Businessman and All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain in Rivers State, Tonye Cole says the presidential system of government is an anathema to the Nigeria’s tradition and culture.
Cole, the 2023 APC governorship candidate in the oil rich state stated this while featuring on Channels Television Programme, Politics Today on Friday, saying this is why the system has not worked for the country.
Nigeria must embrace a system that both suit its culture rather than practising the presidential system that’s obtainable in the United States and the Parliamentary system as being practised in the United Kingdom.
The APC chieftain spoke few days after some lawmakers in the National Assembly proposed a rotational presidency, which they insist is capable of promoting inclusiveness in the country.
The motion was however rejected by majority of members in the House of Representatives.
According to Cole, practising Presidential or Parliamentary system as it works in the US and UK respectively cannot be suitable for Nigeria because the two systems and democracy are “contrary to who we are.”
He added that the presidential system has not worked in Nigeria because it has been hijacked by a few, citing counties such as China and Arab countries which settled for a home-grown political models that are now working for them.
He stated that Africa had their own political systems before the Europeans came, wondering why Africans cannot practise the model that suit their culture and tradition. enies
“Let us build an African,” Cole affirmed saying foreign models have failed to work in the continent. 0:00 / 0:00
Cole: “This American system that we call the Presidential system in Nigeria, we need to go and readdress it. We cannot import the parliamentary system of the UK, and it will not work here; we cannot import a presidential system, and it will not work here.
“Every African in their country are satisfied with the political system and democracy they have, but they will tell you no. Why? Because it is contrary to who we are, absolutely contrary.
“Let us build an African, Nigerian-focused political system, and we will have it. We had a political system before the Europeans came, and we had a political system even when the slave trade was going on. So, what are we running away from? We know what to do.”
On Tuesday, lawmakers in the Nigeria’s House of Representatives shut down a motion calling for rotational presidency among the six geopolitical zones in the country, saying this is not the solution to the country’s myriads of problems.
One of the lawmakers, Aliyu Madaki while opposing the motion said, “Rotation of the presidency should not be a constitutional matter.“Existing political parties already have internal mechanisms to ensure fair and equitable representation in the distribution of offices during elections.”
Also, Sada Soli representing Katsina state criticised the bill as “disingenuous,” warning that it could compromise the quality of leadership.
Soli said, “Adopting a rotational principle for the presidency will not serve the country’s best interests,” he said. “It will fuel regional and ethnic rivalry.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has revealed how he was searching for the new Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade l before his coronation in April this year..
According to the president, he at a point, wanted to reach out to the former Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau to help find Oba Owoade who had traveled back to Canada after his selection by the Oyo state government as the 46th Alaafin of oyo.
The President stated this on Friday when he received Oba Abimbola Owoade I, during a visit at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Tinubu lauded the monarch for leaving behind a track record in Canada before he came back to the country to mount the stool of his ancestors, adding that Oba Owoade is a good ambassador who loved his country, saying the new monarch new monarch has demonstrated good character and discipline, while also trying to uplift the Yoruba culture in Canada.
The president urged the new traditional ruler to join hands with his administration in building a prosperous nation.
Tinubu: “You created anxiety at the time the nomination was announced and your return to Canada. I’d wanted to call the President (Prime Minister); sincerely, I wanted to call the President of Canada. We were together in Brazil when he told me he’d not run for office again.
“I wanted to ask him whether he can help me locate my Alaafin, but I was later assured that you went to sign off.
“I’m glad that you’re a beacon of hope to the rest of our race; the good name you left behind in Canada; how you represented our race as a hardworking engineer who wants to develop this country. It’s a good thing that you’re back, you’re crowned, and you came here first. I really appreciate that.
“We have to put hands together to build a nation of prosperity; a nation that God Almighty will continue to see as a nation of peace, stability and progress,” Tinubu said.
The magazine reported that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state appointed Oba Owoade as the Alaafin of Oyo on January 10 to succeed the late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi lll who joined his ancestors last year.
An explosion from the cooking gas section of a filling station in Port Harcourt ,on Friday May 16, 2025, left over five persons seriously injured.
Similarly, no fewer than ten vehicles were damaged and burnt, when part of the Nobpet Filling Station sited opposite Airforce Junction in Rivers State capital went up in flames following the loud explosion.
