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  • BREAKING: ’16th President video’ is just my aspiration to become president, says Pastor Bakare

    A senior pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly, Tunde Bakare has said a trending video of him saying he will become Nigeria’s next President was merely an expression of his aspiration.

    Bakare said what God showed him was his personal business.

    He had a right to aspire to the highest office, the popular Pentecostal pastor added.

    “It is the true expression of my political ambition. Whatever God has shown me is my private ambition,” Bakare said.

    He explained that the video was about one year and seven months old.

    In the video circulating on Facebook and Twitter the pastor stated that there was a divine arrangement for him to become Nigeria’s president when President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure ends in 2023.

    READ ALSO: BREAKING: Osinbajo will have the last laugh, says Pastor Bakare

    “Take it to the mountain top, if you have never heard it before, I am saying it to you this morning in the scheme of things, as far as politics of Nigeria is concerned, President Muhammadu Buhari is number 15, and I am number 16,” Bakare said.

    Mr Bakare, 64, from Ogun state, was Mr Buhari’s running mate in 2011 when the later ran unsuccessfully in that year’s presidential election.

    The pastor said in the video, “If he (Buhari) wants to run in 2019, I do not oppose. He’s still number 15. It’s when he steps out that I step in”, an indication that he must have made the declaration before the 2019 general elections

  • Osinbajo will have the last laugh- Pastor Bakare

    A senior pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly, Tunde Bakare has said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will overcome his present travails in office.

    He said Osinbajo will have “the last laugh.”

    The Vice President recently denied claims made by a former APC official, Timi Frank, that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) provided N90billion as campaign funds for Mr Osinbajo during the 2019 elections.

    Bakare backed the Vice President, saying he found the allegation difficult to believe.

    READ ALSO: How Christians can change Nigeria, by Osinbajo, Bakare

    “Vice President Osinbajo will have the last laugh. You think I am stupid? Except he has violated his oath…,” he added.

    Details later…

  • Just In: Sunday Dare storms Liberty stadium on unscheduled inspection

    The Minister of Youths and Sports, Mr Sunday Dare is currently inspecting the state of facilities at the Obafemi Awolowo (formerly Liberty) Stadium, Ibadan.

    The inspection comes as parts of the efforts of the Federal Government to get first hand information and know the state of the facility with the intention of upgrading for optimal use.

    Some of the facilities inspected so far includes the main bowl, the swimming pool, the hall among others.

    READ ALSO: President nominates replacement for Sunday Dare on NCC board

    The Minister whose visit was unscheduled expresses delight at the enthusiasm of athletes and sportsmen and women training in various activities at the facility

    Details later

  • FG disconnects 2.2 million improperly registered mobile telephone lines

    The Federal Government has blocked 2,277,311 improperly registered mobile telephone lines across the country, the Ministry of Communications said on Saturday.

    They were among the 9.2 million lines which the authorities said earlier in the month to be improperly registered.

    The ministry said 6,830,249 of the lines were revalidated by September 25, the deadline of an ultimatum on the regularisation of the lines.

    The deactivation of the lines followed a directive issued to the Nigeria Communications Commission by the Minister of Communications, Dr. Isa Pantami.

    Read Also: Unregistered SIM cards pit minister against telcos

    The Deputy Director/Head Information/Press and PR Unit of the ministry, Mrs Philomena Oshodin, said in a statement in Abuja that “Pantami has reiterated the need for all improperly registered SIM cards to remain blocked until they are properly registered.”

    The minister directed that “the profiles of persons linked to crime, aided and abetted by the use of SIM cards, should be promptly provided to the relevant security agencies when requested and a copy is sent to him for monitoring.”

    Pantami commended NCC and the telecoms operators for working hard to carry out the directive in record time.

  • Six disasters to watch out for in the ‘ember months’

    Many Nigerians perceive the ember months — September, October, November and December- to be synonymous with mysterious happenings.

    Within these four months, a fever, perhaps sort of anxiety, grips most Nigerians.

    Without doubt, the ‘ember’ months are always the busiest on roads for many reasons and the air of festivity within these periods makes everyone ecstatic.

    From the religious perspective, many people believe these tragic occurrences are caused by evil spirits associated with these months.

    They argue it is a season when prayers should be intensified to curtail the incidence of evil.

    While this fear for the ‘Ember months’ seems to be a natural phenomenon, it is important that we also pay attention to the dangers that have now been associated to what is now termed “the ember months”.

    Fire Outbreak – Fire is one of the major causes of accident during Ember months because the air becomes dryer, thus encouraging chain reaction of fire.

    Ember months usually come with gradual subsiding of the rains and encroachment of the Harmattan haze.

    These Harmattan hazes fuel fire outbreak in marketplaces, offices, worship centers, farms, bushes

    Accidents – In Nigeria, the ember months are known as a period of hectic activity on roads.

