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  • Effervescent Bolaji Akinyemi at 80: They don’t come this good anymore – By Magnus Onyibe

    Effervescent Bolaji Akinyemi at 80: They don’t come this good anymore – By Magnus Onyibe

    By Magnus Onyibe

    Even at an octogenarian age of 80 , professor Bolaji Akinwande Akinyemi still sparkles.

    He does so in many ways and especially with the program that he hosts and broadcasts on YouTube every Thursday , aptly titled “ThruMYeyes with professor Bolaji Akinyemi.”

    For the information of those who are yet to become devotees/enthusiasts of the program, it is an interactive forum with a menu of current issues on international relations and foreign policy which the mercurial professor Akinyemi dishes out to his audience as the chief chef. And that is in addition to the fact that he was deputy chairman of the National Confab held in 2014 whose far reaching recommendations have the capacity to change Nigeria for good.

    The import of his active presence in the foreign relations space where he remains a towering figure is magnified by the fact that he exited the position of Nigeria’s minister of External Affairs in excess of 35 years ago (1985-87).

    Yet professor Akinyemi is still a force to be reckoned with at home by virtue of the critical role that he played during the 2014 National Confab and in 2007 , as a member of the justice Mohamed Uwais Electoral Reform Committee set up by late Umar Yar’adua ; and abroad , where his footprints in his chosen field of law and diplomacy remains larger than life.

    Arising from the above, I can state without fear of contradiction that professor Akinyemi’s bones are ingrained with matters relating to international relations and affairs which by now must be a major component of his DNA since that is a space in which he has been both as a student and a practitioner for more or less 60 years of his 80 years sojourn on planet earth.

    Is it not amazing that at the youthful age of 27, the intellectual powerhouse was already a professor? That is owed to his acquisition of outstanding academic laurels from some of the best educational institutions in north
    America -the prestigious Fletcher school of Law and Diplomacy, Boston, USA , where he obtained a masters degree and the highly acclaimed University of Oxford,England where he received his PhD.

    With the hefty academic laurels in his kitty between 1975 to 1983 he was the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA-a foreign policy think tank which was a natural fit for him to head for five years before having a stint as a professor of political science at the university of lagos from 1983-85.

    Subsequently, the military government that was not partisan, but rather keen on finding round pegs for round holes , did not hesitate in appointing him the minister of External Affairs at a young age 33. Although, he served as minister for a relatively short period of two (2) years, (1985-87) he made such a positive impart that his work has continued to shape our country’s foreign policy some 35 years after his eventful tenure.

    Apart from the Technical Aids Corps (TAC)which was conceived and implemented under his watch to render assistance to fellow Africans free of charge and in the process bolster Nigeria’s leadership influence across the continent, professor Akinyemi is also the architect of the Concert of Medium Powers which is a trade and political bloc of medium power countries with regional influence that were being positioned to counterbalance, via collective bargaining, the over bearing activities of then supper powers – the USA and Russian over less powerful countries world wide.

    But European and other medium powers, most especially the likes of Sweden failed to buy into the concept, probably because , it was not propounded by one of their own , and perhaps owing to a contrived superiority complex that Europeans tend to assume that they have over Africans , they could not yield to the leadership of such a novel and positively disruptive initiative to Nigeria.

    As a result of what l would like to term miasma of despair on the part of the potential beneficiaries of the concept in the developing world and the Western world tendency to collaborate with their neighbors and allies to exploit the underdeveloped world, particularly Africans , the otherwise excellent idea propounded by the erudite professor Akinyemi suffered atrophy.

    Unbeknownst to the nay sayers , professor Akinyemi was well ahead of his time.

    It is worth pointing out that the intendments of Akinyemi’s policy proposal to birth the Concept of Medium Powers, was later realized through the emergence of China in the global scene as a formidable force that has been playing a countervailing role which has had a moderating effect of diluting the suffocating influence of Europe and North America over global trade and politics, an agenda which the visionary Akinyemi was pursuing through the concert of medium powers an idea which he first propounded way back in 1987.

    Without any iota of doubt, such a globally positively disruptive policy could not have sprang forth from no less an intellectual mind than that of professor Akinyemi who has drank from the fountains of knowledge in both the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts university, from where he obtained his masters degree way back in 1966 barely a couple of years after l was born. It is note worthy that the Fletcher School is an institution of learning that owes its establishment to World War ll . This is because it was after the war that the compelling need to set up an institution with specialization in global affairs to mitigate a future breakout of global war was addressed with the birth of the Fletcher School. It is also significant that professor Akinyemi, the man being celebrated is also a product of the university of Oxford, which is the flagship citadel of learning in Europe renowned for being the training ground for some of the world’s greatest thinkers.

