Monarch blinds man's eye for dancing with queen

• Wasiu Oduwole a fish pepper soup seller's from Ikenne, in the Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State, is currently hospitalised with one of his eyes blinded. 
• According to our source. Wasiu was kicked in the eye by Nureni Oduwaye, a traditional monarch from the same community.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi confirmed the incident, while stating that the case will be brought before the court in due time. Photo: NPF Source: Facebook

Our source gathered that the incident  occurred at the Moore Blessing Hotel, Ikenne-Sagamu, when the monarch allegedly attacked Wasiu for  dancing with his queen.

While recounting his ordeal, Wasiu, in a sick and excruciating condition, stated that the monarch, his wife (the queen), and other guests were all invited to a birthday party at the Moore Blessing Hotel by the celebrant known as Iya Alaje.

Before the commencement of the birthday party, Wasiu revealed that he was contracted by the hotel’s owner, Yakub Omobolanle, to prepare 14 plates of fish pepper soup for guests at the event.

He said when he commenced preparation of the fish pepper soup, he discovered that the ingredient was not enough.

Wasiu said when the guest started feasting on the pepper soup, the hotel’s owner complained about how it was prepared.

He said:

“I told him it wasn’t my fault and that the ingredients were insufficient. After I was done with the cooking, I went into the bar and met the owner of the hotel, the celebrant, Iya Alaje, her husband, and a woman, who I never knew was a queen. I started apologising to them and I was told not to worry.

“The celebration was ongoing when the monarch, Nureni Oduwaye, entered. The deejay was playing and everyone was dancing. I was surprised as the celebrant and the queen were singing secular music. I commended them because people of their age and status don’t usually like secular music, let alone knowing the lyrics.”

Wasiu said suddenly; the monarch, who was already wearing an angry expression on his face, asked him to identify himself, and he told him that he was a relative of the hotel’s owner.

The monarch was said to have angrily dashed to his car, adding that the hotel owner and the celebrant’s husband ran after him. Iya Alaje’s husband after returned instructed him to apologise to the monarch.

Wasiu said:

“The queen was even asking whether I did wrong, but for the sake of peace, I went to apologise to him. When I got to where he was, I started begging him. I told him I was informed that he was annoyed because I was dancing with his queen and said I did not dance with her.

“As I was attempting to lie down to continue begging, he used his leg to kick my left eye. The injury in my eye was so severe that I was rushed to a nearby hospital from where I was transferred to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital.”

Wasiu, at present, is seeking justice, and he revealed that the monarch only checked on him once after an extended stay in the hospital.

Our source also gathered that the Police Command in Ogun state was informed officially.

However. Wasiu’s mother, Shakirat,  alleged that the police were trying to write off the case due to the monarch's influence.

She said:

“When I saw my son in the hospital, I almost fainted. I was advised to report the case to the Area Commander, Sagamu, and when we got there, I was crying and explaining to him, but he said we would have to settle the case.

"He said he is the son of a king and the person responsible for my son’s condition is also a king and for that reason, we have to settle the case. I am speaking up because I want justice for my son.”

The owner of the hotel, who confirmed the attack on Wasiu, said the monarch had been acting unremorseful.

Omobolanle said:

“When I was told that the monarch became angry because Wasiu was dancing with his queen, I had to tell him that I was the one who invited Wasiu to prepare the catfish and that he does not know his queen. He was just acting annoyed. The husband of the celebrant told Wasiu to beg the monarch and it was in the process of begging that the monarch kicked his eye.

“I was the one that rushed him to a hospital and paid the hospital bill. I have been told that Wasiu no longer sees with the eye.”

Oduwaye, when contacted, said he had visitors and could not talk to any reporter.

“You must come to Shagamu if you want to hear the facts from me,” he added.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident.

He said:

“The area commander confirmed that the case was reported and that it had been investigated and concluded. He said the case should have been charged to court on Monday but the monarch said he was sick and came in the evening.

“So, he told both parties to come on Wednesday so the matter could be charged to court but the complainant did not show up. If the complainant shows up, we will charge the case to court.”

ASUU will call off strike in days, Falana reveals

 Femi Falana, the lead counsel to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has disclosed that the academics' 8 months of industrial action will be called off in days, not weeks.

The senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) made this known at a book launch titled “Breaking Coconut with your Head”, written by Lanre Arogundade, in Lagos on Monday, October 10.

