₦airaland Forum

On March 30, a former Nigerian minister announced
on Twitter that he had taken the COVID-19 vaccine.
Strange news! For over a year since the virus was
first detected in Nigeria, his name, Femi Fani-
Kayode, rang a deterrent bell of anti-vaccination.

Apart from his many political jabs against the ruling
party, fraud allegations and their resultant court
cases, Mr Fani-Kayode had before that date, played a
leading role in the league of COVID-19 vaccination
opposers and confronters.

At one time, he described the vaccine as a ploy to
create a new world order, at another he tagged
vaccination an exercise that would result in the
deaths of millions. To further dissuade his followers,
he would tweet unconfirmed information and
conspiracy theories being peddled against the virus.

A regular reference for journalists, Mr Fani-Kayode
was once described by a fact-checker as one who
makes “bogus statements, capitalising on his large
social media followership to spur the spread of
disinformation and misinformation.”

All reports on his conversion (those encountered in
the course of research for this report) made
references to his earlier comments on the virus but
none made pragmatic efforts in measuring the
former minister’s previous disparaging comments on
his followers.

https://media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/06/Fani-Kayodes-Twitter-profile.png
Fani-Kayode’s Twitter profile

On Twitter, the announcement was greeted with
mixed reactions. To some, it was only a matter of
time, they knew all along he would be vaccinated for
travel access. To others, mostly those who refused to
be converted alongside him, another soldier in the
fight against vaccination had deserted. A few
questioned his advertent mislead of many followers.

The numbers before conversion

One of the first notable, misleading COVID-19-related
tweets by Mr Fani-Kayode was on March 29, 2020,
when he claimed that the virus was a ploy to create
a new world order and get the United States
President, Donald Trump, out of power. Elections in
the U.S. were about seven months away then.

“One of the many objectives of the Illuminati & those
that are behind the coronavirus pandemic & the
emergence of a New World Order is to get
@realDonaldTrump out of power in this year’s pres.
election by sparking off a massive recession &
crashing the American &world economy,” he
tweeted.

The tweet as of Monday, June 14, had garnered
6,904 retweets, likes and comments and thousands
of duplication across many platforms. Some fact-
checking efforts were deployed to counter these
claims but not long enough, Mr Fani-Kayode released
two more fearsome tweets about COVID-19 vaccines.

On April 30, he warned Nigerians not to take
vaccines which by then were in the trial stages. In
doing so, he made three unfounded, totally false
claims. Firstly, that vaccination would result in
millions of deaths; secondly, that Nigeria was about
to enact a law to make vaccination compulsory for
all, and thirdly, that the vaccines are meant to
depopulate the world.

https://media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/06/Fani-Kayodes-tweet-on-April-30-2020.png
Fani-Kayode’s tweet on April 30, 2020

The first of these three claims conform with the
popular misconstrued comment of Robert Young, an
alternative medicine practitioner, who at a meeting
of a conspiracy theory group said that vaccination is
a chemical warfare to depopulate the world. The
video was widely shared by many but a fact-check
revealed that the comment was made earlier in
2019, before the detection of COVID-19, in respect of
the different vaccines given to children in the first six
years. Despite the fact-checking efforts, Mr Fani-
kayode still shared the video in January 2021.

Two days later, on May 2, Mr Fani-Kayode tweeted
again , “@WHO are set to begin Covid 19 vaccine
trials in our country. EVIL! Not only have our people
been turned into Guinea pigs to test Gates’ killer
vaccine but our leaders are also passing a law which
will make the use of that evil vaccine compulsory.
What a mess! I weep for Nigeria.”

Some of his tweets may, at this period (with multiple
vaccine roll out in many countries) come as laughing
items, but they were sacred voices of caution when
they were made. They were tweeted when a large
part of Nigeria was on lockdown enforced to curtail
the effect of the virus.

https://media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/06/Infograph-Fani-Kayodes-tweets-and-their-numbers.png
Infograph Fani-Kayode’s tweets and their numbers

The lockdown notwithstanding, over 200 people,
including Abba Kyari, the then Chief of Staff to the
President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, had died
of the virus ; confirmed cases were in total of
thousands; patients were treated in isolation centres
with close monitoring; worse still, researches on the
virus had not reached advanced stages, hence,
conspiracy theories held sway. In short, it was a
time of panic and tweets by Mr Fani-Kayode readily
reinforced people’s fears and biases.

How then did a panic monger convert?

The conversion and the dangers inherent in peddling
falsehood
Against the nature of his comments, Mr Fani-Kayode
announced on March 30, 2021, that he had taken a
jab. “Despite my initially strong reservations I bowed
to sound logic and superior reasoning and took my
Covid 19 vaccine today,” he wrote in a thread of
tweets.

He went further to explain the ‘sound logic’ and
‘superior reasoning’ to include persuasions from his
political associates and the fact that his hero, Donald
Trump, had taken it, despite his initial opposing
stance.