Most of the burnt vehicles belong to a transport firm which is located very close to the filling station.
Although no human casualties were recorded, eye witness accounts, however said that over 10 vehicles parked at the loading bay of the transport outfit were torched by the inferno from the exploded part of the filling station.
The fire resulting from the explosion took the combined team of personnel of the Rivers state Fire Service, and those from the fire fighting unit of the Nigerian Air force some time to put out.
“We were all waiting for our turns to load our vehicles at the premises. I was, almost, getting ready to load mine from Port Harcourt to Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, when the incident occurred .
As I was trying to open my vehicle’s boot, I heard a loud sound and I fell down immediately.
I managed to get up, and ran away. But my vehicle was damaged. Some people, including me, sustained injuries. Luckily, no death was recorded.
Some of the injured persons whose cases were serious were taken to the hospital with an ambulance belonging to the Nigerian Air Force .
Also, the Fire Service personnel came to put out the inferno. But when they ran out of water, the Air Force also assisted with their own fire fighting equipment ,which eventually brought the situation under control”, one of the drivers whose vehicle was affected volunteered.
Curiously, while some passersby were trying to put out the inferno before the arrival of fire fighters, most of the people within the precinct of the Filling Station frantically scampered for safety, thinking that the incident may have been the handiwork of either vandals or terrorists.
This Magazine gathered that the general air of fear and apprehension was caused by the precarious security situation in the state occasioned by the festering political crisis.
The crisis led to the proclamation of State of emergency in the state by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a development which has not really helped the situation.
Troops of the 6 Brigade/Sector 3 of Operation WHIRL STROKE ,OPWS, on Friday, May 16, 2025, announced the killing of two banditry elements in a clearance operation in Jebjeb Community, Karim Lamido Local Council of Taraba State.
The operation, which was said to be intelligence-driven,also, led to the recovery of over 1000 rustled Cows in the mainly Fulani enclave.
A statement from the Brigade’s spokesperson, Captain Oni Olubodunde, informed that the operation which was carried out with a sister outfit, Operation SAFE HAVEN, was sequel to the receipt of credible information about the movement of no fewer than 30 suspected bandits on motorcycle, into Taraba State from Plateau State.
Earlier, the criminal gang was said to have engaged in a massive Cattle rustling operation in the Jebjeb area of Karim Lamido Local Government which a predominantly Fulani community.
“Troops of 6 Brigade, in conjunction with their counterparts from Operation SAFE HAVEN, deployed in Kampani area of Wase LGA, Plateau State, mobilized and projected forces toward Komodoro village, in Karim Lamido LGA.
Upon contact, the bandits who had already fled across the river boundary into Daji Madam Forest in Plateau State, were engaged in a fierce firefight”, Olubodunde stated.
According to him, during the gun duel, two of the hoodlums were neutralized, while about 1000 rustled Cows were recovered from them.
He explained that the recovered, cattle were instantly moved to Jebjeb Community, noting that efforts are ongoing for their owners to identify and collect them
This is just as the Commander of the Brigade, Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, commended troops for their swift and decisive response.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Brigade in confronting criminals and their activities in the area.
The phone call came in the afternoon of Saturday, May 10. I was particularly tired and very low in spirit. And, usually, when I’m that way, I don’t take calls. My doctor’s advice. “Comfort, drop the phone, particularly when you are tired. Rest. Shut your eyes. Don’t talk.” That is the wahala I have been going through since the past four years when my doctors began to, literally, run my life.
But this call was from my maternal home, Ihiagwa. I am proudly Chris Asoluka’s “nwa-nwa”. There are calls one does not ignore. This was one of them. So, I took it. After the initial pleasantries which had began to irritate me because the caller kept asking, repeatedly, if I was okay, the next question “arrested” me. “Have you heard what happened, what we are dealing with now?” I paused. He sighed. And added “life”. So, I thought somebody has been kidnapped, or somebody’s farm has been invaded by rogue herdsmen. I mean, those are usually the most current news from the South-east. Many people, including yours truly, have developed shock absorbers to such news. We just sigh, shake our heads helplessly, and life drags on. But none of those was the case. This was a combination of thunder, lightening, earthquake and tsunami. “Chris Asoluka died”, he dropped the bomb slowly. I had no response. But I slowly sat on the floor to avoid a fall because I had immediately began to sweat dangerously even though the room was cold. My mouth instantly turned dry. I was just gazing at my phone. Speechless. And then, I screamed: “Nneka!”, and cut off the phone.
