₦airaland Forum

There is an obvious attempt at a cover-up in this matter.

First, why is everybody rushing to make a court affidavit from the girl's father to her colleague they travelled together?

There are too many "personally" in the Minister's account of the event that raise questions
1. The ladies were seconded from Kaduna to attend to the Minister "personally"
2. The lady's hospital bill was "personally" paid by the Minister

Something is not right somewhere, and so much effort is being deployed to cover it up, resulting in raising public suspicion.

THMT:
The ability to resist the temptation of women is really a gift.

Great men fell in the past and today more are still falling....

His wife and numerous side women couldn't satisfy him.

Remember Samson, remember Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the IMF managing director who suffered a similar fate due to lack of self-control.

GraciousWords2:
I congrate and salute you sir!

Onward and Upward!!!

Thank you Gracious Words, your words indeed are very gracious, They remind me of a favourite scripture: " Let your words be always with grace seasoned with salt, that you may know how to answer every man. Col 4: 6"

I commend you for your emotional intelligence and patience in writing that epistle and trying to educate the naysayer, but in life I have come to realise that even when you walk on water, some people will refuse to see the miracle in what you have done but still castigate and mock you, saying that it is because you can not swim, that is why you are walking on waters. For such people, you just ignore them, lest they infect you with their negativity and cynicism. An apt scripture for that is Prov 26:4

lanresz:
Congratulations on your journey so far in Canada, and thank you for sharing your experience. I hope many people can learn from and be inspired by your story.

While you may not yet be where you ultimately want to be, take time to celebrate the small victories and milestones that are moving you closer to your goals.

My hope is that, five years from now, you will look back and see just how far you have come, and realize that you are much closer to where you want to be than you are today.

I am pleased that you, along with many others, understood the intent behind my post. My objective was to inspire, encourage, and motivate others while providing an honest and unfiltered account of an immigrant experience in Canada. I believe it is important to share both the challenges and the successes so that those coming behind us can be better informed, prepared, and encouraged.

Thank you as well for your prayers and kind wishes. Over time, I have learned not to be distracted by naysayers. Life has taught me that there are generally two kinds of people: those who think their blessings do not count and those who intentionally count them. As for me and my household, we have chosen the latter. We remain committed to counting our blessings with gratitude, celebrating how far we have come, and being a source of hope, encouragement, and light to others who may still be navigating their own journeys.

I am grateful for God's faithfulness and look forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead with optimism and purpose.

Caution: Long read

From PPR to Citizenship: The Traumas, the Triumphs, and the Testimony

The first time I heard the phrase, “May your road be rough,” was in the late 1990s. Our Chemistry teacher said it to us as graduating students while we celebrated the completion of our WAEC examinations and the end of secondary school. At the time, it sounded almost like a curse. Why would anyone wish a rough road on another person? Life, however, has taught me otherwise.
What appeared to be a curse was, in fact, an unconventional blessing. A rough road develops resilience. It builds character, strengthens resolve, and teaches lessons that smooth paths never can. Looking back on our journey from Permanent Residence (PPR) to Canadian Citizenship, I can confidently say that our road was indeed rough, but it was also transformative.

A New Beginning
After completing our landing formalities in December 2021, I spent the next 4 weeks helping my family settle into our new life in Canada. We moved out of our Airbnb, rented and modestly furnished an apartment, and began adapting to our new environment.
By the last week of January 2022, I returned to Nigeria to tie up unfinished business. I formally resigned from my job, disposed of some of our belongings, and arranged for someone else to take over our apartment. While there, I also attempted to renew my Nigerian passport, which was due to expire later that year.

Unfortunately, I encountered the frustrating realities of Nigerian bureaucracy again. Despite paying ₦70,000 for the renewal process on Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) portal, I was unable to obtain a new passport because I was informed at the point of capturing that my National Identification Number (NIN), which I had obtained more than three years earlier, had not yet appeared on the NIS system. The money was lost, the renewal failed, and I eventually returned to Canada in April 2022 without a renewed passport.

Living on Hope....and Proof of Funds
Upon returning to Canada, my wife and I embarked on what would become a long and exhausting search for employment.
At that point, we were surviving primarily on the Proof of Funds (POF) we had brought from Nigeria, and our savings were steadily shrinking. Although the government had begun paying us Canada Child Care Benefits, we made a deliberate decision not to spend the money. Instead, we invested it in Registered Education Savings Plans (RESP) for our children's education.

The decision proved to be one of the wisest financial choices we made. Not only did it help secure our children's educational future, but it also allowed us to benefit from the accompanying government grants. Today, that RESP portfolio has grown into a substantial education fund.
Meanwhile, we attended newcomer programs, career workshops, and government-sponsored integration initiatives. We applied for countless jobs, but neither of us received an offer.

