BANKY W, ADESUWA ETOMI GET ENGAGED VERSUS MERCY AIGBE GENTRY';;S MARRIAGE CRISIS:
This has most likely being the best news in the media this week. Banky W’s announcement of his engagement to Adesuwa Tolulope Etomi on his instagram page has made the social media awesomely lovestruck. The news came out in the most romantic way as Banky described the engagement thus: “We crossed paths 2 or 3 times since 2012, but I wasn’t paying enough attention, Ironically, everyone who has seen us together in art, or in life, always insists that we have amazing chemistry. I guess you can say we have been hiding in plain sight. I fell in love with an Actress. Now my life is a movie.”
Of course, most people wished they got together and these fans sure did have their wish. On a lighter note, my heart goes to the several crushes of Mr. Capable who are probably having a mixed feeling because they also love Adesuwa Tolulope Etomi. We wish them a successful marriage and may all the ‘omowobes’ not separate them.
However, we have another movie star who unfortunately is having a hard time with her marriage. Our own beautiful Mercy Aigbe Gentry. Just this week a lot have been exposed about her 7years old marriage with Larry Gentry. According to reports in the media, her husband, friends and relatives have been trying to resolve the domestic conflict, but the actress appears unsatisfied as she has reported the assault to the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs for justice, However, Larry Gentry has denied ever raising his hands against his wife, stating that it was all a ploy by his wife to leave the marriage. Sincerely, we hope the truth is unearthed by the ministry of women affairs.
As a result of these entire crises in her marriage, Mercy Aigbe Gentry has made herself an advocate against wife battery.
But seriously, and emphatically, there is no reason enough for any man or husband to raise his hand against a woman or his wife.
FG ABSOLVES SARAKI FROM FALSE ASSET DECLARATION CHARGES
Interestingly, after 2 years of pending trials and hearings, the Federal Government of Nigeria has declared the Senate President, Bukola Saraki free from all false asset declaration charges leveled against him. The closure of the case was made on Thursday at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja when the Federal Government’s prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs could not present documentary evidences and testimony that could prove any of the 18 counts preferred against Saraki.
We say a hearty congratulation to the Senate President, who is free at last. However, more needs to be done by our justice system. Why must it take such a long time to adjudicate justice? Almost two years was wasted on a case that eventually proved nothing? Or are we being played on by the so-called unknown cabals again?
BUHARI’S HEALTH MISERY IN MYSTERY
Oh yes, the President’s health has also been another issue that has rocked the polity since the last three weeks. This week has concentrated more on the President’s absence from office and especially from the Federal Executive Council Meeting.
As at last week, it was reported that the President would be working from home then it became obvious that his health might be seriously bad when the president was observed absent from Jumat service last week Friday.
Then on Monday, May-day, Nigerians requested the where-about of their President but was met with another report that says the President would be presiding over the FEC meeting on Wednesday.
When Wednesday came, the President for the fourth time failed to attend the FEC meeting. The wife of the president even tried to downplay the health of her husband by coming out to thank Nigerians for their support when all the people request for is the plain truth about the health of their elected leader.
Some say the presidency has been hijacked while some say the President only needs to rest a while, but we say is let the truth be told, the people deserve to know the truth about their president.
In fact, it will be a political milestone for Nigerian politics to have an incumbent president transfer power to his vice-president because he needs to take care of himself. This indeed will break the record and establish the integrity of Buhari for a very long time.
JOLLOF RICE AND NATIONAL PATROITISM
National Patriotism is a big issue that we must address in this country. We have seen several cases where a president, a minister or a public officer fails to fully represent the country they have been appointed or elected to build in Nigeria.
The issue of ‘Nigerian versus Senegalese Jollof’ rice has raised this again. Our own minister of Information, culture and Tourism, Lai Mohammed gaffed right before the world by saying Senegalese jollof rice was the best. No now, that is not how to promote the country that pays you. However, the Vice president, Yemi Osinbajo disagrees with Lai Mohammed on this.
The Vice President in another National interview said categorically that Nigerian Jollof rice is the best, in an effort to personally correct the mistake of a minister who is paid for making mistakes and creating lies.
Haba!!! Dear Minister and Public officer, you are the number one image manager of our dear country, please do not fall our hand.
But seriously, this is what we should learn from this situation; most of our leaders do not understand that their primary duty is not to loot our money but to protect and promote the image of this country.