The news was difficult for me to process. There must be a mistake somewhere, I finally concluded. Chris called and spoke to me just about a month earlier. He said he and his lovely wife, Nneka, just thought about me; that we hadn’t spoken for sometime; that they plan to come visit me in the house; he was apologetic he hadn’t called for a couple of months but quickly told me he had, also, been out of the country where he underwent surgery. So, we agreed to see as soon as I was back to the country. And now this.
This is not true; there must be some mistake somewhere, I consoled myself. Wishful thinking. But, with faith in God, I picked the phone and called two people I was sure would know. I called my cousin, Chief Martin Agbaso. As soon as he picked and I heard his voice, soooo very low, I knew Chris had gone. Two of them were great friends and each other’s confidant. I was reluctant to ask him for details. But I needed to know how and why? So, I called another good friend of his, Nick Oparandudu. We spoke. And my blood pressure shot dangerously up thereafter. After about two hours, I had the courage to speak with Nneka. It was no use. She was “silently” hysterical. I was loudly hysterical. She was in the village. And would come back the next day, she managed to tell me. I managed to hear that.
Chris always wanted to pass on in his village:
So, Chris planned his own passing, was my conclusion; in his own terms. He always talked about passing on at home anytime it was time for him to go. He would, jokingly, we usually thought, talk about how he hated it when somebody died, and the body would be wrapped up and transported home in the luggage compartment of an airplane. He didn’t like the hassle or the discomfort and inconvenience the process gave family members. He thought it was a disruption of other people’s lives and activities. Just like him. A gentleman of the first order. He hated hassles. He hated any inconvenience to anybody. So, that must be why it took less than 24 hours after he passed for his family to announce the devil-cursed news, funeral dates included. That was what he wanted. He hated too much protocol.
Morbid sense of humor
Anybody who knew him knows he had a sense of humor. He spoke slowly. Never raised his voice. Full of wisdom. Played with proverbs. Played with words. Held his audience spellbound with his combination of serious points, words of wisdom, proverbs and humor that cracked one’s ribs. But atimes, his humor can be morbid.
Take these two.
When he lost his eldest sister in London, and having lost all the others, he became not only a confirmed orphan but the only one of his siblings alive. So, he would tell his wife: “Nneka, pamper me o. If you don’t, I will join my siblings. And everybody would have a good laugh and add “Nneka, pamper him ooo!”
And this. One day, after a funeral at a beautiful private cemetery in Lagos, he turned to Nneka: ” I kind of like this place. They are all neighbors. It’s like a Community. When I die, may be you should bury me here so that at night, all of us neighbors will come out, sit down and be telling stories. If you bury me at Ihiagwa, I will be alone there. No neighbors.” From Nneka was “God forbid”
And Asoluka was a consummate family man
He loved his wife and children to the moon and back. He had three children, but particularly had a special bond with his only daughter, Somachi. I remember the day Soma wedded. After the father- daughter dance which we thought he enjoyed, Chris came to where I was, and broke down in tears. He asked me for a handkerchief to wipe his tears I had a good laugh at him, said ‘shame’, and in addition to the handkerchief handed him his sunglasses which he kept in my custody. “Jealous, protective father, cover your eyes so Soma will not see them red”, I taunted him.
Chris always wanted his family around him. And, without them knowing, he planned it to be so on his death bed. He made sure Nneka and Soma were around him all through the few days in hospital when nobody expected his passing. He was alert; was never put on oxygen; was discussing with his wife and daughter and his medical team. Soma cheered him on. Hung onto his every word, every movement. Applauded him each time he took his medicines, or when blood was drawn from his vein for different tests. “Good job daddy,” Soma will tell him. “Okwuruoha, Okwuru Owere”, she would hail him. And they would hold hands. Nneka will tell him: “You know I’m leaving here with you. Once you are stronger, we leave.” Nothing prepared her for her husband’s passing.