    Regrettably, Nigerian policy makers or public office holders are no longer as grounded as they used to be as reflected by the impeccable intellectual pedigree of Akinyemi , simply because the criteria for public office is no longer based on merit but on nepotism or partisanship.

    The reversal in the fortunes of our beloved country is evidenced by yawning gap between the way and manner our country is currently perceived Internationally, compared to the days when a well grounded technocrat like Akinyemi was at helm of affairs in foreign policy formulation desk,first as Director General of Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, NIIA and later as minister of External Affairs where he was turning out superlative policies that rankled the supper powers and which made them hold Nigeria in awe due to the brilliant ideas emanating from our technocrats such as Akinyemi.

    Because some of our public office holders like Professor Akinyemi were so well versed in their areas of primary assignments,they made international media headlines through their dynamic and ground breaking ideas and concepts.
    Such sagacity conferred on Nigeria not just the prestige of being the leader of Africa, but also a formidable force in the world stage.

    How can it be forgotten that it is based on the potency of the pioneering work done by the likes of professor Akinyemi in positioning our country as bastion of hope for Africa with people bristling with bright ideals that could change the worst , that Nigeria was tipped to be a part of BRICS, which is a group of countries including Brazil,Russia,India and China (BRIC) an acronym of the nations identified by Goldman Sachs economist, Jim O’Neal in 2001 as countries that would dominate the world economy by 2050.

    But following a series of political miscalculations that have bedeviled our country, not limited to , but particularly stemming from the failure of military president, lbrahim Badamasi Babangida, IBB (1985-1993) to keep to his promise to hand over political power to civilians in 1993 after MKO Abiola was believed to have won the presidential elections held on June 12 of that year ; and instead a more tyrannical military dictator, Sani Abacha , ascended the throne as military head of state.

    His ascension was preceded by his ouster of Ernest Shonekan as interim head of state, after IBB stepped aside, and the consequence of the upheaval was our country’s loss of the opportunity of joining that exclusive club of emerging economic and political power bloc famously known as BRIC at that time.

    Remarkably, Nigeria’s loss was South Africa’s gain , as it was the S in South Africa, that got incorporated into the acronym to form BRICS.

    That is simply because it is within the same period that the obnoxious apartheid that scourged the conscience of the world was killed, and therefore a precursor to the emergence of the late civil rights struggle icon , Nelson Mandela who got released from prison to become president of South Africa in 1994 after a long period of oppression of black majority by a white minority.

    Thus instead of BRINC with N, if Nigeria was chosen over South Africa, we dropped out of the league.
    And since then, owing to the sordid image of our country, both at home and abroad, the nation’s fortune has been on a downward spiral.

    This is underscored by the fact that these days, Nigeria is only mentioned in the global media for the wrong reasons. As a person of impeccable character and pristine pedigree , one can not celebrate Professor Akinyemi without referencing his incorruptibility.

    So as a breathe of fresh air in the fouled sociopolitical atmosphere prevailing in our country, whereby the malfeasance of public office holders, stinking to the high heavens, is the new normal; Bolaji Akinyemi’s public service record can be an elixir of sorts.

    His story,(history) is guaranteed to bring back the feelings of nostalgia about the brilliance and high voltage intellectualism that were once the hallmark of our public servants.

    That is quite the opposite of the current narrative of financial malfeasance which are the trademark of a preponderance of our public servants, particularly the likes of Abdulrazaq Maina , the pension funds task force leader who re-looted stolen pension funds running into trillions of naira that he was tasked with recovering and ex petroleum resources minister , Deziani Allison-Madueke, whose jewelry allegedly acquired with stolen oil/gas money was recovered and sold for huge sums, the value of which would make the infamous Imelda Marcus of Philippines green with envy.

    That the exploits of professor Akinyemi in exemplary public service to his fatherland is a touchstone of sorts in the annals of our beloved country, is not debatable.

    For those that may not already be aware , it is professor Bolaji Akinyemi-ex Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA and former minister of External Affairs , that introduced the concert of medium powers-a conglomeration of medium power nations with the capacity and ability to promote trade between and amongst themselves by forming a global political block as counter force to the dominance of the super powers who control the United Nations, UN and other Supra National organizations as well as Bretton Woods institutions such as the IMF, World bank , WTO and related agencies being used to manipulate the world order.

    But before shining more light on Akinyemi’s remarkable accomplishments as a colossus in international affairs , astute public servant and purpose driven leader of high integrity , allow me digress a bit by highlighting the disconcerting state of affairs in our country arising from lack of a broad world view by our current leaders culminating in the mismanagement of our diversity. That is sadly the reason that our country is now mentioned in the same breathe with failed countries like Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria either for the rising tide of terrorism or listed alongside Libya , Sudan, Mali and Ethiopia notorious for violence driven by the struggle by aggrieved members of the country seeking to be separated to form their own countries due to religious intolerance or ethnic rivalry between the multiple ethnic nationalities that constitute the country.