Then, in June 2022, I was awarded a provincial government scholarship for an Information Technology training program valued at $20,000. The training would have opened the door to a career as a junior Network Administrator. Just as I was preparing to begin the program, one of the many engineering applications I had submitted resulted in an interview invitation.
By God's grace, I passed the interview and received an offer the very next day to work as a Project Engineer on a renewable energy project.

The Importance of Professional Credentials
Let me backtrack a little: earlier in the Japa journey, immediately after receiving my PPR, I had begun the process of obtaining professional engineering recognition in Canada.

As a COREN-registered engineer in Nigeria, I used my portfolios and experience to apply for Professional licensure but was only granted Engineer-in-Training (EIT) status by the regulators. They remarked that I lacked Canadian engineering experience. I was advised to reapply after gaining one year of local experience.
At the time, I viewed the EIT designation as a disappointment. Later, I discovered that it played a significant role in helping me secure my first engineering position in Canada.

A Season of Stability
Although the project site was located two hours away from my city of residence, I gladly accepted the opportunity.
After completing the required drug and alcohol screening, the company provided accommodation near the project site as well as a company-maintained truck for my use. For the first time since arriving in Canada, life felt stable. Income exceeded expenses. We began saving. Hope returned.
Eventually, my wife suggested we explore homeownership. We met with one of Canada's major banks to determine our mortgage eligibility based on my employment and our credit profile. The advisors crunch out the numbers and gave us the amount we qualified for based on our circumstances.
The following week, we visited several builders' show homes. It did not take long to realize that while my job was good, that single income would not qualify us for the type of home we envisioned for our family.
The realization weighed heavily on my wife. She felt frustrated that her inability to secure employment might be holding back our family's aspirations. I encouraged her to remain hopeful and continue applying.

The Breaking Point
By December 2022, after nearly a year in Canada without any employment, my wife had reached her limit.
She told me she was tired of submitting applications without success and wanted to return to Nigeria with the children. The prospect of family separation devastated me, but I understood the emotional and psychological toll she had endured.
I asked her for one final extension, 3 more months. If nothing changed by the end of March 2023, I promised I would support whatever decision she made. Unwilling to remain idle while waiting, she got her Class 4 driving license and began driving for UBER using our family vehicle.
Then, on March 16, 2023, 2 weeks before the deadline, everything changed. She received a job offer.
What could have become a family separated by circumstances instead became a family strengthened by perseverance.

Chasing the Canadian Dream
Two weeks after she started work, we returned to the bank for a mortgage reassessment. This time, with two incomes, the numbers worked.
We obtained a 12-month mortgage pre-approval and proceeded to sign a pre-construction home purchase agreement. The plan was straightforward: make an initial 10% down payment from savings, accumulate another 10% during construction, and finance the remaining 80% with a mortgage while avoiding mortgage insurance costs.
By April 2023, the dream was in motion, but life had other plans.

Employment Earthquake: When the Ground Shifted Beneath Us
House construction began in June 2023 and was expected to be completed by April 2024.
As we diligently saved toward the second portion of the down payment, a major policy shift occurred.
In October 2023, the provincial government suspended approvals for new renewable energy projects. The impact on the renewable industry was immediate and severe. By December 2023, after the company's project I was on got completed, my employer laid off approximately 80% of project personnel, including me.
In an instant, the foundation of our carefully crafted plan disappeared. The future of our home purchase suddenly seemed impossible, but God’s Mercy says no!

Grace in Difficult Seasons
In the midst of this uncertainty, once again, God showed up and made a way.
My wife secured an even better job, while Employment Insurance (EI) payments kicked in for me and helped bridged the gap. Although the EI payments represented only a small fraction of my previous income, it was enough to keep us afloat.
Together, we pushed through. By April 2024, we successfully completed the home purchase and moved into our new house. The victory, however, came with new realities.
Our expenses exploded. Mortgage payments, property taxes, utilities, homeowners' fees, garbage collection charges, and allied costs quickly replaced the simplicity of apartment living.
The financial pressure was intense; still, I continued applying for engineering roles.

The Wilderness Long Wait
September 2024 arrived, and my EI benefits expired; still, no job was in sight. I remained unemployed.
To prevent financial hardship from overwhelming our family, I accepted a survival job. It helped pay bills, but the physical demands eventually became too strenuous and difficult to sustain.
Seeking an alternative, I enrolled in security training, passed the examinations, and qualified as a licensed security guard.
Then, just as I was preparing to pivot and begin a new chapter by seeking job roles as a security guard, another engineering opportunity emerged.
One of the many applications I had submitted months earlier resulted in an interview invitation. I attended the interview, and I got the job.
The offer came almost 18 months after being laid off from my first engineering position and 9 months after my EI benefits had ended.
The journey had been emotionally draining, financially exhausting, and mentally challenging, but it ended in testimony.

