₦airaland Forum

27 April 2022

Popular Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie, has welcomed a son with his second wife, Judy Austin, who is also a Nigerian actress.

The actor announced made the announcement on his Instagram page on Wednesday, where he shared pictures of himself and the newborn son.

He added that he loves the child as much as he loved his older four children, which he shared with his first wife, May.

Edochie wrote, “It’s time for the world to meet my son. His name is STAR DIKE MUNACHIMSO YUL-EDOCHIE. Born by my second wife, Judy Austin. And I love him so much, just as much as I love my other children.”

In the comment session, Yul’s first wife, May, wrote, “May God judge you both.”

A businesswoman, Chinyere Emeka-Atu, has been accused of defrauding traders and market women of over N600m in Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the woman used her company, Family Food Support Association, to gather unsuspecting members of the public, including petty traders, to part away with N9,000 every month to get a higher return on their investments.

The victims were said to have been promised a return of N200,000 cash and N90,000 worth of foodstuffs after nine months of investments in the association’s scheme.

However, for proper coordination, the businesswoman reportedly created about 39 groups headed by an independent leader under the association.

People from different parts of the country, who invested in the scheme, were reportedly divided into groups.

Things, however, took another turn when Emeka-Atu started defaulting in the payment of the promised money and donation of food items to those who invested in the scheme.

The situation was said to have created uproar, as some of the aggrieved victims reported the matter to the police, as Emeka-Atu was arrested.

She was arraigned before a Tinubu Magistrate’s Court on April 12, 2022.

The Magistrate, A.O. Alogba, was said to have remanded the businesswoman in custody and adjourned the case for hearing.

At the resumed hearing, our correspondent, who was present in court, heard as the prosecuting counsel, M.A. Animashaun, prayed the court for additional 15 days to file proper charges at the High Court.

He said, “In order to avoid any breakdown of law and order because of the massive crowd with placards protesting and demanding justice outside the court, I pray this honourable court for additional 15 days to prepare and file a charge at the Federal High Court to ensure that justice prevails in the matter.

“The defrauded amount is N600m and so I pray the court for further remand of the defendant.”

The defence counsel, Amaka Nwafor, however, pleaded with the court to grant her bail.

She said, “The court on April 12, 2022, gave a ruling that the defendant be kept for seven days in custody of the prosecution for proper arraignment and the defendant has since been in the custody of the police for three weeks now. My client is a mother with ill health and has the right to bail. I pray the court to grant her accordingly.”

The magistrate denied the plea by Emeka-Atu’s counsel and adjourned hearing till April 28, 2022.

Meanwhile, the aggrieved traders, who were outside the court with different placards, demanded a refund of their money.

One of them, Francisca Usondu, said she joined the scheme in September 2020, adding that over 4000 members had yet to be settled in her group, tagged the Yellow Team.

She said, “The coordinator, Emeka-Atu, confirmed that our group leader, Elizabeth Uche, remitted all contributions up till February 13, 2022, and Emeka-Atu has refused to pay them back according to the agreement of the business.

“According to the agreement on the flier, interested persons will register with N1,700, and make N2,000 weekly contribution on Sundays. Defaulters will pay N2,000 for each missed Sunday. Every member who brings additional three persons will be entitled to N90,000 worth of goods and N200,000 cash at the end of nine months.

“Every member has been complying with this, but since June 2021, members who joined the association in September 2020 have yet to get their benefits till date. In January 2022, Emeka-Atu amended the constitution and said only members with 13 additional persons are entitled to N200,000. Our leaders begged us to comply which we did, but we have yet to receive any dividends up till now.”

Another victim, Amaka Eze, a single mother, while crying, said to avoid being defrauded and to ascertain that the business was legitimate, she visited the association’s office on Toyin Street, Lagos.

“I suffered so much to bring three other people together and we invested in this networking business, but after all our sacrifices, the coordinator has refused to give us back our benefits. We plead to those in authority to help us the masses to get justice,” she said.

April 24, 2022

By Vincent Ujumadu, Awka

THE Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, claimed yesterday that gunmen abducted 10 of their members and 300 cows in Anambra, and demanded a ramsom of N4 million and a gun as ramsom.

The South East chairman of the association, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki, said the incident took place at a Fulani settlement at Obene community in Ogbaru local government area of the state at about 1:30a.m., yesterday

According to him, the attackers invaded their settlement while they were asleep.

He said the invaders, numbering up to 40, came with sophisticated weapons, including guns cutlasses, sticks and charms.