    Despite the magnitude of corruption that is endemic in public service Bolaji Akinyemi,having been sired by a clergy man and educationist , Reverend James Akinyemi is an epitome of integrity. Hence, although he served in premium roles in government , he has no real estate assets like mansions in high brow neighborhoods of ikoyi , lagos or Maitama, Abuja. Instead, he dwells in a modest home, not on the lsland as most public servants of his caliber who attained the level of cabinet minister, are likely to, but in the mainland of lagos.
    Compare him to the obscene situation whereby the immediate past petroleum resources minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke has been indicted for frittering away billions of oil money , some of which was used to acquire an obscene collection of jewelries and personal accoutrements that got seized and which would make Imelda Marcus(Philippines infamous First Lady who acquired 3,000 pairs of shoes) green with envy.

    And even consider the case of Abdulrasheed Maina , a pension funds task force chairman assigned with the duty of recovering looted pension funds running into trillions of naira , which he re-looted and anti graft agencies uncovered and jailed him.

    The negative effect of the heist by the pension funds looter, the compromised former minister of petroleum resources and other corrupt public and civil servants may be adversely impacting the likes of professor Akinyemi who may not be regularly receiving their pension dues as retired public servants that served without blemish. The above assertion is underscored by the fact that with the legendary irregular payment of pensioners dues which is the dishonorable trade mark of our government , honest retirees such as professor Akinyemi who did not dip their hands into public treasury to create personal retirement benefits for themselves by engaging in corrupt practices, may be in jeopardy.

    One lesson that l have learnt from the story of professor Bolaji Akinyemi is that: military regimes did a better job picking appointees for technocratic posts than politicians simply because they were adept at casting their nets far and wide to find Nigerians with the best fit for the roles as Ministers and Directors General of Ministries , Departments and Agencies, MDAs. And they did a good job hence a positive image of our country soared even if it was under military dictatorship.

    The assertion above is validated by the fact that it was under military regimes that we had the likes of indubitable Professor Akinyemi leading foreign affairs ministry, the erudite professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti heading the health ministry and outstanding professor Babatunde Fafunwa being in charge of education ministry. All of them were round pegs in round holes at different points in time under the watch of the military.

    Apparently and understandably , our political leaders are unable to achieve such high level of professionalism in appointments to strategic public offices owing largely to the need to be partisan by rewarding those who were in the trenches with them during elections and thus helped them to prevail over their opponents.

    In my view , there is need to strike a balance between professional politicians and professionals in politics in the choosing various heads of MDAs in order to deliver on campaign promises made when seeking to be elected.

    On a personal note, professor Akinyemi is my intellectual role model. It was he who influenced me, without his knowing it , to pursue a masters degree program in Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy because as a young impressionable man, l longed to plant my feet his footprints, career wise.

    After my academic pursuit in Fletcher, l had also planned to build on it by attending the university of Oxford for a doctoral degree as professor Akinyemi had done by obtaining his doctor of philosophy degree, PhD from Trinity college, Oxford.

    Having applied and was considered suitable by the authorities in the university of Oxford for the academic pursuit, l was torn between remaining in the political arena to harness the reward of my role in the emergence of late Umar Yar’adua as president in 2007, and sacrificing my ambition of obtaining a PhD from the university of Oxford as professor Akinyemi had done.

    Regrettably, I opted for the former and lost the latter.

    Since then, as the conventional wisdom goes , a lot of water has passed under the bridge.

    It was Eleanor Roosevelt that once stated that “If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor.”
    Professor Bolaji Akinyemi is not only an intellectual role model, but also a style icon.

    He it was that popularized bow tie wearing on a daily basis as opposed to wearing it only to weddings, for ball room dances or other special occasions.

    As l watched him on television, l got so enamored and sucked in by his bow tie so much so that when l became a banker, l developed the knack for also spotting bow ties even to work on a daily basis.

    But my obsession with bow ties was scuttled by an overzealous executive director in the bank where l was working then, and who banned, with military alacrity, my wearying of bow ties to work as a banker.
    Readers can now figure out who influenced me to the extent that the most popular photo of me that accompany my published essays and book is the one where l am spotting a bow tie.

    It is in the bid to permanently hold on to the memory of professor Bolaji Akinyemi, my intellectual mentor, that l had the privilege of having him write the forward for my soon to be released book: “Becoming The President of Nigeria. A Citizen’s Guide”.