As of the morning of Monday, June 14, his
announcement tweets had a total of 1,173 likes,
comments and retweets; a less than 10 per cent
faction of interaction when compared to four of his
falsehood spreading tweets examined in this piece.

https://media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/06/Infographics-Fani-Kayodes-false-claims-fact-checked.png
Infographics Fani-Kayode’s false claims fact-checked

This confirms the concerns of some researchers who
have discovered that a good percentage of people
who come in contact with false information don’t
care about the follow-up fact-checks. A recent
survey by Zignal labs showed that 86 per cent of
Americans who read news articles on social media
do not always fact-check.

Not done, the ex-minister still used the opportunity
of his vaccination to peddle falsehood about
vaccines.

He wrote in the thread, “The Covid vaccines we are
taking in Nigeria are not Bill Gates’ vaccines and
neither are we being used as Guinea pigs. These
ones are tried & tested, have already been approved
& have been administered successfully throughout
the world. This is the Oxford Azrazeneca brand.

“There is a world of difference between what we are
being given in Nigeria & the exploratory vaccines
that @WHO had wanted to test Africans with which
we spoke against & resisted last year. Most
importantly Bill Gates& his foundation have no
connection with Oxford Azrazeneca.

“I would not touch anything Bill Gates with a barge
pole for obvious reasons. Mark it.”

One notices that he recounted some of his earlier
misinformation about the vaccines but not all that
came in contact with the falsehood are impressed.

One of his followers replied sarcastically; “I praise
your patriotism for agreeing to be one of our guinea
pigs. Well done.” Another wrote; “nonsense” with
rolling eyes emoji.

Perhaps this reply captures the question you might
readily want to ask; “You got convinced by your
sister and friend. What about the thousands you
convinced and made to see the vaccine as devil
products?”
https://i1.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/06/Fani-Kayode.jpeg
Fani-Kayode taking the COVID-19 jab.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/468418-spotlighting-femi-fani-kayode-nigerias-anti-vaccination-champion-who-later-took-the-jab.html

thatthickgurl:
I already got

hey, remember me

Same old story

Raychee:
Bliss

is that all. You guys dont fight

Raychee:
I'm not lying o

so whats it like being in a relationship

Super strikers. lalasticlala

Yahya must not

The Minister of information and
Culture, Lai Mohammed, has asked the
House of Representatives to include
internet broadcasting under the control
of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission
(NBC).
The request was contained in his
submission at the public hearing into a
bill to amend the Nigerian Broadcasting
Commission Act organised by the House
Committees in Information, Ethics and
Values.
Mr Mohammed said all online and
internet broadcasting entities should be
included in section two (c) of the bill.
Section two proposes to give NBC the
powers to “receive, process and
consider applications for the
establishment, ownership of radio and
television stations including…….”
“I want to add that internet
broadcasting and all online media
should be included in the bill,” Mr
Mohammed said.
The bill, if passed with the
recommendation of Mr Mohammed,
online broadcasting entities will have to
get approval from the NBC before
operating.
They would also be mandated to act
within the control of the Nigerian
government.
Opposition
The Executive Director of the Institute
of Media and Societies, Akin Akingbulu,
opposed the inclusion of online digital
platforms, saying it would further stifle
the civic space.
“The inclusion of the following among
categories of broadcasting services
licences will be injurious to the civics
space, freedom of expression and
media freedom in Nigeria,” he said.
Mr Akingbulu said the NBC Act fails to
provide independence of the regulatory
body.
He recommended that section 23, which
gives the information minister powers
to participate in the making of
regulations should be expunged.
He argued that the involvement of the
minister will turn NBC into a tool for
political interference.
“The power to give directives to the
commission, vested in the minister of
information in section six should be
removed and replaced with powers
which include policy formulation for
the broadcasting sector, the negotiation
of international agreements,
notification of the policy direction of
government and ensuring that the
independence of the commission is
protected at all times,” Mr Akingbulu
stated.

Also speaking on the bill, the
International Press Centre (IPC) and
Centre for Media Law and Advocacy, in
a joint presentation called for stronger
independence of the regulator.
The Executive Director of IPC, Lanre
Arogundade, who presented on behalf
of the groups, said “the conduct of the
NBC overtime presents it as an
extension of the office of the minister
of information which rarely acts
independently.”
Buhari govt stifling civic space
The present administration appears to
be exploring all avenues to regulate the
media, particularly online media.
On June 4, Mr Mohammed announced
the ban of Twitter, a few days after the
microblogging site removed a tweet by
Mr Buhari for breaching its rules.
The government also announced that
all social media must register with the
government to operate in Nigeria.
Last week, NBC, in a
newspaper
advertorial , asked all
social media platforms and online
broadcasting service providers in
Nigeria to apply for the broadcast
licence.
The announcement was placed in the
Nation newspaper and signed by the
then acting NBC’s director-general,
Armstrong Idachaba.
The Twitter suspension and the moves
to censor social media have been
criticised by many Nigerians, civil
society organisations and the
international community, which believe
it would stifle freedom of expression
and shrink the Nigerian civic space.
The lawmakers of the ruling All
Progressives Congress have also made
efforts to regulate social media with
draconian laws.
https://i2.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/04/EzfvUgvXEAAy-FC.jpg
House of Representatives plenary
[PHOTO CREDIT: @HouseNGR]
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/468090-nigerian-govt-seeks-to-amend-nbc-act-wants-control-over-online-broadcasting.html