Lessons from the Storm
The hardships taught me lessons I could never have learned from success alone.
They deepened my appreciation for my wife and her unwavering support. They showed me the importance of partnership during adversity and helped me understand why many marriages struggle, and some crumble under the pressures of immigration and resettlement.
Challenges do not destroy relationships; often, they reveal whether two people are willing to carry life's burdens together. When vicissitudes of life come, couples can either grow together or fall apart.
I count myself very fortunate to be married to a good woman who chose perseverance over surrender.

The Final Milestone
In December 2024, my wife and children became eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship.
They submitted their applications and became Canadian citizens in May 2025.
I became eligible in March 2025, submitted my own application, and proudly became a Canadian citizen in October 2025.
The journey from PPR to Citizenship was anything but easy.
The road was rough, but that rough road built resilience. It strengthened our family. It deepened our faith. It taught us patience, perseverance, and gratitude.

Today, we are not yet where we ultimately hope to be. However, we are far ahead of where we stood when we arrived in Canada nearly five years ago. There are still dreams to pursue, goals to accomplish, and mountains yet to climb, but when I look back at where we started in December 2021, I am overwhelmed by gratitude.

If you're somewhere on your own rough road today, don't give up. The chapter you're in is not the whole story. Sometimes, the roughest roads lead to the most beautiful destinations.

The journey continues…………..Aluta Continua, Victoria Ascerta.

jedisco:
Thanks... I'd try it out. I see it also had other currencies which is nice.
Usually alternate between Cendmate snd Africhange.
Cendmste is currently 978 and Yousend 975

Yolat is new and has the best rate for now. It currently sits at 985.

Use Yolat to send money from Canada and Nigeria. Sign up now using my code TDS4QUBV.Sign Up here: https://yolat.com/signup?referralCode=TDS4QUBV

Zeemaan:
Air fares are crazy for any flight that passes through Europe. Plus transit visa wahala

With your Canadian immigration visa on your passport, you don't need a transit visa for the Lagos-Amsterdam-Calgary and Lagos-Germany-Calgary routes. Use TripAdvisor, FlightScanner, etc to search for affordable flight fees, provided you're flexible with your travel dates and layover length.

Zeemaan:
Hello all. Thanks for all the engagement and useful advice on this thread.
I have a question: Please is 3hrs and 30min layover enough for a new PR to complete the landing process in Toronto before flying to Calgary? I am about to book my flight and I need the opinion of folks who have gone through the process. Thanks.

Should be enough, but even if you miss your connecting flight to Calgary due to landing formalities, the airline would likely book you on another connecting flight at no extra cost.

The question, however, is why choose this flight route when you can fly into Calgary directly ie. Lagos-Amsterdam-Calgary or Abuja-London-Calgary.

PrettyRX:
Pls Is it okay to keep the pof in naira account or should be in dollars?

Dollars is better because of the volatility of naira. You can calculate today your naira and it is equal to the required amount in cad only for the same amount in Naira be less by a significant amount when you're migrating.

For reference, my WES payment was done with my GT Card and the exchange was N220 to 1 Cad in 2018, but when migrating in 2021 it became almost N350 to 1 Cad. As of today, I think it is close to N1000 to 1 CAD. To avoid these avoidable shocks, it is better and wiser to keep your POF in CAD or USD, which are more stable.

amdman:
I don't know if people still need to be told this, but as a newcomer to Canada, you don't know enough to dabble into the pre-construction game, except you have a very high risk tolerance and your marriage is shock proof. Yes, for married couples, their marriage is usually the first casualty, afterall, the number 1 cause of divorce in North America is financial issues.

Pre-construction has worked for many people. But the risks outweigh the gains. It can set you back to worse than you were before you came to Canada. You will lose your investment and still file bankruptcy; and very few professions in Canada allow people that have filed bankruptcy to practice without restrictions.

My advice? Buy the house you can see with your two eyes and touch with your two hands. If it is your first house, forget about double garage, massive backyard, new build and all those nonsense that inflate prices. Your first house in Canada is not your last house. As much as possible, buy the one that does not max out your credit room. Try to get pre-approved before you start your house search so you know your limit. If your mortgage broker or realtor starts to talk to you about the possibility of private lender, RUN from that deal!!!

