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Folarin Kehinde

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BREAKING: Veteran Actor, Charles Olumo, dies at 102

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Nigerian film industry and Yoruba cultural scene have been thrown into mourning over the passing of veteran actor, Pa Charles Olumo Sanyaolu, popularly known as Agbako, who died at the remarkable age of 102.

Leading reporters gathered that the veteran actor was said to have died early Thursday morning after taking a nap and complaining of slight tiredness.

President of Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), Bolaji Amusan, also known as Mr Latin announced his passing, saying burial details will be announced soon by his family and association.

Agbako, a beloved figure in the Yoruba film industry, is now remembered as the oldest actor within the Nigerian film sector, whose life spanned over a century and left an indelible mark on the cultural heritage of Nigeria.

News of Agbako’s passing was confirmed by fellow Nollywood veteran Jide Kosoko, who announced the somber event to colleagues and fans, sparking an outpouring of condolences from actors, filmmakers, and fans alike.

The actor’s influence on the Yoruba movie industry was profound, with countless admirers who grew up watching his performances in classic Yoruba films.

Agbako was renowned for his portrayal of bold and often complex characters, bringing a unique flair and authenticity to the screen that won him generations of fans.

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Strike: FG, SSANU, NASU in close door meeting

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Government is set to meet with the Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities on Thursday, October 31.

This was disclosed by Abdussobur Salaam, the vice president of SSANU who said that the meeting would occur at 11.00 am on Thursday to discuss issues surrounding the ongoing strike actions.

According to Salaam, the union received an official invitation from FG on Wednesday night.

“We received a formal invitation last night. The meeting is scheduled for 11 am today. It will be presided over by the Minister of State for Education and will be held in the Minister’s Conference Room,” Salaam stated.

Union members under JAC had earlier stated a strike action over issues of unpaid salaries by the FG.

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Reps propose bill to increase membership from 360 to 366

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The House of Representatives has introduced a bill to amend Section 49 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) to allocate six special seats for women and persons living with disabilities (PWDs).

The bill, titled “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) (Six Special Seats for Special Interest Groups) Bill, 2024 (HB.1811),” was presented for its first reading during plenary on Wednesday.

Sponsored by House Spokesman Akintunde Rotimi (Ekiti-APC), the proposed amendment seeks to increase the total number of representatives in the House from 360 to 366, with the six additional seats reserved specifically for women and PWDs.

According to the bill, these special seats would be distributed evenly across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, ensuring one representative from each group per region. Candidates for these seats must meet all qualifications required for regular House members.

The bill also proposes that elections for these roles would be conducted through an electoral college made up of members from the National Associations of each special group, with input from grassroots and regional levels in a multi-tiered election process.

It added that, once elected, the representatives would serve the same term as other House members and receive equivalent benefits, as outlined in the bill.

Rotimi stated that the bill aims to enhance representation for women and individuals with disabilities, who often face significant barriers to political participation.

“The inclusion of these special seats will ensure that the voices of underrepresented groups are heard at the national level, creating a more balanced and inclusive legislative framework for Nigeria,” he said.

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Insecurity:”Nigerians should carry arms for self-defence” Ned Nwoko insists

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Ned Nwoko, the lawmaker representing Delta North Senatorial District, again has called for Nigerians to bear arms for self-defence.

Speaking on Channels Television the senator defended a bill he proposed to allow Nigerians to bear arms.

According to the lawmaker, if Nigerians begin to bear arms, criminality will be reduced.

Giving an account of his personal experience, Nwoko said he lost his Senior Legislative Aide (SLA) to kidnappers in November.

“The estate was attacked by kidnappers going from house to house.

When they got to their door, my SLA told his wife to hide with the children. He opened the door to talk to them, and he was taken away. We never saw him alive again,” he said.

According to the Senator, if his aide or other community members had guns with them, the kidnappers would not had the audacity to attack them.

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Governors Move to Establish Constitutional Role for Traditional Rulers

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and traditional rulers have agreed to form a committee that will work on creating a clear constitutional role for traditional rulers in the country.

The decision was made on Wednesday during a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun said the purpose of the gathering was to focus was to discuss how traditional rulers could have a formal role in the constitution to help with governance, peace, and security across Nigeria.