Falana reveals when ASUU will call off its strike Photo Credit: @ASUU_Nigeria Source: Twitter

According to the legal luminary, the strike will likely be concluded outside the courtroom.

Falana has been the lead defense counsel to the university lecturers after the union was dragged to the national industrial court by the federal government.

The union and the federal government had failed to reach a conclusive agreement that would warrant it calling off its strike before the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration took the academics to the industrial court.

However, the court ordered the union to return to classrooms and continue negotiating.

The union further appealed the judgment at the appellate court in Abuja, but the court of appeal said it won’t entertain the union’s case until it complied with the judgment of the industrial court.

Experts have said the failure of the union to comply with the court order would be considered as contempt which is punishable under the law.

There are indications that ASUU might not win against the federal government in Nigeria after the decision of the court of appeal.

The appeal court has asked the striking lecturers to obey the order of the national industrial court before it could entertain their appeal.

Misbau Lateef, the legal adviser of CONUA, the newly registered academic union, said no law of any responsible country will  allows workers to withhold their services for this long.

New Airport, Lekki investments may make Lagos the Dubai of West Africa

 Special Reports

Nigeria’s melting point, is said to be one of the largest economies in West Africa, almost twice the size of the economies of Togo, the Benin Republic and the Niger Republic.

It is the microcosm of Nigeria, has the biggest Gross Domestic Product (GPD) in the country with $91 billion, and earns far more than any other state from internally generated revenue (IGR).

Lagos State governor, governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dangote Refinery, airport and sea port Credit:NurPhoto / Contributor Source: Getty Images

Lagos also leads other states as the highest indebted in the country. Data from the Debt Management Office (DMO) states that the external debt of Lagos is over $1 billion.

According to BusinessDay, Lagos owes about $1.33 billion in external debts, leading the pack of other highly indebted states in Nigeria.

With over 20 million residents, vibrant commerce and good infrastructure, Lagos is also a choice destination for investors.

A report quoted the Lagos State government as saying it has attracted about $26.07 billion in the last two years.

Experts believe that the population of Lagos state is an attraction for investors as it houses two thriving seaports, Apapa and Tin Can ports.

There are other investments in Lagos capable of transforming the state into West Africa’s biggest economy.

Still partly under construction, the Lekki Deep Sea Port will compete with federal government-owned and operated ports and will process about 4 million tons of cargo annually. It will have a container volume of 2.5 million Twenty Equipment Units (TEU) in a year.

Estimated at $19 billion, the Dangote Refinery will produce about 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day and a storage capacity of 4.74 billion barrels of crude oil.

It is projected that the operational refinery would ease Nigeria’s fuel problem, crash the price of imports and confine petrol scarcity to the past.

The Lekki Free Trade Zone sits on about 3,000 hectares of investment space with 132 free-trade enterprises and seven investment-rich sectors and has about 320 million market size.

To complement the huge investments pouring into the Lekki axis, the Lagos State government announced that it would build a new airport in the area.

Vanguard reports that the construction of the new airport in the Lekki-Epe area will commence in 2023.

The state government declared on its official Instagram handle on Friday, October 7, 2022.

Ope George, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, stated on Thursday, October 6, 2022, that the government had already gotten the required approvals from the Nigerian government to fly the new airport.

George said the new airport would be constructed on 3,500 hectares of land in the Lekki-Epe area.

With investments flowing into the state, analysts believe it would soon outpace other countries in West Africa to emerge as the biggest economy in the region.

If this happens, Lagos will be on its way to becoming the Dubai of West Africa.

Legit.ng also reported that a social media post shows a notice by Surulere local government in Lagos re-introducing radio and television licenses in Lagos as against NCC guidelines  to drive the council’s internally generated revenue.

The council in its reaction to a,  post on Twitter  handle @AnuoluwapoSis said, “They said we should be paying using television.”

'Yes, it's true,' local government says.

Obajana: Coalition warns Dangote Cement

 

With the growing crisis between the Kogi state government and the management of Dangote Cement company over the ownership of the Obajana factory, the Coalition for Truth and Justice has accused the company of disrupting the peace and security in Kogi state.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, October 9, the coalition alleged that the insistence by the company on recovery of its shares in the Obajana cement factory is causing tension and agitation in the state.

The Dangote Cement company . Photo: Dangote Group Source: Getty Images

Led by its secretary, Musa Attah, the coalition warned the company against deploying the tactic of name-calling and ultimately causing turmoil and threat to the security and peace of the people of Kogi state.