He added that the kidnappers had established contact with the families of the victims during which they demanded N4 million and one gun as ransom.

Siddiki said he had already reported the incident to the Police and Department of State Services, DSS, for prompt action.

He also appeal to the kidnappers to release his members and their cows, stressing that those kidnapped were merely struggling to make legitimate living.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr Tochukwu Ikenga, urged the leadership of Miyetti Allah in the state to come up with more information that would enable the Police to commence aggressive investigation into the matter.

Ikenga said: “Yes, we are aware of the incident, but we want the Miyetti Allah leadership to supply us with more information, since the kidnappers have established contact with the families of the victims and demanded ransom.”

He assured the Miyetti Allah leadership that the Police and other security agencies would do everything possible to rescue the victims from their abductors.

April 19, 2022

By Benjamin Njoku

Everywhere in Aboh, Mbaise, Imo State is currently wearing a festive mood as Nollywood stars, friends, kinsmen and women gather at actress Rita Dominic’s country home for her traditional marriage rites.

At her late father’s compound, which is of course the home of the traditional ruler of the community, HRH, Eze Marcellenus J.O Waturuocha, is besieged with people from all walks of life.

Rita and her hubby, Fidelis Anosike arrived at her family compound around 1 pm to kick start the traditional marriage. Meanwhile, the whole place was condoned by security operatives, including the army, police and local vigilante groups.

Vanguard learnt that the couple opted for a private traditional marriage, while they plan to hold a reception later in the day at the Landmark Event Centre, Owerri.

Many Nollywood actresses are already in Owerri, including Joke Silva, Uche Jombo, Kate Henshaw, and Ini Edo.

...says it’s morally wrong for VP to run when it’s turn of South East

April 12, 2022

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, an umbrella body of youth groups in the South East region have urged Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to drop his presidential aspiration and support a candidate from the South East in the interest of fairness, equity and fair play.

The coalition insisted that all men of good conscience in the country should recognize the fact that it is the turn of the South East to produce the next president of the country and anything to the contrary would be “unacceptable to natural justice, equity and good conscience.”

The President General of COSEYL, Goodluck Ibem, in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday in Makurdi noted that Prof. Osinbajo was eminently qualified to run for the office as a citizen of Nigeria.

He, however, noted that “the current situation and political calculation favours the South East zone to produce the President of Nigeria having been the only zone in the Southern part of the country that has not produced a Nigerian President.

“We all know that the concept of equity and zoning is to foster unity and eliminate all forms of bitterness and bad-blood among Nigerians. Therefore the zoning of the presidential ticket by the APC, PDP and other political parties to the South East remains the only way to restore peace and unity in the country.

“This is imperative at this time because most of our youths from the South East zone have lost faith in the Nigerian project because of the way the people of South East are being treated by the federal government. The year 2023 is the ample time to restore the faith of our youths in the Nigerian project.

“The truth is that it is morally wrong for Prof. Osinbajo to declare to contest for the office of the President now, when he is very aware of the political implications of his actions as a legal luminary.

“We call on him to drop his ambition and support a South East aspirant to emerge as the APC 2023 presidential candidate in the overall benefit and progress of the nation.

“The political class must realize that zoning the 2023 presidential ticket to the South East will help in no small measure to bring our country out of the woods because a South Easterner as President will put in his very best to ensure the survival of the country and we will all be happier for it."

Six of the eight Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) southern Governors have insisted on having the party’s 2023 presidential ticket zoned to the region.

The Governors, at a meeting on Friday night, hinged their demand on the need for the leadership of the PDP to toe the line of equity, justice and fairness regarding zoning.

The six that attended the meeting, which was held at the Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, were Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu); Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Duoye Diri (Bayelsa).

Others were Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia); Nyesom Wike (Rivers) and Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom).

Governors Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) and Godwin Obaseki (Edo) did not attend the meeting and they did not send anyone to represent them.

Governor Ikpeazu, who addressed journalists after the marathon meeting, hinged the Governors’ position on the resolution jointly taken by the 17-member Southern Governors Forum (SGF).

The SGF, which cuts across party lines, had, through a resolution adopted during the Forum’s meetings in Lagos and Asaba in 2021, insisted that power must shift to the South in 2023 after President Muhammadu Buhari would have served out his two terms of eight years.

Addressing journalists, Ikpeazu said:
“We have watched with keen interest the development in our party, especially concerning zoning.