You have posited valid points about pre-construction, but I disagree with a few of your points. I disagree about newcomers to Canada not able to know enough about it to reap its benefits; I also disagree about the risks of pre-construction outweighing its advantages.
From my experience, before you can sign on with a builder, you need to present to them a pre-approval from your lender, which is usually valid for a period of 12 months, though this pre-approval does not eliminate the risk of being unable to close out the deal on completion of the house.

Life happens to everybody; one can be laid off at work, one's business can enter a downturn, but the effect is the same whether you do pre-construction, go for an old-build, or even choose quick-possession new builds.

You can not rule out the importance of customisation (upgrades) on a property you will be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on, which is only available when you go pre-construction. You can not also discount the 18-24 months grace/construction period wherein (other things being equal) you can shore up your finances to be in a better position to close the deal when you go for a pre-construction project. Above all, you also get to lock in your purchase price and hedge against price creep only for pre-construction projects.

jedisco:
Nice. Ownership of ones home seems to be a good starting point of building wealth and stability in most western nations. Having to rent again for a while, showed me how nasty some landlords can be.

Never understood the much higher appeal for new houses in Canada. Reverse was the case in the U.K. I still exchange with folks on the UK mortgage thread to consider new builds. In Canada, folks see 20 yr old houses as old while in the UK 200 yr o houses are still standing and seen as decent and having 'character'
Wanted to go for a new build recently but after I was told I'd have to wait for a year to completion, I went for an old build (20 -30 yr old) instead.

Canadians are fond of new builds because they are extremely energy-efficient, unlike old builds that are energy guzzlers. In a climate where HVAC is paramount for comfortable living, especially since temperatures can vary by up to 70C in a year (-40C to +30C), relying on old HVAC can be frustrating, and updating it in old builds can be very expensive. Another reason is that old builds are boring in terms of aesthetics and look, though they can be more spacious than new builds.
The good thing about old builds, however, is that they are usually in mature neighbourhoods with schools, stores, recreational parks, libraries, fire services, etc available in proximity.

The Man Dr. Ademola Oluwatosin Ajayi

Life, Death & Estate Battle

Dr Ademola Oluwatosin Ajayi was a prominent Nigerian medical doctor and entrepreneur, best known as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of First Foundation Hospital (originally incorporated as First Foundation Medical Company Limited in 1980) in Lagos. He was a wealthy figure whose assets, spanning real estate, a hospital, and other investments, reportedly ran into billions of naira.

He died on April 26, 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown in Lagos.

The Two Women Wife Vs Concubine. Legality vs Longevity

1. Mrs. Adenike Oluwayemisi Ajayi (the legal wife)
She and Dr Ajayi were married under the Marriage Act on July 6, 1974, at the Divisional Office in Ijebu-Ode, and together they had five children.

According to her own account, they lived together happily until one day Dr Ajayi informed her he needed to stay away from home for "security reasons." He never returned, yet never formally divorced her. He continued to send money for the children's upkeep and allowed her to remain in the house they had built together.

2. Helen Prest (the long-term concubine)
Helen Prest met Dr Ajayi after he had reportedly lived at the Sheraton Hotel for about 10 years following his departure from the matrimonial home. She spent approximately 25 years living with him as his companion and partner, was publicly known as "Mrs Helen Prest-Ajayi," and even had a daughter with him, Tomisin Ajayi. She was also a former Miss Nigeria beauty queen who later trained as a lawyer.

Helen was present at his bedside when he died, and she held the death certificate as the person who had been living with him until his last breath.

The Tussles

Drama erupted even at the burial, with Dr Ajayi's children accusing Helen Prest of keeping their father's corpse from them by instructing mortuary authorities not to grant them access to the body.

Dr Ajayi died intestate without a will, leaving behind assets running into billions of naira and no clear succession plan. He was eventually buried on February 12, 2021, following months of legal wrangling.

The Legal Battle

The dispute was essentially on two fronts: who was the lawful widow, and who could administer the estate.

Helen Prest's side argued that:
- Dr Ajayi had been estranged from Mrs Ajayi for decades.
- She had entered into a valid Kalabari customary marriage with him.
- She described herself variously as his "civil companion," common-law partner, and later, his customary wife.
- She told the court she met Dr Ajayi in 1996 while practising law and that their relationship later matured into a Kalabari customary marriage.

Mrs. Oluwayemisi Ajayi's side countered that:
- Helen Prest was only her husband's mistress, and the affair started while Helen was still married to a man named Jimmy Davies.
- Helen had allegedly diverted ₦30 million (proceeds of a land sale) into her personal account while Dr Ajayi was still on the hospital bed, and had been selling or attempting to sell several of the deceased's properties.
- Mrs Ajayi's lawyers (Falana & Falana Chambers) had to file a caveat to halt Helen Prest's application for letters of administration over the estate.

