The Nation Newspaper

Tag: TOPE ALABI

  • Tope Alabi, Mike Abdul dazzle at Rhema Convention

    Tope Alabi, Mike Abdul dazzle at Rhema Convention

    Surely, when praises go up, blessings come down. That was the experience at the just concluded 24th World Convention of the Rhema Christian Church and Towers, Sango Ota, Ogun State.

    Leading the roll call of gospel bands for the night set aside for praise and worship out of the convention, theme, ‘Wonderful Jesus’, were two popular guest artistes, Tope Alabi and Mike Abdul of the Midnight Crew.

    Though the night started with ministrations from different groups in the church, the whole hall was thrown into jubilation, when the announcement was made that the next artiste on line was Mike Abdul of the Midnight crew. Abdul, the lead gospel singer in the crew had jumped on stage with all vigour, reeling out popular hits like ‘Morire’, ‘Kabiyesi’, ‘Oruko Jesu’ and ‘Bye bye to jatijati’.

    If Abdul had kept the congregation on their toes, Tope’s performance was exhilarating. From her archives, she sprang out her popular numbers, such as ‘Angeli mi’,  ‘Ibigbogbolowa’, ‘Be lifted high’, ‘IseIyanu’ and so on.  Alabi, who  explained that she had been in the ministry for over 18 years, said her calling was spectacular, noting that a prophet had told her mum when she was a little child that she would be a gospel singer.

    The Presiding Bishop of the church, Bishop Taiwo  Akinola, in his charge, called on Nigerians to live righteously.

     

  • Court nullifies FRSC’s powers to impose fines on erring motorists

    The Federal High Court in Lagos has nullified the powers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to impose fines on erring motorists.

    Delivering verdict on a suit filed by a lawyer, Mr. Tope Alabi, Justice James Tsoho held that FRSC cannot turn itself into a court of law by punishing those that commit traffic offences.

    A copy of the judgment, delivered on September 26, was obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday.

    The plaintiff had prayed the court to declare that only a court of competent jurisdiction can pronounce a person guilty under Section 10 (4) and 28 (2) of the FRSC (Establishment Act) 2007 and Regulation 143 of the Nigerian Roads Traffic Regulation, 2011.

    The judge declared the sections null and void for being inconsistent with Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution.

    He also awarded N1million damages to the plaintiff because FRSC confiscated his vehicle and driver’s license.

    “It is my conviction that the plaintiff is entitled to remedy on this account,” he said.

    Justice Tsoho said while FRSC is statutorily empowered to arrest and fine traffic offenders, a closer look at the definition of the word “fine” means ‘a pecuniary criminal punishment or civil penalty payable to the public treasury.”

    He held: “In the instance case, however, the involvement of the element of arrest takes the imposition of fine by the second defendant (FRSC) to the realm of criminal punishment.

    “It is noteworthy that a fine, when viewed from that perspective, is a component of sentence.

    “From these definitions, it is obvious that the act of sentencing is a judicial action or exercise. Imposition of fine connotes conviction for an alleged offence. This presupposes a trial and conviction of the person fined, especially having regard to the definition of sentencing.

    “It is, thus, very clear that the FRSC, not being a court of law, cannot impose fine, especially that it has no powers to conduct trial.

    “Hence, the exercise of the statutory powers given to the second defendant under the Act as pertain to imposition of fine is clearly a usurpation of judicial powers exclusively vested in the courts,” the judge held.

     

  • I never confessed to being mermaid, says Tope Alabi

    I never confessed to being mermaid, says Tope Alabi

    Popular Gospel singer, Tope Alabi, has denied the rumour making the rounds that she is a mermaid.

    In an interview on the popular radio station, Faaji FM, monitored by our correspondent, the award-winning artiste, who has just returned from a foreign musical tour, expressed her shock at the reports, which has now gone viral on the Internet.

    According to her, “I was on a foreign musical tour when someone called and said I had released a new audio, where I confessed to being a mermaid. I didn’t believe it because I felt it was just one of those media stunts. So, I just waved the whole thing aside.

    “It was when I got home and another pastor called me and said he just got the tape and that I was the one. I was dumbfounded. So, I asked him to please play it for me. To my greatest surprise, I actually listened to it over the phone and I just sat there. The voice was exactly my voice. But I just can’t explain how the person did it. The only confession I have ever done and will continue to do is the gospel of Christ.”

    The artiste, who had earlier been in the news over an alleged romantic affair with her former ‘spiritual father’, the late Pastor Elijah Iretiola Ajanaku, further revealed her greatest inspiration. “I usually get inspiration for my songs from what I see around me and people’s experiences.”

    Tope Alabi, also an actress, started out as a member of the Jesters International comedy group. She later went into gospel music after she became a born-again Christian.

     

  • TOPE ALABI: I was never a member of AJANAKU’S church

    TOPE ALABI: I was never a member of AJANAKU’S church

    THIS is one revelation that will definitely shock fans and critics of popular gospel singer, Tope Alabi.

    Surprisingly, the singer, who for many years had been associated with the late Pastor Iretiola Ajanuku, recently denied being a member of the Christ Revival Victory Church, Ipaja.

    The church was founded by the late Ajanaku, who was supposedly her spiritual father, as she sang his praises in almost all her albums.

    While the fair-complexioned singer was responding to a question in an interview with a national newspaper that she stopped attending Ajanaku’s church on allegation of sexual harassment that resulted in a bitter feud, she said, “Actually, I was never a member of his church, but people don’t know this. I am just a woman who loves to help ministries. I go to the church and give money, not small money. I could work for six months and I would take my tithe to him, just to bless his ministry. I do that in other ministries too. I can minister in churches without collecting money. I know what I have passed through. I know where I am coming from.

    “The first day I ministered in his church, he gave me money, but I didn’t collect it. I never collected money from him in my life, but I have donated millions to his church and so many other churches. I have so many people living in my house that I don’t even know their parents; and I just help them. I pay their fees. My husband helps the widows; we donate to orphanages. We just want to help.”