“Our position is that first, we are committed to the unity of our party and we have worked hard to make sure that this party remains strong and viable vehicle to rescue Nigeria come 2023.

“Be that as it may, we want to draw your attention to the fact that we had agreed as Southern governors in Lagos and also in Delta that this party has to respect the zoning principle as enshrined in our constitution.

“And to that effect, we insist that the first thing to do is, zone the presidency to the south and we stand on that position.

“We have not seen any reason to change that position, because the party was founded on the basis of equity and justice.

“And we also think that equity and justice are important pillars that will ultimately stabilise our polity towards our journey in rescuing Nigeria”.

Speaking on the fate of some northern aspirants who had already purchased the presidential nomination forms, Ikpeazu said it’s left for the PDP leadership to take a firm decision on the matter.

“If you want to take a decision on a policy, you don’t look at problems on the face and you make a decision.

“You make a decision and remain firm on that decision. We think that what this country lacks today is our ability to dispense equity and justice. It may be difficult, it may be a bitter pill, but we need to stand with the truth”, Ikpeazu said.

On pressure being mounted by some of their colleagues and other stakeholders to have the ticket zoned to the North, Ikpeazu said it’s not his duty to speculate on what others are doing.

He said: “I want to reiterate the position of the Southern governors on this matter. It is not my duty to speculate on what others are doing.

“But you must ask yourself what is the truth; that if we do it today, will it serve the tenets of equity and justice?”.

April 8, 2022

The Ghanaian government has banned spending and transaction of businesses in foreign currencies in the country.

The Central Bank of Ghana, which disclosed this in a statement Thursday, warned citizens and companies to stop transacting business, pricing goods and services and advertising in foreign currencies.

According to the country’s apex bank, it is illegal for individuals, companies, institutions, and others to engage in foreign exchange business without an appropriate licence from the regulator.

“Engaging in foreign exchange business without a licence issued by Bank of Ghana; or pricing, advertising, receipting or making payments for goods and services in foreign currency in Ghana, without written authorisation from Bank of Ghana,” the statement reads.

“Such violations are punishable on summary conviction by a fine of up to seven hundred (700) penalty units or a term of imprisonment of not more than eighteen months(18) or both.”

The bank also cautioned the public to stop transacting business from the black market.

“Bank of Ghana hereby cautions the general public to desist from dealing in illegal forex activities (black market transactions), pricing, advertising, receipting or making payments for goods and services in foreign currency in Ghana, without the requisite licence or authorization from Bank of Ghana,” it added.

“The Public is hereby notified that the sole legal tender in Ghana is the Ghana Cedi.

“The Bank of Ghana, in collaboration with the National Security and Law Enforcement Agencies, will clamp down on illegal foreign exchange operations. All offenders shall be dealt with in accordance with the law.”

The Bank of Ghana said it has collaborated with the national security and law enforcement agencies to clamp down on illegal foreign exchange operations.

The country has been trying to manage its present economic hardship.

In March, the government announced a 30% salary cut for its appointees to mitigate economic hardship.

osinbanjoisaliar:
Na only Wike him don endorse. Na story him give saraki, tambuwal and Bala. But as for Tinubu him am esho

osinbanjoisaliar:
Na lie. When Tinubu go see IBB. Baba no give am support. Infact some people talk say him tell Jagaban say him no go enter Aso rock ever wallahi tallahi

greymiles:
“Cars: N200; SUVs: N300; Private Buses: N300; Commercial Buses: N150; Luxury Buses and Trucks: N500”

Has there been any instances where u where charged #700?

Nwodo believes that for equity, justice, fairness and inclusiveness, it is right to not just give the South East the chance, but also, for all patriotic Nigerians to support the zone to produce the next president.

But then, if by chance, an aspirant from the North emerges as the Party’s candidate, would that be injurious to the PDP’s desperate plans to take back power from the APC? “If a Northern candidate emerges, the PDP is going to shoot itself on the foot,” he said. And will the South East support a northern candidate, Dr Nwodo declared, “I’m in Enugu and I know what is going on here. The ordinary man on the street in the south east will not vote for any candidate that is not from the south east”.

Explaining what informed his firm stand for the South East to produce the next Nigerian president, Nwodo who spoke during an interview on Arise Television said, “Where I stand is that Nigeria didn’t start in 1998, it became independent in 1960 and since 1960, whether you were elected an executive president or whether you were a military dictator, both carrying executive powers; if you look at how these executive powers have emerged in our country, the South-East of Nigeria has enjoyed it for six months and that was under Aguiyi Ironsi. Every other part of the country when we talk of the current six geopolitical zones, have had a shot at ruling this country not less than two times.