There were also interim orders that caused public confusion in 2021. Reports circulated suggesting a court had awarded Helen Prest 50% of Dr Ajayi's estate, but Mrs. Ajayi's children quickly dismissed these as false, clarifying that what had been granted were only interim orders in an ongoing suit not a final decision on ownership.


The Latest Judgment June 2026

After nearly five years of proceedings, Justice Oluwayoyin Odusanya of the Lagos State High Court (Ikeja Division) delivered a landmark ruling:

The court granted all the reliefs sought by Mrs Ajayi and her children and dismissed Helen Prest's claims in their entirety. Justice Odusanya held that Mrs Ajayi remained legally married to Dr Ajayi until his death and that their monogamous marriage was never dissolved. The court rejected arguments that the couple's prolonged separation amounted to a termination of their marriage, stressing that separation, regardless of its duration, does not automatically dissolve a legally valid marriage.

On the customary marriage claim: The court found that Helen Prest failed to provide credible evidence to support the assertion of a Kalabari customary marriage, describing it as an afterthought. The court noted that in earlier suits, she had variously described herself as a common-law partner and at other times as being in a civil union, inconsistent positions. Key details such as the date and venue of the alleged customary ceremony were not satisfactorily established, and no documentary or photographic evidence was presented.

Furthermore, the court held that even if such a customary marriage had existed, it would have been invalid, as the evidence showed that Helen Prest was still legally married to her former husband, Mr Davies, at the time she claimed to have married Dr Ajayi.

Mrs Ajayi was affirmed as the only legally recognised widow, entitled to one-third of Dr Ajayi's personal estate, and the only person with the legal right to apply for letters of administration over the estate.

Law Vs Culture Significance

The case has sparked a broader conversation about the collision between African cultural practice and statutory law. Many Africans understand marriage as something that can effectively end through family processes, long separation, or mutual understanding, but legally, under statutory marriage, there is only one recognised ending: a formal divorce. The Ajayi case laid bare that disconnect, where a relationship widely understood socially as a marriage had no legal footing, while a marriage effectively dead for 35 years remained legally alive.

It is worth noting that the ruling is a High Court decision, and aggrieved parties retain the right to challenge it at a higher court, so the matter moves to the Court of Appeal for more legal fireworks, as Helen Prest has filed for a stay of execution and appealed the High Court ruling.

Soruces
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/888827-court-pronounces-first-foundation-hospitals-founders-sole-lawful-widow-rejects-former-beauty-queens-spousal-claim.html
https://www.kemifilani.ng/entertainment/helen-prest-officially-begins-fight-for-late-husband-dr-ajayis-multi-billion-naira-property[b][/b]

Babe17:
Good evening everyone. I got an unconditional offer from Fanshawe College to study data analytics. My husband also got an offer to study construction project management in the same school. I’m currently learning hair dressing and I have skills as a virtual assistant. He is an engineering project manager and can drive a forklift. Who stands a better chance of landing a job that can give sponsorship amongst the 2 of us after studies? How easy is it to get a student job in Ontario? Should we consider other provinces? I read Ontario stopped provincial nomination. Is there hope of getting PR without this nomination? Thank you

Congratulations on your admission offer. I will advise that you count the cost before you set sail on this highly perilous journey. Coming to Canada on a student visa for immigration purposes is a very difficult endeavour nowadays. If you must do it, do it with caution and with a lot of financial cushion. Also, only one of you should study while the other comes in on a Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) to enable full-time work opportunities. If age is still on your side and your prospects of coming as a PR are still there, I will say abort mission and concentrate on coming in as a PR. In my opinion, the uncertainties, headaches, and risk of coming in as a student are huge and not worth the expensive school fees you will pay.

Zeemaan:
Please is getting admission to study courses like Medical Laboratory Technology, Nursing, etc Competitive? I am single with little savings and would like to get advice on what best to do after arriving Canada (I got PR in April) in terms of work or study. The money I saved would be sufficient for school fees but not rent or feeding.

Congratulations on your PR. As a PR, you have an edge over others who are just on a study visa. As a PR, your priority should not be schooling first, but exploring the numerous newcomer programmes to settle in and land a job. If you are bent on studying right away, I will still advise you not to use your Proof of Funds for school fees; explore Government-funded newcomer study subsidy programmes (depending on your Province), which come in the form of study loans and grants for your school fees.
Whatever you do, don't rush and use your POF for school fees without having a reliable source of alternative income; the outcome may be too harsh for you.

Dpsychologist:
Nairalanders what do you think?

While you are right that life is short (and brutish), all of those exclusions are also part of life and do not exclude from the quality or longevity of life.

