an oath of allegiance to the United States, is qualified to occupy the office of a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    Justice Abdul Kafarati, in an originating summons filed by one of the contestants in the Bayelsa East Senatorial District election, Chief Anthony George-Ikoli (SAN), has been asked to determine whether a man with a dual citizenship, who swore to an oath repudiating his citizenship can aspire to become a Senator of the same country.

    George-Ikoli approached the court to determine the issue of Bruce’s dual citizenship and the naturalisation oath of allegiance he swore to the US. George-Ikoli is the first Senior Advocate of Nigeria from Bayelsa State as well as the grandson of foremost nationalist, Ernest Ikoli, and the immediate past Attorney-General of the state under the governorship of Timipre Sylva.

    In his Originating Summons, he asked the court to determine: Whether having regard to the combined provisions of Sections 66(1)(a) and 28(1) of the 1999 Constitution, an aspirant for the elective office of Senator, who whilst voluntarily acquiring the citizenship of another country (that is the United States of America) and in the process of which he (the aspirant) declares on oath, the absolute and entire renunciation of citizenship of and allegiance and fidelity to Nigeria can without more be eligible and seek election to the office of Senator.

     

  • Still on Osun and Ben Bruce

    SIR: I am surprised how people think in this country. When foreign nations give aids to Nigeria, does it mean they do not have poor people in their society. So what is wrong with Ben Bruce donating his allowance to Osun workers?

    Definitely seven months salary arrears is scandalous. Governor Rauf Aregbesola should tell us exactly what led to this because it goes beyond oil price fall.  I cannot be convinced that seven months federal allocation put together cannot pay at least one month workers salary. It is perhaps this burden that informs Ben Bruce’s metaphor.

    We should, in our comment, address the financial mismanagement that is the bane of Osun State and all other states in similar circumstances. Not whether the donation is to Osun or Bayelsa.

    It’s Ben Bruce choice where he spends his money. It’s also the prerogative of Osun workers to either accept or reject the offer. Economics of hunger does not care where the succour comes.

    Let’s rather place the problem in proper perspective which is the madness that characterises the management of state economies by governors. I have no interest in which party does what but whether what is done is right or wrong.

     

    • Etokowo Owoh

    Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

  • Log in Ben Bruce’s eyes

    SIR: I wish to comment on the recent statement credited to Ben Bruce that he will donate his wardrobe allowance to Osun workers. I used to hold the Senator in high esteem but this statement of his has diminished my respect for him. Bruce is only courting controversy for the governing party. Bayelsa State, a PDP-controlled state that produced the immediate past president is also listed among states owing workers. This is in spite of its status as an oil producing state that receives 13 percent extra federal allocation.  Why not donate the allowance to his home state of Bayelsa instead?

    Charity begins at home; let him remove the stone that is in his eyes before attempting to remove the sand in other people’s eyes.

    I expect him to sponsor a motion on the floor of the Senate to stop the dubious furniture, wardrobe and car allowances in addition to the greedy, fat and gluttonous salaries they receive and ask the government to factor it into the various state allocations so that they can use it to clear the backlog of salaries. Had he sponsored a motion like this, he would have launched himself well into Nigerian politics; he was elected into the Senate to help in making good laws and not in courting and inciting needless controversies.

     

    • Okorie Emmanuel Uchechukwu,

    Makurdi.