Nigeria is blessed with so many talented Nollywood actors who have contributed to the growth and development of the Nigerian movie Industry.
Adebayo Salami is a Yoruba film industry legend. He is not only a gifted actor but a film producer and director as well. He is best known by his stage name Oga Bello, and is regarded as one of Nigeria’s most influential and wealthy actors.
Oga Bello grew up in Lagos where he had his primary and secondary education. While gwoing up, he watched the programme titled, Village Doctor, which motivated him to acting.
He started acting with Young Stars Concert Party in 1964 when he was 12 years old. The group metamorphosed to Ojo Ladipo Theatre.
After a few years, the group changed its name to Ojo Ladipo Theatre Group. It later metamorphosed into Awada Kerikeri Theatre Group. Following the demise of Ojo Ladipo in 1978, Salami took the mantle of leadership of the group, which brought him into the limelight.
He featured in the first Yoruba film, Ajani Ogun, in which the late Adeyemi Afolayan, the father of Kunle Afolayan and Gabriel Afolayan, plays the lead role.
Moreover, Oga Bello featured in a movie titled Kadara by Adeyemi Afolayan (Ade love).
He produced his first movie, Ogun Ajaye, in 1985, from the stable of Awada Kerikeri.
Adebayo Salami’s wives and children:
His first wife’s name is Alhaja Ejide. They met at school. At first, they were just friends. Later, they began dating and got married.
The actor met his second wife – Omotayo Sanusi – through his younger sister and he married her in 2016.
As of today, the actor has 18 children – nine sons (Hammed Akeem, Femi, Kunle Adebayo, Layiwola, Ridwan, Sadiq, Tope, and Wale) and nine daughters (Tobi, Titi, Olushola Kikelomo, Omolara Agboola, Olamide Adebayo Amina, Bukola Suliat Ibrahim, Ifeoluwa Arike, Medinat Olajogun, and Olaide).
Acting Registrar of the Polytechnic, Mr. B.L. Ojo signed the sack letters seen by SaharaReporters, stating that the institution no longer required the services of the affected staff members.
The management of Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki, Oyo State, has sacked 184 workers of the institution.
Acting Registrar of the Polytechnic, Mr. B.L. Ojo signed the sack letters seen by SaharaReporters, stating that the institution no longer required the services of the affected staff members.
“I have the directive to terminate your Part-Time Appointment with the institution by giving you a month’s notice. The termination takes effect from 2nd July, 2021,” part of the letter read.
The action is coming few weeks after the workers took to the streets to protest alleged casualisation by the institution’s management.
Spokesperson for the workers, Adekunle Lookman had said the protest was staged to demand the regularisation of their appointments.
Lookman also accused the polytechnic management of paying lip service to their welfare, lamenting that they were poorly paid.
“Some of us had been recruited since 2011 as casual staffers, with N20,000 monthly salary, which was later increased to N30, 000 before tax deduction.
“We want people to know that the state government is cheating us and they are calling us slaves for working for them,” he had said during the protest.
“About 187 of us (teaching and non-teaching), with families and dependants, taking home less than N30,000 a month. It is disgusting.
“Worse still, they have refused to regularise our appointment, even after using us for accreditation of some of the courses.”
Lookman said the protest was necessary because the government had turned deaf ears to their demands, adding: “They are happy as we continue to suffer.”
Another worker, Adebayo Samson, said the government had issued a white paper on the regularisation of their appointments, wondering why it had refused to implement it.
“This is a copy of the white paper that was issued in 2019 but up till today, it has not been implemented.
“What is happening to us here is nothing but modern-day slavery and cheating, hence our resolve to embark on this peaceful protest,” Samson had said.
Reacting to the latest development, Kola Akanbi asked Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene and prevent the acting management of the Polytechnic, led by Engineer M.B Fasasi from giving his ‘good administration a bad name.’
He said, “Not minding the good works and reputation of the Governor, the management of The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki (TOPS) has decided to give him (the governor) a bad reputation by terminating the appointment of 184 casual/part-time workers of the institution.
“The sacked staff have been working with the institution, some for 10 years, some 8, some 6, some 4 while they are being paid stipend of not more than N30,000. They are holders of BSc, MSc, and PhD degrees. They have helped the institution during accreditations and have been working to help the institution.
“On 3rd June, 2021, the casual/part-time staff were issued termination of appointment letter by one Mr Ojo B.L., the acting Registrar of the institution. On whose directive did Mr Ojo act? Government? Governing Council or Management of the institution? This remains a mystery because the government of Engr Seyi Makinde, that is giving hope to the people could not have given a directive to terminate their appointments.