Quite a lot has been playing out since the Kogi state government sealed the cement company in the Obajana community over an ownership tussle.His words:

"The worrisome component of this underarm tactics is that Dangote Industries is yet to satisfactorily refute the claims by the Kogi state Commissioner for Information, Mr Kingsley Femi Fanwo, that the company held a clandestine meeting at which it plotted to sabotage the state using federal might.

"The dangerous plot includes actions to disrupt the peace and destabilize Kogi State over the insistence of the state to recover its shares in the company.

"These planned activities by the Dangote Group of Company will have far-reaching effects. Considering that the plan of using Dangote trucks to block the flow of traffic for instance would hamper recovery from the fuel shortages caused by the disruptions from the flooding of the road that had prevented haulage of petrol.

Further accusing the company of peddling stories that suggest a mob action by the Kogi state government against the Dangote Group, Attah noted that the report of an inquiry by the state showed evidence of shady dealings which led to the recommendation of the constitution of a specialized technical committee.

The committee according to Attah was saddled with the responsibility of evaluating the entire transaction on Obajana Cement Company Limited.

He, however, warned the halt further attacks on the people and government of Kogi adding that if the company thinks that it has a claim to Obajana Cement Company plc, in spite of the documents released by the state government, it should go to court.

He added:

"We warn that on no account should Dangote trucks obstruct traffic flow in any part of Kogi state.

"We advise other states where Dangote Industries operate to urgently review transactions entered into with the company by their past administration so that they can remedy any identified lapses since the company has proven to be addicted to policy manipulation and government capture.

"We urge the Federal Government to take steps to restore citizens’ confidence and prove that Dangote Industries does not own Nigeria as the company’s officials were captured on tape as saying at the meeting where they plotted to sabotage Kogi state and by extension the whole of Nigeria."

Attah also called on the people of Kogi to unite along party, ethnic and sectarian lines to support the state government in addressing the excesses of a monster that has too often made their state a killing field in its pursuit of profit.

On his own, he assured that the coalition will continue to monitor the development in Kogi state and will respond as necessary.

Kogi state government is looking at taking over Obajana cement plants from Dangote Industries Limited.

The move is set to have a serious effect on Dangote's wealth as the factory in Obajana is its biggest cement plant in Africa.

Dangote Industries Limited has reacted to the move and also the sealing of the factory. 

Dangote cement and BUA cement are Nigeria's two most valuable listed manufacturing companies.

BUA foods, another company, owned by Abdulsamad, sat in the third position, while Nestle Nigeria completed the list of top four valuable manufacturing companies.

The ranking of the banks is according to data from the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX).

Uzodimma tasks Ndi Igbo on negotiation skills in politics, bullet-proof vehicles surge ahead 2023 general elections

 Governor Hope Uzodimma has charged Ndi Igbo to strengthen their negotiation skills to play politics effectively at the national level.

Uzodimma made the comment at the public lecture tagged 'Igbos quest for Nigeria’s unity', in honour of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu in Owerri.

The lecture was one of the events lined up to celebrated the 80th birthday of the elder statesman.

Meanwhile, as preparations for the 2023 general elections gain momentum, the demands for bullet-proof Sports Utility Vehicles have increased significantly across the country.

Very Important Personalities, top chieftains and candidates of political parties have been procuring customised vehicles that offer special protection in the run-up to the campaigns and elections.

Apart from ordering armoured vehicles, it was also learnt that politicians were applying for special police protection and procuring other security wares.

Federal Lawmaker Calls for Scrapping of Nigerian Senate

The member representing Ovia federal constituency in Edo state, Hon Denis Idahosa on Sunday, October 2 called for the scrapping of the Senate and the introduction of a unicameral legislature to reduce the cost of governance in Nigeria.

The federal lawmaker made the comment in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.  

Hon Idahosa ; Photo credit: @HouseNGR Source: Twitter

He said the Senate, one of the two chambers of the National Assembly, should give way if the country is serious about cutting the cost of governance.

His words:

‘’I strongly believe that the Senate should be scrapped, not because I’m a House of Representatives member, but because most of the legislative jobs are done by the lower house, which is the House of Representatives.

“And then to reduce the spending. We have limited resources now as a nation. So having these two houses, I don’t think it’s a smart thing.

“If we are going to cut our expenses or spending, I think one of the houses should be scrapped, which I suggest should be Senate.

“This is because we only sit three times in a week. We are being paid salaries to work for Nigerians; we can extend the three days to five days, while we have one house taking care of both jobs.