Raychee:
Lol I'm not single

really! I suspect lies

https://cdn.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/GYB-1024x679.jpg

As skeletal preparations begin for the
2023 Presidential election, campaign
posters of Kogi State governor, Alhaji
Yahaya Bello, surfaced in major streets
and strategic locations in Abuja, today.
The poster which read “2023 For
President: Yahaya Bello for a
generational change,” was seen by our
correspondent at the streets leading to
the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Sheraton
Hotel, federal secretariat, and the
Federal Ministry of Justice.
In what appeared a big statement of
intent, the posters were equally pasted
on surfaces close to the All
Progressives Congress, APC,
Secretariat, Blantyre Street, the National
University Commission office, both in
Wuse II District of Abuja as well as the
every busy Garki II District.
The poster was sponsored by Nigeria
Youth Awareness Group, NYAG, 2023.
Vanguard reports that a fortnight ago,
Governor Yahaya Bello alluded to be
under pressure from people of All walks
of life, to run for the highest office in the
land
.
In the past few months, Nigerian
celebrities, drawn from entertainment
and sports circles, visited the governor,
praising his leadership quality to high
heavens.
Bello’s posters are the latest in a series
of presidential campaign posters that
have emerged in recent weeks in Abuja,
following quickly on the heels of those
of former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju
Bola Tinubu and immediate past Senate
President, Dr Bukola Saraki.
A campaign poster of former Vice
President Atiku Abubakar and former
Central Bank governor, Chukwuma
Soludo on a joint ticket also emerged
; but was quickly dismissed by the
former who insisted that his major
preoccupation was how to get Nigeria to
work amidst growing insecurity of lives
and property.
With the APC yet to make its stand
known on the zoning of the 2023
Presidential ticket, Bello may elect to go
the whole distance including picking the
nomination and expression of interest
forms to vie for the exalted office at the
appropriate time.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/06/2023-yahaya-bellos-campaign-posters-flood-abuja/

Raychee:
In between

I was thinking you ain't single

Top goal scorer race is on at Euro 2020
which is finally underway after being
postponed for over a year due to the
Coronavirus pandemic, adding more
intrigue to the summer transfer window
and player values. And the race is
among the Europe’s renowned strikers.
Safe Betting Sites breaks down the total
cost per goal of the top 25 goal scorers
from Europe’s top leagues.
Lewandowski Scored 41 League Goals
In 2020/21 Season; Total Cost To
Bayern Munich – €0
Robert Lewandowski scored an
astounding 41 league goals for Bayern
Munich in the German Bundesliga
2020/21 season, making him the top
goal scorer from Europe’s top leagues.
Lewandowski has scored 203 league
goals for the German giants in 7
seasons since joining, which cost
Bayern zero Euros as the move came on
a free transfer. This makes
Lewandowski’s free transfer arguably
the greatest free transfer in transfer
market history.
Three other players from the list came
on a free transfer to their current clubs;
Aaron Boupendza (Hatayspor), Haris
Seferovic (Benfica), and Artem Dzyuba
(Zenit St. Petersburg). All three players
scored more than 20 league goals for
their club this season.