    People use this end of year period to engage in business and travel to visit loved ones living far away.

    According to the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC), a total of 5,181 Nigerians lost their lives in road traffic crashes (RTC) in 2018.

    Further analysis revealed that the top five causes of road accidents are:

    • Speed violation
    • Wrongful overtaking
    • Dangerous driving
    • Tyre burst
    • Brake failure.

    Other factors that also cause road accidents during this period are: excessive speeding, overloading and impatient passengers making passive comments to the driver while driving.

    Many drivers place their safety at risk by overloading their vehicles.

    Kidnapping – Though insecurity and kidnapping are not new in Nigeria, there are always on the increase in during the ember months.

    Kidnapping has evolved into a lingering, pervasive security threat and fast-paced and multifaceted criminal enterprise.

    It is now perpetrated by diverse armed groups and criminal gangs operating across the country

    Young and old have been victims; others have had the gruesome experience of loosing loved ones to these kidnappers.

    Robbery and other criminal activities – Some of the most common types of robberies experienced in Nigeria are home robberies, car robberies and bank robberies.

    Today, armed robbery is not only one of the biggest threat in Nigeria, but also a social scourge

    Robberies can occur almost anywhere at any time, but tend to occur more often in anticipated settings and at expected times.

    All that is necessary is a motivated robber and an unwilling victim at the wrong place at the wrong time.

    Excessive alcohol intake and smoking – Alcohol is a major factor in many speed-related crashes. Sadly, manufacturers of alcoholic beverages have not been very supportive of anti-drink drive campaigns.

    Small-sized bottles of alcoholic drinks are being consumed by drivers without a thought for safety on the road.

    In some advanced nations such as the United Kingdom, members of the public have adequate information about the legal alcohol limits.

    Reckless driving of commercial vehicles – Some drivers are very reckless. They see themselves as the kings of the road. So, they park, stop and swerve the car indiscriminately. Funny enough, they involve themselves in a car race to know who is a faster driver.

    While doing this, they mistakenly hit pedestrians crossing, traders or even bystanders. This can result in grave injuries or even deaths.

    All these acts are very dangerous to road users and needs to be looked into if we want people to be safe.

    As it has done over the past several years, it is expected that the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) will once again embark upon its annual road safety campaign.

    In all that you do during this Ember months, remember to stay safe, be watchful and careful

  • How things fell apart between Toyin Abraham, Lizzy Anjorin

    By Alao Abiodun

    In the last few days, Nollywood actresses Toyin Abraham and Lizzy Anjorin have given Nigerians a taste of real life drama, ALAO Abiodun writes

    The squabble between controversial Nollywood actresses Toyin Abraham and Lizzy Anjorin appears not to be ending soon.

    The hot exchange in the past couple of days came to full glare with the actresses going back and forth with various allegations. And this appears to be a tough time for their fans and perhaps a sort of entertainment to neutral observers.

    The Genesis

    Lizzy Anjorin allegedly accused Toyin Abraham of running the blog “Gistlover.com” alongside multiple Instagram accounts to troll her and other colleagues in the movie industry. Anjorin claimed that Abraham leaked damaging reports about her to blogs.

    The fight however came to a full glare with a post by a popular actress alleging that when Toyin Abraham put to bed, she didn’t send her a congratulatory message.

    This action sparked a debate on her page while her fans hurled insults on Anjorin; others said Abraham kept mute as this was going on. However, the issue was later watered down when Toyin went on to apologise that she saw her message.

    After this scenario, Nigerians woke up to see that the social media have been in a frenzy ever since Anjorin claimed the actress was living a fake life and didn’t even have a car nor a house of her own as she claimed.

    She also alleged that contrary to the rumour that she gave birth to her child abroad, that it was actually at a local “agbo” seller’s house and had to borrow costumes for her photo shoot, all in pretence to show she’s wealthy and had arrived.

    Interestingly, the nursing mother, with the help of her publicist, Big Sam of Broadway TV, released a video showing her after she welcomed her son in a hospital in Lekki, Lagos.

    On why she had her baby in Nigeria at the Vedic Lifecare Hospital in Lekki, Toyin Abraham said: “I got to know this place when I came to visit Princess Shyngle when she had issues; and I loved how nice everyone, the doctors and nurses, was.

    “Since I had just moved into Lekki with my husband then, I decided to make this my family hospital. It has been a great experience, trust me. I am so happy and that is why I decided to have my baby in Nigeria because I trust the people here. I actually travelled out but I came back to Nigeria because I wanted him here at Vedic Hospital, with trusted hands.”

    Taking the legal route

    Meanwhile, Abraham has sent a legal warning of ‘cease and desist’ notice letter to Anjorin, through her lawyers, requesting her to forward a letter of apology via their office, and on her Instagram page.