“Therefore, that zone that has never had a shot at the presidency, has a very strong case. Secondly, that zone has been accusing the federation of monumental marginalisation of his people. Not to talk about the civil war. We are heading to 60 years after the civil war and we have not been given any opportunity to stand at the commanding heights of governance in our country”.

He further lamented that “In the past seven years, the marginalisation has reached monumental level. Every appointment federal government pronounces, is likely going to be outside the South East of Nigeria. Every intervention of the federal government, whether it is in welfarism, in infrastructure, South East comes at the bottom of the six geopolitical zones.

"We are asking the federal republic of Nigeria, what is the crime of the people of the south east? Why the permanent marginalisation? Why is it that anytime something good is coming to the south east, reasons are manufactured why it must not go there?

”We in the South East feel extremely despondent; we feel we are not part of the federation. We feel the civil war has not ended. It’s because of this that our people are agitating passionately, putting their patriotism, capacity and competence, putting their love for our country at the fore front to be given the chance to bring on the table, the vast talent that the Almighty God has bestowed on our people for the benefit of our country. I believe if the talents in the South East are put on the table, this country would go far”.

He appealed to other political parties involved in the 2023 elections to ensure they pick candidates from the South East, stressing that it will be unfair to jettison the already existing rotation in Nigeria. “We are making this repeated appeal, that the political parties in this election should choose their candidates from the south east.

"There is no rational to jettison the rotation that we have in the country. You don’t change the goal post at the middle of the game. We have all agreed across political boundaries to zone the presidency of Nigeria between the North and the South. There’s a rotation in place; it’s been working for us. Why do we want to truncate it at this time?

“And if it comes to southern Nigeria, we have recently had eight years of president Obasanjo and six years of Osinbajo as Vice President. Does this give moral justice, equity and fair play for the South West, to take it again? And the South South has served six years of Jonathan’s presidency. Is it fair that it goes back to the South South? The only equity, justice and fairness; the only thing that will bring unity, peace to Nigeria is to go to the South East. This is the truth that cannot be controverted. It is something that its time has come in order to reunite our country”.

[b]Asked his opinion on former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s declaration of interest to run for the number one office under the PDP, and as a Northerner, Dr Nwodo said, “Atiku seems to be the first northerner that threw his hat into the race. Those of us who are his close friends have had personal meetings with him. We have tried to persuade him. The South East and the South South have been his strongest political stronghold in most of his political outings and indeed, he has chosen his vice presidential candidates the last two times he was in the race from South East.

”I’ve worked as his director of Finance and administration when we were in ANC. We have given him massive support. In the last election, we actually gave him 95% of the votes in the south east. It was because certain people had promised Buhari that they were going to give him 25% that they were trying to steal Atiku’s votes in the South East so that they would get a spread by getting 25% in some of the states. This was massively resisted across the South East.

“So, I’ve appealed to him, this is payback time for us. We expect that if our candidates win that nomination, one of the first people that will throw their hats to support our candidate from the South East, will be Atiku Abubakar because we’ve had understanding with him that we have paid our dues for him and it’s time for him to pay”.[/b]

Going forward, he maintained that “It is in the interest of good conscience, fairness, brotherliness; we say in our national anthem, in brotherhood we stand. This is time that we should stand in that brotherhood and I think that nobody will lose anything if the presidency is zoned to the South East. Instead the country has a lot to harvest from that- a lot of healing, peace, abandonment of agitation for secession from our country, a lot of comfort for the wounded and traumatised”.

The South East he stated further, “has sacrificed blood and tears, anger and sorrow. I believe that we can begin to heal our country. 2023 offers us a wonderful opportunity to heal the wounds of this country. To rise from the ashes of the civil war, marginalisation, nepotism, sectionalism, to a united Nigeria that is strong and ready to take its rightful place in the comity of nations”.

Aside Atiku Abubakar, another strong contender for the PDP’s presidential ticket is Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike who is from the South South but Nwodo does not believe Wike has any business being in the race. “On the basis of Justice, fairness and equity, I believe that Governor Nyesom Wike should not be on this race. I expect him as a current politician to know how much the South East has supported the South South politically, economically and in everything that the South South is enjoying in the federal republic of Nigeria today. I expect collective unity of the South South, in backing the South East this time”.