    In conclusion , l would like the world to join me in wishing the effervescent foreign policy leadership icon , a maestro in political science, an administrator per excellence and octogenarian who turned 80 on December 4, 2022, Bolaji Akinwande Akinyemi a very happy 80th birthday anniversary.

    ONYIBE, an entrepreneur, public policy analyst ,author, development strategist, alumnus of Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA and a former commissioner in Delta state government, sent this piece from lagos.

    To continue with this conversation, pls visit www.magnum.ng

  • Truth spoken before its time: Professor Bolaji Akinyemi at 80! – Hope Eghagha

    Truth spoken before its time: Professor Bolaji Akinyemi at 80! – Hope Eghagha

    By Hope O’Rukevbe Eghagha

    Any man who has spent eighty long years on earth in good health would, ought to acknowledge longevity as God’s gift. Especially so in Nigeria where the average life expectancy is 54.69. Achieving the 80 year milestone is not by hard work. It is not because one had lived by the rules – nutrition rules, health rules, spiritual rules. Or engaged the best doctors. Employed the best nutritionists. Walked gingerly through good and bad roads. A long life as we now understand it is not by mathematical calculations. It is often outside the control of man. So, when a highly visible and iconic public figure as Professor Bolaji Akinyemi turns 80 on 4th of January 2022, we must roll out the flowers and drums with great panache in thanksgiving to God. As a man of faith, son of a cleric, my big mentor and public service model, Professor Akinyemi acknowledges the grace of God in his life!

    His signature cute and ubiquitous bow tie which became the acme of the sartorial elegance of the iconic Professor Bolaji Akinwande Akinyemi as a public official in the 1970s has remained etched in our memory and consciousness some thirty-five odd years after he left formal public office. It is true that he has quit public office, first as Director-General Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) under the Murtala/Obasanjo military administration and later as Minister of External Affairs under the Ibrahim Babangida administration. Yet, this eclectic public intellectual in the Henry Kissinger tradition has not quit the public space thanks to a very active media presence. He is an interviewer’s delight, often displaying a profound and historical if socio-scientific understanding of contemporary national and international political and social issues.

    Yet, to reduce our remembrance of Akinyemi to sartorial matters reduces, indeed profanes the gamut of intellectual contributions of this public intellectual to the development of policy framework in Nigeria. As a man who bubbled and still bubbles with big ideas on national development, foreign policy, interethnic relations, international relations, electoral reforms, and national security, Akinyemi straddles decades of public service. In all of this, Akinyemi comes forth as a man who spoke truth before its time! What else can we say of a man who in 1987 proposed the need for the ‘black bomb? Or a man who had the temerity to suggest the Technical Aid Corps idea to a military government and had the energy and gusto to see it implemented?

    In the heady days of the military in government in Nigeria, one institution that stood out both in quality of activities and presence in the media was the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) where Akinyemi directed affairs from 1975 till 1983. He worked with military Head of State late General Murtala Mohammed whom he had access to on policy formulation and implementation. No one familiar with Nigeria’s foreign policy at the time in question would forget Murtala’s ‘African has Come of Age’ speech and the tough stance Nigeria took on South Africa and the liberation movement in southern Africa. The seminars, lectures, and conferences organised by NIIA were a regular in the academic space of Nigeria, a veritable town and academia dialogue. All events were highly visible, what with the presence of who-is-who in government at the time, from both the Executive and judicial arms of government. Generals, other army officers and public intellectuals made the NIIA a regular in the calendar of social engagements. Visiting Heads of State and Prime Ministers inevitably stopped by at the NIIA for public lectures. It was during the years when public officials dared to engage in academic discourse, entertaining a variety of ideas and strategies. What ever happened to that culture? The fecund mind and energetic man behind the foremost position of NIIA was the then Dr. Bolaji Akinyemi, a returnee from American and British universities located at the University of Ibadan. How was he able to pull such quality crowds to the lecture hall of the NIIA? That that institute has become a shell speaks volumes of the man Akinyemi.

    At the Ministry of External Affairs where he held sway from 1985 to 1987, Akinyemi brought a high quality of thinking into diplomacy. It was during this period that he showed the charisma of a Kissinger in diplomatic and foreign affairs, attending and representing Nigeria in different international events. We had referred to the Technical Aid Corps (TAC) scheme which saw Nigeria exporting manpower to less fortunate countries. The purpose of the scheme was ‘to promote the country’s image and status as a major contributor to Third World and particularly African development’. Professionals such as medical doctors, engineers and teachers served in the programme and projected the image of Nigeria as a medium power in world affairs. He developed a principled framework which underpinned the trajectory of foreign policy at this time – the ‘Concert of Medium Powers’. It was dramatic to name his call for Nigeria to develop nuclear technology the ‘Black bomb’, with all the innuendos on the word ‘black’. Yet it resonated across the country and some thirty five years after, we still pine over lack of energy generation and supply!