Take Sleep, for example, which takes an approximate 20-30% of a person's life, actually contributes a great deal to the quality of life. Without sleep, life would even be shorter. Try not sleeping for 3 days straight, and you may end up in the psychiatry ward. Keep it up for 7 days straight, and you will find yourself on a fast track to joining your ancestors. Sleep should never be demonised. It is part of life; it is the maintenance phase for our body to keep functioning optimally. Also, many life changing event happens while we are asleep, both physically and spiritually.

Time spent schooling or learning a trade is also a major part of life. Most people's destinies are discovered, shaped, and started during this phase of their lives. Hence, the time spent doing these activities is never a waste but a crucial part of life. Many elderly people sit and longingly look back at this period of their life with a certain nostalgia as it constitutes the better or best part of their life to date. So never knock or discount the time spent schooling or learning, it is a vital part of life.

Approximately 650GB monthly

[/b]
THE WILLIAMS TRAGEDY. When love is not enough, and DNA is never a bond but mere alphabets.
[b]Who Was Chief Frederick Rotimi Alade Williams?
Chief Frederick Rotimi Alade Williams (16 December 1920 – 26 March 2005) was a pioneering Nigerian lawyer and statesman, recognized as the first Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a key architect of the country's post-independence legal institutions.
Known affectionately as "FRA" or "Timi the Law," he came from a remarkable legal dynasty. His grand uncle, Rotimi Alade, and his own father, Thomas Williams, were called to the Bar in 1892 and 1927, respectively. He attended Methodist Olowogbowo Primary School and then CMS Grammar School before studying at Selwyn College, Cambridge, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1942, finishing up as a Barrister-at-law at Gray's Inn in London.

He set up the first indigenous Nigerian law firm in 1948 with Chief Remilekun Fani-Kayode and Chief Bode Thomas. In 1943, he became the first Nigerian solicitor to the Supreme Court of Nigeria. In 1957, he became the Western Region's Attorney General — the first Nigerian to be an attorney general. He was made Queen's Counsel in 1958, another first for him, as he was one of the first two Nigerians to be made one.
He was made chairman of the 49 "wise" Nigerians who constituted the Constitution Drafting Committee that fashioned out the 1979 Constitution.

Chief Rotimi Williams' family is the only one in the country to have produced five generations of lawyers: his grand-uncle Rotimi Alade, his father, himself, his children, and his grandchildren. In short, he was the greatest lawyer Nigeria ever produced — a towering colossus who shaped the nation's legal and constitutional foundations.

The Inheritance Dispute: What Happened to His Estate?
The Williams family comprised four sons from the same father and mother — Chief (Mrs.) Beatrice Ola Rotimi Williams. While the mother died on February 7th, 1998, the father died on March 26, 2005. Together, they had Chief Ladi Williams (SAN), Kayode Williams, Folarin Williams (SAN), and Tokunbo Williams (SAN).

The central and tragic irony is this: Nigeria's greatest lawyer died without a valid will. After his death at the age of 85 years, no single document, be it a will, valid legal vesting deeds, or a trust duly registered, was found on how the estate of the late Chief could be properly shared among his children.

Part of his assets comprised property in the United Kingdom and Nigeria, including 13 hectares of land in Lekki, Lagos State. Shortly after his demise, his four sons were at each other's throats over the division of their father's estate, setting the stage for court battles over how it should be administered. The estate is estimated to be worth approximately ₦26 billion.

Although they are all from the same parents, they are at war over their father's estate, scattered across Lagos, plus his shares in many blue-chip companies, said to be worth billions of naira. Ladi was not on talking terms with Folarin and Tokunbo; their wives and kids also do not talk.
The dispute spread across generations. The feud over time became so deep that it passed on to his grandchildren. The actions of individual members became so diabolical that it affected the progress and welfare of individual members. A former judge of the Lagos High Court, Justice Joseph Olubunmi Oyewole, had pleaded with the siblings to remember how they played together as kids and how they rode bicycles together, but one of the siblings replied: "That is village thought. We are not from a village."

As at the time he died, Ladi Williams had been looking forward to arguing a suit he filed against the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) before a Federal High Court, Lagos, seeking to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the indebtedness of his brother Folarin and two others in relation to the estate of their late father — involving over ₦2 billion in which they stood indebted.
Every effort of the legal community to wade into the matter proved futile.
Ladi Williams died on Sunday, October 3, 2021, of complications resulting from COVID-19, at the prestigious St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos. He died still locked in litigation with his own brothers, the feud outlasting him.