Lionel Messi and Harry Kane were
products of their current team’s youth
academies, providing 474 and 166 goals
respectively since signing their
professional contracts, costing their
clubs zero Euros in transfer fees.
Mbappe, Lukaku, And Ronaldo Most
Expensive Cost Per Goal Among
Europe’s Elite
Kylian Mbappe’s €1.59M cost per goal
is the most expensive among players on
the list, despite already scoring 91 goals
for Paris Saint-Germain after
transferring from Monaco for a massive
€145M. It remains to be seen how much
more return from PSG’s investment it
will continue to receive, with Mbappe’s
talents attracting the rest of Europe’s
elite.
Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku has the
second-highest total cost per goal
among Europe’s top goal scorers at
€1.57M per goal. The Belgian forward
has scored 47 goals for Inter since
transferring from Manchester United for
€74M. Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent
€117M move to Juventus gives the
Portuguese superstar the third-highest
cost per goal at €1.44M despite already
scoring 81 goals in 3 seasons.
Andre Silva Has Total Cost Per Goal Of
Only €75,000 After Outscoring Erling
Haaland In Bundesliga
Oud-Heverlee Leuven paid €500K to AFC
Tubize in 2019 for the services of
Thomas Henry and since then Henry has
scored 38 goals for the club. Henry also
helped earn the Belgian side promotion
to the Jupiler Pro League, Belgium’s top
division of Football. This gives Henry a
cost per goal of €10,000 per goal, the
lowest among Europe’s top goal scorers
who were brought to their clubs on a
fee.
Another transfer that has seen a
significant return on a club’s investment
is Andre Silva’s move to Eintracht
Frankfurt from AC Milan. The
Portuguese striker was first loaned to
the German side in 2019 and was then
made permanent for a fee of €3M in
2020. After scoring 12 goals in his first
season on loan with Frankfurt, Silva
exploded for the second-best tally in the
Bundesliga with 28 goals, notably
outscoring Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.
This gives Andre Silva a total cost per
goal of €75,000 per goal despite only
signing for his new club in 2020.
Rex Pascual, Sports Editor at Safe
Betting Sites commented:
“Transfer fees for the world’s top
Football players have risen significantly
in recent years, with players like
Mbappe and Ronaldo costing their
current clubs more than €100M. After
the financial downturn caused by the
pandemic, I still expect the top players
like Haaland and Sancho to command a
9-digit transfer fee from Europe’s elite
but also expect an overall contraction of
transfer market activity compared to
pre-pandemic levels.”
Full story of the research work with
more statistics and information are in
the Safe Betting Sites report .
https://i0.wp.com/www.completesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_20210616_102159.jpg
https://www.completesports.com/revealed-cost-per-goal-of-europes-top-25-goal-scorers/

The House of Representatives
committee investigating the status of
recovered loot has summoned the
Chairman of the panel that investigated
arms procurement from 2007 to 2015,
John Odey, a retired air vice-marshal,
over the $459 million falcon eye project.
The committee on Tuesday also
summoned the management of RTCom
Nigeria Limited, the company that
executed the project, which is a
maritime surveillance infrastructure for
the Nigerian Navy.
The panel, set up by President
Muhammadu Buhari to audit
procurement of arms by and for the
Nigerian military between 2007 and
2015, submitted a third interim report in
2016.
Mr Odey and RTCOM were summoned
to explain the circumstances
surrounding the transfer of N6.1 billion
to the NSA account.
Mohammed Jafar, who represented the
Office of the National Security Adviser at
the hearing, said the ONSA was not
involved in the recovery of loots.
When queried about the transfer of
funds in and out of the recovery
account, he urged the committee to
summon the Odey-led committee.
Mr Jafar, who is the Director of Finance
ONSA, had said the account was a post
no debit account, but the committee
discovered some transactions from the
account.
“If it was a post no debt, why was there
movement in the account? The ‘in and
out’ shows that there were
transactions,” Sada Soli (APC, Katsina),
a member of the committee, said.
Responding to the question, Mr Jafar
said: “The committee had the mandate
to audit all the defence procurements
and expenditures. The committee
commenced its tasks at ONSA and had
members drawn from various security
and intelligence agencies, including the
EFCC. During the audit, a recollection
account was opened in the Central Bank
of Nigeria for the deposit of recovered
funds.

“The account was designated NSA
funds recovery account, by the time the
committee was rounding off its tasks,
the total amount recovered was
N9billion and $7.4million, and they were
deposited in the CBN account. This
account was a post no debit account, as
such, no withdrawal was authorised or
made from that account.
“On the issue of N6.1billion paid to NSA
in August 2017 and later returned in
January, it was for the falcon eye
project, the contractor is RTCOM. The
project was awarded in 2014, before this
administration. The total amount for the
project was $459 million.
“The NSA met that project ongoing
when the investigation started, they
invited them for contract verification
exercise. At that point, the money was
paid to us, not on request.
“The same amount was paid back to the
company when the committee cleared
them.”
Mr Jafar also explained that the
Osborne Tower loot is not with the
ONSA.
“NSA coordinates the activities of
security agencies but does not
participate in the recovery of assets,
unless when the president directs
otherwise.

“I am not aware of the amount. The
money with us is not from Osborn
Tower. Let me give you the background.
At the heat of crisis in NIA, Mr President
directed the committee, headed by the
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, the then
Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun and
National Security Adviser, Babangana
Monguno. In the course of that
investigation, I was tasked to go and
take over the office of finance in the
NIA, in the interim by the Vice President.
“They said all the funds there, I should
count them and document them
properly. The one that I actually took
over, I was asked to move that money to
the NSA and keep—It is not that the
money was looted, that I should keep
the money until they are done with the
investigation. So I went to the account
and took over that money. When they
concluded their investigation, Mr
President directed that we should return
the money. That was the money we
returned and I have presented the
certificate.”
The Chairman of the House committee,
Adejoro Adeogun, gave the directive for
both Mr Odey and RTCOM to appear.
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/468031-reps-panel-summons-arms-audit-committee-chairman-over-459million-navy-surveillance-project.html

Raychee:
Ok

what do you think? are you for or against

starbuck:
Nice

Na because I ain't a celebrity reason why my picture ain't there.. Make i hype myself joor