“The Council of the institution could not also have directed it either. Did the management of the institution, under its acting Rector, Engr M.B. Fasasi, deem it fit to terminate their appointments after working for more than a decade with the institution? One would wonder, what the management wants to gain from laying off 184 casual staff of the institution who are saddled with the bulk of teaching and instructional activities in various academic units.
“To further worsen the situation, the termination letter also states that: ‘However, you may wish to re-apply if you are still interested in rendering your services to this great noble institution.’ Why lay them off in the first instance if you still want them to re-apply? Are there arrangements made for the years wasted? These casual/part-time staff members have been helping in upholding the institution in that they have been used to man departments where there are no permanent staff members on the ground.
“While institution like The Polytechnic, Ibadan has placed an internal advertisement to take care of the interests of their casual staff, the callous acting management in TOPS can only think of termination of appointment. Mr Ojo B.L. who acted as APC (All Progressives Congress) collation officer in the last regime should not be allowed to tarnish the image the image of our dear Governor.
“The Executive Governor is implored to look into this situation to prevent the school from further disintegration. Since this acting Management assumed office, the vehicle of the institution has been in reverse gear. A visit to the school will prove that instead of progressive and forward movement, it has been from one problem to another. Under this management, there has been division, chaos, and crisis of all sorts. Now, they have laid off 184 staff members for reasons best known to them. Why the hurry, when you know the substantive management will soon be put in place?
“Your Excellency sir, you are appealed to wade in so as prevent the acting management of TOPS under Engr Fasasi M.B. from giving your good administration a bad name, which it does not deserve. We also want the Visitor to investigate the clandestine motive behind this mass sacking.”
The Nigeria government has announced the establishment of two additional universities of technology in Jigawa and Akwa Ibom, while also upgrading and equipping four others.
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Sonny Echono disclosed this to Journalists in Abuja on Monday.
Adamu said that a National Institute of Technology (NIT) would be established in Abuja to serve essentially as a postgraduate centre devoted to research and innovation.
He said ,” this will draw the best graduates from the six universities of technology as well as other exceptional graduates from reputable universities within and outside Nigeria”
“Recall that at the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, he promised to establish an apex National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Abuja with six Satellite Universities of Technology, one in each geo-political zone of the country.
“This was captured in the 2015 APC Manifesto and also stressed in the Education for Change: Ministerial Strategic Plan 2018 – 2022 of the Ministry. The objective is to stimulate rapid technological transformation of the country.
“After a comprehensive review of the policy by key stakeholders in the education sector, it was resolved that the four existing Universities of
Technology located in Yola (North East), Akure (South West), Owerri (South East) and Minna (North Central) be upgraded and equipped.
“While two additional Universities of Technology to be located in Jigawa and Akwa Ibom States, would be established for the purpose.
Similarly, a National Institute of Technology (NIT) shall be established in Abuja. The institute shall be patterned after similar institutions in Singapore and Malaysia.
“This is to serve essentially as a postgraduate centre devoted to research and innovation, drawing the best graduates from the six Universities of Technology as well as other exceptional graduates from reputable universities within and outside Nigeria,” he said.
Adamu said that the president had also approved the phased development programme, compelled by the country’s lean resources.
He said that the two new Universities of Technology would be established in 2021, while the upgrade of the existing four Universities of Technology and the National Institute of Technology would come up in 2022.
Adamu said the president had also observed from the report of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the weak institutional capacity for disease control and surveillance in the country, particularly with respect to medical facilities, trained personnel and supporting infrastructure.
“With the recent establishment of the only Federal Government-owned University of Health Sciences, Otukpo in Benue State and the huge gap in doctor-patient ratio as well as in medical research and production of pharmaceutical products, government recognised the compelling need to establish two other specialised universities in Health, Nutrition and Medical Sciences.
“These universities will be located at Azare, Bauchi State and Ila Orangun, Osun State. These shall lay a solid foundation for building national preparedness and resilience in anticipation of future challenges in the health sector, while reducing medical tourism to countries like India, UAE, Egypt, Europe and the U.S.”
Adamu said that the president had also approved a take-off grant of N4 billion each for the Universities of Technology and N5 billion each for the Universities of Health Science from the funding Resources of Tetfund.
He said that the ministry would collaborate with the Federal Ministries of Health, Science and Technology, Communications and Digital Economy, the FCT Administration as well as other relevant agencies and Institutions to facilitate speedy actualisation of these projects.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday reduced to five years the suspension for “corruption” of former Nigerian national team coach, Samson Siasia, in a match-fixing affair.