    Outside government, Akinyemi forayed into national activism under the aegis of NADECO when the time came to challenge the fatal impunity of Maximum Ruler General Sanni Abacha. Sacrificing his comfort and safety he went on exile through the popular ‘NADECO route’, with all its hazards. The thrilling drama of a sudden exit from Lagos in full disguise, facilitated by coded actions and words and a small chain of helpers, to escape the murder squad of the Abacha days is story for another day, forthcoming in his biography. The academic became a hero in the fight for democracy. And when he returned to Nigeria after restoration of democracy, the Yar’Adua and Jonathan governments respectively appointed him to serve the nation in committee work – the Electoral Reform Panel, Committee on Boko Haram, and the 2014 National Confab in which he functioned as Deputy Chairman. He still gives lectures on policy making and implementation though in 1983, he gave a highly cerebral lecture on ‘A Farewell to Policy’!

    Professor Bolaji still carries the smile of youth in his old age, with the infinite capacity to laugh robustly when the need arises, with the appropriate anecdotes and jokes. I admire his ability to take on serious issues of national and international importance with remarkable aplomb and consummate dexterity, practically thinking on his feet. He still maintains the poise of yore, with the well-maintained afro-hair style. An ardent believer in the corporate existence of a restructured Nigeria, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi does not look 80, does not walk 80, does not work 80, does not think 80, and certainly does not think 80! His thoughts are lucid his speech pattern measured as a statesman, sure and certain; and his power of recollection almost as sharp as it was thirty years ago! What else does one ask of God at Age 80?

    In concluding this tribute at 80 to a distinguished scholar, father, and grandfather, academic, public intellectual, mentor, foreign policy adviser, team player in committee work, social-cum political activist and foremost visionary in the corridors of power I dare say that Akinyemi is a man who spoke truth before its time. At 80, it may not be creation morning; still, it is not an exit time for a man whose training in Igbobi College, Christ School Ado Ekiti, Temple University Philadelphia, Tufts University Massachusetts, and Trinity College Oxford prepared him for the world of ideas and service to humanity! And as we used to say at The Guardian Editorial Board, being 80 has implications!

  • Happy 51st birthday to a trailblazer, Dr Dakuku Peterside – By Emmanuel Ajibulu

    Happy 51st birthday to a trailblazer, Dr Dakuku Peterside – By Emmanuel Ajibulu

    By Emmanuel Ajibulu

    Today, through the special grace of God Almighty, Dr Dakuku Peterside, clocks 51. This unique day may be marked low-key. Not that there are no reasons to roll out the drums, trumpets and call a feast to celebrate his birthday but he would rather quietly give thanks to his creator for His mercies over the years and the privilege to serve the people in various capacities.

    This distinguished trailblazer was born on December 31, 1970. Those who have followed Dr. Dakuku Peterside’s track record know him to be a leader right from his school days until he was appointed Senior Special Adviser to Rivers State Governor on Youth and Student Affairs at the beginning of this republic know he obviously has a date with destiny.

    From the modest beginning of becoming a student leader to serving as Executive Director, Development and Leadership Institute, DLI, Commissioner of Works, Rivers State, Local Government chairman, member of Board, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization CBAAC a federal government arts and research establishment to being an elected member, House of Representatives and as Chairman House Committee on Petroleum Reources Downstream; nominated as APC governorship candidate for 2015 elections in Rivers state and subsequently appointed Director-General, NIMASA among others, Dr. Dakuku Peterside has shown invaluable and inestimable capacity to deliver beyond target for the good of humanity.
    Indeed, Dr. Peterside has become legendary for showing limitless benevolence to the downtrodden, associates, colleagues and practical display of immense love and compassion to everyone that has crossed his path in life irrespective of their background or status.

    His early years in politics to date, Dr. Dakuku Peterside has remained focused and unwavering in his determination to provide service to ordinary Nigerians as a politician whether in the Nigerian lower legislative chamber where he earned a reputation as a progressive and broad minded legislator whose views were always respected or in his former position as D-G, NIMASA where he brings in words and actions, integrity, reforms, panache, compassion and intellectual as well as ingenious dimension to bear in tackling tough issues of the very sensitive agency in the maritime sector which is the soul of Nigeria’s economy.

    As Dr. Dakuku Peterside turns 51, it is a perfect opportunity for him to sense the feeling of being alive in the depths of his heart and promise himself to continue to do great things and aim even higher.