Still have a banging body after 4 kids

is your pussy still tight

Election they will still rig

Nigeria’s electoral body, INEC, has fixed date for
the conduct of the 2022 governorship election in
Osun State.
According to the commission’s statement which
gave details of “Timetable and Schedule of
Activities for Osun State Governorship Election”, the
election is fixed for July 16, 2022.
The timetable, signed by Rose Oriaran-Anthony,
INEC Secretary, said notice of elections and every
other build ups would begin on February 15, 2022.
She said that collection of Form EC9 (formerly
CF001) and EC9B (formerly CF002) for the election
by political parties on INEC website would be on
February 16, 2022, adding that February 16 to
March 12, 2022 is fixed for political parties to
conduct their primaries and resolve disputes that
may arise from them.
“The tenure of the Governor of Osun State will
expire on the 26th November 2022. Pursuant to the
provisions of Section 178 (1) and (2) of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
1999 (as amended) and Section 25 (7) and ( of
the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), the earliest
date for the Election into the office of the Governor,
Osun State, shall be the 28 June, 2022 and the
latest date for the Election shall be 27 October,
2022.
“By virtue of the provisions of Section 178 (2) of
the Constitution and Section 25 ( of the Electoral
Act, Election into the office of a. State Governors
shall hold not earlier than 150 days and not later
than 30 days before the expiration of the term of
office of the last holder of the office.

“The Commission is by virtue of Section 30 (1) of
the Electoral Act, expected to issue Notice of the
Election not later than 90 days before the date of
the Election.
“This is in exercise of the powers conferred on
INEC by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, 1959 (as amended) and the Electoral Act,
2010 (as amended) and of all other powers
enabling it in that behalf,” the notice read in parts”,
part of the statement read.
It also listed March 25, 2022, as the date for the
publication of personal particulars (EC9) and April 8
as the last day for the withdrawal/replacement of
candidates by political parties.
https://i2.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/02/INEC-Nigeria.jpg
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/468044-osun-2022-inec-fixes-date-for-gubernatorial-election.html

The coach knows better. Me personally, i would start benzema ahead of giroud because of his workrate on and off the ball. Giroud is a stationary forward unlike benzema who is dogged and hardworking

1Sharon:
Then you'd get bored...

how

Quite sad. The govt should look into this

1Sharon:
It's nothing to do with sex, men are just greedy

I'm different. Give me great sex in all positions and i'm all yours

Nkitara:
Ned the Igbo Muslim turtled-head old man with a pedophilic behaviour.

lol

In Nigeria’s chaotic job market, the experience of Mr Alabi, Ms Ashade, and others in the hands of fly-by-night recruitment firms appears commonplace, a PREMIUM TIMES’ investigation showed.

In late 2019, months after PREMIUM TIMES’
reporter submitted data across recruitment
platforms while posing as a job applicant, Gboyega
Alabi, an old friend and job applicant, sent in an
application from a recruitment agency called Primix
Consult. Located on Number 6, Remilekun Street,
off Ogunlana Drive, Surulere, Lagos, the company
claimed to be recruiting on behalf of banks and
other companies in Lagos and other parts of the
country.
Since this reporter did not get the invitation directly,
he was advised to “gate-crash” ––a popular
catchphrase among job seekers, which implores
one to attend a job interview even when uninvited
for such–– but declined. Many desperate job
seekers do ‘gate-crash’ quite often, and a few lucky
ones get picked for job opportunities.
Mr Alabi and one other job seeker who attended the
interview at Primix Consult office in Surulere told
this newspaper they paid N5,500 at the interview
venue and were given assurance of job placements.
They were also asked to enroll for “Empowerment
training scheme”, while anticipating their job calls.
Over a year after the ‘interview’ was conducted, they
never heard from Primix Consult, according to Mr
Alabi, who now works with an IT firm in Yaba. He
added that the telephone details given to them were
also no longer reachable after some months.
In February, PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter visited the
office address used by Primix Consult at No 6,
Remilekun Street, Surulere, but there was no trace
of any such company operating from the building. A
middle-aged man who sat in the only office space
inside the building told PREMIUM TIMES that such
company never operated from the building.
https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/06/Primix-Old-address-and-new-signboard-announcing-job-at-6-Remilekun-Street-Surulere-Lagos.jpeg
Primix Old address and new signboard announcing
job at 6, Remilekun Street, Surulere, Lagos
Surprisingly, at the front of the same building used
by Primix Consult, PREMIUM TIMES found yet
another signpost by an unnamed firm announcing
vacancies for different job positions. When this
reporter requested details of the new “unnamed”
firm from the man found inside the building, he
claimed to know nothing about it.
Meanwhile, further checks by PREMIUM TIMES
showed that Primix Consult has no digital footprint
whatsoever.
Musiliu Akande, an Ibadan-based career coach, told
PREMIUM TIMES in an interview that many of the
firms often change their location addresses and
corporate names over time, in order to defraud
unsuspecting job seekers.
“Many unsuspecting job seekers are likely to fall
victim to the antics of the same fraudulent
recruitment firm more than once,” he said.