According to him, there is already a bill in the National Assembly that touches on this, and the goal is to ensure that the right suggestions and input are added to it.

Governor Abiodun explained that the meeting resulted in the formation of a joint committee that includes both governors and traditional rulers. The committee will be led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma. Its main task is to gather and review feedback from various groups, especially traditional rulers and the communities they represent, to make sure their needs and wishes are included in the document that will eventually go to the National Assembly.

His words, “A joint committee of governors and our traditional rulers led by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma should be set up, and that committee should seek to ensure that the various remarks and comments that were made from those that were present that reflect the desires of those that they represent, should be included to make for a robust document.

Memorandum should also be called for and received, and all that should be synthesised so that whatever document will be presented to the National Assembly will be a very comprehensive, a very inclusive document that seeks to empower our royal majesties, royal highnesses more and seeks to involve them in governance, peace, security of our various states across the country, including the FCT.”

Abiodun said the meeting also discussed the issue of state police, gender-based violence and local government autonomy.

He said, “We spoke about the impact, or otherwise of local government autonomy on traditional rulers. The idea was to inform them of what the Supreme Court ruling means so that they have a better understanding of the impact of that ruling when implementation commences.

We further deliberated also on the issues of peace and security, food security, and all other emerging threats. The participation of our traditional rulers was also, again, underscored,” he said.

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Why Tinubu Appointed New Acting Chief of Army Staff – Presidency

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

President Tinubu has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as acting Chief of Army Staff.

Oluyede will stand in for the substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, who is sick.

This was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

“Oluyede will act in the position pending the return of the indisposed substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja.

“Until his appointment, Oluyede served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, based in Jaji, Kaduna.

“The 56-year-old Oluyede and Lagbaja were coursemates and members of the 39th Regular Course.

“He was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1992, effective from 1987. He rose to Major-General in September 2020.

“Oluyede has held many commands since his commissioning as an officer. He was Platoon Commander and adjutant at 65 Battalion, Company Commander at 177 Guards Battalion, Staff Officer Guards Brigade, Commandant Amphibious Training School.

“General Oluyede participated in several operations, including the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Mission in Liberia, Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi, and Operation HADIN KAI in the North East theatre of operations, where he commanded 27 Task Force Brigade.

“Oluyede has earned many honours for his meritorious service in various fields of operations. These include the Corps Medal of Honour, the Grand Service Star, Passing the Staff Course, and Membership in the National Institute.

“Others are the Field Command Medal, the Field Command Medal of Honour, and the Field Training Medal.

“Oluyede also received the coveted Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award.

“He is married and has three children,” the statement said.

It should be noted that Lagbaja was appointed by President Tinubu in June 2023, as the 27th Chief of Army Staff.

He replaced Faruk Yahaya.

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FG restores Power to Northern Nigeria after days of blackout

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Government has fulfilled its promise to restore power to the northern part of the country that has been in darkness for more than 10 days.

Special Adviser, Strategic Communication and Media Relations to the Honourable Minister of Power, Bolaji Tunji made this known in a press statement on Wednesday.

Tunji stated that restoration was achieved on Wednesday, October 30 as bulk power supply was restored through the 330kV Ugwuaji-Apir transmission line 1 as of 4:56pm, following the completion of repairs on the vandalized section of the line and in line with the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu’s promise that power would be restored within three days.

He gave the promise on Tuesday while speaking with the Senate Committee on Power.

The blackout which affected 17 States occurred when vandals damaged the Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line, which is the main power supply line to the north.

With the restoration of this line, the Apir-Lafia 330kV transmission line 2 is now operational, while bulk power transmission has been restored to Lafia, Makurdi, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, and Gombe States.

The engineering team will also continue restoration work on the affected sections of the vandalized 330kV transmission line two. All necessary materials for the repairs are on hand, while work will begin as soon as the site is secured for the safety of personnel.

In the meantime, teams of linesmen will re-patrol the 330kV line 2 to ensure that no other sections are impacted as the repair works progress.

Addressing the Senate, the Minister said to prevent repeat of the recent incident, urgent measures must be taken to secure the nation’s assets from being vandalized by bandits and terrorists.

He had also informed the lawmakers that the ministry was working in collaboration with the National Security Adviser (NSA) and other security agencies to ensure that normalcy was restored.