    Happy Birthday to a visioner, a courageous leader and administrator “per excellence”, a tireless giver to the vulnerable segments of the society, an epitome of humility. There is nothing as fulfilling as being a witness to the astonishing activities of a remarkable trailblazer like you. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

     

     

    Emmanuel Ajibulu is an infoprenuer, publisher of veracitydesk.com.ng, writer, communication consultant and social media influencer. emmanuelajibulu@gmail.com

  • Cardi B gifts husband Offset $2m on 30th birthday

    Cardi B gifts husband Offset $2m on 30th birthday

    American rapper, Belcalis Almánzar, known as Cardi B, has gifted her husband, Offset, a sum of two million dollars on his 30th birthday.

    She made the presentation to her husband during his birthday party in Los Angeles, United States.

    In a video shared by the mother-of-two on her Instagram story on Wednesday, her husband was holding the giant-sized cheque of $2m from his wife.

    She wrote, “Happy Birthday. He literally got it at all.” (sic)

    Offset clocked 30 on December 14 and she had taken to her Instagram page to celebrate him on that day.

    Her message wish read, “Happy birthday to my huuuuusband, best friend and babydaaadddyyy. I love you so much and I’m so proud of you. We have overcome so much together.

    “I love the man that you’re becoming and I love the father that you are. Thank you for always being there for me, for being a great confidant and advisor, and for never allowing me to sell myself short.

    “I’m so lucky to have you as a partner raising our beautiful kids. You have soo many projects and businesses that you are managing and leading yet you have helped me so much in this journey with our two babies.

    “May life keep blessing you and you continue to thrive. I’m so excited for the world to see what you got coming ?. I love you!! We turning up tonight and next week for your party.” (sic)

     

  • Buhari salutes Ovie of Uvwie at 78

    Buhari salutes Ovie of Uvwie at 78

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Dr Emmanuel Sideso, Abe 1, Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom of Delta State, on his 78th birthday.

    The royal father marks his 78th birthday on Dec. 19, 2021.

    The president, in a congratulatory message released by his spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, on Saturday in Abuja noted the traditional ruler’s commitment to peace in Uvwie Kingdom.

    According to him, this has translated into many gains for the community, state and the nation, opening up more space for investors, and nurturing young entrepreneurs.

    President Buhari congratulate Sideso for many achievements on the throne, particularly creating a collective vision for his people, and shaping a new orientation of response to education and civic responsibilities.

    The president prayed for the wellbeing of the royal father, his family and domain, appreciating his contributions to national development.

  • Davido opens up on pain of losing friends, says 2021 has been a crazy year

    Davido opens up on pain of losing friends, says 2021 has been a crazy year

    Popular singer, David Adeleke has opened up on the travails of losing three of his associates in 2021.

    The OBO crooner made this revelation as a guest on Tea with Taymesan podcast.

    Hear him “We lost TJ, my bodyguard who has been my security for over eleven years. We also lost my photographer Fortune. May his soul rest in peace.2021 has been a crazy year. May their souls rest in peace. We are carrying their legacy on. We think about them every day. From handling that and still working, still having to do what I have to do, going on tours or doing the music recording. Juggling the pandemic and also family matters, 2021 has been a crazy year. We just thank God we are here, we are strong”.

    Davido also confessed that he cried on his birthday, adding that he cries about different situations.

    “Life is fast, I have been doing this continuously since I was sixteen years old. Off course I have had to cry, not even about losing my friends alone. I cry about different situations. It comes and goes. I cried on my birthday. I know how bad my grades were. In school, I was like the most unlikely to succeed type of student. My French teacher told me I won’t be anything in this life. I wont lie I was a bad kid with good intentions”.

     

     

  • Buhari speaks on life after 2023 as Tinubu hails him on 79th birthday

    Buhari speaks on life after 2023 as Tinubu hails him on 79th birthday

    President Muhamamadu Buhari, looking forward to life after 2023, has said he will be returning to his farm after handing over to the next president of Nigeria.

    On his 79th birthday on Friday in Istanbul, Turkey, President Buhari once again pledged that he will put in his best for Nigeria until the last day when in 2023 he hands over to a successor and returns to his farm to tender crops and livestock.

    “I look forward to the year 2023 when I finish, to go home to take charge of my farm. Between now and that time, I will do the best that is possible to advance the interest of the nation and its people, and carry out my duties as prescribed by the Constitution,” he said.

    His Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said in a statement, that Buhari had cut a birthday cake moulded in national colours, green-white-green to start the day.

    He said the President went straight to chair a planning meeting with officials in his delegation and thereafter drove to the Dolmabahce Palace for a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Tayyip Recep Erdogan.

    In response to the tribute on the occasion on behalf of the ministers and the rest of the delegation rendered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, President Buhari said he will put in his best for Nigeria until the last day when, in 2023 he hands over to a successor and returns to his farm to tender crops and livestock.

    “I thought that being away from Abuja I will escape these things. The Guards Brigade had written to tell me what they wanted to do on this day. Now here you are doing this far away from home.