“This is because the firms often change their
names and location address and other identities
with which people can trace them.”
Like Primix, like ONeal
Like Primix Consult, ONeal is one other recruitment
agency that suddenly disappeared from its old base
on the same Surulere axis of Lagos. Located on
Number 1, Babatunde Street, Off Ogunlana Drive,
Surulere, the company boasted of recruiting for top
firms in the country.
Biola Ibidapo, an applicant who got invitations from
the company when it operated from its Surulere
address told PREMIUM TIMES the firm suddenly
exited its office location, months after they had
been promised job.
They never heard anything about it afterwards, said
the applicant. Another applicant who does not want
her name in print said she declined to go for their
interviews after she heard complaints that ONeal
was recruiting for GNLD marketing.
When PREMIUM TIMES visited the office address
used by O’Neal in February, this reporter found that
the building had been abandoned and the gate shut.
https://i2.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/06/Number-1-Babatunde-Street-Off-Ogunlana-Drive-Surulere-Oneal-former-office.jpeg
Number 1, Babatunde Street, Off Ogunlana Drive,
Surulere – Oneal former office
A trader who sold from a kiosk opposite the
building told this reporter nobody had any idea of
what went wrong with the company. She added that
they also had no clue about its new office address
or the whereabouts of its founders.
In Abeokuta, Ogun State, Deborah Ashade and two
other graduates of the National Open University
(NOUN) told PREMIUM TIMES of a similar ordeal in
the hands of one Best Consult, a recruitment firm
operating from the Adigbe end of the Ogun State
capital. According to Ms Ashade and her friends, in
2020, the company sent them invitations for job
interviews and they paid N5,000 on the day of the
said interviews. They never heard from the company
thereafter.
When PREMIUM TIMES visited the location of the
company in Abeokuta last March, residents said the
recruitment firm suddenly vacated the space and
nothing was heard of its founders’ whereabouts
afterwards.
In Nigeria’s chaotic job market, the experience of
Mr Alabi, Ms Ashade, and others in the hands of
fly-by-night recruitment firms appears
commonplace, as PREMIUM TIMES’ investigation
showed. Unscrupulous companies working as
recruitment firms often trick unsuspecting applicants
into paying “fees” for jobs they hardly get.

Fly-by-night
One clammy evening in January 2015, Subomi
Samuel said he received a text message from a
certain recruitment firm called ‘CEO Resource’
directing him to come for a job interview. Mr
Samuel, a 2012 Engineering graduate of The
Polytechnic Ibadan, had spent two years of post-
NYSC life seeking employment across Lagos and
different parts of the South-west.
“I thought that was the end of my unemployment
frustration,” he quipped, “But I was wrong!”
Mr Samuel recalled that the first sign of danger he
noticed was the poor grammatical structure of the
invite message. But he was too desperate to care,
he admitted.
Upon getting to the venue of the “interview” at Pen
Cinema, Agege, he noticed yet again that the
interviewers looked quite “haggard and hungry.”
“But they spoke eloquently and were able to
convince many of us to part with our money,” he
said.
By the time the company was done, Mr Samuel
said he and numerous other young people had
parted with N10, 500 each, to secure employment
in various organisations.
Their ordeals began two months after they attended
the ‘interview’ and nothing was heard from the
‘organisers’. Mr Samuel said whenever he placed a
call through to demand clarification, he was assured
that they would help him secure a job.
“Since I was teaching at the time, and I had some
money to survive, I had hope that things could
indeed get better,” he said. “But few months after
the interview, I could no longer reach them on
phone.”
Mr Samuel said when he finally visited the
company’s office at Pen Cinema, Agege, they had
vacated the place.
“I was devastated,” he told PREMIUM TIMES. “But
luckily for me, I got another job shortly after.”
In December 2019, four years after Mr Samuel’s
ordeal, PREMIUM TIMES’ got details of yet another
company named Fad Consult which had many
graduates pay for job placement using the same
address as ‘CEO Resource’ at Pen Cinema, Agege.
Two graduates who fell victim told this reporter that
they were fleeced of N10,000 each and never got
any job.
https://i2.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/06/Plaza-Opposite-Oando-Pen-Cinema-Agege-Lagos-e1623670763262.jpeg
Plaza Opposite Oando, Pen Cinema, Agege, Lagos
Located opposite Oando fuel station on the ever-
busy Pen Cinema axis of Agege in Lagos, the
company was able to convince many job seekers
with its strategic office address.
But when this newspaper visited the office location,
shop owners said the firm had vacated the
building. A trader told this newspaper that many
disappointed job seekers had visited the plaza to
lament the disappearance of the phony companies
in the past.
GNLD ‘Marketing’
Apart from fly-by-night recruitment firms, PREMIUM
TIMES’ findings showed that many job seekers have
also fallen victim of being lured into different forms
of ‘marketing’ jobs, notably for GNLD products.
Golden Neo-Life Diamite International ( GNLD) says
it is a pioneer in whole food nutrition
supplementation, with a commitment to end the
trend of poor wellness and poverty. It has footprint
in different parts of the world.