“So I think to reduce the unnecessary spending that we are actually involved in, the best thing to do is to reduce it to one for more accountability.”

On the performance of the 9th Assembly, Mr Idahosa, who is the chairman of the House Committee on Legislative Compliance, said the assembly had done remarkably well.

To tackle systemic racism by police more data needed: UN experts

 

A man holds a placard outside the Minnesota governor's residence during a protest on March 6, 2021; a UN group of experts was appointed after Floyd's murder to investigate global systemic racism. Photo: Kerem Yucel / AFP/File Source: AFP

A dearth of data in many countries on the race and ethnicity of people arrested or killed by police presents a major barrier to tackling systemic racism, UN investigators warned Monday.

Speaking before the United Nations Human Rights Council, a group of experts appointed after the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a white US police officer insisted it was vital to make systemic racism around the world "visible".

There is a "crucial need to collect, analyse, use and publish data, disaggregated by race or ethnic origin", Yvonne Mokgoro, a former South African judge who heads the UN's so-called Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the context of Law Enforcement.

The team of three independent investigators were presenting their first report to the rights council since it appointed them last year, with a broad mandate to investigate racism by police worldwide.

Mokgoro said it was clear "racial profiling, excessive use of force, and other violations of international human rights law, during and after interactions with law enforcement officials and the criminal justice system, continue to be reported throughout the world".

But, she warned, this "largely does not show in official statistics".

Mokgoro acknowledged that more data alone would not resolve "longstanding racism".

But she said it was "an essential first step to highlight the magnitude of systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent and its manifestations in law enforcement and criminal justice".

"It is essential that systemic racism, including its structural and institutional dimensions, become visible."

In the United States for instance, where the killing of Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed black man, in Minneapolisin on May 2020, sparked mass protests, there is no centralised system to collect such statistics across more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies.

But some NGOs and media organisations scramble to gather the data to get an overview.

Collette Flanagan, who founded Mothers Against Police Brutality after her black son Clinton Allen was killed by police in Dallas, Texas in 2013, told the council his case was emblematic of "the current crisis in policing in the United States".

She said a black person was "2.5 times more likely to be shot" to death by police in the United States.

Her son was unarmed, yet the white officer who shot him seven times "perceived my son as a threat", she said.

"This officer escaped all criminal and civil accountability for killing my son."

The United States is not the only country facing this problem.

Presenting a separate report Monday, acting UN rights chief Nada Al-Nashif provided updates on seven cases highlighted by her office last year of police-related fatalities, including Floyd's, but also cases from Brazil, Britain, Colombia and France.

She said none of the cases had "yet been brought to a full conclusion, with those families still seeking truth, justice and guarantees of non-repetition".

She highlighted some positive examples of efforts in various countries to act against systemic racism, but warned they largely "remain insufficient".

US Ambassador Michele Taylor welcomed the report, and that it acknowledged "the progress, continued efforts and dedication to this issue in the United States".

"We will continue our efforts to dismantle racial discrimination in law enforcement against people of African descent."

Source: AFP

Post Malone Receives Medical Attention After Falling Through Trap Door Onstage in St. Louis

 

Entertainments.

Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

Singer Post Malone suffered apparent injuries to his ribs Saturday night after taking a hard fall on stage during a show in St. Louis.

Malone was performing “circles” when he tripped on an uncovered hole in the stage that was used to lower equipment. He laid on the stage for several minutes after the fall before medics assisted him to received medical treatment after falling on stage at his show in St. Louis on Saturday night. 

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Post took a tumble while performing “Circles.” Medics came and took the rapper away. 

 He eventually stood and was helped off the stage, but told the crowd he would return.

After a 15-minute delay, he came back and resumed with an abbreviated set, holding his ribs and visibly wincing at times before performing “Rockstar,” “Cooped Up,”

“St. Louis, I’m so fucking sorry I ruined the show tonight, ladies and gentleman,” he said. “I promise next time I come around, I won’t fucking wreck y’alls night, I’m sorry for that. That being said, fuck… That being said, I want to thank you for your patience and I’m sorry.”

“There was a bigass hole in the middle of the stage that I busted my ass on,” he continued. “I want to say thank you to everybody for hanging in there and thank you to everybody for… I got the best fucking fans in the world.”

The tour has just started for Post Malone, with dates planned  through the middle of November. 

No statements on his condition or the status of those shows has been issued as of yet.