The man and his books, the mentor
He loved books. He authored quite a few. And was not denied the company of books even in the hospital. Soma was around to read for him. She would sit by the bedside and read since he couldn’t hold the book by himself because of all kinds of medical “gadgets” attached to his hands in particular.
He loved to impact knowledge on others. He did that while in the hospital – to his medical team.
An accomplished development strategist, an accomplished financial guru, Lawyer, Asoluka mentored not a few people. One only needs to go to the internet which has been on fire, literally, since his passing. Testimonies from those he mentored are coming in like claps of thunder. While in the hospital, he continued with his mentoring, guidance of his medical team in his own field and other fields. He was home to any subject.
The man with a Community spirit.
He loved his community. He was proudly Owere, and proudly Ihiagwa – his community. He, always, thought about things to improve his Community, to improve Owerri. The Ihiagwa -Nekede – Owerri road was one of his greatest worries, his nightmare. As he was being transported to Owerri from Ihiagwa a couple of hours after he fell ill, his thoughts were on that road. As the vehicle, no thanks to the bad road threw him up and down, he said he had discussed the road with his good friend, Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma and was hopeful he would not fail him; that the road will get same treatment as the scores of others the Governor handled.
Now, the urgent prayer is that when his body will be transported from Owerri to Ihiagwa on July 27, the road will not bounce his casket/body around; it will be so smooth so that Chris will be smiling and hailing the Governor for honoring him in death.
The man with a a kindred spirit, proudly Owerri, unadulterated Igbo
Since Chris Asoluka’s passing, from Lagos to the USA to Canada, it has been all very moody, dreary and long faces for my siblings and I. It has been rivers of tears. One of my younger sisters whose wedding Chris and Nneka were sponsors has been inconsolable. A man with a great kindred spirit, I didn’t need to ask him to be the sponsor. It was a role he offered to play, especially, when he knew that my sister’s husband is, like Nneka, Anambra. At the wedding reception, he was all over the place to make sure everything was okay, everybody was comfortable. Aside from my siblings and I being his “nwa- nwa,” we had a special relationship with him. He was “our big brother!” and we are devastated by this sudden separation.
In Lagos where he lived, he was in the forefront for the fight for the progress of the Igboman. He had been the President of the intellectual engine room of the Igbo, Aka Ikenga, Lagos. He was a solid Ohaneze member. He had sort, once, to be its President, to give it a new direction, but quickly, and quietly withdrew when the office became controversial. Chris was a Federal Parliamentarian where he put his people first. He was Imo State’s Commissioner for Finance at a time where he showed unprecedented zeal, patriotism and accountability.
Dr. Chris Chigoziri Asoluka
Why I am angry
My anger over Chris Asoluka’s passing boils to high heavens. I am not just angry, I am incensed. Chis’ passing is like somebody who had crossed the Atlantic Ocean, crossed the Pacific Ocean, only to drown in a stream.
The questions I have been asking nobody in particular are: “What kind of joke did this guy pull on everybody? What kind of magic is this? What kind of ‘wayo’ is this?” I am not going to lie that his health had been 100 per cent for some months, but whose health in Nigeria is 100 per cent? Who is absolutely free from these silly illnesses? We are all dependent on our medications, on the whims and caprices of our doctors.
There was nothing to suggest that Chris was in danger. The time we thought he was bad had since past by months and months. He was taking his medications religiously. He was keeping to his appointments with his doctors- both within and outside Nigeria- religiously. He was strong. He was going about his businesses. He was playing the role of husband, father, grandfather, big brother and mentor to many. There was no sign that it was his time to be harvested from Mother-earth by the great Creator. He was not ripe. If he was not strong, would he have gone home for the funeral of the Traditional Ruler of Ihiagwa, HRH Eze Lucky Ajoku? It was a funeral he ended up even not attending because he suddenly fell ill on its eve.
Why did the devil-cursed illness not begin in Lagos where his doctors were, even though I understand the hospital he was taken to in Owerri is well equipped. It would have been easier to handle him in Lagos and/or air-ambulance him out. In deed, an air ambulance, provided by a worried friend of his was ready and waiting. But there was so much confidence in the hospital where he was that the air ambulance was asked to just wait, “let’s see.” I mean, from all indications, he was doing very well. Hope was high. Nobody thought of death. Which death? Then, suddenly…
How did we lose somebody like Chris just when Owerri needed him most. Brilliant. Urbane. Dignified. A combination of good looks, brain, wisdom. Chai!