    Abraham’s lawyer said she issued the last warning to Anjorin and if she failed to reply within 24 hours, they would be forced to file a N500 million damages legal action against her.

    However, Abraham also called Anjorin a ‘pig’ in the caption of the post.

    “Silence is not golden,” she posted.

    “Rather than wrestle with a pig, it might be ideal to let the pig know that it belongs to the pen. I’m no longer speaking on this, my management team and attorneys are taking this up. Cc @bbbmedia @officialsamolatunj1.”

    In her own counter-reaction, Anjorin, in a statement, revealed that she has written a petition to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, to investigate both of them, as she has been accused by Toyin of dealing in drugs.

    Meanwhile, Anjorin is of the opinion that Toyin has always been a cocaine user from the post she made on Instagram.

    Reactions

    Some of the veterans in the movie industry have come together to intervene in the ongoing messy fight between the two actresses.

    Yoruba actors Bolaji Amusan (Mr Latin), who is the president of the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), and Yinka Quadri, disappointment over the Instagram spat said they would not accept “any act of indiscipline” from the feuding actresses.

    Meanwhile, Abraham’s husband, Kolawole Ajeyemi, has subtly hinted that his partner, Toyin, and colleague, Lizzy Anjorin, should stop “misbehaving” on social media.

    “We ought to have used the social media for more useful and impactful things and not this misbehaviour,” wrote Ajeyemi.

    “We are called celebrities because many people look up to us and want to be like us. Why are we misleading these people; we are meant to be good teachers and not a bad influence on society. Please, and please, let’s have a changed mindset to do good, if not for anything for the fact that people are looking up to us in so many ways of life. God bless you all.”

    Sadly, social media feud is not new to the movie industry scene. It has become very common among Yoruba actresses. This year alone, we have had a series of dramatic fights from Mercy Aigbe to Iyabo Ojo and the latest one from Lizzy and Toyin, and a host of other Yoruba actresses.

  • PHOTOS: Victorious Army troops tour Sambisa, other recaptured communities

    In continuation of its onslaught on Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists, the Nigerian Army has embarked on a victory tour around recaptured communities.
    The gallant troops were pictured enjoying a smooth sail from Sambisa to Damboa and Alagarno all in Borno State.
    In one of the photos which has gone viral on social, the troops showed ingenuity, displaying tactical engineering to improvise a fording raft.
    The Army were seen moving deep into the swamps of the Borno/Yobe forests to smoke out the remnants of the criminal BHT/ISWAP elements
    This comes after the troops of Sector 3 supported by the Air Task Force (ATF) successfully repelled an attack on Gubio in Gubio LGA of Borno State.
    The gallant troops neutralized two of the criminal insurgents and recovered one Gun Truck, 2 AK 47 Rifles, one Anti Air Craft Gun.
    No fewer than 50 civilians held hostage by the criminals were rescued during the encounter.
    The troops continue to dominate the area with fighting/clearing patrols, ambush, raids as well as cordon and search operations.

  • Ukpo – Abba land dispute: Youths warn Chimamanda over attack on Arthur Eze

    The National Association of Igbo Youths (NAIY) have expressed displeasure over comments made by Chimamanda Adichie, a writer, against Prince Arthur Eze in her recent write-up on the land dispute between Ukpo and Abba communities, both in Anambra State and warned that a leader like Eze should be accorded the respect he deserves.

    Describing Eze as “a leading light of Igbo land”, the group said in a statement signed by Okechukwu Ndubuisi, its  National President; Barrister Orji Emeka, its National Secretary and Nnanyelugo Chuks, its Director of Publicity, that it was “with shock and utter disbelief” that they read Adichie’s recent comments.

    “We take this step because Prince Arthur Eze is an uncommon persona and an enigma of the Igbo race. We therefore cannot stand by and watch someone rubbish all that the Prince has worked for over the years with unblemished global acclaim.

    “Prince Eze should be respected by all and sundry, if not for anything, for his philanthropic disposition in the entire Southeast, in assisting Igbo men and Nigerians in general to start-up businesses and escape the scathing heat of poverty and deprivation. This is a man who has lifted so many Igbo youths from misery and made them useful to the society,” the group said.

    Read Also: Who owns the land?

    On the land dispute, the group said: “Many Igbo people, including those of Abba and Ukpo communities have the historical records of the land dispute which Chimamanda has now dabbled into without corresponding knowledge.

    “But we hasten not to put all those facts into writing in view of the fact that the Supreme Court had ruled on this issue and the judgement has put to rest the controversy and affirmed that Ukpo community is the rightful owner of the disputed land.