Again, dear Public officer, promoting the image of Nigeria is your first duty, even in your dreams.
2017 BUDGET JOINS THE WATING LIST, AWAITS SENATE DEBATE ON TUESDAY
Yet another event that made the week is the 2017 budget, which was allegedly carted away by the Police from the Senate leader, Ahmed Lawan’Ss house.
Well, the police have said they raided Lawan’s house but the budget was not in the list of things ransacked from his home.
However, there is another development in the media that the 2017 budget which was supposed to be presented before the senate this week will now be presented next week Tuesday.
Lawan noted that both the upper and lower legislative chambers were conscious of time contingencies, hence, both committees were meeting to harmonise figures in readiness for the chamber’s debate.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu also assured Nigeria that the lawmakers were aware of the expiration of 2016 for tomorrow. He added that 2017 budget would be passed without hiccups, noting that Nigerians should be patient. And patient Nigerians will be till the budget is passed.
CROSS RIVER MAYDAY VERSUS ABUJA MAY DAY: CONTRASTING REPORT CARDS
Cross River May Day Versus Abuja May Day was a contrasting report card for both the Federal government and state government.
While workers in Cross River were surprised by their governor Ben Ayade with the payment of May Salary on the first day of the month, workers in Abuja were bitter about the minimum wage and the state of affairs in the country.
The reports from Cross River read: “Cross River State workers yesterday evening received alerts of the payment of their salaries for the month of May. The payment, which was made on the eve of this year’s May Day celebrations, is coming a day earlier than last year when the state Governor, Senator Ben Ayade, ordered payment of May salary on the first day of May. Ayade has made salary payment one of his administration’s cardinal objectives with workers getting paid early every month. The payment of salaries for the month of May is coming barely a week after the payment of salaries for the month of April in the state.”
Reports from Abuja read: “Angry workers in their thousand disrupted the 2017 May Day celebrations at the Eagle Square, Abuja, over the failure of the Federal Government to give them a new minimum wage in the country.
“The workers insisted that the Federal Government had a responsibility to give them a definite position on the lingering issue of a new minimum wage in the country.
“The workers were also angry that neither the President nor the Vice President was at the event to address them on the grave issues of survival affecting them.
“The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, Speaker, House of Reps, Yakubu Dogara, Minister of Employment, Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige and other government functionaries, were publicly humiliated, on Monday, at the Eagle Square’s venue of this year’s May Day Celebration.
“All attempts made by former Comrade Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole couldn’t save the situation, as he was also stopped by workers who were chanting “we no go gree.”
We may say that this year’s workers day celebration was a report card for different administrations, not only in Nigeria but also all over the world.
Workers are clogs in the wheel of productivity; if they are not well motivated then we might as well be ready to be stagnant in this state to recession and underdevelopment.
BABAGINDA ALIYU AND SULE LAMIDO GET BAIL
The Former Governor of Niger state Babangida Aliyu and his Chief of Staff, Umar Nasko has been granted bail by a Minna High Court Judge, Justice Aliyu Mayaki.
Aliyu and Nasko were arraigned last week by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five count charge bothering on the misappropriation of over N4.5 billion belonging to the Niger state government.
The duo were remanded in the Minna Medium Security Prisons in Tunga last week Monday.
The bail conditions for Aliyu include a N150 million and a surety with property valued at N200 million, while Nasko was granted bail of N100 million and a surety with landed property worth N150 million. Counsel to Umar Nasko, Mamman Mike Usman said the bail conditions for his client was too harsh but it would be met.
Similarly to this, a former governor of Jigawa State was on Tuesday morning docked for allegedly inciting his supporters to violence.
Mr. Lamido was docked on a four-count charge at a court in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital. Meanwhile after four days of being remanded, he was granted bail on own recognizance by the court.
Interestingly, the prosecutor, Ikenna Ekpunobi, had argued that Mr. Lamido should not be granted bail as he could jeopardise peace in the state but the magistrate, Muhammad Lamin, disagreed with the counsel, noting that the charge against Mr. Lamido, of inciting violence, was bailable.
” (There is) no evidence before the court that if the accused person is granted bail he will jump bail and there is no evidence that other people will commit similar offence and that the accused will jeopardise peace of the state,” he said.
These two incidents however raises two questions: who determines the credibility of evidences presented in court; and if it’s the presiding judge, how credible are the evidences presented by prosecuting agencies like the police and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).