What a waste!! And I don’t mean that his life was a waste. He had achieved all there was to achieve. A family of lawyers – father, mother, children. Beautiful, loyal and loving wife, successful children. Academically, Chris was solid; had a couple of Master’s degrees and capped them with a doctorate degree, not honorary! Well respected in the society. Had friends that mattered. Yet, it is difficult not to describe Chris Asoluka’s sudden passing as a waste of everything good. How does one even refer to him in the past?
So, this other day, nervously, I went to see Nneka in the company of Agbaso and lovely wife, Robin. And even though there were a number of people there, the house seemed so empty without Chris. It was so strange. Eerie! My eyes kept dashing from upstairs to downstairs in a failed expectation that Chris could just walk down donning his infectious smile. His absence was so conspicuous that even the dog in the house noticed. The poor white, fine dog kept looking at faces miserably. He would end up at Nneka’s feet, look up at her face, then walk away to Chris’ usual chair. Sit down. Look up and down the empty Chair. And make the rounds again. An emotional Nneka explained: “He is looking for Chris.”
Weep, Owerri, weep! First, it was Paschal Dozie. Now, it is Chris Asoluka at just 70 years. It is well with our souls. God’s will, we are always told. He just picks us up like that to come stay with Him.
Chris nne m. Nwoke oma. Ome nwanne. Okwuruoha! Okwuru Owere!! Peace. Peace. Peace. Good trip!!!
How Lawyer, Client, were murdered as they left Court room
The Anambra State Police Command, on Friday, May 16, 2025, said that calm and normalcy have been restored in Isuofia Community, Aguata Local Council after Thursday’s deadly gun duel between Security Operatives and some hoodlums.
The incident which occurred at a security checkpoint Thursday evening resulted in the death of two of the gunmen and a Security Operative.
A statement from the State Police Command Spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, SP, informed that the attack also led to the razing of one security operational vehicle.
According to Ikenga, the gunmen launched a surprise attack on the security team manning the checkpoint ,shooting sporadically.
However, a swift response from the security operatives led to the neutralization of two of the armed hoodlums, with one security personnel paying the supreme sacrifice.
“Two of the armed hoodlums were neutralized in the process. Regrettably, one of the security operatives, was fatally wounded, while one of the security operational vehicles was burnt by the bandits”, the police spokesman stated.
Instructively, the attack on the security outpost, occurred same day some yet-to-be identified assailants shot and killed a lawyer and his client in Nanka community in Orumba Local Council of the State.
Eye witness accounts informed that the legal practitioner and his client were double-crossed and shot by the gun men operating on a motorcycle ,while on their way home from the court
According to the Police preliminary investigation the lawyer had earlier secured the bail of an accused person in an ongoing murder case at the state High Court II in Ekwulobia.
He was said to be driving home in celebration mood in company with his client, when the assailants struck.
The police further explained that one of the victims of the attack, however, survived ,and is recuperating at a medical facility.
The survivor is also said to be assisting the police in its investigation of the matter.
The bodies of the dead ,as well as the lawyer’s vehicle ,a Toyota Camry ,have been recovered,according to the police.
Further speaking on Friday ,Ikenga noted that the State Commissioner of Police CP Ikioye Orutugu, while condemning the attack on the security checkpoint ,has directed the immediate deployment of special operatives to track down the other fleeing members of the terrorist group.
According to the Police statement, other members of the gang abandoned their Toyota Sienna operation vehicle and fled into the nearby bush after the death of two of them.
CP Orutugu ,while describing the attacks as a test of Anambra residents’ resolve to collectively work with security agencies to rid the State of criminals ,also vowed to deploy every available means in hunting down the perpetrators .
Lagos, Nigeria commercial hub and one of Africa’s largest and vibrant cities, has been chosen by the African Union Commission, AUC, and the International Committee of AFRIMA to host the 2025 edition of the prestigious All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, where it will welcome leading and budding African music superstars, creative industry professionals, international media, members of the diplomatic corps and fans of African music from around the world.
Lagos got the nod to host one of Africa’s biggest events at a landmark event held at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the African Union also revealed the much-awaited AFRIMA 2025 Calendar, detailing the events, key dates, and milestones that will lead up to the grand finale, which will take place on November 25-30, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria.