The Salient Cause of the Animosity
Several interconnected causes drove this deeply sad conflict:
1. Dying intestate (no will). This is the root cause. The supreme irony is that Nigeria's most celebrated constitutional lawyer left no will, no trust deed, and no succession plan for one of Nigeria's most valuable private estates. Without a will, Nigerian inheritance law (a mix of customary law, the Administration of Estates Law, and court-determined administration) creates a vacuum that competing interests quickly fill.

2. Perceived parental favoritism. FRA did not hide his soft spot for Folarin. Ladi and Folarin were no longer on equal terms because their father decided to give Folarin preferential positioning in the law chambers. When parents visibly favor one child, especially in matters of business and professional succession, they plant seeds of resentment that bloom catastrophically after death.

3. No clear succession structure for the law chambers. FRA's legendary law firm, Rotimi Williams Law Chambers, had enormous ongoing commercial value. Without a clear succession plan, the question of who controlled the chambers became entangled with personal grief, ego, and financial self-interest.

4. Respect and primogeniture. Sources informed that Ladi made it clear he was not interested in his father's property, but was insisting on being paid his due respect as the eldest son and child in the family. This reveals that the dispute was not purely financial — it was deeply about dignity, recognition, and the Yoruba cultural expectation that the firstborn son commands deference.

5. Spousal and third-party influence. The conflict infected spouses and grandchildren, suggesting that wives and in-laws may have amplified rather than moderated the brothers' tensions, a common pattern in high-value estate disputes.

How This Can This Kind of Tragedy Be Prevented Among Siblings
The Williams tragedy is a universal lesson. Here is how families, especially high-net-worth ones, can prevent a similar catastrophe:
Write a comprehensive will, regardless of profession. The bitter irony here cannot be overstated: FRA spent his career protecting people's property rights in court, yet left his own family legally exposed. Every adult with assets should have a properly drafted, signed, witnessed, and registered will.
Establish a family trust during one's lifetime. A properly structured inter-vivos (living) trust transfers assets into a legal vehicle with defined rules for management and distribution, bypassing the chaos of intestate succession entirely.
Appoint a neutral, independent executor or trustee. When family members are made executors over other family members, conflict is almost guaranteed. A professional trustee — a bank's trust company or an independent solicitor — removes the personal dimension from asset distribution.

Have honest family conversations about succession while alive. FRA communicated his preference for Folarin informally, which created resentment without binding legal clarity. Transparent family meetings — documented and witnessed — where a patriarch explains intentions and allows questions, dramatically reduce post-death conflict.
Address perceived favoritism head-on. If a parent genuinely wishes to give more to one child (for legitimate reasons — role in the business, care provision, etc.), this must be documented, explained, and ideally accepted by all parties while the parent is still alive to adjudicate disagreements.

Keep professional and personal assets legally separated. FRA's law chambers and his private estate were intertwined, creating a single large, contested pot. Separating business succession from personal estate distribution is sound planning.
Engage a family mediator or elder early. The Williams family's refusal to accept mediation — even from a respected judge — shows that pride can be as destructive as greed. Families should normalize professional mediation as a first resort, not a last resort.

The Williams story is one of the most poignant in Nigerian public life: a man who spent 60 years protecting other people's property rights in the courts left his own family in decades of painful litigation. The lesson it teaches every generation is simple — love is not enough; legal structure is what protects families when love is under pressure.

Toktee:
My daughter is late.

Wow. Accept my condolences. May God ease your pain and rest the soul of your beloved daughter.

EdonhappenTv:
Which network is this?

Rogers.

Sofistcatdmoron:
my own odu is very fast hewre
45 to 70mbps on normal days

Fast is relative. This is my own internet speed. A strong infrastructure backbone is crucial for telecommunication.

Toktee:
That's just the description.
Since the day my daughter was diagnosed with SS that day mark the day of fear in my life.
Always wondering what will become of me if this girl is finally gone,I lived with this though for eight years.....but as the bible says,what you fear the most will finally come to you......I lost my daughter january this year.
Sickle cell is terrifying..
It's excruciating..
It's evil.....

I empathize with you and pray your daughter live a healthy and happy life. But I think you should know that sickle cell disease is no longer the death sentence it used to be because of new breakthrough in medical science. Bone marrow transplant is a cure for this disease but like all new medical innovation, it currently cost an arm and a leg at the moment. hopefully it will get cheaper and affordable as more discoveries are made.

Hemanwel:
You need passport to do local travel again?