Who then is his preferred candidate? The former Governor of Enugu State believes it’s not about whom he prefers but whom Nigerians can trust for good governance. “Of all the candidates from the South East, whoever Nigerians want as the most preferred candidate, the South East will be comfortable with that. If it behoves on us that we should go with one candidate, we will make an effort to get a consensus. Where that fails, let them go to the field and test their popularity and let Nigerians choose whom they think is best suited to govern them”.

Buttressing his view that a president from the South East will mean an end to agitation for secession, Nwodo paints a scenario that could emerge if the South East is not given the chance to produce the president of Nigeria in 2023. “Today, on Mondays, people can’t go about their normal business in the South East. We have local, state and federal governments; the military and paramilitary organisations; they’re not able to give us cover in order to go about our business on Mondays because IPOB threatens that people should not come out on Mondays. Even when they have removed the threats, criminals have taken over every Monday to harass people and that puts fear into the people and, security agents are not there to protect them. So the sit-at-home continues.

“Now, I want to ask, supposing the presidency comes to Southern Nigeria and does not come to the South East, we have an 8-year presidency in Southern Nigeria not from the South East, and it goes by rotation to the North, for another 8 years, and you expect the leaders from the South East to hold the IPOB, those who support them in permanent check for sixteen years.

"This is like giving us live snakes to carry in our hands. And young people are so traumatised; they don’t feel anything about Nigeria. Nigeria must reach out to this young people. We have said it repeatedly in Ohaneze Ndigbo, let the federal government listen to these young people and ameliorate their pains.

“You had agitation for resource control, President Yar’Adua reached out to the young people- the militants of Niger Delta. We have peace there today; we are exporting our crude oil without any interference. May be if we had robust discussion with Boko Haram, it would not have lasted this long. Why can’t we have a discussion in the South East to break this jinx of agitation? What are they agitating for? Is it something that is impossible for Nigeria to do? What do you want these young people to do? Nobody is listening to them and we their leaders are saying, give us a chance to rule the country.

And the country says they have no conscience to listen to our plea but they say, you go and hold back these people who feel traumatised and marginalised for another 16 years otherwise, we will come with operation python dance day in day out until they are all slaughtered and wiped out from Nigeria. Is that fair?”

Osun 2022: Court orders INEC, PDP not to recognise Senator Ademola Adeleke as candidate

March 11, 2022

…affirms Babayemi as the party’s candidate

Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

A High Court, sitting in Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State has ordered the People’s Democratic Party, PDP and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, not to recognise Senator Ademola Adeleke as the party candidate for July 16 governorship election in the state.

It also ordered that the governorship primary election be conducted by the 215 wards executive in line with its earlier ruling on the validity of delegates qualified to vote on the exercise.

The court presided over by Justice Adeyinka Aderigbigbe had on March 3, 2022, had in an exparte motion brought before it by one Adedokun Ademola and 29 others ruled that only the 215 wards executive, in line with the judgement of another state High Court delivered on November 22, 2021 were qualified to vote in the exercise.

A certified true copy of another Mandatory Interim Injunction ordered by the court on Thursday, March 9, 2022, which Vanguard obtained on Friday, the court averred that exercise embarked upon by the National Working Committee of the party is null and void, saying the actions were taken in flagrant disobedience to the judgement of November 22, 2021, which recognized the Ward Executive Officers which produced delegates for the primaries.

It, therefore, urged the INEC and PDP to recognise Dotun Babayemi as the valid candidate of the party pending the determination of the substantive suit before it.

The court adjourned the matter till March 16, 2022, for further hearing.

byteem:
Thunder fire ur mouth what culprit has been arrested.. is that idiot reading a script written by his ritual employers.. did u listen to him.. Jo empathy no feeling totally deviod of emotions.. that guy has been warned if you talk your family will go down.. he is a puppet.. the real culprits are living large probably vying for one govt office.. it's a syndicate . They have been doing it.. it beyond the driver .. he is the small fish infact tiny fish . Th big players will never get caught cos they are probably the ones who paid you to come here and spew thrash

nairavsdollars:
Sanwo-Olu should be proactive and handle the issue with care. The aftermath may be worse than #EndSARS

naptu2:
https://youtube.com/shorts/nJ4BsM4JDas?feature=share

obynzo:
You said it was gotten from telecom companies. That data is from NBS you see where you lied big time. Everyone knows how flawed NBS stats are in this country, even serious minded businesses do not take their data seriously even government agencies dispute their figures. How can an insurgency ravaged north east have more subscribers where as Borno does not have subscribers than Anambra