The AFRIMA 2025 is anchored on a bold theme titled, ‘Unstoppable Africa,’ which was also one of the key elements revealed at the Addis Ababa event.
Jointly announcing Lagos as the host city for AFRIMA 2025 with Jannet Hadadi from Morocco, a key figure in music distribution and publishing in Northern Africa and the middle East, Angela Martins, Director for Social Development, Culture and Sport at the African Union Commission, said the state has consistently been an excellent host She noted that Lagos’ strong track record is a key reason the AU and the International Committee are confident it will once again deliver a world-class event.
“I warmly congratulate the city of Lagos for being chosen to host AFRIMA 2025. The city truly reflects the spirit of African music full of rhythm, creativity, and vibrant energy. Lagos has the right mix of modern facilities, good hospitality, strong media presence, and security and transport systems that make it ideal for hosting a major global event,” she said.
AFRIMA 2025 is expected to feature over 1,600 nominees, including their teams, over 60,000 visitors and delegates, more than 2,300 production crew members, and an audience of over 400 million viewers globally during the live broadcast.
At the unveiling, which took place at the AFRIMA 2025 Music Conference, the AUC and the International Committee, announced that the entry submission for AFRIMA 2025 will officially open on May 27 and close on August 8, 2025. Artists, producers, songwriters, and other music professionals from across the continent and diaspora are encouraged to submit their works via the AFRIMA digital portal.www.afrima.org.
The well attended 2025 AFRIMA music Conference featured two explosive panel sessions with conversations centered around the future of African music in the world, monetization, Skill acquisition and knowledge sharing, intellectual property regimes, royalty and collecting society, leveraging intersection between technology, AI, IOT and media,music beyond borders and sustaining global collaborations.
The calendar also outlines a series of major events leading up to the main awards ceremony, including country and city tours. The #RoadToAFRIMA2025 Tour will energize cities across Africa and the diaspora. It will kick off in Morocco, then continue to Tanzania, Paris Cote d’Ivoire, and London. The tour will return to Nigeria in Delta State before culminating in Namibia from October 31 to November 1.
The adjudication process will be held from August 12–19. The World Media Conference announcing the 2025 nominees is scheduled for August 27, while public voting will open on September 5 and close on November 28, 2025.
The celebration will hit its peak during the AFRIMA 2025 Awards Week from November 25 to 30, with exciting events like the Diamond Showcase (Nov 25–27), Opening Soirée (Nov 26), Africa Music Business Summit (Nov 27–28), Music Icons’ Night (Nov 27), school visits and the AFRIMA Music Village/Festival, Host City Tour and Luncheon Reception (Nov 28) followed by the Nominees & Industry Party and ending with the Main Awards Ceremony on Sunday, November 30. Live Broadcast on 109 stations in 84 countries across the world.
Jumoke George, Veteran Nollywood Actress of Yoruba Genre has cried for help.
The Actress who has been homeless for over six years and bedridden has eventually reached out to her fans, colleagues and Nigerians to come to her aid as she is said to be living in a Church at Agbado, Lagos State.
George, known to have hugged the limelight and entertained many over the decades, recently made a public plea for help, disclosing that she has been ill and homeless for six years now.
In an interview on ‘Talk to B’ hosted by actress Biola Adebayo, the thespian amid tears, narrated her current travail.
George who had featured in hundred of movies in Yoruba and also acted in the award-winning movie such as ‘Wedding Party’ as a caterer, revealed that as a sad mother, said she has been looking for her missing child for some time now.
The host, Biola shared the sad tale of the veteran actress, on her Instagram handle on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
“Please pray for me, mothers in the world. Help me with your prayers. I have never ruined anyone life. I am tired, I can no longer bear it.
“I don’t have a home, I don’t have anything and a child of mine is missing. I don’t have good health; I am tired and exhausted. I’m living in the church, most times it’s the church mummy that feeds me,” she disclosed in the interview.
Fans who commiserated with her have lamented on the challenges veterans endure, demanding for quick help, succour and berating her colleagues for not coming out to support her.