    “I look forward to the year 2023 when I finish, to go home to take charge of my farm. Between now and that time, I will do the best that is possible to advance the interest of the nation and its people, and carry out my duties as prescribed by the Constitution,” he said.

    As he stepped out of his suite moving to the meeting room, President Buhari met a surprise lineup of the Nigerian delegation with a cake decorated in Nigeria’s national colours.

    The group broke into a chorus, as they began chanting “Happy Birthday, Mr. President.”

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs who spoke on behalf of the delegation and the Ambassador of Nigeria to Turkey, Ismail Yusuf Abba, congratulated the President on the good work he is doing for the country, and wished him a happy birthday, many healthy years ahead and the energy to give his best to the nation.

    Onyeama noted in particular that the President continues to have a good run with his health, getting better and more active with time.

    Meanwhile, in furtherance of sustained efforts at keeping Nigerians safer, President Buhari said Nigeria will partner with the Republic of Turkey in dealing with the current security challenges facing the nation.

    Speaking at a bilateral meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his Turkish counterpart shortly before the official commencement of the 3rd Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in Istanbul, President Buhari acknowledged that Turkey had garnered a lot of experience dealing with security challenges of various kinds and Nigeria will latch onto that experience.

    President Buhari said, “Turkey has practical experience dealing with challenges over the years and Nigeria stands to gain from that.”

    Giving assurances that the relationship between the two states will continue to grow for the mutual benefits of both countries, President Buhari said he was pleased with the Turkish offer of support in the area of security and peace in Nigeria.

    “I wish to express my appreciation for the special invitation for this meeting and to express my happiness with your offer of assistance in dealing with the challenges facing us.

    ‘‘I await the reports of officials and the ministers as they hold meetings with their counterparts. I assure you that I will endorse all their positive recommendations,” President Buhari assured Erdogan.

    Earlier, the Turkish leader said that he was happy to receive President Buhari shortly after he paid an official visit to Nigeria.

    “Turkey understands the challenges facing Nigeria and its needs, and we are ready to assist you to meet those needs especially in the area of defence.

    ‘‘I am happy Nigeria is stepping up cooperation with other nations in areas of defence and health, and we are ready to cooperate with you on these areas and more,” said President Erdogan.

    Turkey, which has growing recognition in the world as a military power and had successes to show in Iraq, Syria, Libya and lately Azerbaijan said it welcomed the Nigerian government’s decision to buy naval ships from their shipyard, noting that discussions are ongoing on how to strengthen the capacity of the Defence Industries Corporation in Kaduna in line with an agreement signed during President Erdogan’s last state visit.

    Tinubu hails Buhari at 79, calls him a reformer

    Meanwhile, Sen. Bola Tinubu, a former Governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has congratulated Buhari on his 79th birthday.

    Tinubu, in a statement signed by him on Friday in Lagos, described the President as a great reformer and democrat.

    The APC National Leader said beyond his admiration and gratitude for the President’s achievements in office, he was proud to call him a friend and a brother.

    “Your legacy as a great reformer and democrat will live long into the future. You are a man of high intellect and exceptional character,” he said.

    Tinubu said that despite prevailing challenges, the president had continued to steer the ship of Nigeria through the most turbulent of waters.

    “Your tenure in office has coincided with some of the most difficult and challenging times this country and, indeed, the entire global community has faced.

    “Economic crises, global pandemics, insecurity and criminality have all played a role in making the past few years difficult for the people of our great country.

    “Yet, despite it all, you continue, calmly and with uncommon dignity, to steer the ship of Nigeria through the most turbulent of waters.

    “I, therefore, wish to appreciate the unseen and underappreciated work that you have done and continue to do to guide Nigeria ever nearer to its manifest destiny,” he said.

    The former governor of Lagos said that through the careful leadership and measured governance of the country, the President’s administration had achieved many things for which the people could be proud.

    He said that under President Buhari’s watch, previously abandoned infrastructure projects had been completed all over the country.

    “Unheralded reforms and measures taken by your administration are also taking effect to bring greater transparency and accountability to governance,” he said

    “I wish you a wonderful birthday and many more years in good health and renewed strength. Happy birthday Mr President,” he said.

    TNG reports Buhari, a Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, was born to a Fulani family on December 17, 1942, in Daura, Katsina State.

    He is a retired Nigerian Army Major General and has served as military head of state in Nigeria between 1983 and 1985, after taking power in a military coup d’état.

    Buhari ran for president of Nigeria in 2003, 2007, and 2011.

    In December 2014, he emerged as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the 2015 general election.

    Buhari won the election, defeating incumbent President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

    This was the first time in the history of Nigeria that an incumbent president lost a general election.