In Nigeria, however, promoters of the brand rely
heavily on marketers to sell their products.
PREMIUM TIMES’ findings revealed that they recruit
young unemployed people and convince them to
become distributors who would then purchase the
products on discounted rates. The young marketers
would share these products and earn profits from
them, while the income realized is determined by
the number of products sold.
“Too many fraudulent recruitment firms latch on
Nigeria’s unemployment situation to lure desperate
job seekers into the GNLD network,” says Charles
Ike, a job seeker who claimed to have paid
N10,000 at a recruitment agency in Ogba before
being lured into the ‘GNLD marketing’ scheme. Mr
Ike said there was nothing wrong with the GNLD
marketing scheme itself, but many fraudulent
companies deceive young graduates with promises
of ‘lucrative’ jobs only to lure them into the
marketing scheme.
“I never wanted to participate in GNLD because I
find it very stressful. But these guys (recruitment
firms) would not tell you the job invitation is for
GNLD product marketing. You’d only know this
when you get to the interview venue, and often after
making payment,” he lamented.
Another job seeker told this reporter that he had a
similar experience at a recruitment firm in Isolo area
of Lagos after paying N8,500 for “license” and
“certification” as a nutritionist. The payment, he
was told, was to certify him as an eligible marketer
of GNLD products.
At least two other applicants told this newspaper of
their experience at ONeal recruitment firm wherein
many job seekers were lured into marketing of
different nutrition products.
Checks by PREMIUM TIMES revealed that ONeal
has no known physical address and no functional
website, since its old office at Surulere is now
abandoned and under lock.
In May, PREMIUM TIMES called a telephone number
listed by the recruitment firm in its job invitation
messages to some young job seekers but it was
received by a lady who claimed to have left the
company since 2016. She also claimed she knew
nothing about the company or its founders’
whereabouts.
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/467711-job-scam-2-how-fly-by-night-firms-fleece-unemployed-graduates-lure-them-into-marketing.html

Two parallel elections were held in Kebbi
and Abuja on Monday to elect leaders
for the Athletics Federation of Nigeria
(AFN).

One of the elections produced Ibrahim
Gusau as president while the other
produced Tonobok Okowa as AFN
president.

Mr Gusau was re-elected as AFN
President at the 2021 Elective Congress
of his faction in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi
State, on Monday, June 14.

According to a statement issued by the
Gusau-led AFN, he polled 20 votes while
Uche Muoma got just two votes from
the 22 delegates present at the venue.
For the position of 1st Vice President,
North West Zonal Representative
Sunday Adeleye got 15 votes to emerge
the winner ahead of Solomon Abari who
had four votes and Patrick Estate with
three votes.

For the position of 2nd Vice President,
Nneka Ikem polled 13 votes ahead of
Esther Mallim who scored eight votes
while Janet Wilson managed one vote.
Patrick Estate (South-east), Paul
Wakama (South-south), Solomon Abari
(North-east) and Vitalis Lashimi (North-
central) all emerged from their zones as
representatives.

Other members of the board include Olu
Sule who is a representative of the
Technical Officials and Coaches
alongside Moses Suleiman as Athletes
Representative.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Gusau
reportedly thanked the delegates for
their support in making his first-term a
success while counting on their
continued support for the next four
years.

Abuja Election

In Abuja, Tonobok Okowa Of Delta State
also emerged as the AFN President at
the Elective Congress of the AFN faction
recognised by Nigeria’s sports ministry.
The congress took place at the
Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja
on Monday.

The congress was attended by 35 state
chairpersons of the AFN, who had
converged in Abuja since Saturday for
the congress and elections.

The election was held following the
sports ministry’s invocation of section
10.4 of the 2017 AFN Constitution
which led to the controversial
dissolution of the Gusau-led board
citing the expiration of its term.

According to a statement received from
the sports minister’s office, the
ministry’s representatives, the Nigeria
Olympics Committee (NOC) and
Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to
South Africa amongst others were
observers at Monday’s election in
Abuja.

It is expected that the World Athletics
(WA) and the Confederation of African
Athletics (CAA) will, in the coming days,
make categorical statements on which
of the rival factions is legitimate.

Genesis of crisis

Though the AFN has had its fair share of
crisis in the past, this current crisis
began shortly after the Gusau-led board
was inaugurated in 2017 by former
sports minister, Solomon Dalung.

While Mr Gusau’s emergence as
president was in itself widely
challenged, the situation got worse with
some of his early decisions termed as
unpopular by his fellow board members.

Mr Gusau showed he was not
comfortable with Olamide George as
vice-president, and thus made his ally,
Sunday Adeleye, the unofficial vice-
president and technical director.