Taking to the Social Media, her fans reacted to present state;
#ade_dayo wrote, “Yoruba actors and actresses, you all need to do better. You don’t help each other, but if it’s a party or movie premier, you fit use one million to do outfit. That’s bad for that industry. You all need to help each other not just oju aye every time.”
Fash Daddy tweeting as #thefashygram commented on X.com, “Is this for real? I feel so bad for this woman coz she’s a really good actress.”
CFC Omotayo tweeting as #sheyi_omotayo wrote, “I swear she isn’t telling lies. The church is in my street in Agbado. The way she walks sometimes makes me think it’s her size not knowing she has been sick, people stare at her in the street like she is rich, we didn’t actually know she’s going through a lot.”
#iamtrinityguy who wrote on Instagram said, “Honestly, in this industry, we need to be checking up on each other. This mummy was homeless for some years and nobody knew. It’s so sad to see our legends facing these kinds of conditions.”
However, her daughter has been located in Mali. What is not known is why she left without her mother’s knowledge, and why she is not in touch with her.
Akumarun Okoloke town, an agrarian community in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, has been hit by the gale of abduction ravaging the State.
In a bizarre manner, the Monarch of the Community, Oba J.D. Ogunyanda, was abducted.
He was abducted by gunmen numbering 30 early Thursday morning.
Okoloke, a peaceful town situated along the Egbe-Patigi road in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, is an active food production community renowned for its rich cultural heritage.
Early report on the incident explained that the Monarch, who is a second class traditional ruler, was kidnapped in his Palace, in the early hours of Thursday by the gunmen suspected to be Fulani herders.
Sources who confirmed the development disclosed that the ruler was taken away by the gunmen to an unknown destination.
His abductors have yet to make contact with the community or demand for ransom.
A resident of the Community, Moses Ayodele, stated: “The state of things in our land is dire, with fear hindering entry and progress despite its potential. We cry out to God for deliverance, believing that heaven helps those who help themselves.
“The sons and daughters of Okoloke and Yagba West are demanding security, justice and the safe return of our beloved monarch.”
There has been an escalation in the activities of terrorists and bandits in the Western Area of Kogi State in recent times, which has forced travelers to avoid the area as much as possible.
Many people in the area are said to have been forced to abandon their farms and houses, and are relocating out of the locality.
A prominent Nigerian journalist and public commentator, Steve Osuji, has issued a blistering public statement calling for an urgent and transparent investigation into the recent Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination mishap that has sparked nationwide outrage, concern, and now—accusations of a cover-up.
In a strongly-worded message shared on a professional media platform, Osuji lambasted both the Ministry of Education and JAMB, alleging that the events surrounding the flawed computer-based (CBT) exams in a specific zone may have been more than an error—they could be part of a wider orchestrated concealment.
“I have been in journalism long enough to know when there’s an orchestrated and predetermined cover-up,” Osuji stated. “What I initially thought was an error may not be so upon further reflection.”
Osuji criticized the Education Minister for prematurely blaming students without proof, and questioned why JAMB delayed admitting fault until the tragic death of a reportedly traumatized student and mounting public pressure.
He emphasized that computerized exams should produce immediate results, suggesting that anomalies in the data would have been instantly noticeable if the system were functioning honestly.
Key Concerns Raised:
Delayed Accountability: JAMB only admitted fault days after the incident, raising suspicion.
Opaqueness in Procurement: Osuji questioned why the identities of contractors responsible for the technical failures remain undisclosed.
Trauma and Death: The death of a young candidate linked to the glitch, and the potential psychological impact on many others, has largely gone unacknowledged by officials.
Systemic Issues: The commentator called attention to broader issues of corruption and inefficiency across educational agencies under the current minister’s watch.
In what could be interpreted as a call for legislative intervention, Osuji urged the House of Representatives to open a formal enquiry into the matter—not just to hold individuals accountable, but to strengthen the integrity of national examinations going forward.
“JAMB and all national examination bodies are too important to national development. Their integrity cannot be left to negative conjectures,” he wrote. “The contractor that has been blamed must be named and the enquiries must extend to JAMB’s procurement methods.”
Osuji’s remarks have since ignited debate among journalists and education stakeholders, many of whom now echo his call for transparency and reform.
The JAMB incident comes at a time when public trust in national institutions is already strained, following controversial elections and growing discontent with governance standards.