    He was sworn in on May 29, 2015.

    In February 2019, Buhari was re-elected, defeating his closest rival former Vice President Atiku Abubakar by over three million votes.

  • Lawan, Gbajabiamila, governors, others congratulate President Buhari at 79

    Lawan, Gbajabiamila, governors, others congratulate President Buhari at 79

    Senate President Ahmad Lawan and House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila on Thursday felicitated President Muhammadu Buhari on today’s celebration of his 79th birthday.

    Also, Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun) as well as Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige saluted the President on the celebration.

    In a statement yesterday in Abuja by his Special Adviser (Media), Ola Awoniyi, the Senate President said: “I join the multitude of fellow Nigerians and your other well-wishers across the globe in thanking Allah for His great gifts of good health and long life to you…

    “You are a leader who has matched vision with courage and who is steadfast in his pursuit of the right cause and common good…

    “The National Assembly will continue to work with you in line with our shared vision and in the best interest of our dear nation.”

    Gbajabiamila, who congratulated President Buhari through a message by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, said: “Mr. President, Nigeria and Nigerians are proud of you. The way you have been steering the ship of the Nigerian state has been commendable.

    “I, therefore, join millions of our compatriots to wish you a happy birthday and more years in good health.”

    In a congratulatory message by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, Governor Sanwo-Olu said: “You have contributed immensely to the unity, growth and development of Nigeria right from your youthful days till date, having served in different capacities as Minister of Petroleum Resources, Head of State and currently President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.”

    Oyetola, who congratulated President Buhari through a statement in Osogbo, the state capital, by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Ismail Omipidan, said: “It is noteworthy to mention that, despite the challenges confronting us as a country, you have made remarkable and impactful contributions to the growth and development of the country. You have remained an incorruptible and honest leader.”

    Ngige, in a statement by his Media Office in Abuja, described the President as a colossus who, upon crossing the Rubicon in 2015, retrieved Nigeria from a threatening morass, and set her on a fruitful march of socio-economic and political recovery.

    He added: “…The expansion of roads and railway infrastructure, illustrating the unambiguous commitment to national infrastructural rebirth, and summarised by the administration’s five legacy projects, viz: the Second Niger Bridge, now 80 per cent completed; the Lagos-Ibadan-Ilorin-Kaduna road; the East-West road; Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road and the Mambilla Project and more!”

  • Mary Njoku celebrates husband on birthday

    Mary Njoku celebrates husband on birthday

    Actress and filmmaker, Mary Remmy-Njoku, on Saturday celebrated her husband, Jason, on his birthday.

    Mary who doubles as the founder of ROK TV channels, shared her husband’s picture via her verified Instagram page on Saturday.

    Accompanied with the picture was a terse romantic message for her husband, as she reiterated her love for him.

    She wrote, “Happy Birthday to my love, @jasonnjoku. May God continue to bless every work of your hands and may he shower you with love, favour and long life. I will always love you.”

    TheNewsGuru recalls that Mary had described Jason as her best friend in a 2017 interview.

    She said “Jason is my best friend, my husband and my business partner. We are a true partnership in every sense of the word. We have a young family and even though we both work long hours, we make sure we find time for each other – this is really important. My marriage is a true blessing”.

     

  • I will celebrate all that you’ve been to me, Sound Sultan’s widow remembers singer on birthday

    I will celebrate all that you’ve been to me, Sound Sultan’s widow remembers singer on birthday

    Farida Fasasi, wife of late Nigerian singer, Olanrewaju Fasasi, popularly known as Sound Sultan, on Saturday celebrated the music star on the occasion of his posthumous birthday.

    Taking to her Instagram page, she shared a video showing her husband in different stages of his life.

    In her caption, Farida revealed what she missed about her late husband.

    She wrote, “Olanrewaju Fasasi ‘Oko Farida’ (Farida’s husband).

    “I miss your cheeky gap-toothed smile. I miss your jokes. I miss waking up to guitar strings. Even more, I miss our inside jokes.

    “It’s your birthday today. I’ll forever celebrate all that you’ve been to me. I love you, forever and always.”

    TheNewsGuru recalls that the multi-talented entertainer had died on the 11th of July after battling Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma. He was buried the same day in the United States, according to Islamic rites.

    A month after his demise, his wife, Farida, had broken her silence over her husband’s death as she penned an emotional tribute in his memory.

    Part of the tribute read, “It still feels like a bad dream. How is this my fate?. Living without you has to be the worst punishment life has thrown my way.”

    “My dear Aboo, my nights have been so long and cold since you left me. My sweet gentle husband, the love of my entire life, my world. Thank you for giving me the best of yourself for the past years. Our love was truly perfect and I am totally lost without you.”