Messrs Gusau and Adeleye were also
accused of diverting funds from a
sponsorship deal entered into with
PUMA. That allegation has not be
proven.

In the heat of the crisis, a board meeting
of AFN was called and Mr Gusau was
removed as president and Mr George
named the acting president. Since then,
athletics and athletes in Nigeria have
not known peace.

Mr Gusau went to court to challenge his
removal and he was pronounced as the
legal president but the sports ministry is
challenging that ruling at the Supreme
court.

After a series of interventions by the
World and Africa athletics governing
bodies (WA and CAA), it was agreed
that a fresh election that will unify the
warring factions be held on Monday,
June 14, in line with the 2017
constitution of the AFN to bring lasting
peace.

Rather than bringing peace to the
bleeding sports, Monday’s factional
elections appear to have opened
another round of crisis in the athletics
body.

Another twist

Interestingly, Mr George, who headed
the rival faction before now, appears to
have been schemed out and is now
realigning with the Gusau board.

Mr George complained about the
guidelines for the Abuja election;
alleging it was doctored to favour the
anointed candidate of the sports
ministry.

According to the statement issued on
Monday, Mr George congratulated Mr
Gusau for his ‘re-election’
“I congratulate my brother and friend
Engr Ibrahim Shehu Gusau on his re-
election as President of the Athletics
Federation of Nigeria and also rejoice
with the newly elected board.

“I am happy that illegitimacy was not
allowed to marr the Kebbi Elections. I
promise to join hands with the Gusau
led Board to continue the development
of Athletics in Nigeria. I am with you all
the way,” Mr George was quoted as
saying in the statement by the Gusau-
led AFN.

Why the two rival factions are laying
claims to their legitimacy, the WA and
the CAA would have to make their
stance known in the days ahead.

Only the Court of Arbitration for Sports,
CAS, can take a legally binding stance
different to those taken by the two
bodies.
https://i2.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/06/1-Downloads.jpg
Collage: Engr Ibrahim Shehu Gusau/
Tonobok Okowa

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/467759-updated-crisis-deepens-in-nigerian-athletics-as-two-factional-leaders-emerge.html

CryptoRepublic1:
I totally agree with you.
Especially for men,there's nothing in it for men.

sex

Kaybae:
. Are es we have small percentage that are, but why is it that it's only women peopled for almost 10years, my husband is not staying where I stay, being faithful, loyal, sincere, respectful, just name it, going through each pregnancy all alone, but despite all this he is still cheating, always on his phone chatting with different girls, he will leave me alone, pretending to be tired and go to his room to sleep but check on him later, u will meet him on the phone. When he wakes up, he will first send good morning massages to all his girlfriends, and always behaving like an innocent. This is the only man I use as pray point whenever I pray, sometimes, I don't even pray for my children and myself........ This is the man that will always tell me, he doesn't understand his health so we should stop having sex, which I agree cos

sorry. Thing is, he doesn't find you attractive anymore after yrs eating the same nkwobi. Which is sad tho but that's the truth.

CHoccolaTE:
My advice is to the ladies,


Marriage to the modern crop of Nigerian men is crap.
80 percent of them are selfish and self centered and don't want to provide for their wives but they expect her to be obedient, submissive, to answer their surname, to ruin her beauty and physical appearance with childbirth and the children will also answer their papa surname too.
You will literally spend the rest of your life cooking and cleaning and keeping his damn house in order but they don't want to give back anything in return to their wives. If they do it's with reluctance and they want to be praised and worshiped for it.


You girls reading this, better open your eyes and don't be deluded, majority of males are selfish and all your romance fantasies you watched on your Zee world and Korean drama can never work in real life marriage. Don't expect too much from men, many of them

coming from a man hater and bloody misadrist. Pls don't succumb to this crap

ubola:
It's 2 different things. Dating her as a single dude and marrying her. As a single guy you can take unilateral decisions, manage 1k for 2days and stay at your lane to avoid trouble. Whereas in marriage, your spouse may decide to originate problem either by using abusive words on you, comparing you to her ex who's doing better and even calling you a lazy ass, thereby facilitating your death unconsciously. If you don't have a good shock absorber, you may have High Bp and die young. As a man, always hustle hard so as to call the shots, don't depend on her money to avoid tantrums. Also examine her libido level, if it's higher than yours, just run away cuz you'll die trying to satisfy her in bed. This is one of the reasons we have more widows than widowers. Be guided!

no wahala. I'm up to the task. I be horse eshi for bed

gregyboy:
Me i go cheat for marraoge women are scum

All of them olosho fucking men for money.....

what if your wife dey give u beta style plus bj. Wetin u go do

i will establish state police.
I will increase minimum wage.
I will remove fuel subsidy.
I will crush iswap
I will reduce cost of governance
I will lift half a million out of poverty
I will ban open grazing and send Fulani herdmens to their village.
I will tackle insecurity
I will grant local govt autonomy
finally, I will move for a parliamentary system of govt and make mariahangel my prime minister