    “So for the Abba community, where Chimamanda claims to hail from, to now go to a lower court to file a fresh case to hear the matter again as stated by Chimamanda is to say the least, a case of judicial rascality and abuse of judicial processes. Chimamanda has exposed herself that she is not vast in the jurisprudence of the Nigerian legal system, because every pronouncement by the Supreme Court is not only binding on the parties but is an authority which can be cited in other courts and cases,” NAIY said.

    The novelist, Chimamanda Adichie, had, in an article entitled, ‘My Hometown Under Siege,” accused Prince Arthur Eze of being the mastermind behind attacks on her people over the disputed land. According to her: “Prince Arthur Eze has a documented history of muscling his way into contested land – in the past few years he has used the police to terrorize another nearby town, Abagana, after which he annexed their land. But perhaps the clearest evidence that Prince Arthur Eze is the mastermind of the harassment in the Abba-Ukpo case comes from his own words.”

    It would be recalled that although the Supreme Court, in its judgement, declared Ukpo community as the rightful owner of the land, Abba community reportedly took the matter back to a lower court.

  • Facts you should know about Gov Oyetola at 65

    Osun Governor Adegboyega Oyetola is 65 today. Here are basic facts to know about him:

    Below are facts you should know about Oyetola

    * Oyetola was born in Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area of Osun on 29 September, 1954 to the family of Hammed Oyetola (the current Chief Imam of Egbeda, Iragbiji)

    * First born of 30 children, he attended Ifeoluwa Grammar School in Osogbo for his secondary school education which he completed in 1972. He proceeded to the University of Lagos where he bagged a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Insurance in 1978. Oyetola capped his education with a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in 1990 at the same university.

    Read Also: Buhari congratulates Oyetola on Supreme Court victory

    * He had his mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) between 1978 and 1979 at Potiskum, in present day Yobe State, where he lectured at the Staff Training Centre.

    * His professional career began in 1980, when he joined Leadway Assurance Company Limited as Area Manager and worked there till 1987. He took another step by taking his expertise to Crusader Insurance Company Limited as Underwriting Manager between 1987 and 1990. He moved again in 1990 to Alliance and General Insurance as Technical Controller and served in that capacity until 1991.

    * He established his firm, Silvertrust Insurance Brokers Limited, in 1991. He was the Managing Director until his appointment as Chief of Staff in 2010.

    * His other stints in business include, Executive Vice-Chairman, Paragon Group of Companies which has interest in Oil and Gas, Mining and Real Estate from 2005 until 2011. He was also Chairman of Ebony Properties Limited.

    * He had been a Director of Pyramid Securities Limited until 2011, among other business interests, before his appointment as Chief of Staff by Governor Aregbesola.

    * Oyetola is a pronounced technocrat as well as a progressive politician. He was a founding member of Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Osun State and has been a chieftain of the party through its metamorphosis to Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and now All Progressives Congress (APC).

    * He is happily married to Kafayat Olaitan Oyetola and the marriage is blessed with wonderful children and grandchildren.

    * On March 22, 2019 Osun State Tribunal nullified his election and declared Senator Ademola Adeleke winner of the poll. But on May 9, 2019, the Court of Appeal upheld Oyetola’s victory at the poll. Finally on June 5, 2019, the Supreme Court affirmed Oyetola winner of the Osun governorship election.

  • Obasanjo optimistic of improved relations between Nigeria, South Africa

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo  is looking forward to improved relations between  Nigeria and South Africa soon despite the recent xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in that country.

    He hinged his hope on next month’s planned talks between President Muhammadu Buhari and President  Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa.

    The former Nigerian leader who visited Ramaphosa in  Pretoria earlier in the week  told reporters in Abeokuta yesterday that he discussed the xenophobic attacks with his host.

    He said: “one of the major things we discussed in this issue of xenophobia or Afrophobia. I took the opportunity of being in South Africa about three or four days ago to actually pay a courtesy call on President Cyril Ramaphosa and he quickly granted me the opportunity.

    Read Also: Xenophobia: ECOWAS citizens seek access to African Court

    “One good thing that the president said to me is that there is so much at stake and whatever mistake we have made, we have to correct it. And I think that was a very good statement and I know that he meant it because, he immediately said look, what can we do or should we do?

    “I think that is all we must be doing and be saying and I said my joy is that President Cyril Ramaphosa is ready to do what needs to be done to stop these incidents and to put the relationship between Nigeria and South Africa on the right track.

    “One of the things they are going to do between South Africa and Nigeria is, they are going to have what we established in my term that we called Bi-lateral commission.

    “During my time, it was at the second echelon level of vice-presidents, deputy presidents, but, now they have raised it to the president’s level and I understand that our own president would be there within the first week of October”.

    Obasanjo said that his own investigation showed that contrary to allegations in some quarters, many Nigerians living in South Africa are not drug peddlers or criminals but businessmen and professionals who have helped in contributing to the economic development of South Africa.