The court ruled that the life ban, imposed by FIFA in April 2019 after Siaisia was found guilty of agreeing to join a match-fixing ring in 2010, was “disproportionate”.
The CAS ruling upheld the guilty verdict but reduced the length of the ban and set aside the additional fine of 50,000 Swiss francs ($54,000).
“The Panel determined the imposition of a life ban to be disproportionate for a first offence which was committed passively and which had not had an adverse or immediate effect on football stakeholders,” CAS said in a statement, adding that a five-year ban would still punish Siasia.
The fine was dropped as the panel felt it would be “inappropriate and excessive” on top of the ban.
It noted that Siasia, who is 53, had not benefitted financially and had been hit in the pocket by not being able to work in football.
His suspension “from any football-related activity, nationally or internationally” is backdated to August 16, 2019 and runs until 2024.
The former striker played 51 times for Nigeria, including at the 1994 World Cup, and won a French Championship medal with Nantes in 1995.
He was coach of Nigeria between 2010 and 2011 and took the team to the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Siasia was caught after a wider investigation involving Wilson Raj Perumal, who confessed to international match-fixing.
Perumal, a Singaporean national, was arrested and jailed in Finland in 2011 for fixing top-tier football games there.
Sheik Abubakar Gumi, a well-known Islamic preacher, claims that there are 100,000 armed bandits in the North-West alone.
The bandits abducted schoolchildren, according to Gumi, who were upset that he bargained with them without involving the Federal Government.
No school could be safe unless the government dealt with the herdsmen, according to the cleric.
During an interview with The PUNCH on the kidnapped students of Tegina Islamic School in Niger State, he revealed these things.
The bandits had demanded N200m from the victims’ parents, which was later reduced to N150m. Gumi said despite efforts to get the pupils out, the bandits were adamant in their financial demand.
He said, “But we are trying to talk sense to them that these are just innocent schoolchildren. We don’t even have any idea of the condition of the children. We are just saying these are young children trying to study and they did nothing, so why are you trying to take dirty money from their families?
“This (kidnap of Islamic pupils) actually proves to the nation that the bandits are not really indoctrinated, they are just looking for money and I think that this is a good prognosis. They are not targeting a religion; they are not ideologues, which are difficult to deal with. We should not forget that they are not educated, formally or informally. They are just going about with cattle, and suddenly they found a lucrative way of finding money.
“But with good engagement, education and enticements like jobs and other things, they will leave this work. But we need a partner and we need the government to understand. Individuals like me alone cannot do it.
“All those we met (have stopped kidnapping), except for one of them who is kidnapping again, and he told us his reason, that he was neglected and he thought we had the mandate to negotiate. But when he realised that we did not have the mandate from anybody, he said he was going back to his business.
“So, the earlier we go into engaging them, the better. The ones who have agreed to lay down arms, you can engineer them to take care of the rest.”
Gumi stated that the Niger State Government had made steps to free the children, but that the state’s finances were limited.
He claimed that the government could not protect schools unless it first found a way to halt the country’s banditry.
“To secure schools, why not engage the bandits. Engage them; they are not many. You can count them with your fingers. How can you guard schools? It is not possible. In the whole North-West, they may not be more than 100,000 bandits. And that is just a drop in the ocean. That is talking about those with weapons; because not all of them have weapons. Ninety per cent of those who have weapons use them to protect themselves against cattle rustlers. They are victims too. Aerial bombardments will only worsen the situation because when you start killing their children, you remember they also have our children,” he added.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is currently investigating the former governor of Lagos state Senator Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Hence, this latest report that made media headlines has generated comments and reactions from social media users. This has led Deji Adeyanju a political analyst and commentator to also react to the reports.
According to Deji on his verified Facebook handle, “I’ll organize and award ceremony the day EFCC has the guts to arrest Tinubu”.
Though Deji Adeyanju sarcastically referred to Bola Ahmed Tinubu as ” the bullion van guy” and also shared a picture of a bullion van because, reports had it that during the 2019 elections, a bullion van was seen entering the premises of the former Lagos state governor.
This is a call to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to carry out its job diligently because no Nigerian citizen is above the law and anyone that goes against the laws of the country should be made to face the consequences.
Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, is the biggest absentee from Gernot Rohr’s squad for next month’s international friendly with Mexico in the US.
Heartland goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, has however been recalled to the team.