No. Any ID card will do, i.e drivers licence, student ID, Work ID, etc

My first flight was in 2010. It was a Monday, I had just gotten married on the previous Saturday, and was on my way from Lagos to Calabar for a 1-week honeymoon getaway at Obudu Cattle Ranch. My bride did not know it was my first time flying, so I had to compose myself and not give myself away. The takeoff was a little frightful, but I maintained steeze and did not betray my JJC. Landing was smooth as a feather, thanks to the highly experienced Captain in charge.
That fateful first ride has opened doors to several flights, both local and international, that I have lost count of flying. Indeed, the spouse you settle with in life is a major determinant of how your life will be. I blessed God for mine....16years and still counting, it has been favour, peace, progress, and blessings all the way.

zainjok567:
hi

please, my wife landed as PR in mid feb 2026. i was included as non-accompanying, she recently got a job as a casual employee. can i start my PR processing immediately? or wait till she gets a full-time employment

thank you

Is there a particular reason why you choose to be non-accompanying on your wife's application?

It may be faster and surer for you to go through Spouse Open Work Permit (SOWP) to join her and then apply for PR as a CEC (Canadian Experience Category) once you are in Canada.

Whichever way you decide to go, i think your application timing is mutually exclusive; it should have nothing to do with your wife's employment condition.

mascot87:
One thing is sure, you will develop kidney stone and if you are lucky like me that passed out 12mm x 11mm kidney stone after 11 months when I spent over 1.5 million in medication, tests and all then thank your God. If not, you will spend over 4 million on shockwave lithotripsy or urologist perform a surgery on you to remove it. Stay away from energy drinks

How were you able to pass out such big kidney stones? That is huge. The experience must be very painful.

Bobbyjay001:
-45? Which country be that!

-45 is common in the northern parts of Russia and Canada every winter.

jeff1993:
If there is something I noticed about those kind of Men, it's how ruggedly handsome they were in their youth.

Patrice lumumba
Malcolm X
Muritala Muhammed
Abacha
Osama bin laden
Hitler
OBJ
Ojukwu
Burkina Faso guy
Mandela

The Burkina Faso Guy is Thomas Sankara
As for being handsome, both good and bad guys can be handsome it has nothing to do with how they turn out.

ajimo54:
Shagari smoked like chimney yet died at 93. Wole Soyinka drank wine and 91 counting. My dad drank till 65 and today 89 still counting! Eat what u like and die when it comes.

You're wrong. The fact that these ones got away with an unhealthy lifestyle does not mean that there is no bodily harm in these vices.

There are exceptions to every rule, and even established policies supported by proven data have outliers.
The people mentioned are outliers, just like Magic Johnson was an outlier in the case of HIV.
Compare the lungs of an average smoker with the lungs of a non-smoker
Compare the liver of a heavy alcoholic drinker with the liver of a non-drinker and you will realise that emotions do not drive scientific and medical facts. Eat well and don't indulge in vices like excessive smoking and heavy drinking if you want your body to serve you well into old age.

The Japanese lifestyle is there to study if you desire a long and healthy life.

Tayorshd87:
Abi so all those scientifical backups and claims of stop this and that when u are 40 are fantastically wrong indeed 😆

There are exceptions to every rule, and even established policies supported by proven data have outliers.
The people mentioned are outliers, just like Magic Johnson was an outlier in the case of HIV.
Compare the lungs of an average smoker with the lungs of a non-smoker
Compare the liver of a heavy alcoholic drinker with the liver of a non-drinker and you will realise that emotions do not drive scientific and medical facts. Eat well and don't indulge in vices like excessive smoking and heavy drinking if you want your body to serve you well into old age.

The Japanese lifestyle is there to study if you desire long and healthy life.

Mirasteel:
Did you even read at all? a truck driver that was driving recklessly collided with the car that he was in, what is the kid fault in that?

You are wrong. That is not what the report said. And the guy you quoted is correct to say he is keeping bad company.
He was out at 1am with another 19-year-old fast& furious driver probably coming from clubbing with illegal substances in their possession, otherwise why would he not stop when he was blue-lighted by the Police

You have the power of choice. Use it wisely and powerfully to change the course of your life.
1. Delete all triggers i.e., betting app on your devices, avoid consuming porn, visiting bars & brothels
2. Leave your location and go to another location for a fresh start.
3. Replace every bad habit with a good one, i.e., porn with learning skills on youtube, betting app with Kindle or educating podcast etc
4. Change your circle of friends who indulge in the vices you are trying to break away from
5. Go for deliverance in a bible believing church and be committed to serving in the church
6. You will fall or fail occasionally, but never give up, The more you fall, the stronger your resolve to start all over again
7. Give your life to Christ, He will empower you to make the change you desire.

I wish you success.

lanresz:
You pay no taxes on rental accommodation. Same applies to unprepared food. If you buy food from restaurants, you pay taxes on the services.

But stores like Superstores, Freshco, Walmart, Costco apply tax on unprepared food items bought in their stores.