“What we are witnessing, particularly with regard to the power situation in the north is unfortunate but worrisome. I also want to inform you that it is far from grid collapse but purely sabotage and vandalism. The transmission line that takes power to the north was destroyed by bandits and terrorists and what can we do about that? It has happened before. This same line that transmits power from Shiroro to Mando and Kaduna was vandalized and we fixed it without anybody knowing about it. But this time around, it is extremely bad. The bandits also threatened our contractors, who were to fix the vandalized line and that is why we sought the help of the NSA and other security agencies to get the line restored”, he said.

“We have explored an alternative route, which is the Bauchi route though that one also was vandalised anyway but that is easier for us to deal with and that is why we can say that in two to three days, there will be electricity supply to the north”.

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BREAKING: Court Bars CBN from Disbursing Allocations to Rivers State Government

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to halt further financial allocations to the Rivers State Government.

The court ruled that funds should not be disbursed until a legitimate appropriation act is passed by a properly constituted House of Assembly.

The decision, issued on Wednesday by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, comes after the court found that Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s handling of the state’s finances since January went against the constitution.

The judge noted that Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 budget to a four-member Rivers House of Assembly was not in line with constitutional rules. According to Justice Abdulmalik, implementing this budget was a “gross violation” of the 1999 Constitution, which the governor had pledged to uphold.

As a result, the court has restricted the CBN, the Accountant General of the Federation, Zenith Bank, and Access Bank from allowing Governor Fubara to withdraw funds from the state’s revenue sources.

This development comes amid ongoing debates about the legitimacy of the state’s legislative body.

More to follow…

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NNPCL Breaks Silence on Alleged New Fuel Price Hike

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has addressed circulating rumours of a new increase in fuel prices, affirming that the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) has not changed.

NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye stated, “There is no increase in gasoline price that I am aware of,” countering speculation that prices had risen from N1,030 to N1,060 per litre in Abuja.

Chinedu Ukadike, spokesperson for the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, echoed Soneye’s sentiments regarding NNPCL’s ex-depot prices, stating, “NNPCL still sells to us at the same price.”

He noted, however, that independent marketers are currently facing a fresh price hike. “For Port Harcourt, it is N1,040 per litre; Abuja and Lagos are around N990 per litre,” he added.

This clarification follows an earlier price increase by NNPCL on 9 October 2024, when petrol was raised to N1,030 per litre.

The comments come at a time when the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has expressed concerns about petroleum marketers overlooking the company’s refinery capacity of 500 million litres of fuel.

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Homosexuality: I have never had sex with any man, Suspended RCCG Pastor cries out

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

A pastor Ayorinde AdeBello suspended by the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, has vehemently denied allegations of homosexuality.

Leading Reporters reports that his suspension, along with another pastor, was announced in an RCCG letter dated October 28.

The letter, signed by Sunday Akande, RCCG’s national overseer, pointed out serious allegations of homosexuality and ordered a thorough investigation into the allegations.

Reacting to the suspension, AdeBello in a post via his Instagram denied the allegations, stating, “I never engaged in sodomy with male teenagers”.

The pastor explained that his prolonged silence was misconstrued as an “admission of guilt”, which led to his response.

In the past few days, some allegations were made against me and some others via a blog on social media known as Gist Lover,” the statement reads.

“I had wanted to respond immediately when it was brought to my attention, but I was advised not to, as I was not the only one named, and all of us may have been mentioned to drive engagement on the blog.

“However, as these allegations have escalated to criminal claims, I am compelled to respond as my prolonged silence has been misconstrued as an admission of guilt.

He continued, “I have NEVER demanded sex from any male as payment or gratification to give them assistance, platforms or positions. God is the only king-maker, the only One who can raise and erase kings, and give positions and platforms.

“I have NEVER had sex with (*) or proposed sex to him for any reason.

“The questions in the screenshot were asked during a conversation in a male teenager WhatsApp group where discussions regarding Male Reproductive Health and self-esteem took place.

The teenagers were taught about the right hygiene for reproductive health, the right kind of underwear to buy, and that the girth and length determine the underwear size. I also explained that their sizes should not affect their self-esteem and that they are perfectly and uniquely created by God.

“It is disheartening to see that the screenshot message has now been mischievously quoted out of context to portray me as someone who has sex with male teenagers.”

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