Ezenwa’s last call-up for Nigeria was in October 2019, as they drew 1-1 with Brazil.
The Super Eagles’ friendly against the Tricolor will take place on July 3 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
However, Nigeria will be parading only Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) stars. Even though Musa now plays for Kano Pillars, he has not been invited.
Others invited for the clash against Mexico are Enyimba goalkeeper John Noble, Rivers United’s Ifeanyi Anaemena, Enugu Rangers’ Ibrahim Olawoyin and Kwara United’s Stephen Jude.
The invited players are expected to report at the Serob Legacy Hotel, Wuye, Abuja on Tuesday, June 22.
However, only 22 players will make the trip to the USA.
Media entrepreneur and popular blogger Linda Ikeji , said she was motivated to partner with Ecobank on her “Selfmade Woman” initiative because of the bank’s various women friendly programmes, stressing that many individuals, especially women who own small businesses are supported by the bank to succeed. “When I conceive the idea of self-made women empowerment conference, Ecobank was the first bank I thought about because I love how much they are into women empowerment.
They have a lot of programmes, a lot of platforms internally to help women in business. They are really into helping women reach their full potentials. Fortunately, when I met with them and told them what I wanted to do, they immediately said yes to me, and they have been fully involved and here we are today. Ecobank today is my bank of choice”.
Linda Ikeji who spoke at the “2021 Selfmade Woman Conference”, her women empowerment initiative testified that Ecobank Nigeria as a female friendly is helping women achieve their dreams and full potentials. On why she initiate the Selfmade Women Conference Linda Ikeji said “I am very passionate about women succeeding and it was very important for me to put something together as a platform where successful women would meet and mentor those aspiring to be successful.
My purpose for doing this is to hopefully encourage more women to believe in themselves, encourage more women to fight for their dreams, encourage more women to know that there is absolutely nothing that they can’t achieve. I want them to hear stories of women who have achieved great feats, women who have broken tables and know that it’s possible for them to break through all these barriers, believe in themselves, see people like myself, Tara Durotoye and other women who have done amazingly well. Getting a women friendly bank like Ecobank to partner me is heartwarming”.
Also speaking, Founder, House of Tara, Tara Fela-Durotoye, applauded Ecobank for supporting women initiatives. She observed that partnering with young women and young entrepreneurs would go a long way to empowering women to play greater role in families.” I appreciate Ecobank’s various empowerment initiatives to support women and we can see the results. My advice to the bank is to sustain the initiatives”. This was the view of several other speakers which included
In his keynote address, Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Akinwuntan, said the decision to partner with Linda Ikeji Selfmade Woman Conferencealigns with the bank’s empowerment policy for women. He noted that Ecobank recognizes women as the bedrock of most families and entrepreneurship in the society, stating that to succeed as a nation, it is imperative to recognize women’s unique potentials and support them sufficiently.Akinwuntan who was represented by Head, Consumer Banking, Korede Demola-Adeniyi reiterated that Ecobank remains a women friendly bank and have been playing the role, stressing that, the bank has many initiatives and innovative products targeted at empowering female entrepreneurs in the country.
“We have many women centred empowerment programmes such as the Ecobank Female Entrepreneurs’ Initiative (EFEI) which is designed to empower, and support women owned small-scale businesses. Under this initiative, there is special loan package where prospective female entrepreneurs could easily access credit facility with interest rates as low as 1 per cent. Through EFEI, we have trained many female business owners on digital marketing skills in our state-of-the-art Academy and have also organized capacity building workshop for them. We also have another women empowerment programme “Ellevate” for women in Business; this will be publicly launched across the country in July. With Ellevate, we want to ensure we raise and recognize our women for the significant role they have always played to ensure a better society for us all.” He said.
Further, the Ecobank Nigeria Managing Director said examples of the bank’s support to women entrepreneur includes “our long-standing partnership with Tera Kulture, that is Bolanle Austen Peters who has come out with various movies such as ‘Bling Lagosians’, ‘Moremi The Musical’, ‘Fela and the Kalakuta Queens,’ ‘The Oluronbi Musical’ and others. Recently, we also supported ‘The Wait’, a movie inspired by the popular book from renowned lawyer and entrepreneur, Yewande Zaccheaus. We are currently working with the Ogun state government to promote the Adire industry which is also primarily women driven. In the agric industry, we have supported the Anchor borrowers programme of the CBN across the six regions of the country to reach out to farmers, especially the women folk to support them financially to increase their farm size and yield capacity through the introduction of new techniques.”
The 2021 Selfmade Women conference attracted over 3000 female participants both online and at a physical event. The Linda Ikeji Selfmade Woman Conference was borne out of passion to see women succeed. it is a platform for women who want to achieve success to meet those who have already achieved success. The all-female event attracted many speakers and wide audience including potential and established women entrepreneurs, businesswomen and students. The Linda Ikeji Self-Made Woman debuted in 2013, as an advocacy project with the sole aim to mentor and provide financial empowerment to young female entrepreneurs or aspiring ones. it is essentially to build stronger economies and improve the quality of life for women, men, families and communities.
The Registrar General/Chief Executive, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Alhaji Garba Abubakar, has expressed the commission’s commitment to the anti-corruption war of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, adding that it will not in any way be party to corrupt practices.
He said the CAC would continue to work hard to achieve the objectives for which it was established to the satisfaction of its customers and stakeholders.
Abubakar spoke against the backdrop of alleged abuse of power and financial impropriety among others leveled against the management by the CAC staff union under the aegis of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation , Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).
He vowed that the commission would not be distracted by mischief makers bent on running down the organisation.
The commission in a statement said contrary to the claims by the union, the registrar-general had declared his assets before the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in accordance with provisions of the laws of the land, pointing out that it was laughable that the claimants were raising doubt over the content of asset declaration they are not privy to. “It behooves on them to establish any case of wrong declaration,” it stated.
On the alleged inflation of consultancy fees for tax reconciliation, the commission in a statement issued over the weekend by the Director of Public Affairs, CAC, Duke Ukaga, said the tax consultant was engaged long before the appointment of Abubakar, adding that the former’s fees was based on the percentage of savings made to the commission as contained in his engagement letter.
The commission said the consultant was able to renegotiate the commission’s tax liability, saving about N600 million in the process.
The commission, among other things, denied accusations of abuse of power, financial impropriety and commercialisation of promotion examination in the commission.
According to it, “The 2019 examination was held on October 10, 2020, at JAMB CBT Centres in Abuja, Kano and Lagos. A total of 394 staff members sat for the 2019 promotion examination.
“The result of the examination was published the same day at the commission’s website upon receipt from JAMB.
“At the end of the final collation, a total of 258 candidates were successful and promotion letters were issued to the staff upon approval by the board of the commission. It is highly mischievous for anybody to claim that the process was commercialised.”
The management further clarified that the allegations are “figment of imagination of the AUPCTRE who could still not accept the reality of losing checkup dues of over N2 million monthly from the commission following the stoppage of checkup dues deduction in respect of senior staff.”
Emmanuel Larry and Victor Udoka have been granted bail and released from the Nigeria Correctional Centre in Kabba, Kogi State, having spent 68 days in the facility.
The two had been detained since April 5, after participating in the #BuhariMustGo protest, staged against the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
They were physically assaulted and tortured by some youth for distributing posters perceived to be critical of the president in Lokoja, Kogi State capital.
A few days later, they were turned over to the police and subsequently transferred to the prison facility. They were denied access to their lawyers.
Society gazette had reported the plight of the activists and how their attorney, Benjamin Omeiza, was deceived by police operatives and officials, who denied him access to his clients.
Many activists and rights groups including Amnesty International have demanded their release from detention, believed to be influenced by Kogi State authorities.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the duo were granted bail by a magistrate sitting in Lokoja.
‘Undaunted’
Speaking in a recent interview, the two shared their unpalatable experiences in the correctional centre but maintained that they are undaunted by the move to silence them.
Mr Udoka said he does not pray that any Nigerian should face a similar fate, beckoning on Nigerians to demand their rights.
“Everybody has to be free to express themselves every day. I should be free.”
The activist stated that the government has trampled on the citizens’ freedom of association, citing the continued incarceration of the Shiites leader, Ibrahim El-Zakyzaky, and harassment of members of his movement.
He, however, advised that Nigerians should resist all attempts to ‘hijack’ the freedom of speech.
Asked if discouraged by his prison experience, Mr Udoka said the fight has just begun and that he is not ready to give up the struggle.
“Giving up is totally out of it. As a matter of art for me, the fight has just begun,” he said.
Also, Mr Larry, who hails from Benue State, narrated how they were manhandled by ‘thugs’, believed to be working for the state government.
“Their plan was to kill us on Easter Sunday,” he said.
According to him, police operatives “supervised a severe beating that was meted out to them by the thugs”.
Meanwhile, police spokesperson, Williams Aya, did not respond to telephone calls and texts put across by our reporter.
